WEBVTT 00:00:00.620 --> 00:00:14.160 From the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, and beaming out across all of space and time, this is StarTalk, where science and pop culture collide. 00:00:27.302 --> 00:00:34.222 This is StarTalk, and I'm your personal astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and we're here in a Cosmic Queries edition. 00:00:34.942 --> 00:00:41.262 And I have a new co-host, never co-hosted before, Ray Ellin, Ray. 00:00:41.282 --> 00:00:41.982 Hello, hello. 00:00:42.002 --> 00:00:42.662 Ray in the house. 00:00:42.682 --> 00:00:43.942 Great to see you, Neil. 00:00:43.962 --> 00:00:49.622 I know you, because you basically, you're a warm-up guy, a warm-up comedian from when we do live StarTalk. 00:00:50.582 --> 00:00:51.642 Four seasons. 00:00:52.462 --> 00:00:55.122 So now we put you in front of the camera, rather than behind the camera. 00:00:55.142 --> 00:00:55.622 Great, fantastic. 00:00:55.622 --> 00:00:56.082 I'm ready. 00:00:57.262 --> 00:00:58.002 I'm ready for it. 00:00:58.522 --> 00:00:59.342 Can you handle it? 00:00:59.362 --> 00:01:00.142 I think I can. 00:01:00.162 --> 00:01:00.942 Can you handle it? 00:01:00.962 --> 00:01:03.682 It is such a fun, StarTalk is such a fun show to work on. 00:01:03.702 --> 00:01:04.302 Oh, thank you. 00:01:04.362 --> 00:01:05.122 Yeah, and that's not me. 00:01:05.482 --> 00:01:07.142 I'm thanking you for 50 of us. 00:01:07.162 --> 00:01:09.202 There's a trickle-down effect. 00:01:09.222 --> 00:01:09.502 Uh-huh. 00:01:09.522 --> 00:01:13.042 It starts with you, and it runs through, ripples through the entire cast and crew. 00:01:13.062 --> 00:01:13.602 Oh, excellent. 00:01:13.882 --> 00:01:15.342 It's all labors of love for us. 00:01:15.362 --> 00:01:15.882 Yeah, for sure. 00:01:15.902 --> 00:01:20.022 And I'm always delighted you make the crowd feel at home and comfortable. 00:01:20.462 --> 00:01:22.222 You only insult them intermittently. 00:01:22.402 --> 00:01:23.202 Very sporadically. 00:01:24.122 --> 00:01:25.382 When they have it, when they deserve it. 00:01:25.402 --> 00:01:26.022 When they deserve it. 00:01:26.042 --> 00:01:27.282 They deserved it when it happens. 00:01:28.522 --> 00:01:28.962 Excellent. 00:01:28.982 --> 00:01:30.542 And are you active on social media? 00:01:30.982 --> 00:01:31.322 I am. 00:01:32.362 --> 00:01:34.482 At Ray Comedy on Instagram. 00:01:34.502 --> 00:01:35.122 Ray Comedy? 00:01:35.142 --> 00:01:35.942 On Instagram, yeah. 00:01:35.962 --> 00:01:36.562 Instagram, okay. 00:01:36.582 --> 00:01:39.442 Ray Romano's very upset that I got Ray Comedy. 00:01:40.222 --> 00:01:41.082 How'd you get that? 00:01:41.102 --> 00:01:41.942 Well, how? 00:01:43.202 --> 00:01:44.522 I'm like, you're fine with that. 00:01:44.822 --> 00:01:47.122 And then I have Twitter is at Ray Ellin. 00:01:47.542 --> 00:01:48.042 Ray Ellin. 00:01:48.122 --> 00:01:48.622 E-L-L-I-N. 00:01:48.642 --> 00:01:50.622 R-A-Y-E-L-L-I-N. 00:01:50.662 --> 00:01:51.482 I-N, you got it. 00:01:51.522 --> 00:01:52.122 Okay, dude. 00:01:53.202 --> 00:01:54.802 So, this is Cosmic Queries. 00:01:55.082 --> 00:01:56.642 Love Cosmic Queries. 00:01:56.662 --> 00:01:58.062 And so, you got the questions. 00:01:58.202 --> 00:01:58.962 I got the questions. 00:01:58.982 --> 00:02:00.162 Cold from our social media. 00:02:00.322 --> 00:02:01.022 Yes. 00:02:01.042 --> 00:02:01.462 Footprint. 00:02:01.782 --> 00:02:02.062 Yes. 00:02:02.082 --> 00:02:02.562 And bring them on. 00:02:02.582 --> 00:02:09.242 I haven't seen the questions, but the topic solicited is the new space race. 00:02:09.262 --> 00:02:10.642 The new space race. 00:02:10.662 --> 00:02:13.402 Yeah, not old boring space race where we only went to the moon. 00:02:13.402 --> 00:02:13.882 Exactly. 00:02:13.902 --> 00:02:16.802 The new space race where we're trying to get into freaking love before. 00:02:17.362 --> 00:02:20.202 The new and exciting updated space race. 00:02:20.222 --> 00:02:21.082 Updated space race. 00:02:21.102 --> 00:02:24.062 Although, this first question does pertain to the moon. 00:02:25.002 --> 00:02:26.802 From Ryan Espinoza on Facebook. 00:02:26.822 --> 00:02:27.122 All right. 00:02:27.282 --> 00:02:31.022 And Ryan wants to know, why do you think we haven't gone back to the moon in decades? 00:02:31.362 --> 00:02:39.922 And would there be any good sustainable reason other than preparing for Mars to have a permanent research station there, perhaps even to launch spacecraft? 00:02:40.982 --> 00:02:41.282 No. 00:02:44.222 --> 00:02:44.762 No reason. 00:02:45.142 --> 00:02:46.442 What about the launching spacecraft? 00:02:46.462 --> 00:02:50.622 No, no, there could be reasons, but the economics is hard to justify. 00:02:50.642 --> 00:03:04.262 So, you need a reason that overrode the economics, like war or if China says, we're going to put military bases on the moon, we're going back to the moon, right, because then we use that as an argument to justify it. 00:03:04.482 --> 00:03:06.182 That's why we went to the moon in the first place. 00:03:06.342 --> 00:03:06.662 Right. 00:03:06.782 --> 00:03:11.942 Russia was getting our upper hand that is something nobody talks about. 00:03:13.142 --> 00:03:14.042 We're Americans, right? 00:03:14.402 --> 00:03:14.802 Americans. 00:03:14.822 --> 00:03:26.042 America, America, America, apostrophe M-U-R-R-I-C-A, America, we, our narrative of our history is that we are pioneers in space. 00:03:26.622 --> 00:03:26.942 Okay. 00:03:27.742 --> 00:03:28.482 But let's look at it. 00:03:29.202 --> 00:03:31.022 Russians came up with the rocket equation. 00:03:31.062 --> 00:03:35.062 This is the equation that tells you how much fuel you need to put a payload into orbit. 00:03:35.542 --> 00:03:36.282 Why does that matter? 00:03:36.702 --> 00:03:44.742 Because you need fuel to carry the fuel that hasn't burned yet to put the payload in orbit. 00:03:45.502 --> 00:03:51.302 So for every pound you want to put into orbit, you need much, much more fuel than you'd otherwise think you'd need. 00:03:51.562 --> 00:03:57.062 And that's why the Saturn V rocket is so tall and the astronauts and all their payload is just an upper little section. 00:03:57.082 --> 00:03:59.122 All the rest of that is just controlled bomb. 00:04:00.242 --> 00:04:02.362 So the rocket equation was Russian. 00:04:02.702 --> 00:04:08.662 Russians had the first they had the first satellite in orbit, Sputnik, Sputnik, Sputnik right here. 00:04:08.902 --> 00:04:09.642 Oh, okay. 00:04:09.822 --> 00:04:11.742 I got this in Star City, Moscow. 00:04:11.862 --> 00:04:17.942 I mean, outside of it's a very distant suburb of Moscow where they it's like our Houston. 00:04:19.282 --> 00:04:20.742 Except it's really just for space. 00:04:20.882 --> 00:04:22.582 Are there are there any cowboys there? 00:04:23.482 --> 00:04:25.422 So this is the International Space Station. 00:04:27.902 --> 00:04:30.242 And then we go next one down. 00:04:30.542 --> 00:04:32.222 This is Skylab. 00:04:32.242 --> 00:04:32.822 Oh, cool. 00:04:32.842 --> 00:04:33.122 Yeah. 00:04:33.142 --> 00:04:38.022 Which was the there's the Russian the Apollo Soyuz project. 00:04:38.042 --> 00:04:39.742 We use the Skylab as a space station. 00:04:40.222 --> 00:04:42.402 So that's smaller than the International Space Station. 00:04:42.422 --> 00:04:42.602 Right. 00:04:42.622 --> 00:04:44.422 I have no idea what this is. 00:04:44.442 --> 00:04:45.502 It looks like a flying saucer. 00:04:45.682 --> 00:04:50.942 Could have been some prototype thing that the Russians did design here. 00:04:51.302 --> 00:04:54.902 This is some large satellite satellite, but we keep going. 00:04:57.722 --> 00:05:02.342 And there's Black Nick in the tiniest of the dolls. 00:05:02.582 --> 00:05:03.182 Look at that. 00:05:03.202 --> 00:05:04.302 That's a very, very clever doll. 00:05:04.322 --> 00:05:09.182 I don't know how this translates to radio, but I just disassembled one of these dolls. 00:05:09.202 --> 00:05:11.402 What do they call them? 00:05:12.162 --> 00:05:12.962 The Russian dolls? 00:05:12.982 --> 00:05:13.402 Yeah. 00:05:13.482 --> 00:05:17.722 The Russian dolls, the nesting Russian dolls, but there's a Russian name for it. 00:05:17.742 --> 00:05:18.702 I was thinking of Faberge egg. 00:05:18.722 --> 00:05:19.422 It's not a Faberge egg. 00:05:19.442 --> 00:05:20.062 No, no, no, no, no. 00:05:20.082 --> 00:05:20.702 Not even close. 00:05:20.822 --> 00:05:28.262 So the littlest one in there, normally they have like heads of state or the popes or prime ministers or czars. 00:05:28.562 --> 00:05:29.602 These are spaceships. 00:05:29.642 --> 00:05:34.502 If you crack that one open, it'll be a little bottle of vodka and if you crack that open, it'll be a little piece of potato. 00:05:34.522 --> 00:05:36.502 I'm not showing it. 00:05:37.062 --> 00:05:40.742 So Sputnik, they had the first non-human animal in space. 00:05:40.762 --> 00:05:41.082 Who's that? 00:05:42.422 --> 00:05:42.742 Chimp? 00:05:42.862 --> 00:05:43.162 No. 00:05:43.682 --> 00:05:44.602 Non-human animal? 00:05:44.622 --> 00:05:45.162 It was a dog. 00:05:45.482 --> 00:05:46.062 Was it really? 00:05:46.082 --> 00:05:46.382 Yes. 00:05:46.462 --> 00:05:47.102 What kind of a dog? 00:05:47.122 --> 00:05:48.342 Like a, it's a mutt. 00:05:49.022 --> 00:05:51.702 I don't know if it was a mutt, but I think it was kind of like a mutt. 00:05:51.762 --> 00:05:55.242 It was a stray dog from Moscow. 00:05:55.262 --> 00:05:59.462 How would you feel if you're a stray dog just running in the streets of Moscow, next thing you know, you're up in orbit? 00:05:59.482 --> 00:06:01.402 Well, if they had no plans to bring it back alive. 00:06:02.262 --> 00:06:02.642 Oh, wow. 00:06:02.662 --> 00:06:03.602 So maybe you'd have second thoughts. 00:06:03.722 --> 00:06:14.102 However, I'm thinking to myself, if I were a dog, I could be a stray dog and die in the streets of Moscow in the winter, or be the most famous dog since Lassie and die in space. 00:06:14.302 --> 00:06:15.942 Yeah, that's not a bad option. 00:06:15.962 --> 00:06:18.222 Or how about just being adopted by a family with a yard? 00:06:18.242 --> 00:06:20.062 A rescue dog. 00:06:20.142 --> 00:06:20.862 Yeah, a rescue dog. 00:06:21.582 --> 00:06:24.942 So there's some bitterness about the fact that there's no plans to bring it back alive. 00:06:25.002 --> 00:06:26.202 And it was a Russian mutt. 00:06:26.962 --> 00:06:33.042 Yeah, I think it's most of some kind of breed, but I don't remember it being a purebred. 00:06:33.222 --> 00:06:33.802 Anyway, they had... 00:06:34.262 --> 00:06:36.002 It's rough, rough. 00:06:36.022 --> 00:06:37.902 And the first human in space. 00:06:38.222 --> 00:06:38.862 And that was who? 00:06:39.222 --> 00:06:40.302 The first human ever in space? 00:06:40.322 --> 00:06:41.482 Yes, Eureka Garin. 00:06:41.782 --> 00:06:43.242 Yes, it was Eureka Garin. 00:06:43.442 --> 00:06:44.582 He said, yes, that was a good... 00:06:46.582 --> 00:06:47.922 You saved yourself on that one. 00:06:48.402 --> 00:06:50.142 If I answer quickly, it meant I knew it. 00:06:50.922 --> 00:06:52.782 That was very Stewie and Brian right there. 00:06:53.002 --> 00:06:53.982 That was very... 00:06:55.322 --> 00:06:56.942 And so, they also had the first... 00:06:57.842 --> 00:07:01.662 A lot of firsts. 00:07:01.862 --> 00:07:03.922 And then we landed on the moon first. 00:07:04.562 --> 00:07:05.462 Then we say, we win. 00:07:06.582 --> 00:07:08.502 And obviously, we walked on the moon first. 00:07:08.522 --> 00:07:09.262 You know what I'm just saying? 00:07:09.982 --> 00:07:11.122 We landed on the moon first. 00:07:11.682 --> 00:07:13.142 And we say, we win the race. 00:07:14.022 --> 00:07:18.842 When almost every other important achievement in space was achieved by the Russians. 00:07:19.402 --> 00:07:23.962 And the reality of that progression of achievements is what spooked us. 00:07:24.622 --> 00:07:27.242 Because they were accomplishing things faster and better than we were. 00:07:28.042 --> 00:07:30.182 And so then we leapfrogged it and then we went to the moon. 00:07:30.362 --> 00:07:31.622 So that's all I'm saying. 00:07:32.322 --> 00:07:34.182 So, but going back to what Ryan asked. 00:07:34.202 --> 00:07:34.562 I forgot. 00:07:34.702 --> 00:07:35.642 I forgot the question. 00:07:36.442 --> 00:07:39.562 But why isn't the moon useful to launch spacecraft? 00:07:39.582 --> 00:07:40.062 Oh, okay. 00:07:40.282 --> 00:07:42.222 So here's the problem. 00:07:43.742 --> 00:07:47.762 If you're going to leave Earth to go to the moon to then go to Mars, just go straight to Mars. 00:07:48.142 --> 00:07:49.022 All right. 00:07:49.502 --> 00:07:53.942 You're going to need fuel to land on the moon because you have to slow down. 00:07:54.462 --> 00:07:55.942 Fuel is not just to go fast. 00:07:56.122 --> 00:07:58.082 Once you're going fast, how are you going to slow down? 00:07:59.482 --> 00:08:02.902 In our atmosphere, you can use aerobraking, which is why we have heat shields. 00:08:03.622 --> 00:08:05.302 So you need heat shields, otherwise you'll burn up. 00:08:05.682 --> 00:08:08.002 Glad you're going through the atmosphere. 00:08:08.022 --> 00:08:09.102 I don't need fuel to do it. 00:08:09.882 --> 00:08:18.262 Using the friction and shock waves between the craft and the air to slow it down so that I don't need to use retro rockets to slow it down. 00:08:18.282 --> 00:08:21.082 You're going to the moon, you need retro rockets to slow yourself down. 00:08:21.082 --> 00:08:23.442 So you have to carry fuel that you're not using yet. 00:08:23.882 --> 00:08:29.562 So no, the moon would not be a place to organize to then go to Mars. 00:08:29.702 --> 00:08:30.522 You want to organize? 00:08:30.702 --> 00:08:34.422 Organize in zero G, in a Lagrangian point. 00:08:34.442 --> 00:08:39.102 There are these points where gravity balances between the moon and the earth and the planets. 00:08:39.482 --> 00:08:40.982 Where you just put stuff there, it just stays. 00:08:41.002 --> 00:08:42.902 So you can make really big ships. 00:08:43.702 --> 00:08:46.362 And then you leave from zero gravity. 00:08:47.162 --> 00:08:54.002 And now you're not trying to climb out of what we call a gravitational well, which is all the exhaust that's coming out of our rockets needs to do. 00:08:54.122 --> 00:08:54.782 That's interesting. 00:08:54.802 --> 00:08:56.842 You think that'll ever become a reality? 00:08:56.962 --> 00:09:00.822 Possibly, but unless there's a war driver, there's gotta be an economic driver. 00:09:00.842 --> 00:09:02.562 Otherwise, I don't see it happening ever at all. 00:09:02.662 --> 00:09:02.942 Right. 00:09:03.482 --> 00:09:04.502 And I wrote a whole book on this. 00:09:04.522 --> 00:09:09.082 It was called, what's it called? 00:09:10.842 --> 00:09:11.582 This one right here? 00:09:11.682 --> 00:09:12.362 No, it's not that book. 00:09:12.382 --> 00:09:13.122 The Unspoken Alliance? 00:09:13.142 --> 00:09:13.862 No, it's not that book. 00:09:14.582 --> 00:09:21.782 So I wrote a whole book on this that I wanted to call Failure to Launch, The Dreams and Delusions of Space Enthusiasts. 00:09:22.282 --> 00:09:25.262 The publishers said, no, we can't have the word failure in a title. 00:09:25.522 --> 00:09:26.422 That's just bad. 00:09:27.062 --> 00:09:27.942 But I loved the title. 00:09:28.302 --> 00:09:30.802 They said, by the way, isn't there a movie with that title? 00:09:30.922 --> 00:09:35.002 Yes, except I'm using the title literally, Failure to Launch. 00:09:35.022 --> 00:09:39.542 That one was figurative about failing to leave home and get married. 00:09:39.642 --> 00:09:46.062 So why don't you just call it Successes and Unsuccesses in the World of Launching. 00:09:46.942 --> 00:09:47.722 Unsuccesses. 00:09:49.642 --> 00:09:55.682 So that book's called Space Chronicles, so I settled on the title Space Chronicles, Facing the Ultimate Frontier. 00:09:55.782 --> 00:09:58.702 Half of that book is on why we didn't continue to go to Mars. 00:09:58.702 --> 00:10:02.562 My takeaway from this is that you've written so many books you can't remember the names of the books. 00:10:03.542 --> 00:10:04.682 That is remarkable. 00:10:06.302 --> 00:10:09.102 I've just written so, I'm such a prolific writer, I don't know. 00:10:09.282 --> 00:10:11.062 Yeah, that's amazing. 00:10:11.082 --> 00:10:12.142 I didn't know it came out that way. 00:10:12.162 --> 00:10:12.642 No, it didn't. 00:10:12.662 --> 00:10:13.142 That was not the- 00:10:13.162 --> 00:10:13.662 That's awesome. 00:10:13.822 --> 00:10:14.482 That was not the thing. 00:10:14.502 --> 00:10:15.642 That's pretty impressive, actually. 00:10:15.842 --> 00:10:17.622 Can I give you my one impressive book story? 00:10:18.182 --> 00:10:26.282 My first time I ever met Carl Sagan, I was 17, I'm in his office, and I'm sitting across his desk, and he's like, I can give you a gift. 00:10:26.762 --> 00:10:34.142 He reaches behind, does not even look, grabs a book from the shelf, and it's his book, and he signs it to me. 00:10:35.242 --> 00:10:36.102 That is badass. 00:10:36.862 --> 00:10:39.502 You don't even, whatever you touch, it's gonna be one of your books. 00:10:40.282 --> 00:10:41.902 It's just a bookcase full of Sagan. 00:10:41.922 --> 00:10:51.642 And then it was like some years later, after my sixth book or something, I had them lined up behind me, and a kid comes in, and I just reach back, and I say, damn, I'm like, that's what I'm doing. 00:10:51.662 --> 00:10:53.382 Did you reach back and grab one of Sagan's books? 00:10:53.582 --> 00:10:53.842 No. 00:10:55.422 --> 00:10:57.682 How many books have you written? 00:10:57.842 --> 00:10:58.182 20? 00:10:58.202 --> 00:10:58.602 15. 00:10:58.622 --> 00:10:59.682 15, that's incredible. 00:10:59.702 --> 00:11:04.562 About four or five of them are co-authored, because you can't know everything, for everything you write about. 00:11:05.202 --> 00:11:12.322 But some of them I'm more proud of than others, but it's an opus of my effort to communicate the universe to the public. 00:11:12.342 --> 00:11:12.962 That's amazing. 00:11:13.602 --> 00:11:16.522 My sister, Abby, just wrote her second book called Duped. 00:11:17.382 --> 00:11:21.762 And I see firsthand up close how difficult it is to write a book. 00:11:21.782 --> 00:11:22.102 Oh, yeah. 00:11:22.122 --> 00:11:23.822 You have done that many, that's incredible. 00:11:23.842 --> 00:11:26.982 Oh, yeah, no, it's a whole, it's a chapter of your life. 00:11:27.302 --> 00:11:29.322 It's a piece of you in the book. 00:11:29.962 --> 00:11:35.962 And when you're done, you just got to regrow the organs that you expend. 00:11:36.562 --> 00:11:48.342 Regrow your energy, refill your fuel tanks, regain energy, reestablish your existence as an entity, because you're putting so much of yourself in the book itself. 00:11:48.362 --> 00:11:54.582 Sure, this is why after every episode of StarTalk, when Chuck Nice and I say to Neil, hey, you want to go out and have a glass of wine? 00:11:54.602 --> 00:11:56.242 He's like, nah, I got to go home, I have things to do. 00:11:56.522 --> 00:11:57.522 Like, write another book. 00:11:57.542 --> 00:12:01.502 See you later, drunks. 00:12:02.062 --> 00:12:07.282 The amount of interstitial time most people spend doing nothing is extraordinary. 00:12:08.142 --> 00:12:09.682 I'm writing, that's exactly right. 00:12:09.802 --> 00:12:10.842 Great use of time. 00:12:11.022 --> 00:12:13.102 You know who else spends some time writing? 00:12:15.382 --> 00:12:16.402 Matt Harefield. 00:12:16.422 --> 00:12:17.842 All right, so what do you have, next question. 00:12:17.982 --> 00:12:24.142 Matt wants to know, Matt Harefield on Facebook, why are we framing this as a race? 00:12:24.462 --> 00:12:28.002 Is there an end goal that one country could achieve first? 00:12:28.522 --> 00:12:31.222 Oh, real, this is a thoughtful question. 00:12:31.242 --> 00:12:32.062 Oh, man. 00:12:33.002 --> 00:12:34.682 Took him 30 seconds to write. 00:12:35.782 --> 00:12:39.562 It's, you know, race implies there's a big start point and an end point. 00:12:39.562 --> 00:12:39.842 Right. 00:12:40.042 --> 00:12:44.202 And the race to the moon that we won, but we didn't win the race to space itself. 00:12:44.662 --> 00:12:46.162 Russia won that race. 00:12:46.822 --> 00:12:50.222 So many people say Mars is the next obvious choice. 00:12:50.242 --> 00:12:51.042 You're not gonna go to Venus. 00:12:51.642 --> 00:12:53.542 It's hotter than a pizza oven on Venus. 00:12:53.662 --> 00:12:53.902 Right. 00:12:54.002 --> 00:12:54.542 By the way. 00:12:54.682 --> 00:12:59.922 So Mars would be the next obvious target, but I have a contrarian view here. 00:13:00.302 --> 00:13:01.842 I don't want to call it contrarian. 00:13:01.862 --> 00:13:04.642 I have a unorthodox view here. 00:13:05.582 --> 00:13:12.862 I want to build the capacity to explore without reference to where you're going. 00:13:14.702 --> 00:13:20.902 So you have a warehouse of rockets and you, so what do you want to do in space, Ray? 00:13:22.022 --> 00:13:23.102 I'm going to play baseball. 00:13:23.122 --> 00:13:24.002 You want to play baseball. 00:13:24.022 --> 00:13:25.342 So play baseball on the moon. 00:13:25.582 --> 00:13:25.942 Love to. 00:13:26.002 --> 00:13:33.562 Okay, so, and you should know that the restaurants on the moon, they have no atmosphere. 00:13:33.822 --> 00:13:34.782 That's right. 00:13:35.662 --> 00:13:36.482 You saw that coming. 00:13:36.502 --> 00:13:37.282 I did. 00:13:38.062 --> 00:13:41.622 But tell me, please tell me about the Italian suppositories on the moon. 00:13:44.082 --> 00:13:46.402 So you want to play baseball. 00:13:46.422 --> 00:13:47.882 So you might want to do that on the moon. 00:13:48.362 --> 00:13:50.242 So you go, what rockets do you need? 00:13:50.562 --> 00:13:51.882 How many people are you going to take with you? 00:13:52.062 --> 00:13:54.042 That's this vessel with this many rockets. 00:13:55.142 --> 00:13:56.802 And you need to last this long. 00:13:56.822 --> 00:14:00.782 So you need this food supply and oxygen, this sort of thing. 00:14:00.802 --> 00:14:03.442 And then that's your, then you go to the moon and have fun. 00:14:04.142 --> 00:14:10.882 There's scientists that might want to study the possibility of life on Mars in a pre, in some other Genesis on Mars. 00:14:11.382 --> 00:14:13.602 So they'll bring equipment with them and they want to go. 00:14:13.622 --> 00:14:14.502 Maybe they want robots. 00:14:14.962 --> 00:14:17.762 Maybe they'll stay in orbit and control robots down on the surface. 00:14:18.502 --> 00:14:25.762 So what I want is everybody's creativity to be empowered by our capacity to explore space. 00:14:26.662 --> 00:14:29.382 And that way, no one is saying where the destination is. 00:14:30.302 --> 00:14:31.982 So in that sense, it's actually not a race. 00:14:32.242 --> 00:14:34.882 It's let's all go play in our backyard. 00:14:34.902 --> 00:14:37.622 And that backyard is the solar system. 00:14:37.982 --> 00:14:38.262 Right. 00:14:38.922 --> 00:14:39.562 And well put. 00:14:40.162 --> 00:14:42.342 It's amazing to me. 00:14:42.362 --> 00:14:46.922 I always thought it was just so interesting how everything has to be turned into sort of a, framed as a competition. 00:14:47.662 --> 00:14:56.102 Well, it's, we're human and particularly, you know, there are people who rise to higher heights when they compete. 00:14:57.722 --> 00:15:05.742 When I first started watching the Olympics, I thought to myself, why is it that you can set a world record in the Olympics? 00:15:05.762 --> 00:15:08.322 Why didn't you set the world record a week ago? 00:15:10.142 --> 00:15:11.422 It's you, you're the same person. 00:15:11.442 --> 00:15:13.002 How different are you this week than last week? 00:15:13.022 --> 00:15:13.542 Exactly, yes. 00:15:13.542 --> 00:15:14.822 Or than a month ago? 00:15:14.842 --> 00:15:15.382 Right. 00:15:15.482 --> 00:15:16.582 Why did you set a world record? 00:15:16.602 --> 00:15:32.902 Because the competition, the moment, the urge, the pageantry all comes together and creates a will, a force, almost another force of nature operating on your ambitions. 00:15:33.242 --> 00:15:41.102 But it also creates a sense of pressure that maybe someone could run the fastest time ever if he didn't feel this pressure. 00:15:41.122 --> 00:15:42.962 For example, there's some people who can only sing in the shower. 00:15:43.322 --> 00:15:45.202 They can't sing on stage, they're great in the shower. 00:15:45.462 --> 00:15:46.082 What if some of them- 00:15:46.102 --> 00:15:49.842 Well, I can sing, I sing really good in the shower and I could sing on stage, but no one would want me to. 00:15:51.962 --> 00:15:55.282 You want to do the remake of Jesus Christ Superstar? 00:15:55.302 --> 00:15:56.462 My favorite musical of all time. 00:15:56.562 --> 00:15:58.562 And I saw it in 1971. 00:15:58.702 --> 00:15:59.102 Oh, wow. 00:15:59.122 --> 00:16:02.902 Yeah, with an original cast, including Ben Verene as Judas. 00:16:02.922 --> 00:16:04.702 Oh, you saw it when you were two years old. 00:16:05.722 --> 00:16:06.102 Yes. 00:16:06.222 --> 00:16:08.242 Good stuff. 00:16:08.262 --> 00:16:15.962 But why did you, oh, yeah, so I don't have a voice that's good, I don't have a good singing voice other than I just sing in the shower. 00:16:15.962 --> 00:16:20.822 Right, but there's some people who sound incredible in the shower and wouldn't be good in front of a live audience. 00:16:21.002 --> 00:16:27.622 So I'm sure there's people that participate in the Olympics who maybe aren't, maybe they could have broken the world record just sort of on their own time. 00:16:27.642 --> 00:16:30.342 Like on a random Sunday, they get up, they feel kind of relaxed. 00:16:30.362 --> 00:16:32.502 So we need an Olympics with no cameras and no audience. 00:16:32.522 --> 00:16:34.822 No cameras, no audience, no fans there. 00:16:35.222 --> 00:16:37.282 Sure, exactly, it's called the Home Olympics. 00:16:37.302 --> 00:16:38.462 The Home Olympics. 00:16:38.882 --> 00:16:40.022 We'll see how that one plays. 00:16:40.502 --> 00:16:42.602 We'll see how that goes. 00:16:42.622 --> 00:16:43.842 So yeah, competition drives it. 00:16:43.862 --> 00:16:47.482 So does the urge to gain wealth and power. 00:16:48.062 --> 00:16:52.542 So that's driven all the greatest projects that humans have ever done in the history of civilization. 00:16:52.562 --> 00:17:04.822 Greatest in terms of what fraction of a society's intellectual, physical and financial capital was invested in it. 00:17:05.842 --> 00:17:14.802 So when that's high, generally it's praise of royalty, gods and royalty, it's economics or it's war. 00:17:15.542 --> 00:17:22.142 And today you don't have praise of royalty triggering expensive projects the way we once did in civilization. 00:17:22.262 --> 00:17:24.162 So that basically leaves war and money. 00:17:24.582 --> 00:17:25.162 War and money. 00:17:25.402 --> 00:17:26.362 I wish that were not true. 00:17:26.382 --> 00:17:32.642 I'm just simply reporting what has driven and motivated people in the past. 00:17:32.662 --> 00:17:41.902 And so, yes, competition to be the first to get the economic return or to get the high ground if there's a military motive to it. 00:17:42.282 --> 00:17:43.242 The Cheney effect. 00:17:43.482 --> 00:17:44.242 Yeah, definitely. 00:17:44.782 --> 00:17:45.822 All right, next question. 00:17:45.842 --> 00:17:46.442 All right, next up. 00:17:46.922 --> 00:17:51.102 All right, next question is from Pedro Semedio on Facebook. 00:17:51.962 --> 00:17:56.962 Pedro asks, are there any international ethics or rules for space exploration? 00:17:57.962 --> 00:18:01.562 Let's suppose, for example, that Chang'e 4 had a problem when landing. 00:18:02.062 --> 00:18:05.442 This is the Chinese mission that landed on the back side of the moon. 00:18:05.462 --> 00:18:05.742 Yes. 00:18:05.762 --> 00:18:06.562 Yes, okay. 00:18:06.582 --> 00:18:07.722 The back side or dark side? 00:18:07.962 --> 00:18:08.562 The same thing. 00:18:09.222 --> 00:18:09.882 No, no. 00:18:10.502 --> 00:18:11.102 Two different things. 00:18:11.442 --> 00:18:13.862 In spite of the 1973 album by Pink Floyd. 00:18:13.902 --> 00:18:14.182 Yes. 00:18:14.742 --> 00:18:15.422 The dark side of the moon. 00:18:15.442 --> 00:18:16.362 There was no dark side of the moon. 00:18:16.382 --> 00:18:17.482 All sides of the moon receive light. 00:18:17.922 --> 00:18:18.302 Ah, oh. 00:18:18.362 --> 00:18:19.602 Yeah, day and the moon last a month. 00:18:20.122 --> 00:18:20.882 Oh, no kidding. 00:18:22.122 --> 00:18:23.222 So there's a far side of the moon. 00:18:23.962 --> 00:18:25.142 That's why I said the back side. 00:18:26.142 --> 00:18:26.622 I got you. 00:18:27.782 --> 00:18:28.542 Not the underside. 00:18:28.562 --> 00:18:30.762 But it's not a place where the sun don't shine. 00:18:34.542 --> 00:18:45.882 Okay, so in Chang'e 4, if it had a problem when landing and the potato seeds and silkworms were spread over lunar soil, were they to be punished somehow for contaminating lunar soil with terrestrial life? 00:18:46.142 --> 00:18:46.842 Yeah, so. 00:18:46.862 --> 00:18:47.342 Two different things. 00:18:47.982 --> 00:18:49.682 So there are three things here. 00:18:49.702 --> 00:18:52.762 In 1967, there's something called the International Space Treaty. 00:18:53.322 --> 00:19:00.322 It has a much longer title, but you want to shorten it, International Space Treaty, signed by more than 100 countries. 00:19:01.162 --> 00:19:04.562 And it's a code of conduct for space. 00:19:05.282 --> 00:19:06.262 Very kumbaya. 00:19:06.802 --> 00:19:17.162 They saw that the Cold War was getting hotter and space was becoming a contested regime of international politics. 00:19:17.422 --> 00:19:19.522 And the UN said, we got to do something about this. 00:19:20.022 --> 00:19:24.542 So in it, it says, if you're in trouble, even if we're enemies on the ground, I got to help you. 00:19:26.022 --> 00:19:27.802 I will bring you food or help you. 00:19:27.962 --> 00:19:32.562 It's this kind of, it's very forward looking and unifying. 00:19:32.942 --> 00:19:33.642 It's beautiful. 00:19:34.302 --> 00:19:42.582