StarTalk Radio Cosmic Queries – In a Zeptosecond
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Sep 3, 2024 Could nuclear fusion be the answer to our energy needs? The hosts tackle this alongside fan questions about Star Trek's transporters and the zeptosecond—a measure of time that challenges our understanding. They discuss cosmic expansion, the complexities of cosmic motion, and the significance of the cosmic microwave background in the Big Bang theory. With humor and insight, they make complex ideas accessible, exploring the dance between science and our future in space.
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Fusion Energy
- Nuclear fusion offers unlimited clean energy by fusing small atoms like hydrogen into larger ones.
- This process, unlike fission, has no harmful byproducts like nuclear waste.
Longest Word
- Neil deGrasse Tyson recalls learning the longest word in his childhood dictionary: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
- This word, meaning "black lung," highlights the dangers of coal mining, contrasting with nuclear energy's potential.
Universe Expansion
- Objects farther away in the universe recede faster due to expansion, as described by the Hubble constant.
- This expansion is accelerating, not slowing down, contrary to initial assumptions.
