StarTalk Radio Cosmic Queries – Stoner Edition with Janna Levin
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Feb 14, 2025 
Astrophysicist Janna Levin, a professor at Barnard College, dives into the cosmic depths alongside Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen. They tackle mind-bending questions about black holes and the nature of time. Can you 'surf' gravitational waves? Is time merely a human construct? With humorous insights, they discuss the perplexing interplay of energy and matter. Janna also debunks myths about black holes and shares the emotional journey of studying these cosmic giants, all while keeping it light and accessible.
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Gravity Surfing
- Gravitational waves can change an object's freefall trajectory in spacetime.
- This effect is similar to surfing, where the wave's energy influences movement.
Repulsive Gravity
- Gravity can be repulsive, as seen with dark energy.
- Dark energy's effect on spacetime is expansive, accelerating the universe's expansion.
Universe Expansion
- The universe doesn't expand into anything; it is the whole of space itself.
- Thinking of the universe expanding into something else is illogical.
