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.

Janna Levin, a physics and astronomy professor at Barnard College, dives deep into the cosmic mysteries of black holes and the nature of time. She explores whether time is merely a human construct, unraveling concepts like time dilation and its effects on aging and technology. The conversation takes a philosophical turn as they question the reality of existence while mixing humor with profound insights. Plus, hear about the emotional connections we have with black holes and the potential of time travel through wormholes—an engaging blend of science and imagination!

The Fundamentals of RealityBrian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Nobel prize-winning physicist Frank Wilczek, cosmologist Janna Levin, and comedians Eric Idle and Sara Pascoe to look at what physics has revealed about the reality of our universe. From Einstein's equations more than 100 years ago through to the amazing discoveries we've made in the last few years about black holes and gravitational waves, the universe we think we see is not necessarily the true fundamental reality that physics has uncovered. What is real and what is not? All will be revealed.Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Filmmaker Ron Howard, known for his work on the Genius series, joins astrophysicist Janna Levin to delve into Albert Einstein's profound impact on science and society. They discuss Einstein's revolutionary theories and the art of storytelling in science. The conversation touches on the nature of genius, the importance of collaboration, and Einstein's complex views on morality and politics. Howard and Levin also explore the interplay between creativity and scientific discovery, emphasizing how groundbreaking ideas often emerge from shared intellectual landscapes.

Theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin discusses quantum physics, the fourth dimension, H2O as water, and the many-worlds interpretation with Neil deGrasse Tyson. They explore space-time stretchability, extra dimensions, and multi-dimensional spaces, touching on black holes emitting gamma rays and human curiosity about the cosmos.

How do supermassive black holes form? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice come to you live to learn about the history of black holes, what’s inside them, and new discoveries with cosmologist Janna Levin and astrophysicist Jenny Greene. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.Thanks to our Patrons Leigh Momii, Molly Jebsen, Gilbert Cruz, Robert Colonel, Oliver Orofino, and Stephen Coleman for supporting us this week.Photo Credit: ESO/WFI (Optical); MPIfR/ESO/APEX/A.Weiss et al. (Submillimetre); NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al. (X-ray)Derivative work including grading and crop: Julian Herzog, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

Brian Cox and Robin Ince are joined by Monty Python's Eric Idle, and cosmologists Dr Netta Engelhardt and Dr Janna Levin as they tackle one of the biggest challenges in cosmology. What happens when you throw something (Robin!) into a black hole? Is the information about Robin lost forever, or is there a chance, sometime in the far future, a super intelligent alien civilisation could piece back some key information to discover proof he ever existed? Are Robin and his cardigans lost for all eternity? Executive Producer: Alexandra Feachem

Astrophysicist Janna Levin and comedian Matt Kirshen discuss interstellar travel, black holes, time loops, and the possibility of life on exoplanets. They explore the dynamics of falling into a black hole, wormholes, event horizons, and dark energy, with a touch of humor and scientific exploration.

Theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin discusses the parallels between Mozart's pursuit of musical perfection and the concept of perfection in astrophysics. She explores limits leading to great ideas like Einstein's theory of relativity and the connection between music, math, and cosmology. Levin praises Mozart's requiem for its technical brilliance and emotional depth, and reflects on the balance between personal creation and capturing something beyond oneself through music.

Time! It doesn’t stop, psychological effects of being under lockdown notwithstanding. How we experience time depends on our situation, but time itself just marches forward. Unless, of course, it’s possible to travel to the past, as countless science-fiction scenarios have depicted. But does that really make sense? Couldn’t we then change the past, even so dramatically that our own existence would never have happened? In this solo podcast I talk about both the physics and fiction of time travel. I point out that it might be allowed by the laws of physics, and explain how that would work, but that we really don’t know. And I try to make sense of some of the less-sensible depictions of cinematic time travel. Coming up with a logical theory that could account for Back to the Future isn’t easy, but podcasting isn’t for the squeamish.Support Mindscape on Patreon.But wait, there’s more! I was contacted by Janna Levin, who we fondly remember from Episode 27. Janna moonlights as Chair and Director of Sciences at Pioneer Works, an institution dedicated to bringing together creative people in art and science. Like the rest of us, they’ve been looking for ways to offer more online content in these pandemic times, so we thought about ways to collaborate. Here’s what they came up with: artist Azikiwe Mohammed has created an animated video backdrop to this podcast episode. The visuals are trippy, colorful, and inspired by (without trying to directly illustrate) what I talk about in the episode. You can check out a brief write-up at the Pioneer Works site, or view the video directly below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHy1j4LiyGQSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.