Would You Really Want to Know if You’re in a Simulation? | Cosmic Queries #113

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. https://T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet Boldly Go One Step Closer To Where It All Began. Strange New Worlds S4 Streaming July 23 on Paramount+. https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds/ Is there no single shared "now" for everyone in the universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio dive into another grab bag of fan questions about superconducting asteroids, what memories are made of, and if you could ever experience pure unwarped spacetime. First a question from Interstellar: what would the crewmembers on Miller’s Planet see if they looked up at their crewmate through a telescope? Neil explains how light arrives at different paces depending on your position in a gravitational well. If we're living in a simulation, would you want to know? Is randomness in the universe actually just sloppy programming? Learn about chaos as a precise mathematical phenomenon and how consistent laws guide the universe. Could an asteroid become a superconductor in the near-absolute-zero cold of space? What would happen to ocean tides if the Moon left orbit? Are human memories really just atoms, and what does that mean for people experiencing memory loss or dementia? Is there a "purpose" to a black hole, or is that the wrong question entirely? The episode closes on some of the deepest physics of the hour: is there anywhere in the universe free from all gravitational influence, where you could experience pure, unwarped spacetime? Neil explains why gravity technically never reaches zero, no matter how far you travel. We question whether information that falls into a black hole could actually be reconstructed from the particles at its surface and explore the sponge-like structure of galaxies across the universe. Thanks to our Patrons Alex Sadashiv Nayak, Raviteja K, Lian Zhalka, Thomas Davis, Alex Yumashev, Charles Koehl, Matthew Maldonado, Aleksandre Khatiskatsi, Grig Coker, Matthew Ardebi, Alex Sadashiv Nayak, Raviteja K, Lian Zhalka, Thomas Davis, Alex Yumashev, Charles Koehl, Matthew Maldonado, Aleksandre Khatiskatsi, Grig Coker, Matthew Ardebili, Japeth Mitchell, Gaaary, Ian Patton, Casey Steelspine, Veninator, Hannu Latvakoski, Santiago Aguirre, Jonathan Caples, Ryan Wetmore, Dan Lepping, Chris Frank Betz, William Massar, Jason Durden, Jenny Patton, LiveAlive42, Kesh Iyer, scott ezell, Jesse Jensen, Javier E. Gonzalez, rk89, Courteney Kawalek, James Martin, seth forever, Why So Serious, Jared Kennington, andrew bash, David Pillado, Jennie Hrobak, Mariana, Robbie Rogers, Michael Huckey, Anthony Torres, Luke Gilliam, David Hasenauer, Libby Higgins, Willie Lo, and Mike B. for supporting us this week. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction: Grab Bag 02:41 - Is There No Shared Now? 07:38 - Meeting the Simulator Overlords 19:00 - Could An Asteroid be a Superconductor? 21:28 - If the Moon Disappeared 26:05 - Are Memories Made of Atoms? 35:38 - What is the Purpose of a Black Hole 37:40 - Could You Experience Pure Unwarped Spacetime? 40:00 - Reconstruction of Information 42:49 - What is the Cosmic Web? Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus Get the latest StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PL0NFn Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk About StarTalk: Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson