What is a wormhole, really? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice explore things you thought you knew about the physics of falling objects, white noise, and wormholes. Why do things break when they fall?

We tease out the physics of what is going on with a falling plate. How much energy is holding the plate together? Learn about binding energy versus kinetic energy. What is gravitational potential energy? Find out how roller coasters work. Why do you slow down going up hills? We find out: If a plate falls off a high shelf, who really broke the plate?

What makes white noise? We explore high energy versus low energy sound and the frequencies that contribute to white noise. Do kids these days even know anything about TV static? We go back to the days of TV antennae and back even farther to the age of Isaac Newton. When did we first start to figure out frequency and the electromagnetic spectrum? Where did we get ROYGBIV from? What is black noise? How are white light and white noise related?

Rick and Morty? Dr. Strange? Monsters Inc.? We discover what a wormhole is and what depictions in science fiction seem most accurate. How would wormholes change our lives? We talk about wormholes versus transporters from Star Trek. What if your refrigerator was a
wormhole? Finally, we imagine a world with wormholes and what we would be able to accomplish with them.

Thanks to our Patrons Morrigaine E Wolf, Kevin Wolfe, Alien Ghostship Animation, Kenneth T Godwin, Eugene Thompson, and Hope LaVelle for supporting us this week.

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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!

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Timestamps:
00:00 - Why Things Break When They Fall
1:50 - Binding Energy
4:13 - Kinetic Energy
6:23 - Gravitational Potential Energy
9:48 - Why Things Shatter
11:15 - Why Things Don’t Break
13:20 - What is White Noise?
15:30 - Television Static & Cosmic Microwave Background
16:50 - Isaac Newton’s Light Experiment
20:07 - White Light & Equal Frequencies
25:38 - What Is A Wormhole?
31:00 - Dr. Strange & Rick and Morty
32:12 - Monster’s Inc.
33:24 - Star Trek Transporter
34:46 - Replicators
35:45 - Groceries & Elevator
37:34 - Transportation Sector
38:34 - Neil’s Wormhole Tweet
40:30 - Wormholes In The Home