Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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Did the Milky Way used to be a quasar? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice explore quasars, the high energy universe, and the movie we’re making of the night’s sky with astrophysicist & host of PBS Space Time, Matt O’Dowd.
Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇
simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970
Why wasn’t the Milky Way massive enough to be a true quasar? The trio breaks down the history of quasars exploring how these pinpricks of light liberate insane amounts of kinetic energy through the raw friction of gas falling into supermassive black holes.
How will big data change how we view the cosmos? Neil and Matt trace the evolution of X-ray astronomy before shifting gears to the mind-bending role of gravitational lenses. You'll learn how these galactic funhouse mirrors create cosmic time machines, allowing us to view the exact same quasar at different points in time.
How will big data change how we view the cosmos? With the Vera Rubin Observatory recently achieving first light, how is the frontier being impacted by AI? Can variational autoencoders help us map the inner regions of a quasar, or will pattern-recognition templates cause AI to only see what we expect it to find? Neil freaks out over the varying patterns caused by moving stars. What do we lose when computers replace the grunt work of galaxy classification and spherical trig? Are future generations doomed to just vibecode into a black box?
Finally, we explore how the Rubin Observatory will capture 40 times the Hubble field of view to create a continuous, 10-year movie of the night sky. Plus, Neil reflects on why people are far more likely to become scientists than professional athletes, the viral success of PBS Space Time, and why true science is about mastering tools of thought rather than just memorizing a syllabus.
Thanks to our Patrons Alex Nuche, Christian Payne, Gage Ewing, Ryan Whynot, Temirlan, 2 Lives Left, Chad Keeler, Harli Shae Smith, Brad Smith, Norm Bailey, James Peterson, Ryan Coppens, David Whittenberg, Scott Jarboe, Varun Krishnan, Eric Salinas, Mary Seman, Melissa Davis, Stephen Rockwell, Catrina, Max Wilburn, keith Koenigsberg, LEIII, Vincent Loniello, Simon Toth, DoctorWaterGod, Ruthanne Nava, Martineau Alex, Matthew, Phil, Jaden, Arik Drori, Papersneaker, Steven Peeters, Trey Durango, Julianne, Robbie James, Jason Foreman, Liam, Steven Van Vleet, Marilyn, Zakk Why, Ben Wheeldon, Erik Leazure, KONAL SHARMA, Dušan Živanović, Erik Strandberg, berklie novak-stolz, Kazi Mahin Mahfuz, Tim Van Devender, Andrew Martin, Jason F, Charles Joubert, Youcef Kazwiny, Joy Joslyn, Freeman, Jessica, Pat, Phillip Brooks, Michael Hues, Jacqueline Sinclair, Robert Marsh, Botas, Raza Naqvi (Sid), Jake Colón, Christine Bartholomew & Family, Mr Xoot, Dyonté Houston, Daryl, Rob Weiss, Caleb Holmes, Jeffrey Luce, Kellie Owczarczak, and Brandt Reppond for supporting us this week.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Matt O’Dowd
03:28 - What Are Quasars?
04:40 - The Latest on Quasars
15:18 - Breaking Down Gravitational Lensing
21:17 - The Most Distant Objects in the Universe
24:02 - Finding Lensed Quasars with AI
31:50 - Will AI Replace Grad Students?
39:42 - TOO MUCH DATA
44:19 - Comparing Science Communication Notes
Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus
Get the latest StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: amzn.to/3PL0NFn
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/startalkradio
FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:
Twitter: twitter.com/startalkradio
Facebook: facebook.com/StarTalk
Instagram: 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
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet. T-Mobile.com/HomeInternet
Did the Milky Way used to be a quasar? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Chuck Nice explore quasars, the high energy universe, and the movie we’re making of the night’s sky with astrophysicist & host of PBS Space Time, Matt O’Dowd.
Order Take Me to Your Leader here 👇
simonandschuster.com/books/Take-Me-to-Your-Leader/Neil-deGrasse-Tyson/9781668249970
Why wasn’t the Milky Way massive enough to be a true quasar? The trio breaks down the history of quasars exploring how these pinpricks of light liberate insane amounts of kinetic energy through the raw friction of gas falling into supermassive black holes.
How will big data change how we view the cosmos? Neil and Matt trace the evolution of X-ray astronomy before shifting gears to the mind-bending role of gravitational lenses. You'll learn how these galactic funhouse mirrors create cosmic time machines, allowing us to view the exact same quasar at different points in time.
How will big data change how we view the cosmos? With the Vera Rubin Observatory recently achieving first light, how is the frontier being impacted by AI? Can variational autoencoders help us map the inner regions of a quasar, or will pattern-recognition templates cause AI to only see what we expect it to find? Neil freaks out over the varying patterns caused by moving stars. What do we lose when computers replace the grunt work of galaxy classification and spherical trig? Are future generations doomed to just vibecode into a black box?
Finally, we explore how the Rubin Observatory will capture 40 times the Hubble field of view to create a continuous, 10-year movie of the night sky. Plus, Neil reflects on why people are far more likely to become scientists than professional athletes, the viral success of PBS Space Time, and why true science is about mastering tools of thought rather than just memorizing a syllabus.
Thanks to our Patrons Alex Nuche, Christian Payne, Gage Ewing, Ryan Whynot, Temirlan, 2 Lives Left, Chad Keeler, Harli Shae Smith, Brad Smith, Norm Bailey, James Peterson, Ryan Coppens, David Whittenberg, Scott Jarboe, Varun Krishnan, Eric Salinas, Mary Seman, Melissa Davis, Stephen Rockwell, Catrina, Max Wilburn, keith Koenigsberg, LEIII, Vincent Loniello, Simon Toth, DoctorWaterGod, Ruthanne Nava, Martineau Alex, Matthew, Phil, Jaden, Arik Drori, Papersneaker, Steven Peeters, Trey Durango, Julianne, Robbie James, Jason Foreman, Liam, Steven Van Vleet, Marilyn, Zakk Why, Ben Wheeldon, Erik Leazure, KONAL SHARMA, Dušan Živanović, Erik Strandberg, berklie novak-stolz, Kazi Mahin Mahfuz, Tim Van Devender, Andrew Martin, Jason F, Charles Joubert, Youcef Kazwiny, Joy Joslyn, Freeman, Jessica, Pat, Phillip Brooks, Michael Hues, Jacqueline Sinclair, Robert Marsh, Botas, Raza Naqvi (Sid), Jake Colón, Christine Bartholomew & Family, Mr Xoot, Dyonté Houston, Daryl, Rob Weiss, Caleb Holmes, Jeffrey Luce, Kellie Owczarczak, and Brandt Reppond for supporting us this week.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction: Matt O’Dowd
03:28 - What Are Quasars?
04:40 - The Latest on Quasars
15:18 - Breaking Down Gravitational Lensing
21:17 - The Most Distant Objects in the Universe
24:02 - Finding Lensed Quasars with AI
31:50 - Will AI Replace Grad Students?
39:42 - TOO MUCH DATA
44:19 - Comparing Science Communication Notes
Check out our second channel, @StarTalkPlus
Get the latest StarTalk book, 'To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery' on Amazon: amzn.to/3PL0NFn
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/startalkradio
FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:
Twitter: twitter.com/startalkradio
Facebook: facebook.com/StarTalk
Instagram: 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
