Is it time to rethink string theory? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore a mix of questions about the fundamental properties of the universe, particles, the speed of light and more!

Could we someday observe particles without smashing them? We take a question from a particle pacifist as well as discover why clouds stay up. Is everything actually floating? We discuss the mystery of electrons: how small are they really? We explore JWST and ponder the problem of primordial galaxies. What does this discovery change about our understanding of the universe?

Is space an emergent property of the universe and not fundamental? Find out how quantum entanglement may weave the fabric of spacetime and why it may be time to rethink string theory. We discuss time dilation while traveling to Mars, what to do when you have an untestable hypothesis, and how Einstein tested the equivalence principle.

Why are photons always moving at the speed of light? What is time like at the speed of light? Learn about the solar neutrino problem and how neutrinos decay. We also explore the dimensionality of parallel lines and how they can, in fact, intersect. All that and more on a another Grab Bag Cosmic Queries!

Thanks to our Patrons Jagan, Stephen Abraham, Dalton Gordon, Brent C, Alexander Miller, t K, and Bob Morrison for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.

About the prints that flank Neil in this video:
"Black Swan” & "White Swan" limited edition serigraph prints by Coast Salish artist Jane Kwatleematt Marston. For more information about this artist and her work, visit Inuit Gallery of Vancouver. https://inuit.com/

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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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00:00 - Grab Bag Time
00:45 - Could We Observe Particles Intact Without Particle Accelerators?
3:50 - If Gravity Pulls Everything Down, How Do Clouds Stay Up?
09:54 - Is “Particle” a Placeholder Name?
12:50 - Could JWSTs Primordial Galaxies be a Window Into Another Universe?
18:35 - Why Do We Think Space Is Emergent and Not Fundamental?
24:55 - Time Dilation & Traveling to Mars
28:54 - If String Theory is so Unprovable, Why Are We Still Trying to Prove It?
37:32 - If a Photon is a Particle, Can't it Just Sit Still? Why is it Always Moving at the Speed of Light?
42:37 - Parallel Lines in the Fourth Dimension