Cosmic Queries – Astro-lore with Moiya McTier

**SPEAKER_1** (0:00)
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**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (0:36)
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**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (1:31)
Hey, StarTalkians, Neil here. You're about to listen to an episode specially drawn from our archives to serve your cosmic curiosities. The archives run deep. If you enjoy this, take a peek at the full catalog on your favorite podcast platform. There's a lot there to tickle your geek underbelly. Check it out.
Welcome to StarTalk, your place in the universe where science and pop culture collide. StarTalk begins right now.
This is StarTalk, Cosmic Queries edition, ever popular with all of our audiences. I got with me my co-host today, Matt Kirshen. Matt, welcome back to StarTalk.

**Matt Kirshen** (2:20)
Thanks, Neil. It's good to see you.

**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (2:21)
So, Matt, you're a host of Probably Science. I was a one-time guest on there.

**Matt Kirshen** (2:25)
Absolutely.

**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (2:26)
Call me.

**Matt Kirshen** (2:27)
I will. I'd love you to come back. We're still one of our most popular episodes.

**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (2:32)
Okay. So today, our topic is like folklore in astrophysics. It's like, and how do they relate? And who connects a line between modern or even ancient astrophysics and cultures and folklore? This is like, there aren't many people who do this.
And when you think about it, you know, the sky was really accessible to everyone at all times, forever, right? I mean, unless it was cloudy, but cave, cave dwellers saw the night sky. So of all the sciences, modern astronomy, and of course astrophysics would have connections that maybe other sciences don't. So if anyone is going to tackle this, it's going to be on StarTalk. And we have an expert in this in the name of Moiya McTier. Moiya, welcome to StarTalk.

**Moiya McTier** (3:27)
Hi, Neil. Thanks for having me. This is a goal of mine. It has been for a long time. I'm really happy to be here.

**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (3:35)
Thank you. So you're an astrophysicist, a folklorist, and a communicator. I love that, that that can be a title today, because it's so necessary to move information, knowledge, and wisdom from one place to another that requires communicators. And so you have your own podcast, right?
What's it, Edith?

**Moiya McTier** (3:56)
Podcasts, because I'm busy.

**SPEAKER_1** (3:58)
Excuse me.

**Neil deGrasse Tyson** (4:01)
Excuse me. Okay, podcasts. Tell me their names.

**Moiya McTier** (4:04)
So the one that is my favorite brain baby, probably just because it's oldest, is called ExoLore. It's a portmanteau, actually, of exoplanets and folklore, because the whole schtick of the show is building fictional worlds based on facts and science. Usually, that means I start with some astronomical difference, like what if this planet didn't orbit a star? And we know that those types of planets exist. They're called rogue planets. There are probably tens of thousands of them out there. Or what if a planet had two suns? Or what if it got hit with asteroids all the time? And then we just imagine the consequences of that difference.
My other podcast is more straightforward, more obviously about science, and it's called Pale Blue Pod. It's actually quite new. It just launched in November. And it's a show for people who are— November 2022 Of 2022, yeah. So it's a little baby. And it is a show for people who are overwhelmed by the universe, but still want to be its friend.