Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Brutal Truth About Astrology! Our Breath Contains Molecules Jesus Inhaled!

Steven Bartlett (0:00)

Surveys find that roughly 80% of Gen Z believe in astrology, and many allow it to influence major life decisions.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (0:05)

But what would be sad is if that number got to 100%, then this civilization just goes back to the cave, where everything that happened in the natural world was created by forces beyond our knowledge and understanding. So if you want to think you're not in control of your fate, because the sun, moon and planets are, it's a free country. But I'm creating meaning in my life, because I can control that.

Steven Bartlett (0:26)

But is there anything that the universe does to influence us?

Neil deGrasse Tyson (0:30)

Yes.

Steven Bartlett (0:30)

Really?

Neil deGrasse Tyson (0:31)

Yeah. And I'll tell you how. Ready?

SPEAKER_3 (0:33)

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the most recognizable voices in modern science, who turns the mysteries of the universe into simple truths and simple truths into life lessons.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (0:42)

As a scientist, it's disturbing how easily people divide each other based on skin color, religion, what food you eat, what language they speak, and then they find some other philosophy that differs, and then they go to war. But when I step back with a cosmic perspective, you realize how ridiculous it is.

Steven Bartlett (0:56)

Give me the cosmic perspective.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (0:57)

Well, there's nothing we can put on the table that can rival the measurements of the universe. And we are literally composed of stardust. So when people think they're different, they have DNA in common with all of the life forms on Earth. Like, you have 20% identical genes to a banana.

Steven Bartlett (1:11)

Excuse me.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (1:13)

Okay, we all do, not just you. And that's not all. There are molecules that went in and out of your lungs that are in China being breathed by people now. And go further back, Jesus inhaled them. So how's that the oneness with others?

Steven Bartlett (1:23)

That can't be true.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (1:24)

And that's the next problem. People value what they think is true more than what is true. That's a recipe for the unraveling of civilization as we know it. But as a scientist, show me the data.

Steven Bartlett (1:35)

And as someone that knows so much about the universe and objective truth, I've got a lot of questions. So what do you think is the probability of me getting to another planet in my lifetime? And then could you make the case that the universe is simulated by some sort of advanced life form? And also, did humans evolve at some point to believe? And do you think you would be happier if you believed in God?

Neil deGrasse Tyson (1:52)

Oh, so you're going to spice this up a bit. Okay, so.

Steven Bartlett (1:58)

Just give me 30 seconds of your time. Two things I wanted to say. The first thing is a huge thank you for listening and tuning in to the show week after week. It means the world to all of us and this really is a dream that we absolutely never had and couldn't have imagined getting to this place. But secondly, it's a dream where we feel like we're only just getting started. And if you enjoy what we do here, please join the 24% of people that listen to this podcast regularly and follow us on this app. Here's a promise I'm going to make to you. I'm going to do everything in my power to make this show as good as I can now and into the future. We're going to deliver the guests that you want me to speak to and we're going to continue to keep doing all of the things you love about this show. Thank you. I've been watching a lot of videos of yours, I think, because I've reached the stage in my life where I've become really existentially curious.

Neil deGrasse Tyson (2:49)

I think we all do at some point and especially the more you've lived, the more it all sort of, you ask, what does it all mean as it all come together? What will it mean to me in five years, ten years? I don't know if you're old enough to think about your mortality, but that's a thing when you have fewer years left than the years you've lived.

I think the way they say it is you can have a good expectation to live as long as your parents did. I lost both of them in the last five years. So that's my horizon and the fact that we die has a capacity to bring focus into the remaining time you're alive. Because think about it, if knowing you're going to die brings focus and purpose and resolve and action, then if you live forever, what's your hurry? For me, knowing I'm going to die gives meaning to my remaining life, whereas if I'm never going to die, then mathematically that would mean I'd lead a life of no meaning at all. Because there's no way to focus an infinity amount of time into anything and have it be meaningful. So I'm taking mortality as a very serious force operating on happiness, productivity, can you do something for the world? And on my tombstone, what I want to say, what I want it to say is a quote from Horace Mann, be ashamed to die until you have won some victory for humanity. I want to have made a difference in the world. I want the world to have been better off because I lived in it. Is that too much to ask of any of us? Really? We're all capable of good deeds. So if the world is better off, I played my part as a citizen of planet Earth.