StarTalk Radio – Superhero Science: StarTalk Live! With Charles Liu

Host: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Guests: Dr. Charles Liu, Gary O’Reilly, Chuck Nice
Date: November 14, 2025
Location: Guild Hall, East Hampton (Live Recording)

Episode Overview

In this lively, humor-filled live episode, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson leads a deep-dive into the "science of superheroes" with help from comic co-host Chuck Nice, former footballer Gary O’Reilly, and quantum physicist Dr. Charles Liu. The team explores how quantum mechanics, exotic physics, and technology are woven into superhero stories, questioning which aspects may one day shape our own future. They take apart iconic superpowers—from flying, X-ray vision, and force fields, to quantum tunneling, teleportation, and the concept of parallel universes—connecting the comic book imagination with current scientific knowledge and open questions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Superman, Physics, and Super Physiology

(06:04 – 13:15)

• Rescue Physics:
  • Problem: What really happens if Superman catches a falling person mid-air?
  • Dr. Charles Liu [07:00]: “If Superman is a man of steel...it’s like hitting the concrete ground. That poor damsel in distress would be quite rescued, but also quite squished.”
  • Hypothesis: Superman could absorb momentum and energy like an airbag, making his rescue less lethal.
• Super Digestion:
  • Tyson’s Tangent [08:45]: If everything about Superman is “super,” then his digestion (and flatulence) would be as well, leading to comic speculation about “super farts” as a crimefighting tool ignited by his laser vision.
  • Dr. Charles Liu [11:15]: Superman’s gut bacteria originates from Earth. “Does Superman have super gut bacteria or just ordinary gut bacteria? ...It might be so good as to eliminate all gaseous emission.”
• X-Ray Vision Realism:
  • Superman’s X-ray vision in the comics/movies is inaccurate, as X-rays don’t allow you to “see” color.
  • Tyson [12:42]: “If you’re going to use X-rays, then stay in the X-ray world. Otherwise invent some other rays... you better stick with what we know.”

2. Superman’s Journey & Relativity

(17:10 – 21:39)

• Tyson’s Real DC Consultation Story:
  • Tyson recounts consulting with DC Comics to make Superman’s journey from Krypton to Earth scientifically plausible.
  • Relativity Problem: Traveling at light speed would mean he’d see Krypton’s destruction as he arrives—unless he traveled via a wormhole.
  • Tyson [19:44]: “…the only way you can get him here and have all this work is through a wormhole. …So in this comic I am meeting Superman, and there’s a tender moment because he sees the destruction of Krypton, and he’s sad.”
• Integration with Real Astronomy:
  • Tyson helped select a real star in the constellation Corvus to serve as “Krypton’s sun,” linking comic lore with real space.

3. Quantum, Warp Drives, and Travel Tech

(22:02 – 29:12)

• Star Trek vs. Physics:
  • Tyson [22:27]: “The day we have wormholes, you won't need transporters.”
  • Energy Dilemma: Wormholes require immense energy—possibly more than warp drives, which are theoretically possible via a “warp bubble” (Miguel Alcubierre’s equations)—but beyond current tech.
  • Dr. Liu [25:04]: “The bubble can move faster than the speed of light, even though you yourself cannot.”
• Future Prospects:
  • Controlled nuclear fusion is likely before true space warping, but even that’s still a technical hurdle.

4. Invisibility—From Cloaks to Stealth

(28:39 – 33:21)

• Real-World Progress:
  • Reflector systems can make objects “functionally invisible,” but only from certain angles.
  • Tyson [29:18]: “Instead of blocking the light, they have a series of reflectors that coherently move the light around your body and then send it forward as though it didn’t take this detour.”
• Stealth Tech Analogy:
  • Stealth bombers reflect radar away, making them invisible to detection but not to the naked eye—each wavelength needs different stealth solutions.

5. Force Fields and Quantum Effects

(33:21 – 36:38)

• Invisible Woman’s Upgrade:
  • Her force fields are a creative quantum-inspired power.
• The Casimir Effect:
  • Quantum fluctuations generate real, measurable forces between objects.
  • Dr. Liu [35:39]: “There are things called quantum fluctuations...there is a little bit of this happening all the time all around you.”

6. Quantum Tunneling and Walking Through Walls

(40:00 – 47:39)

• Empty Atoms & Quantum Tunneling:
  • Matter is mostly empty space; we don’t fall through things due to force fields (mainly electromagnetic).
  • The Flash “runs through walls” via quantum tunneling: statistically improbable for us, but not for a superhero.
  • Dr. Liu [45:04]: “Quantum tunneling is a real phenomenon and it happens all the time...”
• Quantum Teleportation vs. Tunneling:
  • Teleportation in quantum mechanics is the perfect transfer of information, not matter (yet).

7. Quantum Internet & Absolute Zero

(47:39 – 54:43)

• Quantum Communication:
  • Quantum teleportation promises perfectly secure, unbreakable codes.
• Limitations of Cold:
  • Achieving absolute zero is impossible; best results are millionths of a degree above.
  • Cosmic background radiation keeps space at ~3° above absolute zero.

8. Size-Changing & Mass - Ant-Man and the Quantum Realm

(59:06 – 61:59)

• Ant-Man and the Pym Particle:
  • In comics, the Pym Particle exploits quantum space to shrink/grow objects.
  • Dr. Liu [60:32]: “This fictional particle is exploiting known physics...you would have to add mass as you were growing them and reduce it when shrinking. Otherwise, when you put your car in your pocket, it would still weigh thousands of pounds.”
  • Raises the issue of higher dimensions and conservation of mass.

9. Superposition, Many Worlds, and Quantum Weirdness

(62:29 – 76:12)

• Superposition & Dr. Manhattan:
  • Dr. Manhattan exploits quantum superposition—existing in multiple places as a probability wave function.
  • Quantum entanglement: two particles share state instantaneously at any distance.
• Many Worlds Interpretation:
  • Every quantum event splits off a new universe. Tyson is skeptical, calling it a “statistical cop out.”
  • Dr. Liu [73:32]: “Our universe...is a collective collapse of the wave function...all of our wave functions...have all collapsed to this moment that makes our universe unique.”
• Quantum as Industry Foundation:
  • Quantum effects are the bedrock of modern IT and technology.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Physics vs. Humanity:
  Dr. Charles Liu [07:00]: “That poor damsel in distress would be quite rescued, but also quite squished.”
• Comic Science, Tangential:
  Neil deGrasse Tyson [10:42]: “He would just sort of load it up, okay, and point that at me, pull down his pants and just let one out. And he's got the vision...he could just ignite it. And so it would be a new kind of flamethrower.”
• Comic Consulting:
  Tyson [19:44]: “The only way you can get him here and have all this work is through a wormhole...So in this comic I am meeting Superman, and there’s a tender moment ...and he’s sad.”
• Quantum Humility:
  Dr. Charles Liu [23:23]: “A wormhole requires something much more supernatural, more powerful...the wormhole strategy is less likely to be our strategy than a warp drive type strategy.”
• Human Limitations:
  Neil deGrasse Tyson [80:09]: “Your life experience is insufficient to absorb that which stands far outside of your life experience. So it’s not that it’s wrong. It just...doesn’t fit.”
• Quantum Reality:
  Dr. Charles Liu [80:46]: “If I can embrace that part of me which I don’t understand and don’t know...then I'm going to be better off in this world.”
• Cosmic Perspective Finale:
  Neil deGrasse Tyson [82:00]: “As the area of our knowledge grows...so too does the perimeter of your ignorance. ...What I enjoy about our world is that we have creative people...who are not content with just the world...Let’s reach out to all the places science can take us and stoke our imagination beyond what is otherwise visible.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [06:04 – 13:15] Superman rescue physics, digestion, and X-ray vision
• [17:10 – 21:39] Neil’s Superman/DC Comics wormhole consultation
• [22:02 – 29:12] How future humans might travel—warp drives vs. wormholes
• [28:39 – 33:21] Science and limits of invisibility
• [35:22 – 36:38] The Casimir effect and quantum force fields
• [40:00 – 47:39] Quantum tunneling (“running through walls”), Flash, teleportation
• [51:01 – 54:43] Why absolute zero is impossible in practice
• [59:06 – 61:59] Ant-Man, shrinking tech, and “Pym Particles”
• [62:29 – 76:12] Superposition, the Many Worlds interpretation, quantum computing
• [80:09 – End] Dr. Liu and Tyson’s closing thoughts on embracing the unknown

Tone & Style

• The episode moves fluidly between rigorous science, comic-style speculation, and playful banter.
• Neil deGrasse Tyson’s trademark mix of awe, skepticism, and showmanship is met by Dr. Liu’s approachable expertise and Chuck Nice’s comic timing.
• Jokes abound: “Super taco Tuesday” [09:22], “Firewall” defense [11:12], “Why don’t we fall through the floor?” [43:33]
• Audience is drawn into accessible, often hilarious, yet genuinely mind-bending explanations.

For New Listeners

This episode is a perfect StarTalk sampler, demonstrating how cutting-edge physics can be explained through familiar superhero lore—inviting listeners to imagine the universe’s strangest truths without ever losing the fun. Whether you’re a lifelong comics geek, a science fan, or simply “quantum curious,” you’ll find both laughter and learning at every turn.