Neil deGrasse Tyson on Superman, Red Stars and Yellow Suns
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2013
- Everyone knows Superman gets his energy from Earth's G-Type yellow Sun, and that the light from red stars like Krypton's sun has a negative effect, right? Not so, says Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, who has even appeared in a Superman comic book and helped the Kryptonian find the location of his homeworld. Watch Neil enlighten comic co-host Eugene Mirman about yellow stars, red stars, solar radiation and why Superman couldn't possibly absorb enough energy through his skin to power his super feats.
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I watched a "Deathbattle" episode that featured Superman and Goku that explored Superman's solar powers. They found a comic where Superman literally flew inside a star and absorbed insane amounts of energy that were much above what he could normally attain on Earth. This suggests that his powers are based on light energy, and possibly on heat energy as well because a blue star increases his power (a hotter star).
+Jalen VanHoeven that is absolutly true.
+Jalen VanHoeven heat from a star is technically just the effect of it's radiation so just light ...
In Earth-1, Superman is exposed to red wavelengths, which weaken Superman and Zod.
Red sun-lamps are the second most common weapon villains use against superman.
No dislikes! I hope it stays so!
When Superman is completely immersed in red light, he does lose his powers. It's just Kryptonian biology. The hotter and brighter the star is, the more powerful they become. If Superman is around a red dwarf then he's no stronger than a human, but if he's around a blue giant then he becomes God. The biological mechanism behind this phenomenon is never given in the comics, but it's a better explanation than Krypton is more massive therefore Superman is just naturally stronger. It's absurd because of course he would never develop that strength to begin with since he didn't grow up under the resistance of Krypton's gravity.
If it's about how powerful a star is, superman should be even weaker when without a sun, then with a red sun.
And the only difference (which was just explained by neil) is the amount of solar energy given off (which is not even close to the energy needed for superman's feats) and the color of the light energy (which, if true, you would just need a flashlight to own superman).
In conclusion, there is literally no reason as to why Supes should be losing his powers. Thus, there would have to be a mystical/magical reason as to why he does better with Yellow suns
DDogg43777 Well he doesn't instantly lose his powers if he had no exposure to the sun. He stores up energy like a battery and can go days without sunlight.
Rebecca98463
Yup, but the only difference between a red sun and a yellow sun, is:
1) A yellow sun gives off a bit more solar energy
2) A yellow sun shoots off yellow light, whereas a red sun shoots of red light.
-Since Supes doesn't lose his powers when a red flash light is cast on him (reasonable conclusion), the only difference between a red and yellow sun, is the amount of energy given off. And since Superman doesn't lose his powers when he has no sun, there is no reason for him to lose his powers with a red sun.
^Thus, the only explanation left, is a magical one...
DDogg43777 Exposure to red light doesn't change the fact that he has yellow light stored up in his cells. Once the yellow sunlight is used up though then he loses his powers. Anyway, my point was that it's a scientific mystery as to why Kryptonian biology behaves this way. Saying it's magic is a mistake many have made about natural phenomena in the past. I'd also like to make clear that what we call magic is just an unobserved hypothesis. If we do observe said hypothesis though then it is incorporated into what we call the natural or scientific world. In essence saying it's magic is meaningless.
Rebecca98463
When I said magic, that would be what I meant...
Magic is a term used in these comics for things unanswerable. Simply put, it is a "fail safe" for unexplainable things.
^Which is once again why I used it...
I am a strong skeptic and very scientifically minded. I termed "magical" just as Neil Degrassi Tyson used "mythical."
I didn't say that "magic" does it, I said it is "magical;" and even before said "mythical." Both are simply describing words for something being done mysteriously.
If you want to be all technical, then you can't say it is kryptonian "biology", as you have no way of knowing if it really relates to their biological functions...
Magic in DC is real. Although, it is some type of metaphysical energy that grants users vast abilities. So, in this case, magic is very real. And me coining it as a possible solution, is just as meaningful as you claiming it to be biological.
Anyways, this argument is pointless, because we both agree on the same thing. Superman's powers are being utilized in some way we do not know. And even that is pointless, because supes is fake and his powers are impossible (unless you want to argue... "Superman of the Gaps").
Whenever I watch these really funny vids, I always think about that scene from the Big Bang Theory;
Penny; Yeah, I do like the one where Lois Lane falls from the helicopter and Superman swooshes down and catches her, which one was that?
Leonard, Sheldon and Howard; One. (Raj raises one finger).
Sheldon; You realize that scene was rife with scientific inaccuracy.
Penny; Yes, I know, men can’t fly.
Sheldon; Oh no, let’s assume that they can....
Super man was also on a heavier more magnetic planet. the Idea being I guess is that he was able to absorb more energy and also was less limited by the planet's gravity. There are many parts of the super man series also when he floats out in space near the sun.
Holy crap, you are in a superman comic book! :D
and in Batman v Superman too , lol
New Video: Watch Neil deGrasse Tyson explain to Eugene Mirman why yellow stars and red stars have no impact on Superman’s power, in this StarTalk Radio Cosmic Query: Neil deGrasse Tyson on Superman, Red Stars and Yellow Suns
Batman actually tried this on Superman in Red Son by locking him in a vault lit with only red lights. It would've worked if Wonder Woman hadn't intervened.
People just forgot to ask to Neil about radiation. Cuz the circunstances about Superman, the suns red and yellow, and kryptonite is not only about the light and color they have, but is about radiation.
I remember in the Cosmos show (The new version with Neil), he tells us about the color of stars and planets. That cientists from the pasts discovers that the color of spectrul tell us about what kind of quimical materials they have on them.
So is good to remember that maybe not every sun can torch same kind of radiation. Maybe?
Light is radiation
Apparently we're going to gloss over the fact that our Sun isn't yellow; it's white.
Exactly.
More of a greenish bluish color actually, but still, yeah
It was 2013 give them a break
My sun was yellow back in Sagittarius arm even here in Orión the emoji is yellow for the sun ☀️
@@edwarddisotto1754 yep. From Sagittarius Arm yellow Sun Earth to Orion Spur white Sun Earth, somehow. Freaking awesome!
NDT is so boss, he corrects himself midsentence. 0:45
Robin Scherbatsky: That literally blew my mind.
Ted Mosby: You mean Figuratively.
I might concede to your points if this were intended for entertainment, but it's not. The attraction of THIS kind of video is the educational value, which is not at all diminished by an inexpensive microphone. Davisje011 was being pretty ridiculously critical of something insignificant.
In the elseworld story "Red Son" (son not sun) batman beat superman by shining red light comparable to a UV light but from a red star and Clark lost his powers just as Dr. Tyson suggested
yea red son superman is weak
Answer: Fiction.
OMG Neil in superman, that's brilliant!
We're listening - stay tuned for some quality posts in future posts! Just getting it ready to go.
i clicked on this video to watch a "Superman-based StarTalk" video, with NDT, and i ended up learning about a "StarTalk-based Superman" comic...with NDT...
The Science of Superman gave a TENTATIVE explanation for it...
Basically, Superman does photosynthesis, and Yellow Star yield more energy from it.
Just a story created with a very simplistic understanding of how the writer thinkd things work. For example, Ms Marvel in the Marvel Universe. I think she can fly about as fast as Mach 3. There was one story where she could not join a fight that was taking place on the moon because her speed wasn't fast enough to reach "escape velocity". The writers assumed that an object would have to have *continual* propulsion of 25k M.P.H. in order to break free of Earth's gravity. In fact, once an object reaches escape velocity, it no longer needs any further propulsion whatsoever. An object that moves slower than that *can* still break free of Earth's gravity, but it needs continued propulsion in order to do it. So her speed flying *would* allow her to reach the moon, it would just take her a 100 or so hours.
they should do a show with Neil deGrasse Tyson
and Harald Lesch. that would be awsome!
In the game Injustice Gods Among Us, the Joker tricked Superman into thinking that Lois Lane was Doomsday. Therefore he killed her, his son & destroyed much of Metropolis, so Superman killed the Joker. Meanwhile, in another dimension, Joker tries to set off a nuclear device in Metropolis. Several members of Justice League get sent to that dimension when the bomb goes off (Makes no scientific sense). Jump to the end and the 'evil' Superman was placed in a red light prison. Nullifying his powers. His eyes glowed red...fade to black. So there's something to light giving him powers. IMHO, Peace Out!
Looking for scientific credibility in comic books...
the dimmer the star the less powerful kryptonians are in power, and since krypton i think was orbiting a red star,all the kryptonians were basically weaklings like us, only when Kal el and the other kryptonians found earth,they discovered their new found power,there is even a nod to this in the DC Universe online mmorpg,when you buy the "Solar amplifier artifact" and you empower this artifact high enough,the iconic ability 'Heat-Vision' changes to a blue color instead of a red color,its a small thing but it is an important one.
Red light doesn't get rid of Superman's powers, red light just isn't as powerful white light to Superman and doesn't affect his cell as much. He would need to be under red light only for a few days until his powers start to go away.
You could argue that superman would have infrared vision, having evolved on a planet with a redder star.
I propose a Superman FLIGHT question to Dr. Tyson - he'll tell me if my understanding is flawed.
Does Superman fly by digging his way through the atmosphere? A meteor moving at high velocity impacts a pocket of air, exploding as though it hit a rock wall (like the Russian meteor). The air is effectively a solid relative to the fast moving object.
Does Superman take advantage of this after lifting off? Jumping to create speed, then punching his way through the relatively solidified air? The best comparison I can think of - Superman flying through this solid air would be like him digging his way through the earth. Might Superman just be "digging" his way through the atmosphere? It would only appear as flight to us.
Of course, these are silly questions, but if we take it as given that alien man-gods exist, might that be how they propel themselves through our atmosphere?
The reason a meteor would explode is because the drag from the air, or air friction, is so high that the object gets torn to pieces. Superman couldn't dig through the relatively "solid" air for many reasons, mainly that he has no way of creating the lift or the propulsion to carry himself through the air. If you want a good idea of fluid dynamics, go swimming. Rocket yourself off a wall underwater and in a Superman pose. You'll slow down because of the friction. You or a fish can counteract that by swimming, but the air is much thinner than water. You'd need to be shaped like a bird, bat, or aeroplane to just glide. To "dig" through the skies, the closest thing would be a bug beating its wings so fast that it pushes the air down and back, but that requires intense speed for even their tiny frames. Scale these physics on to our Man of Steel and you'd need pretty big wings going pretty fast or some jet engine or prop. It simply doesn't work that way.
Plus, Superman wears a effective sunblocking material anyway. His costume. Except for his hands and head, it's nearly a complete covering of material that has some sort of dense bulletproof quality (otherwise it would rip to shreds like tissue paper against his bulletproof skin in a hail of gunfire).
Could, however, Superman "suck" light towards parts of his anatomy like his head and hands? That would make his body as dense as a black hole? How else can you "suck" light towards a target?
Ryan Martinez Superman suit helps him absorb more sunlight it's a kryptonian battle suit armour.
i like how in the man of steel they totally ignore the color of the sun and focus on the consistency of the atmosphere of the planet. kinda like in john carter, when he's on mars he's basically a super hero.
What do you mean, they focus on the yellow sun just as much as the atmosphere.
What if where like people from Krypton they have power but the red sun prevent them from using it what if we swtich our yellow with red will we be like them
It's light! All of it!
i keep thinking of Bob's bugers..... xD
makes you wonder what does a blue due to Superman? or pulsars, quasaurs, hawking radiation, etc.
Or you could be thankful that they post it on CZcams at all.
Great. Now I'm imaging superman flying backwards, butt first.
the people behind were laughing so much >
How about the X-man Cyclops?How can he absorbs sunlight to create optic blasts?
HarpiaYTP - That's exactly right. He no longer converts solar energy. His eyes are portals to another dimension of made of concussive energy.
Sooo... they have a fully functional radio studio setup with Pro mics and they decide to use the crappy echoey audio from a video camera?
Question: How can a species have evolved to have superpowers that require a type of star that this species did not evolve under?
svsguru2000 he didn't evolve to have superpowers under a yellow sun. He was meant to walk talk and see just like any earthling... but under a red sun. Yellow sun superpowers is just a wonderful accident. Like I didn't evolve to grow hair out of my ass, but if I keep taking those steroids...
@@dannynguyen3913 plus I think his birth planet of Krpton had a radioactive core in the planet itself. Which combine with the with constant Red Sun bombarding the planet 24/7 would also explained how he gets his powers. But I could be wrong here.
just a slight rebuttal here but superman does start to lose his powers under the light of a red sun
why tf did i get a neil degrasse tyson ad
Come Neil. I can give you a pass on totally missing the warp drive on Star Trek. But wow, Superman in Gotham city. 😂😂😂😂. I know man. You don't really care about Superheroes, probably as much as I don't care about Hockey. Lol. Have a great day and I really love y'all's show. Keep up the great work guys.
My explanation:
Alternate Comic Book Universe = Alternate Comic Book Physics
Light is radiation. radiation is EM waves traveling through space
LEX LUTHOR MIGHT BE WATCHING THIS!!
Krypton's greater gravity was the original source of supermans strength and durability. the sun had nothing to do with it.
do u know the red liquid from star trek that makes a black hole in a planet what if they launch that into a black hole
+GradeZunderZ I assume it would be very much like if two black holes would collide and merge.
I thought it was our sun's radiation he absorbed, not the light.
That's VERY plausible lol
What if Superman isn't using solar power directly? What if he just requires a certain amount of higher frequency light that merely acts as a releasing mechanism for some other, far more powerful energy source that gives him his actual super powers?
Ha! Didn't think of THAT, did you NDT? [sits back, arms folded, smug]
I wish the dude asking the questions didn't feel the need to spit out every single joke that came to his mind. Its annoying and he keeps interrupting Neil. I CAME TO LISTEN TO NEIL NOT YOUR LAME JOKES BRO!!!
Magic Kryptonite gets Superman stoned, like off of cannabis.
ok, so, superman: if you go back to the original story at the beginning of it all you see a narrative asking about what would it be like if a planet had humanoids with the powers of insects on earth, exoskelital beings that could jump like grasshoppers and still looked human and when he gets to earth they have a hard tine vaxinating him because the needles can't penetrate his skin.
unless goku has a red light flashlight.
... but special Relativity says... You know what this is still a ridiculous question.
LOL Superman is full of it.
FYI the Earth's sun Sol is not yellow it is actually white. It appears yellow due to the gasses in earths atmosphere.
Our sun is a yellow star. This has nothing to do with what you see when you "look" at it. Instead this refers to the spectrum of the star based on the elements contained within (ours is in the yellow spectrum). No, the naked eye does not see it as yellow (from outside of earths atmosphere). You would not see it as white either. It's a special color called "Ouch, now I am blind."
Fun fact: If you could see the ultraviolet wavelength, the color would actually be "Wow I *really* should not be looking directly at this"
isn't the sun white not yellow
it just appears that way to our eyes
The sun doesn't have a "color" at all. Colors are just how our brain interprets signal information sent along the optic nerve from photoreceptor cells in our eyes. the so called "white" color is what happens when there is too much of multiple colors, instead of sifting out the colors individually, our brain makes it simple and see's it as white.
I never knew that cool
***** I'm sorry but I have to call you out on your pseudo intelligent bullshit. First you said the sun doesn't have a color, then you said there is too much colors for our brain to comprehend. You don't know jack shit of what you are talking about.
i know what your thinking but he is saying that the reason we see it was white is because our eyes see it as tons of colors but our brain dose not need to interpret it like that so it makes it white. and yes your brain can change the ways you interpret thinks to make stuff simpler.
Yellow sunlight makes kryptonians superhuman nay, God like. kryptonians have been traveling the universe anywhere from a thousand to a hundred thousand years before it explodes. why hasn't any of them flown their ship passed a yellow Star, gone back to Krypton and told his people: I found out yellow stars make us like Gods. We should leave Krypton and move over here.
but superman just gets energy from white light, the absence of it just means he cant charge up to full strength as shown in the dc stories, similar to incompatible batteries D: forgive my geekmode
Then red light should literally have no affect on him...
Well it just makes him unable to recharge so he just runs on less powa
Then he shouldn't be depowered when he instantly comes in contact with it.
Maybe it takes alot of juice to be supes, so he runs out in just a few seconds of flight?
DynnoJMelloe
Then he can't operate without a sun... Which he clearly does indoors at night, and on planets far from the sun...
He would not have evolved to have those superpowers. They would have been the result of evolving to live in a much more hostile environment than Earth with its yellow sun. When he was here, the environment would have been far less demanding of him physically. The kind of strength he would have required on his home planet just to stand upright would have, on Earth, allowed him to hurl aircraft carriers like trash cans (or whatever he does; I haven't seen the new ones).
Guitcad1 where would he get that kind of strength when his home world has a red sun?
Jean from bobs burger
I thought your from NYC (Gotham) not Chicago (Metropolis)...? Damn you DC and your misconceptions...
Technically Muhammad kept saying He was not divine,just a prophet.
I've got a better explanation. The guys who created Superman made up the whole thing.
Except Jesus and Muhammad actually existed.
You can debate their "divinity" or whatever, but whether or not they existed isn't debatable. We have records of them existing.
A Red Sun would invent new cancers...
i think EVERY issue and episode of superman should have pink kryptonite.
So, if necessary to enhance his powers, Superman should strip down butt naked. Because if he’s absorbing all of that from just his head, two hands and the amount that penetrates his clothing, surely removing the clothing will raise his rate of absorption.
Yes he does lose his powers under a red sun, neil.
***** Miles Wright Just thought this was interesting. Don't pay it that much mind. :)
There are no contemporary records of Jesus. There might have been a real person on which the Gospels are based. Personally, I find the idea that the Jesus character is an amalgamation of different people most plausible. There were messiahs running around all over the place then.
Some follower of Jesus hears somebody else tell how his messiah fed 500 people with a few loaves and fish and responds "Uh, yeah. Jesus did that too! But he fed 5,000! And uh... uh... and he could WALK on WATER!"
Actually, there is no record of Jesus. That's a myth.
ya...that part especially sucked
Neil Degrasse Tyson science buzzkill.
Science fiction buzzkill. Did you hear what he said about Gravity and Titanic?
no not really i did see what he said about zombies on the daily show .
I saw a clip not too long ago. He sucks the fun out of horror and fantasy, but he is brilliant. Such a double-edged sword...
So there ARE people who are content in sheer ignorance! *snaps photo* neat
+hardcpy you mean made-up shit buzzkill.
superman is a lie i sometimes tell ppl about and they're like oh ya great