Do we really know the age of the universe? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comic co-host Paul Mecurio answer astrophysics questions about the big bang, gravitational waves, and the speed of light with astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi. We dive into Hakeem’s research into the atmosphere of the sun. What’s going on in there? Is there a secret to the solar cycle where the poles reverse? What is a solar dynamo? Next, does the universe end with another big bang? We discuss whether the universe will re-collapse on itself, Ibn al-Haytham’s views on observation, and the evolution of the scientific method. How will JWST help us fill in gaps in our knowledge? Could we use gravitational waves like radio waves? Could we one day be able to detect gravitational ripples of everything? How do we get the Internet out to rural areas? We give our takes on Starlink and what the Kessler effect means for all these satellites. Is there a limit to how many things we can put into orbit? We explore the ingenuity in Ebonics and how language becomes more efficient. We get into why the speed of light is what it is and the nature of mechanical waves. How do we have stars that are supposedly older than the universe? You’ll learn about uncertainty and error bars but also the great conundrum facing cosmology today. How did we arrive at two different ages for the universe? Is one of the methods wrong? All that, and find out which age of the universe we think could be the right one. Thanks to our Patrons Samuel Case, Daniel, Nicole Hensley, Larry Nixon, NaOnak Apophis, Erik Maynard, Carrie Beougher, Michael Aguilar, Shakhan, and Alexander Newhouse for supporting us this week. NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free. Get the NEW Cosmic Queries book (5/5 ⭐s on Amazon!): https://amzn.to/3dYIEQF Get Hakeem's book 'A Quantum Life: My Unlikely Journey from the Street to the Stars': https://amzn.to/3sDu3kk Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/startalkradio FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk: Twitter: http://twitter.com/startalkradio Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StarTalk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startalk 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! #StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson 0:00 - Introduction 2:44 - Hakeem Oluseyi's area of expertise 4:17 - What is a Solar Cycle? 6:49 - Will the universe's implosion create another Big Bang? 8:42 - Observations vs Predictions in the Scientific Method 14:27 - A question that will follow after the break 15:48 - Paul Mercurio's history on The Daily Show 17:52 - When will we be able to send information through gravitational waves? 20:56 - What is the best strategy to expand internet access to rural areas? 25:42 - What is Kessler Syndrome? 28:35 - How Dr. Oluseyi jokes in class 30:23 - The efficiencies of Ebonics 32:52 - Dr. Oluseyi makes his students dumber 34:05 - Why is the speed of light 186,000mps? 40:23 - Is it possible that we've found a star older than the universe? 43:38 - How do we measure the age of the universe? 45:33 - Book plugs 47:17 - Closing notes