The Science in “Don’t Look Up” with Adam McKay and Dr. Amy Mainzer

Is a comet coming to destroy Earth? On this episode, Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Chuck Nice talk about the science behind Netflix’s comet apocalypse movie Don’t Look Up with director Adam McKay and astronomer Amy Mainzer. Are we all gonna die?

We dive into what it took to make this film and what its reception has been. Was there any pushback? Are climate change deniers foaming at the mouth? Find out why Adam decided to make the film about a comet instead of directly about climate change and how he managed to get so many actors on board. Is comedy the best way to change someone’s heart? We break down the ending and discuss what that’s about.

Next, we speak to Amy about science advising on the movie. How much input did she have? Find out how they decided what size the comet should be and the role of scientists in the media. Can we make science more convincing? We explore mining on asteroids and the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission. What would we actually do if an object was headed towards Earth?

At what size do asteroids become really dangerous? What would it take to blow the atmosphere off? Is there anywhere you could hide? Discover what living on a post-impact world would look like and what it looked like for the dinosaurs. Do we have a detection and deflection system? We discuss NEOWISE, future projects to protect Earth from space, and Gauss’s method for orbit determination. Finally, are WE actually the asteroid? And as always a reminder to keep looking up.

Thanks to our Patrons Jay Merrifield, Ryan Gurrentz, Kyra Smith, Lyle Baillargeon, Robert Bratcher, Justin Arnold, Rebecca Murphy, Ben Moore, Shanna Reed, and DoujinSimple for supporting us this week.

NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can watch or listen to this entire episode commercial-free.

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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!

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0:00 - Part 1 w/ Adam McKay
3:17 - What was Adam McKay thinking when he wrote 'Don't Look Up'?
6:21 - The casting of 'Don't Look Up'
7:36 - Why McKay told an allegorical story
11:31 - Neil's 'Don't Look Up' Tweet
12:23 - What kind of pushback did 'Don't Look Up' receive?
14:14 - SpoilerTalk Warning
14:30 - The inspiration for Meryl Streep's character (SpoilerTalk)
16:26 - How was the movie received?
18:00 - How 'Don't Look Up' addresses AI (SpoilerTalk)
20:27 - Is comedy the best way to change someone's heart?
24:47 - The impact of 'Don't Look Up'
27:39 - The value of movies without resolutions (SpoilerTalk)
35:17 - Part 2 w/ Amy Mainzer
36:41 - Amy's role as science adviser on "Don't Look Up"
41:05 - Are there any comets headed toward Earth?
41:56 - Patreon Q&A
42:03 - The craziest idea Amy Mainzer fact checked (SpoilerTalk)
45:49 - What is DART? And will it be able to prevent an impact?
50:13 - At what size do asteroids become dangerous?
53:39 - At what size is an asteroid unaffected by Earth's atmosphere?
56:00 - Where could humans escape Earth's destruction?
59:02 - Can we implement an asteroid detection system in space?
1:02:44 - How is Leo DiCaprio's character able to calculate the asteroid's trajectory?
1:07:09 - What valuable resources exist in asteroids?
1:09:37 - Closing Notes