William Shatner & Neil Degrasse Tyson: The Backyard Tapes

Witness a free-wheeling conversation between William Shatner and Neil deGrasse Tyson, two icons who have made immeasurable impacts on our culture‘s view of space. Where do you go when you want to let your curiosity fly? The backyard, of course. The setting for this audio original is the backyard of William Shatner‘s Los Angeles home, where he and Neil deGrasse Tyson enjoy a powerful, open-hearted conversation steeped in wonder. Having become fast friends and verbal sparring partners, the two men discuss the quest for knowledge that has driven human exploration and discovery over centuries, citing historical and contemporary examples. They discuss their efforts to overcome societal biases, Shatner‘s as a Jewish kid growing up in Montreal, Canada and Tyson‘s as a black kid in New York City. And they share stories of the moments in which their individual futures began to take shape--Shatner‘s path leading to Star Trek and a long career in film and TV, and Tyson‘s as a globally-renowned astrophysicist and science communicator. Of course, they also get deep into astrophysics, exploring black holes, the behavior of light, quantum physics, and the beauty and complexity of the universe. Presented in accessible terms, and always with an undercurrent of humor and a passionate commitment to learning, The Backyard Tapes is an entertaining trip through science, discovery and spirituality. If you‘ve ever wondered what two titans of space culture talk about when nobody else is around, here‘s your answer.