National Geographic to Make Neil deGrasse Tyson's "StarTalk" Interview with Legendary Scientist Stephen Hawking Available for Free, Without Commercials, on All Digital Platforms

Interview Aired Last Week During the Season Finale of Tyson's Nat Geo Late Night Series

WASHINGTON -- To mark the tragic passing of world-renowned physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking, National Geographic is making his appearance on StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of his final interviews, available for free across all digital platforms and on Hulu. The episode aired last week as part of the series' season finale, and will run online commercial free.

"His passing has left an intellectual vacuum in his wake," wrote Tyson this morning on Twitter (@neiltyson). "But it's not empty. Think of it as a kind of vacuum energy permeating the fabric of spacetime that defies measure."

In the wide-ranging interview filmed last fall in Cambridge, Tyson and Hawking discuss everything from Hawking's favorite food (oysters), drink (Pimms) and equation (the entropy of a black hole to the area of its horizon: S = A over 4), to whether time travel may be possible and the manmade threats that may make colonization of a new planet a necessity. Tyson and his in-studio guests also attempt to explain Hawking's "no boundary" condition, and his surprising status as a pop culture icon, which includes animated and live-action appearances on "The Simpsons," "Futurama" and "The Big Bang Theory."

To conclude the interview, Tyson asked Hawking for any lessons he could offer the rest of us. "We must all do the best we can, in whatever situation we're in. Never give up," he responded.

The commercial-free episode is available on the following National Geographic platforms:

NationalGeographic.com: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/startalk/videos/stephen-hawking2/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwaIQy0VQso&feature=youtu.be

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natgeotvUS/videos/10155958693661005/

StarTalk is produced by Curved Light Productions and National Geographic Studios for National Geographic. For Curved Light Productions, executive producers are Neil deGrasse Tyson and Helen Matsos. For National Geographic Studios, executive producers are Brian Lovett and Drew Pulley, and executive vice president of production and development is Jeff Hasler. For National Geographic, executive producer is Betsy Forhan, vice president of production is Kevin Tao Mohs and president of original programming and production is Tim Pastore.

For more information, visit our press room at www.natgeotvpressroom.com and follow @NGC_PR on Twitter.

National Geographic

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StarTalk Radio

Science, pop culture and comedy collide on StarTalk's podcast network! Neil deGrasse Tyson, his fellow science educators including Bill Nye, comic co-hosts and guests bring the universe down to Earth in "StarTalk Radio," "StarTalk All-Stars" and "StarTalk Playing with Science." Now in its eighth season, the StarTalk Radio podcast has more than 3 million downloads per month, and the three-time Emmy-nominated National Geographic show based on the podcast is about to start its fourth season. StarTalk All-Stars, currently in its second season, features a revolving slate of scientist and science educator hosts. StarTalk Playing with Science, also in its second season, hosted by professional British soccer player and sports broadcaster Gary O'Reilly and fan favorite StarTalk co-host Chuck Nice, explores the science behind the most iconic moments in sports with guests including pro athletes, coaches, sports experts and scientists. Each StarTalk network podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, SoundCloud, Stitcher and TuneIn. StarTalk Radio and StarTalk All-Stars are also carried on SiriusXM Insight Channel 121. For more information and to listen to all of our shows, visit www.startalkradio.net. Keep looking up!

American Museum of Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world's preeminent scientific, educational and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls, including those in the Rose Center for Earth and Space and the Hayden Planetarium, as well as galleries for temporary exhibitions. It is home to New York State's official memorial to Theodore Roosevelt, a tribute to Roosevelt's enduring legacy of environmental conservation. The Museum's approximately 200 scientists draw on a world-class research collection of more than 34 million artifacts and specimens, some of which are billions of years old, and on one of the largest natural history libraries in the world. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, the Museum grants the Ph.D. degree in comparative biology and the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree, the only such program at any museum in the United States. Annual physical attendance has grown to approximately 5 million, and the Museum's exhibitions and Space Shows can be seen in venues on six continents. The Museum's website, digital videos and apps for mobile devices bring its collections, exhibitions and educational programs to millions more around the world. Visit amnh.org for more information.