Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century
A Traveler’s Guide to Blue Moons and Black Holes, Mars, Stars, and Everything Far
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Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century
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About this listen
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry takes listeners on an entertaining and edifying tour of the universe.
In Neil deGrasse Tyson’s delightful journey through the cosmos, his fictional character Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike. Merlin, a timeless visitor from Planet Omniscia in the Andromeda Galaxy, has observed firsthand many of the major scientific events of Earth’s history. Merlin’s friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time—da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein, and Hubble. While Merlin occasionally recounts playful conversations with these luminaries, all questions are answered with authentic science, infused with wit, wisdom, and an occasional rhyme. With the help of intermittent humorous cartoons, Merlin clarifies the details of familiar phenomena like gravity, light, space, and time, and travels to distant stars and galaxies to describe what makes them tick, rotate, explode, and collapse.
Merlin’s Tour of the Universe is perfect for anyone who harbors burning questions on how the cosmos works.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2024 by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Illustrations © 2024 by Stephen J. Tyson. Originally published in 1989 by Columbia University Press. Excerpt from “Burnt Norton” from Four Quartets by T. S. Eliot, © 1943 by T. S. Eliot; © renewed 1971 by Esme Valerie Eliot, used by permission from HarperCollins Publishers (US) and Faber and Faber, Ltd. (world excluding US) (P)2024 Blackstone PublishingListeners also enjoyed...
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,460
In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment—a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science. After thinking deeply about how science sees the world and about Earth as a planet, the human brain has the capacity to reset and recalibrates life’s priorities, shaping the actions we might take in response. No outlook on culture, society, or civilization remains untouched.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Optimistic
- By Anonymous on 09-23-22
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StarTalk
- Everything You Ever Need to Know About Space Travel, Sci-Fi, the Human Race, the Universe, and Beyond
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Luzma Ortiz, Kevin R. Free, Lauren Fortgang, and others
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 96
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 85
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Story4 out of 5 stars 83
For decades, beloved astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has interpreted science with a combination of brainpower and charm that resonates with fans everywhere. This pioneering, provocative audiobook brings together the best of StarTalk, his beloved podcast and television show devoted to solving the most confounding mysteries of Earth, space, and what it means to be human.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Nothing new
- By DIY Farmer on 09-21-22
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Letters from an Astrophysicist
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Vikas Adam, Piper Goodeve, and others
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,176
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,879
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,861
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by unveiling his candid correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 100 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Dear Neil...
- By Tina G. on 10-14-19
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A Brief History of Earth
- Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
- By: Andrew H. Knoll
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 273
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 226
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 226
Drawing on his decades of field research and up-to-the-minute understanding of the latest science, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet's epic 4.6 billion-year story. Placing 21st-century climate change in deep context, A Brief History of Earth is an indispensable look at where we’ve been and where we’re going.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Very chilling and well thought out
- By Colin Bump on 05-21-21
By: Andrew H. Knoll
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The Science of Star Trek
- Star Talk Radio
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Length: 52 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 8
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 8
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Story4 out of 5 stars 8
The Star Trek TV and movie series imagine a bright future for humans in space, one in which we explore alien worlds with the aid of advanced technology. Because the writers tried to include as much realistic science as possible within the fictional framework, the stories have been an inspiration for students, scientists, inventors, and anyone interested in pondering our destiny on Earth and beyond. In this show, Brandon Fibbs reviews a Star Trek movie, and Lawrence Krauss talks about how Star Trek uses science to explore what is possible in our universe.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Phaser to Taser
- By michael f pistillo jr on 06-14-24
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The Universe Speaks in Numbers
- How Modern Math Reveals Nature's Deepest Secrets
- By: Graham Farmelo
- Narrated by: Hugh Kermode
- Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 296
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 243
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 242
One of the great insights of science is that the universe has an underlying order. The supreme goal of physicists is to understand this order through laws that describe the behavior of the most basic particles and the forces between them. For centuries, we have searched for these laws by studying the results of experiments. Since the 1970s, however, experiments at the world's most powerful atom-smashers have offered few new clues. So some of the world's leading physicists have looked to a different source of insight: modern mathematics.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great story and narration, but lacks rigor...
- By James S. on 05-31-19
By: Graham Farmelo
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Welcome to the Universe
- An Astrophysical Tour
- By: Michael A. Strauss, J. Richard Gott, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Michael Butler Murray
- Length: 17 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,393
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,223
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,218
Welcome to the Universe is a personal guided tour of the cosmos by three of today's leading astrophysicists. Inspired by the enormously popular introductory astronomy course that Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michael A. Strauss, and J. Richard Gott taught together at Princeton, this book covers it all - from planets, stars, and galaxies to black holes, wormholes, and time travel.
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3 out of 5 stars
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All About What We Know About the Universe - ALL
- By J.B. on 02-17-17
By: Michael A. Strauss, and others
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Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century
- Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Length: 5 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
In this companion volume to Merlin’s Tour of the Universe, we visit again with Merlin, a timeless space traveler from Planet Omniscia, who answers a collection of imaginative questions about the cosmos from curious stargazers. Whether waxing poetic about Earth and its environs, the Sun and its stellar siblings, the world of light, physical laws, or galaxies near and far, Merlin’s remarks are engaging, humorous, and clear as a starry night sky.
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Origins, Revised and Updated
- Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution
- By: Donald Goldsmith, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 89
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 81
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 80
Our true origins are not only human, or even terrestrial, but in fact cosmic. Drawing on recent scientific breakthroughs and cross-pollination among geology, biology, astrophysics, and cosmology, Origins illuminates the soul-stirring leaps in our understanding of the cosmos. This newly revised and updated edition features such startling discoveries as the more than 5,000 newly detected exoplanets that shed light on the origins of and possibilities for life in the cosmos.
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1 out of 5 stars
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There is nothing here
- By Hermanubis on 12-30-22
By: Donald Goldsmith, and others
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The Pluto Files
- The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,134
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 945
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Story4 out of 5 stars 949
In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it's a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, Americans rallied behind the extraterrestrial underdog.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A Great Value
- By Lauffeuer on 02-01-09
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Death by Black Hole
- And Other Cosmic Quandaries
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 12 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 4,218
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,151
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,139
Neil deGrasse Tyson has a talent for guiding readers through the mysteries of outer space with stunning clarity and almost childlike enthusiasm. This collection of his essays from Natural History magazine explores a myriad of cosmic topics. Tyson introduces us to the physics of black holes by explaining what would happen to our bodies if we fell into one; he also examines the needless friction between science and religion, and notes Earth's status as "an insignificantly small speck in the cosmos".
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5 out of 5 stars
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Well worth the time
- By Sarda on 04-19-07
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The Search for Exoplanets: What Astronomers Know
- By: The Great Courses, Joshua N. Winn
- Narrated by: Professor Joshua N. Winn
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 875
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 774
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 765
As recently as 1990, it seemed plausible that the solar system was a unique phenomenon in our galaxy. Thanks to advances in technology and clever new uses of existing data, now we know that planetary systems and possibly even a new Earth can be found throughout galaxies near and far.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Fun across the universe
- By Mark on 01-08-16
By: The Great Courses, and others
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Eat, Poop, Die
- How Animals Make Our World
- By: Joe Roman PhD
- Narrated by: Claire Christie
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 14
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 13
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Story5 out of 5 stars 13
If forests are the lungs of the planet, then animals migrating across oceans, streams, and mountains—eating, pooping, and dying along the way—are its heart and arteries, pumping nitrogen and phosphorus from deep-sea gorges up to mountain peaks, from the Arctic to the Caribbean. Without this conveyor belt of crucial, life-sustaining nutrients, the world would look very different.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent!
- By Lee on 07-20-24
By: Joe Roman PhD
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This Idea Is Brilliant
- Lost, Overlooked, and Underappreciated Scientific Concepts Everyone Should Know
- By: John Brockman
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, Charles Constant
- Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 151
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 126
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Story4 out of 5 stars 124
As science informs public policy, decision making, and so many aspects of our everyday lives, a scientifically literate society is crucial. In that spirit, Edge.org publisher and author of Know This, John Brockman, asks 206 of the world's most brilliant minds the 2017 Edge Question: What scientific term or concept ought to be more widely known?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Condensed Brilliance in Digestable Chunks
- By Andrew on 02-15-18
By: John Brockman
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Space Chronicles
- Facing the Ultimate Frontier
- By: Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 10 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 765
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 705
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 699
With his signature wit and thought-provoking insights, Neil deGrasse Tyson - one of our foremost thinkers on all things space - illuminates the past, present, and future of space exploration and brilliantly reminds us why NASA matters now as much as ever. As Tyson reveals, exploring the space frontier can profoundly enrich many aspects of our daily lives, from education systems and the economy to national security and morale.
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3 out of 5 stars
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The least helpful review of Space Chronicles.
- By Joshua Kring on 06-17-15
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Cosmic Queries
- StarTalk’s Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We’re Going
- By: James Trefil, Lindsey N. Walker - editor, Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Narrated by: Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lauren Fortgang
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 908
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 774
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 767
In this illuminating audiobook, Tyson and coauthor James Trefil, a renowned physicist and science popularizer, take on the big questions that humanity has been posing for millennia - How did life begin? What is our place in the universe? Are we alone? - and provide answers based on the most current data, observations, and theories.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Not worth it
- By Daniel Earl on 03-15-21
By: James Trefil, and others
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Cosmos
- A Personal Voyage
- By: Carl Sagan
- Narrated by: LeVar Burton, Seth MacFarlane, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9,623
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 8,605
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 8,565
Cosmos is one of the bestselling science books of all time. In clear-eyed prose, Sagan reveals a jewel-like blue world inhabited by a life form that is just beginning to discover its own identity and to venture into the vast ocean of space.
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3 out of 5 stars
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Over-acting voice actors
- By John on 11-09-17
By: Carl Sagan
Learning to love Space
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this was amazing !
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Neil's captivating cadence. 😊
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Cosmic Fascination
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Everything
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A fast paced book
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complex ideas made approachable
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Entertaining and Informative
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Neil keeps the cosmos entering
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the questions were very inciteful and well thought out
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