Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains How X-Rays Work

How do x-ray machines work? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Chuck Nice explore x-rays and how we use them. What do airport x-ray machines have to do with black holes?

Learn more about our partners at Solgaard here:

We dive into astrophysics’ connection to the everyday x-ray machine and Riccardo Giacconi’s Nobel Prize-winning work. Learn about the electromagnetic spectrum and what it means to be transparent. Are all substances transparent to different bands of light?

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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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00:00 X-Ray Machines & Astrophysicists
05:30 X-Ray Vision
09:36 Using Frequencies

[StarTalk]

Do you remember a world before x-rays?

[loukramer]

I come for the science, I stay for the relationship between Neil and Chuck.

[nannybanhammer]

I've worked with x-ray, fluoroscopes, mammography for many years... Never heard it explained so well.

[TheDeadmanAU]

I'm a security guard and part of the qualification course for that was learning how to use security X-ray machines I remember being told about how different materials manifest as different colours in the display I always wondered how they got the coloured bit.

[mawkeetwo]

I love watching these episodes... It's really cool to listen to someone who has such a complex, nuanced, insightful and incredible mind, specially when that someone co-hosts the show with the amazing Neil deGrasse Tyson!

[flampy]

This is unbelievable, I literally just got X-ray used on my spine today duo to upperback pain, What a great time to understand it !

[retoscholly]

You guys make seemingly mundane things super interesting! I wish I were as good a science communicator as you.

[carlcat]

I'm 75 years of age and I remember a time in the 50's when there were small X-Ray machines that were put in shoe stores so anyone could walk up to one, insert their foot into a space on the floor, look through a viewer and you could see your foot in skeleton images moving around like a flouroscope. The machine was on all the time. I can only imagine how dangerous it was not only for customers looking at their foot bones in real time but for the store employees exposed to this machine day in and day out. Eventually, they removed the machines when they realized how dangerous it was.

[Life_]

StarTalk is one of the best things to happen on Earth!

[notmr.niceguy]

Thanks for the non stop information and laughs Neil and Chuck.

[blackpanther]

Lol I love when Neil says "Stop" while he's laughing at Chuck's antics. Interesting and cool video on X-Rays!

[wonder_]

Can’t believe I’m going to school to learn what NDG taught me in 10 minutes

[sapelesteve]

Another excellent explainer video Neil! The first X-rays were thought to be unknowingly produced in an experiment by William Morgan in 1785. In 1875, Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen did the definitive experiments that demonstrated X-rays for the first time. In fact, he X-rayed his wife's hand (the first X-ray ever taken) and upon showing her the photographic image, she exclaimed "I have seen my death"!

[BibliotecadeUrokhan]

Congrats for the 2 millions Professor Tyson

[wmtub]

This was really interesting. Thank you very much.

[SemperMaximus]

Chuck never stops coming up with hilarious lines 😂😂What a fantastic duo!

[FAKMAN]

First i was scared my phone was listening to me but now my hero, Niel deGrasse Tyson, himself is listening too! I got a Radiology Course coming up as a Dental Assistant so I’ve been talking about x-rays a lot recently 😂

[BlueDreamGaming]

Love you Neil and Chuck you guys are awesome! =)

[MisterTee]

Learn something new every time i watch your channel.

[higgeltypiggelty]

I absolutely love these, I’m always happy to listen to someone explain my late-night/shower thoughts😊