Full Episode: Oct. 23, 2015

> TONIGHT ON 'METRO FOCUS, THEY ARE AMAZING NEW YORK'S UNDERDOGS, THOS AMAZING METS, ARE HEADED TO TH WORLD SERIES WE WILL TAKE YOU INSIDE THE TEAM AND SORT OUT WHAT'S NEXT FOR NEW YORK'S NEW ALL STARS

> AFTER MONTHS OF SPECULATION, VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN SAYS NO T A RUN FOR THE WHITE HOUSE.

A DEMOCRATIC INSIDER LAYS OU THE FALLOUT FOR THE PARTY AN WHAT THIS MEANS FOR HILLAR CLINTON AND BERNIE SANDERS

> HE IS THE MAN TO TAKE US T THE STARS, NEIL deGRASSE TYSON MAY RUN THE ROSE PLANETARIUM BUT THE WAY HE MAKES OUTER SPACE SEEM DOWN TO EARTH IS OUT OF THIS WORLD HE WILL BE HERE.

> IT WAS A CONCERT AND A NEW YORK MOMENT THAT WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN WHEN JAMES BROWN TOO THE STAGE AT THE APOLLO THEATE 53 YEARS AGO TOMORROW AN RECORDED HIS PERFORMANCE, NO ONE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED THAT PUR MAGIC WAS ABOUT TO BE MADE AND MAGIC IT WAS WE LOOK BACK AT THAT MOMENT TO INTRODUCED THE WORLD TO LEGEND THAT AND MORE AS 'METRO FOCUS' STARTS RIGHT NOW

> THIS IS 'METRO FOCUS', ABOUT RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD AND JANA FLANAGAN.

FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM WAS PROVIDED BY -- CORPORATE FUNDING WAS PROVIDED BY MUTUAL OF AMERICA AND BY -

MY LEG WOULD HURT A LOT, WOULD CRY AND I WOULD SCREAM AND THE ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS FOR THI DISEASE IS TO AMPUTATE IT.

WITH NEW YORK PRESBYTERIAN'S HELP, THAT HASN'T HAND THEY SAVED, LIKE, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN.

SO, PEOPLE WERE SURPRISED BY M CHEERLEADING BECAUSE I WAS ABL TO DO ALL OF THESE FLIPS AND STUFF AND NOT BE JUDGED FOR IT AND NOT BE CRITIQUED FOR IT AN WITH CHEERLEADING, I LEARNED T DO THIS.

SO FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEAR, THE NEW YORK METS HAVE CLINCHED THE NATIONAL LEAGUE PENNANT AND ARE HEADING INTO THE WORLD SERIES THE QUESTION ON EVERY NE YORKER'S MIND NOW IS CAN THEY GO ALL THE WAY AND BRING HOME A CHAMPIONSHIP RING FOR THE FIRS TIME SINCE THEIR VICTORY OVE BOSTON IN 1986, SOME 29 YEAR AGO.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS YEAR'S TEAM IS CHRIS McSHANE, EDITOR OF AMAZING AVENUE.COM, WHICH IS A WEBSITE ABOUT SB NATION'S NE YORK METS BLOG CHRIS, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US.

I HAVE GOT TO ASK YOU, YOU HAV BEEN COVERING THESE GUYS SURPRISED GET NOTHING THE WORL SERIES

I CAME INTO THE YEAR WITH PRETTY DECENT EXPECTATIONS I THINK THE AVERAGE PREDICTION WAS THEY WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT ABOVE 500 WINNING, YOU KNOW, WINNING ENOUGH GAMES TO CONTEN FOR A BILE, EVERYBODY LOVED TH WASHINGTON NATIONALS COMING INTO THE YEAR

EVERYBODY THOUGHT THE BECAUSE NATIONALS WERE GOING TO BACK INTO THE PENNANT, RIGHT?

OH, YEAH.

YEAH AND RIGHTFULLY SOME ON PAPER THEY LOOKED GREAT, BUT THIS WA A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHY THE SEASON HAS TO PLAY ITSELF OU AND BASEBALL BEING 162 GAMES JUST -- YOU REALLY GET TESTED, YOU KNOW, OVER THE -- THAT AMOUNT OF A SEASON

IT WAS A BIT OF A ROLLE COASTER RIDE FOR THE METS TEAM AND METS FANS, THE BEGINNING WAS ONE THING.

GOT INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON AND PEOPLE STARTED TO KIND OF BILL ON THEM A LITTL BIT, DO YOU THINK?

YEAH, PEOPLE CERTAINLY GO FRUSTRATED YOU KNOW, IT WAS TOUGH, KIND O SET A VERY HIGH BAR FO THEMSELVES WITH THE 11-GAM WINNING STREAK BACK IN APRIL AND, YOU KNOW, THAT HELPS SE THE STAGE FOR WHAT THEY COULD DO LATER IN THE SEASON ONCE THE PICKED UP AND RETOOK FIRST PLACE FROM THE NATIONALS BUT BEFORE THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEASON THAT I THINK PEOPLE WERE FRUSTRATED TO SAY THE LEAST.

THERE WERE DAYS, THE LINEUP JUST DIDN'T LOOK LIKE A MAJOR LEAGU LINEUP

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE STARTED PLAYING WELL, THE BACK END OF THE SEASON AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY IT WAS THE PITCHING YOU THINK SO

YEAH.

AND THERE WAS A BALANCED TEAM, A COMBINATION OF OBVIOUSLY THE PITCHING IS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT THE LAST FEW YEARS AS THEY HAVE REBUILT THE ROSTE AND, YOU KNOW, ACQUIRED AN DEVELOPED MINOR LEAGUE PLAYERS AND FOCUSED HEAVILY ON PITCHIN THERE.

SO, THE PITCHING HAS DEFINITEL BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT BUT THEY GOT HEALTHY, YOU KNOW, THEY GO GOT HITTERS BACK FROM TH DISABLED LIST, TRADED FO SEVERAL, FORTIFIED THE BULLPEN THE TURN AROUND THAT THEY HAD AT THE END OF JULY AND EARLY AUGUST WAS REMARKABLE

AND YOU SEE, AS YOU SAID COMBINATION OF GREAT PITCHING, SOME GREAT, TIMELY HITTING, YO LOOK AT DANIEL MUR FISHING THE MVP OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES SIX HOME RUNS IN CONSECUTIVE PLAYOFF GAMES, A RECORD, CORRECT?

YEAH.

YEAH IT'S -- I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT -- TO THEY ARE RUSH AND -

SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST, CERTAINLY FOR HIM.

LET'S -- A COUPLE OF COMPARISONS, ALL RIGHT I REMEMBER THE 1969 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM, TOM SEAVER, A WHOLE BUNC OF OTHER REALLY TALENTED PLAYERS, 1986 TEAM WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS TEAM, CA YOU MAKE ANY PARALLELS TO THOS TWO CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS

I WOULD SAY PITCHING IS A CONSISTENT THEME WITH ALL OF THEM, DEFINITELY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE MET HAVE THAT STRONG HISTORY WITH, HAD IT IN '69, THEY HAD IT I '86, BUT I GUESS THIS TEAM I WOULD SAY PARALLELS A LITTLE BIT BET WE ARE THE '69 METS, WHERE IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINCE THEY HAD A WINNING SEASON YOU KNOW, THE '69 METS, THAT WAS THE FIRST WINNING SEASON, RIGHT?

SO, IT HAD BEEN A WHILE SINC THEY HAD DONE SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, IN '86, THAT TEAM WAS GREAT IN '84 AND '85 SO YOU KNOW, THEY GO INTO THAT SEASON WITH HIGH EXPECTATION AND LIVE UP TO THEM.

SO, THIS WAS A LITTLE MORE SURPRISING

IT'S BEEN A FUN SEASON, EVE THOUGH IT'S BEEN UP AND DOWN IT'S BEEN A FUN SEASON LET'S GO MELTS THANKS FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU

> AFTER MONTHS OF SPECULATION, VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN TOL THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ON WEDNESDAY THAT HE WILL NOT RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2016

UNFORTUNATELY, I BELIEVE WE ARE OUT OF TIME, THE TIM NECESSARY TO MOUNT A WINNING CAMPAIGN FOR THE NOMINATION.

BUT WHILE I WILL NOT BE CANDIDATE, I WILL NOT BE SILENT.

I INTEND TO SPEAK OUT CLEARL AND FORCEFULLY TO INFLUENCE AS MUCH AS I CAN WHERE WE STAND A A PARTY AND WHERE WE NEED TO G AS A NATION.

VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN' DECISION NOW MAY WELL SECURE HILLARY CLINTON'S STANDING A THE FRONT RUNNING DEMOCRAT VYING FOR THE PRESIDENCY, BUT WILL HILLARY CLINTON'S NEGATIVE OUTWEIGH THE POSSIBILITY OF CLINTON PRESIDENCY JOINING ME NOW ABOUT SOM ANSWERS AND A VIEW TO ALL OF THIS IS HANK SHEINKOPF HANK HAS BEEN A POLITICA CONSULTANT FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS AND WAS A MEMBER OF PRESIDEN CLINT ANSWERS RE-ELECTION TEAM MY FIRST QUESTION TO YOU, WERE YOU SURPRISED WHEN YOU SAID TH VICE PRESIDENT WOULD NOT RUN

NOT SURPRISED AT ALL.

WHY NOT

A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR HIM, HE HAD SOME FAMILY ISSUES, BUT THE QUESTION, HIM SAYING THE TIME IS SHORT MAY NOT REALLY B THE TRUTH OF WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE

WHAT A DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF SPECULATION OF IF HE DECIDES N TO RUN, WHY WOULD HE NOT FAMILY ISSUE, THE TERRIBLE LOS OF HIS SON VERY RECENTLY, TH NOTION OF MAYBE HE HAS HAD HIS RUNS IN THE PAST, BUT HE CAM OUT AND ESSENTIALLY SAID I JUS DON'T THINK THAT THE LOGISTICS WOULD WORK WE HAVE THE TIME TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT DO YOU THINK THAT WAS TRULY TH ONLY ISSUE

THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE DECIDING FACTORS, BUT THE TRUT IS IF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS WITH YOU AND HE SAYS, 'RUN, JOE, RUN' YOU HAVE THE MONEY AND YOU WILL HAVE TH TROOPS THAT IS NOT THE QUESTION THE QUESTION IS ARE YOU PREPARED EMOTIONALLY AND PSYCHOLOGICALLY, THE STRAIN OF RUNNING FO PRESIDENT, BILL IS A EXTRAORDINARILY DIFFICULT JO UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.

DO YOU THINK PRESIDENT OBAM WAS BEHIND HIM SAYING, NOT JUS STANDING BEHIND HIM AS WE SAW MINUTE AGO, BUT TRULY BEHIND HIM SAYING, JOE, IF YOU WANT TO RUN, I WILL ENERGIZE MY FOLKS HER AND WE WILL GET YOU THE MONE YOU NEED TO RUN OR DO YOU THIN THERE WAS LESS THAN ENTHUSIASTIC SUPPORT?

THE TRUTH IS THAT IF JO BIDEN -- IF THE PRESIDENT DI NOT WANT JOE BIDEN TO EVEN CONSIDER IT, IT IS NOT LIKEL THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN THI KIND OF SPECULATION.

SO, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSIO CERTAINLY WITH THE PRESIDENT O THE UNITED STATES AND THE VICE PRESIDENT.

THE QUESTION HERE IS WHY NOT IT'S GRUELING.

IT'S HARD.

HE IS IN HIS 70s THIS IS NOT AN EASY THING TO D AND SECRETARY CLINTON MAY, I FACT, BE BETTER POSITIONED NOW THAN SHE WAS A FEW WEEKS BACK.

LET'S TALK ABOUT NOW, THE DOMINO EFFECTS

SURE.

BECAUSE IT'S INTERESTIN BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE SORT O SAYING, IS HE GONNA RUN, IS HE GONNA RUN?

AND NOW THAT HE HAS DECIDED NO YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT -- WHAT WILL THE IMPACT BE?

SO LET'S START WITH THE LOGICA PLACE TO START, HILLARY CLINTON.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO HILLARY CLINTON?

IT MEANS LIKELY THAT SHE IS THE PROHIBITIVE FAVORITE TO BE THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE AND WHETHER SHE BECOMES TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES HAS LESS TO DO WITH HER THAN I HAS TO DO WITH WHAT TH REPUBLICANS DO OR DON'T DO

IT IS GOING TO BE WHO SHE I UP AGAINST

WELL, ACTUALLY, BUT ALSO IF THE REPUBLICANS SAVAGE HER DURING THE BENGHAZI HEARINGS O IN ANY OTHER CIRCUMSTANCE, I WILL ONLY HELP HER, NOT INJURE HER.

SHE HAS GOT TO WIN THIS, HOWEVER, ON HER OWN, IN TH GREAT -- ALONG THE GREAT UNWASHED AND THE HEARTLAND O THIS COUNTRY AND IT'S NOT GOIN TO BE EASY REGARDLESS.

WE TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT AN WHAT IT'S DONE, THE BENEFITS T HILLARY CLINTON HERE LET ME GO BACK FOR A SECOND TO A DIFFERENT QUESTION, WHICH WOUL BE IF VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD DECIDED TO JUMP INTO THE RACE, HOW DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE DONE

BETTER THAN PEOPLE SUSPECT.

WE HAVE BEEN THE INSTITUTIONAL PARTY FAVORITE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEMOCRATS AROUN THE COUNTRY WOULD HAVE SAID, YES, GO, JOE, GO THE ANTI-HILLARYS WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH HIM, WITHOUT QUESTION, WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

THE ONLY MISSING ELEMENT IS TH PREDICABILITY OF HILLARY CLINTON'S PROBLEMS EITHER AT THE BENGHAZI HEARING OR IN THE SO-CALLED E-MAIL SCANDAL I MEAN, THOSE OUTCOMES WERE NO PREDICTABLE.

I GUESS MY QUESTION IS DO YOU THINK THIS CAMPAIGN IS GOING T DO ANYTHING TOWARD LESSENING THAT OR ARE WE JUST GOING DO SEE A RATCHETING UP OF THE POLITIC OF PERSONAL DESTRUCTION?

THE INFLUENCE OF MONEY, UNREGULATED MONEY, HAS MADE THIS KIND OF RATCHETING OF PERSONAL ATTACK EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT AND ALLOWABLE BECAUSE THERE'S NO CONSTRAINTS ON IT.

WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A COUNTRY IN OUR POLITICS AND CAMPAIGNS WER PERSONAL ATTACK HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT.

I MEAN, BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE REPUBLICAN -- THOMAS JEFFERSON SPENT AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF PUN MONEY AT THE TIM TO PUBLISH ALL KINDS OF BOOK AND OTHER PAMPHLETS KILLIN ALEXANDER HAMILTON ANY BAY THA HE COULD ABE LINCOLN, EXTRAORDINARY MAN ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WAS SAVAGED O THE FRONT PAGES OF NEWSPAPER ACROSS THIS COUNTRY, WHICH WAS THE PRIMARY SOURCE O COMMUNICATION AT THE TIME, FOR WHAT, FOR LOOKING LIKE AN -- A SMITH ATTACKED VICIOUSLY FOR BEING A ROMAN CATHOLIC THIS KIND OF PERSONAL, UNDERHANDED ATTACK IS THE STAPLE OF AMERICAN POLITICS WORK HE SEE IT PERSONALLY BECAUSE IT IS MORE CONSTANT, WE HAVE A 24-HOUR NEWS CYCLE, BECAUSE THERE IS TH INTERNET AND OUR DISCOURSE IS SO AWFUL, GENERALLY, WE HAVE NO PLACE TO MEET.

ORGANIZATIONS OF THE PAST WHER PEOPLE MET TO DISCUSS THINGS DON'T EXIST.

THEREFORE, WE ARE NOT ABLE T TALK ABOUT ANYTHING AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN EXERCISE THAT - THOSE KIND OF -- THAT KIND O ANGST IS IN A VERY PERSONA MANNER

SO, WHEN WE HEAR THE VICE PRESIDENT TALKING ABOUT HI YEARNING FOR A DIFFERENT APPROACH HERE AND WHEN YOU AND I TALK ABOUT THIS NOTION OF PEOPLE YEARNING FOR A KINDER, GENTLER POLITICAL SYSTEM, ARE WE YES O NOING FOR SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY NEVER REALLY EXISTED?

YOU KNOW, WHEN ED KOCH RA FOR MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, HE RECOUNTS ONE OF HIS BOOKS, H SAID -- HE WROTE, YOU KNOW SOMEONE CAME UP TO ME, A WOMAN CAME UP TO ME, IN BROOKLYN MAYOR, MAKE IT THE WAY IT WAS.

AND I THINK KOCH'S RESPONSE, HOPEFULLY IN CONTEXT AND NOT A ALL UNKIND TO HIS MEMORY BUT H SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT NEVER WAS THAT WATCH TRUTH IS WE HAV HAD BOTH WE HAVE HAD THE HAPPY BAR ORAN WE'VE HAD THE UNHAPPY POPULACE AND IT ALL DEPENDS ON TH ECONOMIC AND CONDITIONS AT THE MOMENT, BUT OUR POLITICS, AN ENTIRE REFLECTION OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR SOCIETY.

SO THIS KIND OF ANGER, UPSET NASTINESS, THAT POLITICA CONSULTANTS, FRANKLY, A GOOD DEAL TO DO WITH GOING BACK T THE BEGINNING OF THE PROFESSION, ONLY ABOUT 60 YEARS OLD.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE KIND OF RESPONSIBLE FOR IT, TOO.

AN INTERESTING DECISION B THE VICE PRESIDENT, GIVES US A ALL RIGHT TO TALK B WE WILL SE WHERE IT TAKES US.

HANK, ALWAYS GOOD TO TALK WITH YOU.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME

> I'M ANDREA VASKAS FOR 'METRO FOCUS.

IN THE WORLD OF SCIENCE, FEW THINGS CAPTURE OUR IMAGINATION LIKE SPACE, THE VAST DARKNESS OF THE GREAT UNKNOWN BEWILLEDER AND INTREES THE MIND THAT'S WHERE SCIENTIST AND MEDIA STAR NEIL deGRASSE TYSON COMES IN AS DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY' HAYDEN PLANETARIUM, HE DUB HIMSELF YOUR PERSONA ASTROPHYSICIST AND BRINGS TH UNIVERSE DOWN TO EARTH WIT COMIC CO-HOST, GUEST EXPERTS AND CELEBRITY INTERVIEWS, IN HIS 'NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC' CHANNE SHOW CALLED REQUESTS STAR TALK.'

I ASKED DR. TYSON HOW HE EXPLAINS THE COSMOS, INSPIRE FUTURE SCIENTIST AND WHAT' COMING UP ON SEASON TWO OF STA TALK YOU'VE GOT SOME BIG GUESTS COMING UP IN SEASON TWO OF 'STAR TALK.'

YEAH.

YEAH

CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF THE -- EXCITED ABOUT ALL O THEM, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS AND THE GUESTS

LIKE PICKING YOUR CHILDREN, WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILD [ LAUGHTER ]

THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING YOU.

WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME TO DO EACH GUEST HAS HIS OR HER OW SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION TO TH SHOW, BUT WE ARE LEADING OFF CLEARLY, FOR OBVIOUS REASONS WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON I HAVE KNOWN PRESIDENT CLINTON SINCE HE WAS IN OFFICE THIS WAS NOT A FIRST ENCOUNTER AND I HAVE KNOWN HIS INTEREST IN SCIENCE BUT MOST PEOPLE WOULDN'T HAVE THE OCCASION TO GET IT OU OF HIM AND SO WITH HIM AS GUEST ON 'STAR TALK' WE JUST GET TO GO STRAIGHT IN.

AND WHAT I LIKE ABOUT HOSTIN 'STAR TALK' IS PEOPLE WHO YO KNOW FOR OTHER REASONS GET T LAY BARE THEIR GEEK UNDERBELLY AND CHILL OUT ON THE UNIVERSE, ON SCIENCE, ON WHATEVER IT I THE TOPIC THAT INTERESTS THE GUEST, WE TURN THAT INTO THE TOPIC OF THE INTERVIEW

BETWEEN CELEBRITY AND GEEKINESS, WHICH ONE OUTWAIS THE OTHER?

CELEBRITY EVERY TIME [ LAUGHTER ]

OKAY.

SO, WHAT HAPPENS IS WE GET CELEBRITY AND IF LET'S SAY THE DON'T HAVE A GEEK UNDERBELLY, THINK WE ALL DO ON SOME LEVEL, LET'S SAY IT IS NOT -- IT IS UNMANIFESTED SCIENCE IS UBIQUITOUS IN OUR CIVILIZATION AND MANY PEOPLE THINK OF SCIENCE AS THIS CLASS THEY TOOK IN HIG SCHOOL OR IN COLLEGE AND HISTORY AND ENGLISH AND SCIENCE.

AND THEN ONCE YOU'RE DONE, YOU'RE DONE.

YOU PUT THE BOOK ON THE SHEL AND YOU MOVE ON.

AND WHAT I'D LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT 'STAR TALK' ACCOMPLISHES OR CERTAINLY ATTEMPTS T ACCOMPLISH, IS A DISPLAY O HOW -- HOW PERSISTENTLY SCIENC MANIFESTS ITSELF IN EVERY DA LIFE SO, NO MATTER WHO THE CELEBRIT IS, THERE WILL BE SOME DOSE OF SCIENCE THAT HAS INFLUENCED THAT PERSON'S LIVELIHOOD.

IT SEEMS THE CHOICE TO MAKE IT A NIGHTTIME TALK SHOW AND T HAVE A COMEDIAN CO-HOST.

HOW DID THAT ALL -- HOW WERE THOSE DECISIONS MADE AND WHA WAS THE INTENTION?

WELL, OUR ROOTS ARE IN RADIO.

WE -- RADIO AND PODCASTS AND I STILL EXIST AS RADIO SHOW AN PODCAST.

WE DO 50 OF THESE A YEAR SO, IN THIS MIXTURE OF THE PRINCIPAL INTERVIEW PLUS A IN-STUDIO EXPERT, MY CO-HOST I ALWAYS A PROFESSIONAL STANDU COMEDIAN, NOT THE KIND THAT'S, HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT - NOT THE ONE-LINER COMEDIAN, BU THE ONES THAT ARE ACUTE AN ASTUTE OBSERVERS OF SOCIAL CULTURAL, POLITICAL MORES, AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT CAN TAKE A TOPIC, ALMOST ANY TOPIC AN JUST SEE WHAT'S -- WHAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE ABOUT IT, B THINKING ABOUT IT QUICKLY, REINTERPRETING IT AND HANDING IT BACK TO YOU.

SO I HAVE IN-STUDIO EXPERT AS VALVE THAT CAN BRING GRAVITY T AN INTERVIEW AND I HAVE TH COMEDIAN AS A VALVE WHO CA BRING LEVITY TO THE INTERVIEW.

AND I'M KIND OF DIALING THESE UP AND DOWN AS, YOU KNOW, 'CAUS I'M IN CONTROL OF THE FLOW OBVIOUSLY AS HOST, BUT I'M DIALING THEM UP AND DOWN AND I HAVE PRE SPOKEN ABOUT TH COMEDIAN AND EXPERT GUEST SO 'STAR TALK' WILL HIT A RANGE RELIABLY, THAT IS ENTERTAINING INFORMATIVE, ENLIGHTENING AN MAKE YOU SMILE

AND SCIENTISTS GET A BA REPUTATION FOR HAVING A HARD TIME DOING THAT SPECIFICALLY FOR COMMUNICATING AND SORT O TRANSLATING BETWEEN THEI COLLEAGUES AND PUBLIC.

HOW DID YOU LEARN TO DO THAT WAS IT DELIBERATE?

THAT'S PERCEPTIVE OBSERVATION.

AND THE COUPLE OF POINTS O THAT, IN MY FIELD, OR IN ACADEMIA IN GENERAL, THE MOS YOU REALLY EXPECT IT TO EVER COMMUNICATE IS IN A LECTURE HALL AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN A LECTURE HALL PEOPLE ARE PAYING TO -- TO HAV TO SIT IN YOUR CLASS, TO HAVE TO DO WELL, RIGHT YOU ARE UNDER NO OBLIGATIONS T MEET THEM HALFWAY OR ALL THE WAY, THEY GOT TO COME TO YOU AND THEY GOT TO LISTEN TO YOUR LECTURE NOTES, WHETHER YOU'R FACING THE CHALKBOARD THE WHOL TIME OR NOT.

SO -- SO THAT'S REALLY THE ONL LANDSCAPE ON WHICH WE ARE JUDGED FOR THAT SORT OF THING THE MOMENT YOU STEP OUT, I THAT'S OUR ONLY TRAINING, TH URGE IS TO BRING A LECTURE T THE NEWS INTERVIEWER IT DOESN'T WORK.

AND HOW CAN THAT -- HOW DOE THAT TRANSLATE TO SCIENC EDUCATION AND WHAT SHOULD WE B DOING?

SO, THIS THING, SCIENCE EDUCATION, I THINK IS OVERRATE IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY EVERYONE IS SAYING LET US TEAC THE WORLD SCIENCE.

YES.

OF COURSE.

BY ALL MEANS HOWEVER, I WOULD SAY MOST OF WHAT I DO WHEN I'M IN THE PUBLIC IS NOT TEACHING YOU SCIENCE, 'CAUSE TO TEACH, THERE'S A SIL WILL BE A BUS, THERE'S A LESSO PLAN, THERE'S A BOOK, THERE AR OBJECTIVES AND IF I SUCCEED AT WHAT I'M DOING, WHAT I'VE DONE IS STIMULATE YOUR CURIOSITY TO WANT TO LEARN MORE HOW MUCH TIME ARE WE TOGETHER, EITHER IN A TWEET OR IN AN INTERVIEW, IN THE MEDIA, ON TH EVENING NEWS, IT'S MINUTES I'M NOT GOING TO TEACH YOU ANYTHING IN MINUTES.

BUT I CAN ALERT YOU OF THING THAT CAN PIQUE YOUR INTEREST AND HAVE YOU RUN HOME AND GOOGLE YOU KNOW, GO TO SOME WIKI PAGE AND MAYBE BUY SOME BOOKS AND SEE SOME VIDEOS AND DOCUMENTARIES.

AND THEN YOU BECOME A LIFE-LON LEARNER.

AND IN THAT STATE OF MIND, YOU WILL LEARN FAR MORE THAN YOU WOULD HAVE EVER ACQUIRED B ATTENDING FORMAL SCHOOLING

WHAT ADVICE DID YOU HAVE FO KIDS WHO ARE HAVING A HARD TIM IN SCIENCE CLASS WHO MAYBE THINK IT'S NOT FOR THEM?

OH, YEAH, SO, UM, I FOCUS LESS ON KIDS THAN ON ADULTS, 'CAUSE ADULTS ARE REALLY WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE, BECAUSE WE HAVE SCIENTIFICALLY ILLITERATE ADULTS, IN CHARGE OF THINGS.

THAT'S, AS CARL SAGAN ONCE SAID, A COMBUSTIBLE COMBINATION.

YOU WIELD POWER, RESOURCES MONEY AND YOU AREN'T SCIENTIFICALLY LITERATE, ESPECIALLY CONCERNING SCIENTIFIC ISSUES THAT CONFRONT US IN THE 21st CENTURY KIDS ARE BORN CURIOUS, THEY TURN OVER ROCKS MOST OF THE TASK FOR THE ADULT IS TO GET OUT OF THEIR WAY GET OUT OF THEIR WAY WHAT DO WE DO WITH KIDS?

TEACH THE FIRST YEARS OF THEIR LIFE TO WALK AND TALK AND TH REST OF THEIR LIVES TEACHING THEM TO SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN GIVE THEM A LITTLE SPACE YOU SHOULD HAVE FREE-RANGE CHILDREN

OKAY.

I THINK IF THAT HAPPENS EARLY ENOUGH, WHEN THEY GET TO SCHOOL, THEY SEE, OH, IS THAT HOW THAT WORKS?

IS THIS WHAT I SAW WITH TH FLOWER PETAL OR THE INSECT O THE FALLING BRICK OR WHATEVER, AND THEY WILL SEE THAT IN THEI SCIENCE CLASS AND I THIN WHATEVER MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE CHALLENGE WILL BE A FU CHALLENGE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS WORKS.

I'M GOING TO FIND OUT.

FIG YOUR IT OUT

YES JUST THE ACT OF NOT KNOWING IS NOT ITSELF A STATEMENT O FAILURE.

IT'S A STATEMENT OF I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH, LET ME SEARCH IT OUT S THAT I DO KNOW

SEASON TWO OF 'STAR TALK' PREMIERES SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25th AT 11 P.M. EASTERN ON TH 'NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC' CHANNEL.

> TOMORROW MARKS THE 53r ANNIVERSARY OF THE RECORDING O ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIA ALBUMS EVER LAID TO VINYL.

JAMES BROWN LIVE AT THE APOLLO IS ONE OF THOSE LANDMARK A FWHAUMS CAPTURES A MOMENT FROZEN IN TIME.

IT HIT THE CHARTS AND STAYED THERE FOR 66 WEEKS FOLLOWING ITS RELEASE AND ITS IMPORTANCE AND INFLUENCE STILL REMAIN JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT HIS SUCCESS AND THE IMPACT JAMES BROWN AND THIS ALBUM HAD O AMERICAN MUSIC AND NEW YOR CULTURE IS 'ROLLING STONE' CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, ANTHONY DECURTIS ANTHONY, ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

YES, INDEED

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO START WITH ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE TALK ABOUT HOW MONUMENTAL THIS ALBUM WAS.

YOU AND I TALK A FEW MINUTES ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE, BUT WAS STRUCK BY ONE OF THE FACTS AND THAT IS BASICALLY JAME BROWN HAD TO PAY FOR THI HIMSELF.

YEAH, IT WAS HIS IDEA AND H WANTED TO DO IT.

HIS RECORD COMPANY, KING RECORDS, FELT A LIVE ALBUM, YO KNOW, OF MATERIAL THAT YOU'V ALREADY DONE, WE DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY THAT GOOD AN IDEA BUT JAMES BROWN, IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, REINVENTING SOUL AND R & B WAS A VERY SMART BUSINESSMAN AND DECIDED, OKAY, I WILL PAY FOR IT MYSELF AND OBVIOUSLY, HERE WE ARE ALL THESE YEARS LATER STILL TALKIN ABOUT THIS RECORD.

AND NOT ONLY SHOWS HOW PRESCIENT HE WAS

PEOPLE DIDN'T THAT HAVE, DO DOING A LIVE ALBUM, I'LL PICK UM THE TAB FOR IT MYSELF?

PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF R & ABOUT, THERE WAS AN EMPHASIS ON WHAT'S NEW, WHAT'S YOUR LATEST SINGLE, WHAT'S YOUR NEWEST THING THERE WASN'T A SENSE THAT YO COULD PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER AND, YOU KNOW, A KIND OF COMPILATION OR SOMETHING, THAT WOULD COME A LITTLE BIT LATER.

I THINK JAMES BROWN UNDERSTOOD THAT, BUT WHAT HE MAINLY UNDERSTOOD IS, LOOK, I HAVE ON OF THE GREATEST LIVE ACTS IN HISTORY AND IF I COULD SOMEHOW CONVEY THE ENERGY AND IMPACT O THAT ON AN ALBUM, PEOPLE ARE GONNA -- IT'S GONNA DO TWO THINGS WELL, IT'S GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ITS OWN RIGHT AN IT'S GOING TO BE ONGOING ADVERTISEMENT FOR ME, TO REALL PUT ME IN THE MAINSTREAM O AMERICAN CULTURE THIS -- LOOK, IN 1962, YOU KNOW, AMERICA WAS STILL A SEGREGATED SOCIETY.

AND THIS IS, I THINK, A PART - PART OF AN IDEA ON JAMES' PART THAT HE COULD -- HE COULD REAC EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW?

AND I THINK THAT WAS PART OF THE IMPACT OF THIS

1962, THERE WERE SOME -- SOME BIG-TIME HEADLINERS, CHUCK BERRY, FATS DOMINO HOW BIG WAS JAMES BROWN IN 1962?

WELL, YOU KNOW, JAMES BROWN WAS BIG.

HE HAD HAD HITS.

BUT THERE STILL WAS A KIND O SENSE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE HADN' CROSSED OVER TO POP SUCCESS, A WE WOULD CALL IT AND I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HE WANTED, YOU KNOW I DON'T THINK HE SAW THAT AS EXCLUSIVELY THE PROVINCE O WHITE ARTISTS.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THIN HE FELT THAT THE MUSIC THAT HE WAS MAKING WAS SO VISCERAL AND SO POWERFUL THAT ANYBODY COULD UNDERSTAND IT.

BUT LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THESE ARTISTS WOULD GO ON TOUR, THEY WOULD PLAY PLACES LIKE THE CHITLIN CIRCUMSTANCE KIRKT AS IT WAS CALLED THEY WEREN'T PLAYING PARTICULARLY IN THE SOUTH, THE WEREN'T PLAYING, LIKE, BIG HALLS AND PLACES LIKE THAT AND I THINK JAMES WANTED THAT AND I THIN THIS RECORD WAS ONE WAY FOR HI TO BEGIN TO ACHIEVE IT

SO, IF YOU LOOK BACK, BAC THEN, YOU MENTIONED THE FACT THAT THE LIVE ALBUM WASN'T BEING DONE AT THE TIME THE FACT THAT'S FINANCING IT HIMSELF, WHY DID IT BECOME SUC A BIG DEAL, YOU THINK?

WELL, PARTLY, AND THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT WE OFTE OVERLOOK, WE TALK ABOU SOCIOLOGICAL REASONS FIRST OF ALL, IT'S INCREDIBL GOOD YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I JUST LISTENED TO IT OBVIOUSLY I PREPARATION TO COME AND TALK T YOU.

AND I'M JUST STRUCK BY HOW STRONG IT IS I MEAN, YOU CAN STILL FEEL THE ENERGY IN -- AT THE APOLLO THEATER, YOU KNOW, THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JAMES AND HIS AUDIENCE SO, THERE WAS THAT I MEAN, THAT WAS REALL INFECTIOUS AND I THINK ANYBODY THAT HEARD IT COULD RESPOND TO IT THAT WAY.

BUT I THINK ALSO, YOU KNOW THERE WAS A SENSE THAT TIMES WERE CHANGING, YOU KNOW?

PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE BRITIS INVASION, THE BEATLES WERE GOING TO BE COMING IN A YEAR, YO KNOW A LOT OF ARTISTS WERE KIND O WIPED OFF THE SCENE, BUT JAMES BROWN WASN'T YOU KNOW, THE OPENING UP OF TH AUDIENCE THAT THIS ENGLISH INVASION REPRESENTED WAS SOMETHING THAT JAMES BROWN TOO STRAIGHT TO THE BANK SO SUDDENLY, THERE WERE AL THESE WHITE KIDS WANTED TO HEA JAMES BROWN, YOU KNOW?

HE WAS FINE WITH THAT.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, YO KNOW, IT KIND OF POSITIONED HI IN A WAY THAT SO WHEN ALL OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, WHAT W THINK OF THE CULTURAL WING O THE '60s BEGAN TO HAPPEN, THER WAS JAMES BROWN READY TO WALK ON THE STAGE.

YOU KNOW IF YOU'RE A JAME BROWN FAN, GO BACK AND LISTEN TO IT IF NOT FAMILIAR WITH HI MUSIC, GO BACK AND LISTEN TO IT.

YOU CAN LEARN A LOT ABOUT THE -- JAMES BROWN AND THE MUSIC SCEN BACK THEN.

ANTHONY DECURTIS, ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO TALK BUT

ALWAYS A LOT OF FUN

YOU BE WELL TAKE CARE NOW.

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