Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains 'Nothing' in 60 Seconds

What does true nothingness actually look like? Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson just answered one of humanity's oldest questions in less than 60 seconds, and his explanation is blowing minds across the internet.

The beloved science communicator created a video that walks viewers step by step through what it takes to reach absolute nothing. Spoiler alert: it's way more complicated than just empty space.

Tyson starts by waving his hand. "Is this nothing? No, it's air." He then takes us outside Earth's atmosphere, but even there, particles still float between the planets.

What about the vast emptiness between stars? Still not nothing. Between galaxies? Closer, but a few particles per cubic meter still lurk there.

Even in the pure vacuum of space, quantum physics tells us that virtual particles constantly pop in and out of existence. There's always something happening, even when we can't see it.

To reach true nothingness, Tyson explains, you need to go where there's no matter, no space, and no time. But it goes even deeper than that. "If laws of physics still apply, then there's still something there," he says. "You have to go to not only where there's no matter and no spacetime, but where there are no laws at all. Behold, a true nothing."

Theoretical physicist Sean Carroll helped clarify the concept further. "Empty space is a very interesting place in modern physics," he told Vice. "There's a lot going on, whereas if it were nothing, there would be nothing going on."

Why This Inspires

Tyson's gift isn't just his brilliant mind. It's his ability to make the impossibly complex feel understandable. In an era when science can feel intimidating or exclusive, he reminds us that curiosity belongs to everyone.

His explanation does something even more profound. It shows us that the universe we inhabit is extraordinary simply because it exists at all.

The bigger question remains: Why is there something instead of nothing? Tyson and Carroll continue exploring that mystery, inviting all of us to wonder alongside them about the universe's greatest puzzle.

Science doesn't have to be complicated to be wonder-filled.