In a recent episode of the popular Impaulsive podcast, hosted by Logan Paul and Mike Majlak, renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson found himself addressing a persistent cultural phenomenon: the denial of the Apollo Moon landings. The discussion highlighted the ongoing clash between scientific evidence and viral conspiracy theories fueled by institutional distrust.
The Podcast Exchange: Science Meets Skepticism
Logan Paul cautiously framed a question to Tyson, asking for his thoughts on whether the historic Moon landings truly occurred. Tyson's response was immediate and unequivocal. "I know we went to the Moon," he stated, characterizing such denial not as healthy skepticism but as a form of being "intellectually and emotionally disconnected from civilisation."
Paul pushed back, focusing on the visual aesthetics of the Apollo 11 footage and questioning if the astronauts' movements looked authentic. "Don't you think that video looked a little silly though?" he asked. Tyson, however, refused to be drawn into a debate about appearances. He steered the conversation back to verifiable evidence—what can be tested, measured, and proven through the scientific method.
This calm, evidence-based approach stood in stark contrast to the famous reaction of Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who once punched a conspiracy theorist. Tyson's method was quieter but carried a sharp, logical edge.
Why Physics and Evidence Debunk the Conspiracy
According to Tyson, the survival of Moon-landing myths stems from a fundamental misunderstanding. People often overestimate the difficulty of the mission while underestimating the engineering capabilities of the 1960s. "The real issue here is that if you don't know physics, you think that getting to the Moon was harder than it actually was," he explained.
He pointed to concrete, physical proof that is available for independent scrutiny:
- Lunar Rocks: Apollo astronauts brought back hundreds of kilograms of Moon rocks, which were distributed to labs worldwide. These samples have been studied for decades and their unique composition confirms a lunar origin.
- The Saturn V Rocket: Its public launches, known fuel capacity, and calculated performance provide a clear, mathematical blueprint for how the missions were possible. The numbers for Earth orbit, lunar travel, and safe return are all verifiable.
For Tyson, ignoring this evidence is not skepticism; it is a refusal to engage with basic mechanics and established science.
The Impossibility of a Large-Scale Hoax
Tyson systematically dismantled the conspiracy theory by focusing on its unimaginable scale. He argued that faking the Apollo missions would have required the silent coordination of over 400,000 people across NASA, its contractors, and universities, all under intense Cold War scrutiny.
"Statistically, conspiracies involving even a few dozen people tend to unravel," he noted. A secret involving hundreds of thousands would be impossible to maintain for years, let alone decades. The simpler and more logical explanation is that the missions happened exactly as documented.
Tyson also highlighted the matter of repetition. The United States didn't attempt a landing just once. There were nine crewed missions to the Moon, with six successful landings. A hoax would have required flawlessly staging every single one of these complex missions without a single technical leak or inconsistency—a feat arguably more difficult than actually going to the Moon.
Ultimately, Tyson connects this debate to the bigger picture of human progress. He is a vocal advocate for ongoing space exploration, like NASA's Artemis Program aiming to return humans to the lunar surface. He sees Apollo not as a miraculous one-off event, but as an early chapter in humanity's engineering story.
He views the persistence of denial as an unintended side effect of this success. "The fact that we have people living and walking among us in denial of where engineering and science has taken us," Tyson said, "is itself a compliment for how far civilisation has become."
