The most accessible field in science, from the point of view of language, is astrophysics. What do you call spots on the sun? Sunspots. Regions of space you fall into and you donโt come out of? Black holes. Big red stars? Red giants. So I take my fellow scientists to task. Heโll use his word, and if I understand it, Iโll say, โOh, does that mean da-da-da-de-da?
Neil deGrasse TysonDinosaurs are extinct today because they lacked opposable thumbs and the brainpower to build a space program.
Neil deGrasse TysonPeople put clips of me up. There are quotes from me. I've written books, of course. I'm on Twitter. There are dozens of ways to consume my offerings, and a lecture in a large venue is really only just one of them. So I have no concerns about how much access people would have to me no matter what is the capacity of your pocketbook.
Neil deGrasse TysonThere's no greater sign of the failure of the American educational system than the extent to which Americans are distracted by the possibility that Earth might end on December 21, 2012. It's a profound absence of awareness of the laws of physics and how nature works. So they're missing some science classes in their training in high school or in college that would empower them to understand and to judge when someone else is basically just full of it. Science is like an inoculation against charlatans who would have you believe whatever it is they tell you.
Neil deGrasse TysonThere's nothing a teacher likes better than ten minute videos. It's not the whole class, but it's not too short, it's enough to wrap a lesson plan around.
Neil deGrasse Tyson