If humans one day become extinct from a catastrophic collision, there would be no greater tragedy in the history of life in the universe. Not because we lacked the brain power to protect ourselves but because we lacked the foresight. The dominant species that replaces us in post-apocalyptic Earth just might wonder, as they gaze upon our mounted skeletons in their natural history museums, why large headed Homo sapiens fared no better than the proverbially peabrained dinosaurs.
Neil deGrasse TysonAny astrophysicist does not feel small looking up at the universe; we feel large.
Neil deGrasse TysonThe trend lines in research and innovation look good for places such as India and China and less good for America as we go forward. So even if you're not enchanted by the prospect of cosmic discovery, the prospect of dying poor may be what it takes to understand the role of this adventure in the future of the natural world in which we live.
Neil deGrasse TysonI never got into 'Star Wars.' Maybe because they made no attempt to portray real physics. At all.
Neil deGrasse TysonThe Venus transit is not a spectacle the way a total solar eclipse is a spectacle.
Neil deGrasse TysonThe word smart is not applied to all professions, even if you are smart in that profession. No one talks about smart lawyers. They may say a brilliant lawyer. They'll talk about a creative artist. Smart is saved for scientists. It just is. It's not even really applied to medical doctors. It applies to scientists in the lab figuring out what hadn't been figured out before.
Neil deGrasse Tyson