4 December, 2015
“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson (1958 – )
A New York City native and a product of its public schools, Dr. Tyson is arguably the most publicly visible scientist in the country. He was attracted to astrophysics from an early age, lecturing on the subject as early as fifteen years of age. Although scouted for Cornell by Carl Sagan, he chose Harvard University, and did post-graduate work at the University of Texas, Princeton, and Columbia before being named Director of the Hayden Planetarium in 1996. He has become the public face of the scientific perspective for many and has hosted numerous television shows, including Nova and Cosmos, (which Sagan had once hosted.) He was at the forefront of the controversial movement to classify Pluto a minor planet and has spoken widely on the relationship between spirituality and science. In great demand as a commencement speaker, Tyson holds eighteen honorary doctorates, the most recent from UMass-Amherst. Another Tyson quote: “The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you.”
Good Morning Gloucester 