Neil deGrasse Tyson Appreciation Thread

[Swaggin916]

Meh, dude tries way too hard. Do not like.

Not trying to defend him or discredit your opinion but to me he comes off as a complete natural. Do you know how hard it is to put that kind of stuff in interesting/understandable terms to the general public? The people who think almost solely with their hormones and private parts? De Grasse does it awesomely. It's brilliant and something I would like for myself as well.

[ItsMillerTime]

I present you Neil deGrasse Tyson.

Here's some youtube videos of him that I have watched many times over the years:

The Most astounding Fact

We stopped dreaming part 1
We stopped dreaming part 2

Fascinatingly Disturbing Thought

Atheist or Agnostic?

Intelligent Design (or Stupid design as he calls it)

Thank you for these links. I've been following him on Twitter for quite some time but never checked out his videos before. I've been missing out! I damn near just spent 2 hours watching youtube videos.

[RedBlackAttack]

Thank you for these links. I've been following him on Twitter for quite some time but never checked out his videos before. I've been missing out! I damn near just spent 2 hours watching youtube videos.

Start with Sagan! Do not forget the OG.

You know...

I got to thinking the other day about how much I was inspired in my youth by Carl Sagan's book and television series 'Cosmos.' It was ground-breaking stuff, in that an astronomer was actually able to cross over and achieve mass appeal, celebrity and bring incredibly complex astronomical and cosmological principles to the masses.

I hadn't revisited Carl in some time, so I decided to grab my old 'Cosmos' book and flip to some of my favorite parts. I also did a search on youtube which yielded some great results. It seems that I'm not the only Sagan disciple out there.

He wasn't just one of science's greatest geniuses of all-time... He wasn't just an astronomer... He was a teacher... He was a philosopher.

In that very monotone voice, he could deliver some of the most impactful, life-altering messages in just a few syllables. In my brief time at Ohio State, I took a moderately advanced astronomy class from a guy who is a big wig in the current field (he had published several books and was highly thought of). He said that, in his few contacts with Sagan before he died in the mid-90s, he was totally awestruck by the manner in which Sagan's genius was delivered.

I think his exact quote was, "I asked him a question and, totally off-the-cuff, Sagan didn't even think before answering in the most poignant fashion that he had ever seen. It took me a week to even fully understand what Sagan had told me. It would have taken me years to deliver the kind of answer that he gave me after thinking for just mere seconds."

That is how I always thought of Sagan, as well... Sort of a computer with vast amounts of stored information that he could access without even thinking.

Also, although some of his astronomy is very bleak (his thoughts on the afterlife could make us feel very alone), his scientific ideals were always delivered in a way that offered comfort, not emptiness.

Anyway, are there any other Sagan fans on this board?

I'm going to supply you with some clips and I hope that you take the time to watch them. You will be drawn in almost immediately, I'm sure...

Introduction to his book, Pale Blue Dot, read by Carl.

More Carl... Dropping mass amounts of knowledge.

Carl discusses the 4th Dimension.

What was here before the Big Bang?

Carl on Evolution

There are loads more great vids on there. Just click through and become blown away by one of the greatest geniuses of the 20th century.



Btw, the thing that got me thinking about this was Benn Jordan's 2008 tribute album to Carl that I recently put back on my playlist.

Here is a cut off of the album. He did Carl justice.

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=147079

[mr.big35]

Bump
for the new series cosmos

[embersyc]

Start with Sagan! Do not forget the OG.

While nobody will ever touch Sagan. Tyson is by far the best guy around today.

[DonDadda59]

Great first episode of Cosmos.

I really like the format with the planetarium approach mixed with the Historical cartoons. Also thought the personal mini tribute to Sagan at the end was a great touch.

[miller-time]

While nobody will ever touch Sagan. Tyson is by far the best guy around today.

Yeah I think so too. When Dawkins isn't talking about religion and is just focused on science he is very good at explaining and creating interest. But he lacks some of the poetry that Sagan and Tyson use.

I believe Feynman was probably the best teacher though. I can listen to that guy explain anything and be hooked.

[Meticode]

Loved the first episode. Before it aired I went on YouTube and watched some Carl Sagan clips from Cosmos. Great stuff.

[Solidape]

Meh, dude tries way too hard. Do not like.

Elbows too pointy?

[Euroleague]

I have his IQ score beat by A LOT...........

[miller-time]

I have his IQ score beat by A LOT...........

And yet you've contributed nothing of value to the world.

[Euroleague]

And yet you've contributed nothing of value to the world.

How the hell would you know?

[Andrew Wiggins]

How the hell would you know?

because you've spent the last 10 years of your life trolling every possible basketball forum, making youtube mixes of greek basketball players, and editing basketball and george lazenby wikipedia entries.

[Take Your Lumps]

Neil deGrasse Tyson - Reason & Faith are Irreconcilable

[Akrazotile]

Neil deGrasse Carlton