Neil DeGrasse Tyson: Astronomy's Ambassador to the People

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the great communicator of cosmology. Like Carl Sagan before him, Tyson has a way of explaining the often complicated and confusing concepts of physics in a manner that is easy to digest and understandable by all. Where Sagan is seen by many as being the geeky scientific stereotype, Tyson has a reputation for being one of the "coolest physicists." This is perhaps due to his love of Wrestling at an early age, something that tends to change one's physique from what might be otherwise construed as geeky. He was captain of his wrestling team at the Bronx High School of Science and joined the wrestling team at Harvard [1]. But I think it's more than this.

Tyson was born in New York City on October 5, 1958. In a turn of historical convergence, it was the same week that NASA was founded. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later went to Harvard to earn a BA in physics, though Carl Sagan attempted to recruit him for Cornell. He eventually earned his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia. Perhaps it was Tyson's obsession and natural aptitude for astronomy at an early age that attracted Sagan's attention. Tyson had gained quite a bit of notoriety in the astronomy community giving lectures by the time he was 15 years old [2].

Still, despite becoming interested in Astronomy at an age when many boys consider such things to be un-cool, Tyson enjoys a reputation for being just the opposite - the "coolest" physicist. In fact, it goes beyond that. PEOPLE magazine has gone so far as to declare Neil deGrasse Tyson the "Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive" in 2000 [4]. What makes Tyson "cool" or "sexy" is open to debate, but I think it has everything to do with his child-like awe of the universe and his guy next-door demeanor. When Tyson explains the intricacies of Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, he doesn't condescend. Much the opposite. When Tyson is explaining a complex theory, he has no apparent arrogance and it never seems like a lecture. His delivery is more of a conversation, than a dissertation. This is exactly what science needs today.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is that rare mixture of intelligence, wonder and cool that makes higher science accessible in a way that formal education can only dream of accomplishing. He is a living, breathing example that being hip and being intelligent are not mutually exclusive.

But there's more than Tyson's esoteric traits that make him one of the most notable people in science today. He has plenty of solid academic accolades as well as street cred with the masses. He is the author of numerous books and articles on physics and cosmology. His books include Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution (2005), Exploring the Invisible: Art, Science, and the Spiritual (2005), Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries (2007), Fly Me to the Moon: An Insider's Guide to the New Science of Space Travel (2007), and The Pluto Files (2009) [5].

Since 1995 he has written over 100 essays for Natural History magazine. He coined the term "Manhattanhenge" in one of these columns to describe how Manhattan was like Stonehenge. He explained that, much like Stonehenge, there are two days of every year on which the sun aligns with certain streets, creating a visible sunset along side streets when they are unobstructed.

Tyson was also appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the Commission of the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry in 2001 [1]. In 2004 he was appointed to serve on the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, also known as the President's Commission on Moon, Mars and Beyond [1]. Tyson has received nine honorary doctorates as well as the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, which is the highest civilian honor that can be bestowed by NASA. He even has an asteroid named after him, 13123 Tyson [3], in recognition of his contributions to the "public appreciation of the cosmos." How cool is THAT?!

Tyson has been the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City since 1996, the executive editor of the NOVA series: "NOVA ScienceNOW", as well as a regular on The History Channel's popular series "The Universe."

Even given his innate, cheerful demeanor, Tyson is not beyond causing a stir with his beliefs. While director the Hayden Planetarium, he argued against Pluto being considered the "ninth planet." He argued that Pluto did not exhibit enough planet-like attributes to be fully considered as a planet. The I.A.U. (International Astronomical Union) reclassified Pluto as a "dwarf planet" in 2006. Tyson has joked that his decision to buck the traditional thinking in this regard resulted in large amounts of hate mail [6].

Another controversial stance is his criticism of string theory. He has been very vocal about his view that string theory relies too heavily on mathematical projections, rather than testable hypotheses.

But it is qualities like these that make Tyson so necessary in the scientific field today. As Tyson himself has said, "If we ever needed a scientifically literate population, it's now. I get enormous satisfaction from knowing I'm doing something for society." As a friend of mine is fond of saying, that is something that's obvious to the most casual observer.

Sources:

[1]. Space.com, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson Biography, http://space.about.com/od/astronomerbiographies/a/ndgysonbio.htm

[2]. Cityfile, Neil deGrasse Tyson, http://cityfile.com/profiles/neil-degrasse-tyson

[3]. American Museum of Natural History, About Neil deGrasse Tyson, http://research.amnh.org/~tyson/about.php

[4]. Time Inc, The TIME 100 , http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100/article/0,28804,1595326_1595329_1616157,00.html

[5]. Amazon.com

[6]. The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Preface.