Review by Lauryn Angel
“I’ve got to get something off my chest.” Neil deGrasse Tyson began his lecture by getting comfortable, taking off his shoes, and displaying a series of slides: “Pluto. It’s still not a planet. (Get Over It.) These slides set the tone for the evening, in which noted astrophysicist Dr. Tyson took it upon himself to address the state of science literacy (or, rather illiteracy) in the United States. He began his lecture by stating certain constants and instructing the audience about the difference between a theory and a hypothesis. He tackled subjects ranging from UFOs and aliens, to Bad Biology and Chemistry.
Dr. Tyson tackled these topics with his signature humor, which the audience enthusiastically responded to, even has he gently took them to task regarding topics such as the so-called “supermoon” – which, he explained, using pizza sizes, isn’t really that super. Ultimately, Dr. Tyson’s point was that despite all of the mis-information and illiteracy, there is no reason to despair just yet. Pointing to the sales figures of his own recent work, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry (which has remained on the New York Times Bestseller List since its publication in May 2017) and the recent renewal of his series Cosmos – on Fox, no less! – Dr. Tyson concluded that there is interest in science beyond the classroom, and we should take comfort in that.
