Neil deGrasse Tyson
“It would be cool if we were some simulation”
The host of StarTalk has become one of the world’s best known astrophysicists, popularising space and science for millions
Interviewed by David Crookes
BIO
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Tyson is the founder of the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History and director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Centre for Earth and Space. He is an author and astrophysicist who regularly writes books and appears on our television screens. His appearances on various American TV shows, from The Universe to The Colbert Report, have brought the delights of space to the masses. He has also hosted a weekly podcast called
StarTalk since 2009, which was turned into a spin-off TV show on National Geographic two years ago.
StarTalk delves into all kinds of space science, from planets to black holes
© GEtty; Nicholas Forder
You’ve gained a reputation for helping make science and space accessible to the wider population. How do you go about hitting the right spot for people – what do you think grabs their attention?
I’ve thought a lot about what might interest a disinterested person, and I’ve thought more about the impact of what I’m saying than you can possibly believe. I could say something off the cuff, and you’d say, “That’s really cool, that’s great; how have you just figured that out?” And I’d think, “No, I’ve thought about this and I’ve watched you react to things I’ve said – Iknow what you’re going to find interesting.” When I’m talking to people, I’m looking to see if they’ve raised their eyebrows or if they look bored or excited. I have a mental inventory of things that enchant and bore people and the things that people want to hear more of. I bring that to my lectures, books or StarTalk.