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Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Nonfiction (2022)Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time—war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, and race—in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.
In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment—a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.
After thinking deeply about how science sees the world and about Earth as a planet, the human brain has the capacity to reset and recalibrates life’s priorities, shaping the actions we might take in response. No outlook on culture, society, or civilization remains untouched.
With crystalline prose, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From insights on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, an array of brilliant and beautiful truths that apply to us all, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.
In a time when our political and cultural views feel more polarized than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin chariots of enlightenment—a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.
After thinking deeply about how science sees the world and about Earth as a planet, the human brain has the capacity to reset and recalibrates life’s priorities, shaping the actions we might take in response. No outlook on culture, society, or civilization remains untouched.
With crystalline prose, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From insights on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, an array of brilliant and beautiful truths that apply to us all, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2022
About the author
Neil deGrasse Tyson
84 books284k followersNeil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia.
In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a twelve-member commission that studied the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.
In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a nine-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which guides NASA through its perennial need to fit ambitious visions into restricted budgets.
In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. From 1995 to 2005, Tyson was a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title Universe. And among Tyson’s fifteen books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist; and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS NOVA four-part mini-series Origins, in which Tyson served as on-camera host. The program premiered in September 2004.
Two of Tyson’s other books are the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status. The PBS NOVA documentary The Pluto Files, based on the book, premiered in March 2010.
In February 2012, Tyson released his tenth book, containing every thought he has ever had on the past, present, and future of space exploration: Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier.
For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.
During the summer of 2009 Tyson identified a cadre of professional standup comedians to assist his effort in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded pilot program StarTalk. Now also a popular Podcast, for three years it enjoyed a limited-run Television Series on the National Geographic Channel. StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative yet playful banter. The target audience is all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science. In its first year on television and in three successive seasons, it was nominated for a Best Informational Programming Emmy.
Tyson is the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid “13123 Tyson.” And by zoologists, with the naming of Indirani Tysoni, a native species of leaping frog in India. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People Magazine in 2000.
More recently, Tyson published Astrophysics for People In A Hurry in 2017, which was a domestic and international bestseller. This adorably readable book is an introduction to all that you’ve read and heard about that’s making news in the universe—consummated, in one plac
In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a twelve-member commission that studied the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.
In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a nine-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which guides NASA through its perennial need to fit ambitious visions into restricted budgets.
In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. From 1995 to 2005, Tyson was a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title Universe. And among Tyson’s fifteen books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist; and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS NOVA four-part mini-series Origins, in which Tyson served as on-camera host. The program premiered in September 2004.
Two of Tyson’s other books are the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status. The PBS NOVA documentary The Pluto Files, based on the book, premiered in March 2010.
In February 2012, Tyson released his tenth book, containing every thought he has ever had on the past, present, and future of space exploration: Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier.
For five seasons, beginning in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.
During the summer of 2009 Tyson identified a cadre of professional standup comedians to assist his effort in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded pilot program StarTalk. Now also a popular Podcast, for three years it enjoyed a limited-run Television Series on the National Geographic Channel. StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative yet playful banter. The target audience is all those people who never thought they would, or could, like science. In its first year on television and in three successive seasons, it was nominated for a Best Informational Programming Emmy.
Tyson is the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid “13123 Tyson.” And by zoologists, with the naming of Indirani Tysoni, a native species of leaping frog in India. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive” by People Magazine in 2000.
More recently, Tyson published Astrophysics for People In A Hurry in 2017, which was a domestic and international bestseller. This adorably readable book is an introduction to all that you’ve read and heard about that’s making news in the universe—consummated, in one plac
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September 14, 2022Read Starry Messenger several months after I finished writing it. Always an edifying thing to do.
This allowed me to reflect in its content as reader rather than as a writer -- two different assignments, of course.
I'd delighted to report that Starry Messenger accomplishes exactly what I set out to do: offer persistent and diverse ways for the reader to see the world differently -- to see the world as a scientist does, especially one who carries a cosmic perspective.
There are doses of humor and pop culture, added only where they could also advance the ideas of a chapter. And I'm proud to say that the book is relatively short, making a fast read.
The page-count in the publisher's listings is 260+. But when you subtract the index and the end notes (which are extensive), it's a 204 page book in a smaller binding format, similar to that of Astrophysics for People In A Hurry.
So I'm proud of this addition to the portfolio. And I thank those of you in the Goodreads Universe who expressed early interesting in this work.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
This allowed me to reflect in its content as reader rather than as a writer -- two different assignments, of course.
I'd delighted to report that Starry Messenger accomplishes exactly what I set out to do: offer persistent and diverse ways for the reader to see the world differently -- to see the world as a scientist does, especially one who carries a cosmic perspective.
There are doses of humor and pop culture, added only where they could also advance the ideas of a chapter. And I'm proud to say that the book is relatively short, making a fast read.
The page-count in the publisher's listings is 260+. But when you subtract the index and the end notes (which are extensive), it's a 204 page book in a smaller binding format, similar to that of Astrophysics for People In A Hurry.
So I'm proud of this addition to the portfolio. And I thank those of you in the Goodreads Universe who expressed early interesting in this work.
-Neil deGrasse Tyson
January 28, 2023
There’s something about Neil de Grasse Tyson’s voice and narrative style that’s captivating for me. I can listen to his soothing yet engaging delivery for hours at at time (yes, he’s narrating his own book, which is perfect as far as I’m concerned), feeling that warm feeling of belief in humanity fill my shriveled husk of a soul. He’s so level-headed and rational and *calmly* excited about science and the wonders of the world that I can’t help but be sucked into the magic of his narrative.
This is not a science book like the others by Dr. Tyson I’ve read. This is the collection of his opinions and musings borne from life experiences, from desire to see scientific objectivity supersede a lot of irrational stupidity we use in our life choices and annoyance at the “us”/“them” lines people are so quick to create. Since with the way we are, the hypothetical space aliens that visit us just may scoff at these weird mammals on this space dirt balls, maybe preferring to strike a conversation with an ant colony instead.
No, this certainly is not his typical “science” book about astrophysics but rather his reflections on humanity. The pace of scientific developments with all the biases of each era clouding judgments on what was to come. The polarization of society and the need for rational thinking about issues rather than blindly following the politics of your chosen political affiliation and stereotypes for those your party seems as enemy. The need for reason and rationality and statistics. The danger of “personal truths”, although attractive and appealing, replacing objective truths — even if our mammalian brains seem to prefer the easiness of polarization into “us” and “them”.
And just for fun, because he’s accumulated enough gravitas that he can, Dr. Tyson with his approach to find common grounds and reason and to build bridges may just have pissed off every group we can think of:
- The left.
- The right.
- The anti-vaxxers.
- The gamblers.
- The vegetarians and vegans.
- The anti-abortion groups.
- The racists.
- The believers in strict gender binary.
- The Twitter warriors.
- The fundamentalists.
- The warmongers.
- and I’m probably missing a few more, but oh well.
I really enjoyed it. Dr. Tyson seems like an interesting guy to hang out with and talk about all sorts of things.
4.5 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
This is not a science book like the others by Dr. Tyson I’ve read. This is the collection of his opinions and musings borne from life experiences, from desire to see scientific objectivity supersede a lot of irrational stupidity we use in our life choices and annoyance at the “us”/“them” lines people are so quick to create. Since with the way we are, the hypothetical space aliens that visit us just may scoff at these weird mammals on this space dirt balls, maybe preferring to strike a conversation with an ant colony instead.
“Personal truths have the power to command your mind, body, and soul, but are not evidence-based. Personal truths are what you’re sure is true, even if you can’t—especially if you can’t—prove it. Some of these ideas derive from what you want to be true. Others take shape from charismatic leaders or sacred doctrines, either ancient or contemporary. For some, especially in monotheistic traditions, God and Truth are synonymous. […] Personal truths are what you may hold dear but have no real way of convincing others who disagree, except by heated argument, coercion, or force. These are the foundations of most people’s opinions and are normally harmless when kept to yourself or argued over a beer.”
No, this certainly is not his typical “science” book about astrophysics but rather his reflections on humanity. The pace of scientific developments with all the biases of each era clouding judgments on what was to come. The polarization of society and the need for rational thinking about issues rather than blindly following the politics of your chosen political affiliation and stereotypes for those your party seems as enemy. The need for reason and rationality and statistics. The danger of “personal truths”, although attractive and appealing, replacing objective truths — even if our mammalian brains seem to prefer the easiness of polarization into “us” and “them”.
“Differences in opinion enrich the diversity of a nation, and ought to be cherished and respected in any free society, provided everyone remains free to disagree with one another and, most importantly, everyone remains open to rational arguments that could change your mind. Sadly, the conduct of many in social media has devolved to the opposite of this. Their recipe: find an opinion they disagree with and unleash waves of anger and outrage because your views do not agree with theirs. Social, political, or legislative attempts to require that everybody agree with your personal truths are ultimately dictatorships.”
And just for fun, because he’s accumulated enough gravitas that he can, Dr. Tyson with his approach to find common grounds and reason and to build bridges may just have pissed off every group we can think of:
- The left.
- The right.
- The anti-vaxxers.
- The gamblers.
- The vegetarians and vegans.
- The anti-abortion groups.
- The racists.
- The believers in strict gender binary.
- The Twitter warriors.
- The fundamentalists.
- The warmongers.
- and I’m probably missing a few more, but oh well.
“Far beyond wine truths, and close cousins of personal truths, are political truths. These thoughts and ideas already resonate with your feelings but become unassailable truths from incessant repetition by forces of media that would have you believe them—a fundamental feature of propaganda. Such belief systems almost always insinuate or explicitly declare that who you are, or what you do, or how you do it, is superior to those you want to subjugate or conquer. It’s no secret that people will give their lives, or take the lives of others, in support of what they believe. Often the less actual evidence that exists in support of an ideology, the more likely a person is willing to die for the cause.”
I really enjoyed it. Dr. Tyson seems like an interesting guy to hang out with and talk about all sorts of things.
4.5 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
November 15, 2022
Usually I reserve the whole month of October for horror/thrilller/crime books only, but I've been sitting on this one for a few weeks and I just couldn't wait any longer, I was too excited.
This is the third book that I read by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and it was an insightful, masterfully written and captivating one. He provides the reader with a brilliant Cosmic Perspective on Civilization, and I wish more people would read it, as it delivers facts, numbers, and provocative thoughts on many important topics, but all sprinkled with bits of humor.
This is the third book that I read by Neil DeGrasse Tyson and it was an insightful, masterfully written and captivating one. He provides the reader with a brilliant Cosmic Perspective on Civilization, and I wish more people would read it, as it delivers facts, numbers, and provocative thoughts on many important topics, but all sprinkled with bits of humor.
July 27, 2022
I was very pleased to win an advance copy of this book from the Goodreads giveaway program. I was a little afraid that some of the science or math portions would be hard to follow but found that my fears were groundless; it's written in a very clear and straightforward, easy to follow manner. I used to love reading Asimov's books of science essays, and I was a big fan of Cosmos. In fact, it's much more of a philosophical work than a science book, a guide on how to approach questions or situations from a scientific and factual viewpoint rather than relying on often incorrect "common knowledge" and preconceived notions. It's subtitled "Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization," and Tyson illustrates points about government, politics, race, gender, culture, and all manner of other weighty ideas and subjects with remarkable insight, clarity, and refreshing humor. I found myself trying to apply some of his examples of factual thinking as I read and began to look at his topics from a different perspective; for example, on page 19 he states that when a comet hit Jupiter in July of 1994, nothing died, but it would have been an extinction-level catastrophe on Earth. It struck me that he really didn't have any way of knowing for sure whether anything had been killed on Jupiter or not. He addresses subjects without bias and presents facts as an illustration of how the scientific method can help make better decisions. It reminded me of my favorite quote from Harlan Ellison: “You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your -informed- opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” Another random observation that he made that impressed me was on page 176, and he is recounting his experience of being in a pool for jury selection. The defendant is charged with the possession of 1,700 milligrams of cocaine, and he points out that the charge is phrased that way rather than as the more accurate 1.7 grams simply to make it sound like a larger quantity and a more heinous offense. There were many such points he makes in the book that gave me a different way of looking at a situation. It's a very intelligent and thought-provoking book, full of historical and scientific facts presented in sometimes alternate ways. I recommend it highly.
February 7, 2023
"Do whatever it takes to avoid fooling yourself into believing that something is true when it is false, or that something is false when it is true."
You know those books you try to read as slowly as possible because you don't want them to ever end? This book was one of those for me. I started it and then started and read two others while reading it, in order to make it last longer.
My brain needed the rational thoughts of Neil deGrasse Tyson, and his many thought experiments, especially at the moment. It was the best book I could have been reading the last two weeks.
The book is Mr. Tyson's thoughts on a variety of topics, mainly how we humans categorize others - often to justify hating them.
He included myriad thought experiments to show the absurdity in stereotyping people (according to skin color, sexuality, political leanings, etc), and how lazy it is to simply plop a label on someone we don't even know, and decide we know everything about them.
My brain thrills at thought experiments. I could read them all day. It is so exciting to see things in a new way, to flip around the way one thinks about something, to rationalize instead of accepting things emotionally.
And then there were lots of cool scientific facts in this book too. More dopamine for my brain!
Here are a few:
• "The Moon is spiraling away from Earth at a rate of about 1.5 inches per year."
• "If you lower the air pressure well below the level where you’d suffocate and die, there exists a pressure and temperature for which water boils as it freezes."
• "More bacteria live and work in every centimeter of our lower colon than the sum of all humans who have ever lived."
• "On average, the human brain is 2.5 percent of our body weight, yet for some ant species, their brains are closer to 15 percent of their body weight."
There is a chapter on vegans/vegetarians which I loved and realize much of it was tongue-in-cheek. However, I want to point out though that some of us vegans do worry about the plant life we kill and consume, wondering if one day we will learn that plants have consciousness and the ability to feel pain. That worries me a lot, perhaps more than it should.
I figure though, that we know for sure other mammals and fish experience pain and are conscious and we don't yet know that about plants, therefore it's better to go with the latter. Also, if you eat meat, you're killing both the animal and the plants it eats, so it's less suffering caused by only eating plants. (Whether or not it still makes me a hypocrite, I'm not sure.)
That said, I do not demonize those of you who eat meat because I recognize that it's the "circle of life" and I do not believe in imposing my morals and beliefs on others. Whether or not to eat meat and dairy is not for me to decide for anyone but myself.
If you enjoy learning scientific facts and thinking rationally and challenging your beliefs, this is the book for you. It's not very long, though even if it was it still wouldn't have been long enough for me.
Oh, and I would love to be a citizen of Rationalia!
You know those books you try to read as slowly as possible because you don't want them to ever end? This book was one of those for me. I started it and then started and read two others while reading it, in order to make it last longer.
My brain needed the rational thoughts of Neil deGrasse Tyson, and his many thought experiments, especially at the moment. It was the best book I could have been reading the last two weeks.
The book is Mr. Tyson's thoughts on a variety of topics, mainly how we humans categorize others - often to justify hating them.
He included myriad thought experiments to show the absurdity in stereotyping people (according to skin color, sexuality, political leanings, etc), and how lazy it is to simply plop a label on someone we don't even know, and decide we know everything about them.
My brain thrills at thought experiments. I could read them all day. It is so exciting to see things in a new way, to flip around the way one thinks about something, to rationalize instead of accepting things emotionally.
And then there were lots of cool scientific facts in this book too. More dopamine for my brain!
Here are a few:
• "The Moon is spiraling away from Earth at a rate of about 1.5 inches per year."
• "If you lower the air pressure well below the level where you’d suffocate and die, there exists a pressure and temperature for which water boils as it freezes."
• "More bacteria live and work in every centimeter of our lower colon than the sum of all humans who have ever lived."
• "On average, the human brain is 2.5 percent of our body weight, yet for some ant species, their brains are closer to 15 percent of their body weight."
There is a chapter on vegans/vegetarians which I loved and realize much of it was tongue-in-cheek. However, I want to point out though that some of us vegans do worry about the plant life we kill and consume, wondering if one day we will learn that plants have consciousness and the ability to feel pain. That worries me a lot, perhaps more than it should.
I figure though, that we know for sure other mammals and fish experience pain and are conscious and we don't yet know that about plants, therefore it's better to go with the latter. Also, if you eat meat, you're killing both the animal and the plants it eats, so it's less suffering caused by only eating plants. (Whether or not it still makes me a hypocrite, I'm not sure.)
That said, I do not demonize those of you who eat meat because I recognize that it's the "circle of life" and I do not believe in imposing my morals and beliefs on others. Whether or not to eat meat and dairy is not for me to decide for anyone but myself.
If you enjoy learning scientific facts and thinking rationally and challenging your beliefs, this is the book for you. It's not very long, though even if it was it still wouldn't have been long enough for me.
Oh, and I would love to be a citizen of Rationalia!
November 28, 2022
As I was reading this, I didn't expect to learn anything new, but that wasn't really the point. Even the title hints at its true purpose: to inspire awe.
To be very sure, it's awe in the pure-reality sense, the scientific sense, and a measured analysis of who we are, what we might be capable of, and how we fit in the rest of the universe.
This is NOT, however, dull, pedantic, or dry.
I quickly came to the conclusion that this nonfiction is, in fact, a prose poem.
It's quite short, it's tiny data points all trying to express the magic, and it lightly flits over so many areas in a charming way.
Who is this written for? People who haven't lost their sense of wonder, or people who might be a bit too disgusted with humanity but haven't quite given up on the whole rotting carcass just yet.
In short, if you need a reason to remember that science is real, that all is not lost, that those who would drag everything down to the lowest level have not won, yet, then this might be the book you need.
To be very sure, it's awe in the pure-reality sense, the scientific sense, and a measured analysis of who we are, what we might be capable of, and how we fit in the rest of the universe.
This is NOT, however, dull, pedantic, or dry.
I quickly came to the conclusion that this nonfiction is, in fact, a prose poem.
It's quite short, it's tiny data points all trying to express the magic, and it lightly flits over so many areas in a charming way.
Who is this written for? People who haven't lost their sense of wonder, or people who might be a bit too disgusted with humanity but haven't quite given up on the whole rotting carcass just yet.
In short, if you need a reason to remember that science is real, that all is not lost, that those who would drag everything down to the lowest level have not won, yet, then this might be the book you need.
October 2, 2022
Disappointing.
I'm not sure where to categorize this version of Neil deGrasse Tyson - a Zealous Scientist or an Evangelical Rationalist, or both.
There is such potential in the realm of science for the gift of humility and there are times Tyson can wield it. But his disdain for any worldviews other than that of the enlightenment and apparent ignorance of any critiques of the enlightenment from the past three centuries.
Book has some dramatic insights, but mostly pedestrian observations. His forays into political science do not make it past middle school level lessons. He has a strange vendetta against the varied rationale of vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. This leads to some tortured logic of his own and pretty poor analogies in efforts to skewer these folks.
I've read and liked Tyson before, but here all his forgivable faults are well on display.
I'm not sure where to categorize this version of Neil deGrasse Tyson - a Zealous Scientist or an Evangelical Rationalist, or both.
There is such potential in the realm of science for the gift of humility and there are times Tyson can wield it. But his disdain for any worldviews other than that of the enlightenment and apparent ignorance of any critiques of the enlightenment from the past three centuries.
Book has some dramatic insights, but mostly pedestrian observations. His forays into political science do not make it past middle school level lessons. He has a strange vendetta against the varied rationale of vegetarian/vegan lifestyles. This leads to some tortured logic of his own and pretty poor analogies in efforts to skewer these folks.
I've read and liked Tyson before, but here all his forgivable faults are well on display.
February 10, 2023
Fabulous. Enjoyed this much. 10 of 10 STARS
April 18, 2023
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson, an American astrophysicist, is the Director of the Hayden Planetarium, the host of 'Star Talk' and 'Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey', a devotee of Twitter, and the author of many popular science books. In this narrative, Tyson strives to demonstrate that a scientific approach to issues - by which Tyson means taking 'opinions' out of the equation and relying on 'proven facts' - would reduce strife among people. I dare say Tyson is correct, but universal scientific expertise is a high mountain to climb.
In his preface Tyson writes, "Starry Messenger recasts some of the most discussed and debated topics of our times - war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, race, each an artificial battlefield on the landscape of life - and returns them to the reader in ways that foster accountability and wisdom in the service of civilization." In other words, Tyson means to convey a trove of insights conveyed by the methods and tools of science.
The scientific method is used to determine facts and truth
It's indisputable that humanity's understanding of the universe has undergone dramatic changes over time. An early example would be Galileo's observation in 1610 that Earth is NOT the center of all motion, that the Earth orbits the sun as just one of other known planets. For many people, this was an intolerable assertion, and it took time for this 'fact' to be widely accepted.
Galileo
Scientific knowledge and human responses progressed over the centuries, and - in modern times - has advanced at lightning speed. Tyson provides some examples:
❃ Between 1900 and 1930, the existence of atoms is confirmed; the range of flight extends from 120 feet to 5,218 miles; we learn to use radio waves as a source of information and entertainment; urban transportation shifts from horses to automobiles; cities are electrified; and cinema becomes a leading source of recreation.
The first electric street lights
❃ From 1930 to 1960, airplanes break the sound barrier; we see the beginning of the space age; the laser is invented; atom bombs are used; and television becomes an important source of information and entertainment.
A Soviet technician works on Sputnik, the first spacecraft launched
❃ From 1960 to 1990, transistors allow consumer electronics to miniaturize; women enter the workforce in large numbers, especially in professional fields; the modern gay rights movement takes off due to the AIDS epidemic; computers go from expensive room-size machines to desktop models; widespread use of MRIs help doctors diagnose illness without surgery; and humans go to the Moon.
Neil Armstrong, the first person on the moon
❃ From 1990 to 2020, we map the human genome; computers become portable; the World Wide Web becomes widespread - so e-commerce and searchable websites become commonplace; the use of email grows pervasive; smartphones grant access to music, media, and the internet and contain cameras; Global Position Satellites (GPS) and navigation tools serve everything from tracking packages to hailing a car service; and electric cars become available.
Smartphones become commonplace
The world in 1930 would be unrecognizable to people transported from the year 1900; the world in 1960 would be unrecognizable to people transported from the year 1930; and so on. And it's impossible to know what the world will be like in 2050.
Tyson would like to see scientific advances used in the furtherance of enlightened democracy. He writes, "One of the great features of a working democracy is that we get to disagree without killing one another. What happens when democracy fails? What happens when we hold no tolerance for views that differ from our own?.......The consequence is war." Human conflicts frequently arise over politics, over what God or gods people worship, over access to limited resources (oil and gas), clean water, mineral deposits, precious metals, and so on.
Tyson believes science could help curb such disputes. He notes, "In our cosmic backyard, solar energy is ubiquitous, as are freshwater comets. Metallic asteroids are there too....the big ones each contain more gold and rare-earth metals than have ever been mined in the history of the world.....And just imagine when all of civilization becomes spacefaring."
16 Psyche, the large metallic asteroid ideal for space mining.
With regard to this, Tyson observes, "Of all professions, scientists may be uniquely capable of generating and sustaining peace among nations. We all speak the same basic language....The laws of biology, chemistry, and physics remain the same."
In Tyson's ideal world, all of humanity would be versed in statistics, to separate 'feelings' from 'knowledge.' An example Tyson provides is a chance encounter with a long-lost friend in a far-off place. Often, we would think it was preordained, possibly declaring, "There are no coincidences!" But it IS a coincidence.
In another example, Tyson observes that people often wear lucky socks or underwear on important days. However they only became 'lucky' because a person happened to be wearing them when something good occurred. Tyson asserts that the urge to think like this is used for economic gain by casinos and other gambling venues. He writes, "Imagine how different the world would be if thinking mathematically about human affairs was normal and natural."
Statistically, gambling is a losing proposition, but people keep doing it
Another example of human bias not verified by science is the tendency to look down on others. Tyson observes, "Some people feel better when they believe other people are less than they are, in any way they value, which could include wealth, intelligence, talent, beauty, or education. Add strength, speed, grace, agility, and endurance and you've compiled most of the ways people persistently compare themselves to others." Tyson notes that the Olympics owe their existence to the search for people who perform faster, higher, and stronger among us....and things like game shows and beauty contests also result from the urge to compete (and hopefully come out on top).
Simone Biles competes in the floor exercise during the 2016 US Women's Gymnastics Olympic Trials
The real problem arises when the sense of superiority applies not to an individual....but to an entire demographic. This can lead to war, genocide, and other atrocities. Tyson notes that fields of study like mathematics and physical sciences resist human bias, so are less susceptible to feelings of superiority. Tyson admits the researchers themselves can be racist, sexist, misanthropes. However, the scientists' prejudices won't be in textbooks, because published results MUST be reproducible to be considered valid.
Tyson gives numerous examples of the ways science can reduce misunderstandings and increase cooperation among people. However, the author also strays far from this topic, expounding on other subjects that pop into his mind, such as: personal vanity (cosmetics and such); 'liberal' TV shows and movies sponsored by Fox broadcasting (which is much more extensive than just Fox News); vegetarians and vegans; slavery; racism; confederate statues; tweets he shouldn't have sent; LGBTQ issues; what aliens visiting Earth would think of us; law and justice; and more.
For instance, in an example of the evolution of criminal trials, Tyson observes that some historic cultures let God decide guilt or innocence. So the accused might be pushed underwater; forced to walk through fire; have boiling oil poured on their chest; or made to drink poison. Those who survived must be innocent because God protected them. This type of thing eventually evolved to trial by crowd; trial by random individuals; then trial by a jury of your peers. Tyson points out that even this last method is far from foolproof because eyewitnesses are unreliable, and - worse yet - attorneys are trained to make their case regardless of the truth.
The book is interesting, but I expected it to be more about science and less about random subjects. Still, Tyson is a smart, well-read, amusing guy and he provides tidbits you could use to sound smart at parties and gatherings. 🙂
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com
September 28, 2022
4.0 stars
This was such a wonderful book to read in 2022, a time where society feels incredibly divided. Within this book, the author often plays devils advocate on polarizing ideas and shows both sides of an argument. Topics include race, gender identity, vegetarianism, gambling, abortion and life afte death. Some of these topics are incredibly polarizing, yet the author addresses each of these topics lightly with kind, rational discussions.
I would highly recommended it to individuals looking for a book that blends together emotional and rational ideas into an optimistic narrative. I found this book very comforting.
This was such a wonderful book to read in 2022, a time where society feels incredibly divided. Within this book, the author often plays devils advocate on polarizing ideas and shows both sides of an argument. Topics include race, gender identity, vegetarianism, gambling, abortion and life afte death. Some of these topics are incredibly polarizing, yet the author addresses each of these topics lightly with kind, rational discussions.
I would highly recommended it to individuals looking for a book that blends together emotional and rational ideas into an optimistic narrative. I found this book very comforting.
November 28, 2022
I've liked Neil deGrasse Tyson for a long time. He's a scientist, married to another scientist, has served in the White House, is the director of the Hayden Planetarium, founded the department of astrophysics at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, hosted various TV programmes as well as his own podcast and more. He has an abundance of love and passion for science and it is infectious! He is also one hell of an educator (he himself considers himself more of an educator than a scientist) and has a wonderful way of breaking down the most complex topics so anyone can understand them. Moreover, he seems to consider it his mission to bring science to the masses. His books are usually serving exactly this purpose.
This book, additionally to educating us about how certain aspects of our current world work, teaches us to look at the world and see how far we've come. What we wouldn't have (creature comforts as well as the so-called bare necessities of modern life) if it wasn't for science and research.
To this end, the book is divided into the following chapters:
Overture: Science & Society
1) Truth & Beauty
2) Exploration & Discovery
3) Earth & Moon
4) Conflict & Resolution
5) Risk & Reward
6) Meatarians & Vegetarians
7) Gender & Identity
8) Colour & Race
9) Law & Order
10) Body & Mind
Coda - Life & Death
As you can see from my numerous updates, I was pretty smitten with this book. Yes, it is increasingly difficult to have a positive outlook on life on the Blue Marble. Most people prefer screeching at others who are screeching back in turn instead of having conversations and discussions. Debate culture is dead and there is no progress on anything.
Moreover, personally, I also despair when I look at how little people nowadays actually KNOW. We have more access to more knowledge than any other human in the history of mankind, yet we are too lazy to LEARN. Why? Because we can always google it, I guess. *snorts* We have smartphones and know what button to press for what feature but we don't understand the tech itself. Most people don't even know that the computing power contained in a musical greeting card is all we had and all it took to take us to the Moon! Has the computing power of an iPhone gotten us to Mars? Nope! I feel stagnation and it's driving me up the walls.
We have mastered air transportation but complain about the quality of the food on the flight. An example Tyson himself made (yes, it made me chuckle).
Don't get me started on some people STILL believing that the Earth is flat. It's the end of 2022 and anti-science sentiments are not just on the rise but practically ruling most nations. Granted, when it comes to ruling, it's not as bad as it could be. YET. But we're on a downward slope and it's no longer frustrating but rather scary as fuck!
So with this book, named after Galileo Galilei's groundbreaking text (later retracted after he was tortured by the Catholic Church), Tyson is trying to build bridges. The problem? The people who need to read this are unlikely to buy it or even only know of its existence. In Galilei's time, publications were much rarer and the groundbreaking theory of Earth not being the center of all creation was making waves. Nowadays? This might drown on shelves with other books. And even if not, people will rather burn than read the text.
Nevertheless, I appreciate what the author is trying to do here. Because it is true that the farther you zoom out, the pettier most "problems" appear. It offers a different perspective. After all, we do get to smell flowers and watch sunsets that are nothing short of divine.
So although I was not the target audience since I don't need to be convinced of the importance of research and the correctness of truth and science, I enjoyed reading this - especially since I also got the audio which was read to me by the author himself.
P.S.: The acknowledgements had me crack up. :D
This book, additionally to educating us about how certain aspects of our current world work, teaches us to look at the world and see how far we've come. What we wouldn't have (creature comforts as well as the so-called bare necessities of modern life) if it wasn't for science and research.
To this end, the book is divided into the following chapters:
Overture: Science & Society
1) Truth & Beauty
2) Exploration & Discovery
3) Earth & Moon
4) Conflict & Resolution
5) Risk & Reward
6) Meatarians & Vegetarians
7) Gender & Identity
8) Colour & Race
9) Law & Order
10) Body & Mind
Coda - Life & Death
As you can see from my numerous updates, I was pretty smitten with this book. Yes, it is increasingly difficult to have a positive outlook on life on the Blue Marble. Most people prefer screeching at others who are screeching back in turn instead of having conversations and discussions. Debate culture is dead and there is no progress on anything.
Moreover, personally, I also despair when I look at how little people nowadays actually KNOW. We have more access to more knowledge than any other human in the history of mankind, yet we are too lazy to LEARN. Why? Because we can always google it, I guess. *snorts* We have smartphones and know what button to press for what feature but we don't understand the tech itself. Most people don't even know that the computing power contained in a musical greeting card is all we had and all it took to take us to the Moon! Has the computing power of an iPhone gotten us to Mars? Nope! I feel stagnation and it's driving me up the walls.
We have mastered air transportation but complain about the quality of the food on the flight. An example Tyson himself made (yes, it made me chuckle).
Don't get me started on some people STILL believing that the Earth is flat. It's the end of 2022 and anti-science sentiments are not just on the rise but practically ruling most nations. Granted, when it comes to ruling, it's not as bad as it could be. YET. But we're on a downward slope and it's no longer frustrating but rather scary as fuck!
So with this book, named after Galileo Galilei's groundbreaking text (later retracted after he was tortured by the Catholic Church), Tyson is trying to build bridges. The problem? The people who need to read this are unlikely to buy it or even only know of its existence. In Galilei's time, publications were much rarer and the groundbreaking theory of Earth not being the center of all creation was making waves. Nowadays? This might drown on shelves with other books. And even if not, people will rather burn than read the text.
Nevertheless, I appreciate what the author is trying to do here. Because it is true that the farther you zoom out, the pettier most "problems" appear. It offers a different perspective. After all, we do get to smell flowers and watch sunsets that are nothing short of divine.
So although I was not the target audience since I don't need to be convinced of the importance of research and the correctness of truth and science, I enjoyed reading this - especially since I also got the audio which was read to me by the author himself.
I beseech you to treasure up in your hearts
these my parting words.
Be ashamed to die until you have won some
victory for humanity.
- Horace Mann
P.S.: The acknowledgements had me crack up. :D
November 5, 2022
2 stars, maybe 2.5 stars
I fully appreciate the importance of science educators and communicators. Their job is challenging in many ways. However, Neil deGrasse Tyson seems like the kind of guy who would show up at your grandmother's funeral and say (in a soothing, ethereal tone), "Did you know that in this season and climate, your grandmother's body would fully decompose in approximately four weeks time? Even with the embalming process briefly slowing decomposition, her enzymes and bacteria are already beginning the process of breaking down her body. It's all part of the cycle of life."
Scientifically accurate? Sure. The best audience or timing? Probably not.
In this book, Tyson assembles a multitude of scientific facts into chapters that deal with contentious issues in contemporary society--everything from vegetarianism to the divided political landscape in the United States. His main argument can be distilled down into, "Science is good. Rational thinking is good. Scientists are great, and everyone should try to be more like them. We're all more alike than we are different." I don't necessarily disagree with any of those points in particular, but his arguments for them can come off as cherry-picked or incomplete. I find it a little disconcerting that Tyson vehemently argues in the defense of nuance while ignoring certain areas of nuance in his own examples. His argument that the search for objective truth should be paramount might be noble in sentiment, and we certainly can do better as a society, but in some of his examples it may not be practicable (as unfortunate as that may be) and his criticisms lose steam when presented in this manner. This is a book of good points hampered by flawed examples.
Even some of his factoids are housed in unnecessary fiction that really does not drive his point home hard. For example, he says that male reindeer shed their antlers in November, therefore Santa's reindeer are actually female and have been mis-gendered for countless years. Except, they're fictional reindeer. They can fly, so can't it be said that they magically keep their antlers? I understand that he's merely attempting to make the science "fun," but I also believe that basing your factual statements on something fictional undermines the fact itself. I can understand this being effective for very young audiences, but it seems like this book is not targeted towards them (considering the profanity).
Tyson does this sort of thing a lot. He shoehorns facts into places just because he can. I imagine he's the kind of guy at parties who constantly tries to show off all of his fun facts. "I see you're drinking wine. Did you know that the red color comes from the anthocyan pigments present in the skin of the grapes? Your shoes are made of leather. Did you know that traditional leather tanning methods took around 30 days to complete? Modern methods of mineral tanning are much faster and can complete this process within 1-2 days."
The book itself is okay. There are a lot of interesting facts in here. Tyson certainly can be a good storyteller and many of the ones presented here are told in a compelling way. There were some parts that stood out to me as being both eloquent and even-handed in presentation and analysis, such as his section about confederate statues and what they represent. However, I feel like he runs into issues when attempting to relate things back to a wider perspective and uses them as a raised eyebrow at society. And again, I agree with Tyson's opinions and thoughts more often than not. I just feel like his approach is flawed and even mildly condescending. His thought experiments are effective, if a bit juvenile, and I find it difficult to determine who this book is really for. The fence sitters who aren't sure if science is important or not but have also not given science much thought? I think he's at his best when he's just telling stories of science and not trying to jam it into a broader, more philosophical point or attempting to "fix" a societal flaw.
Tyson's main argument, that a "cosmic perspective" is essential in helping us overcome our logical shortcomings and help us move into a better society, is a valid one. I just find this book to be a bit too boring, simplistic, and dotted with Tyson's mild tone deafness. In many ways, it's almost like a collection of his Twitter posts re-organized and bridged together. For a much better (if slightly outdated) argument for why science and science education is important, I recommend Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan.
I fully appreciate the importance of science educators and communicators. Their job is challenging in many ways. However, Neil deGrasse Tyson seems like the kind of guy who would show up at your grandmother's funeral and say (in a soothing, ethereal tone), "Did you know that in this season and climate, your grandmother's body would fully decompose in approximately four weeks time? Even with the embalming process briefly slowing decomposition, her enzymes and bacteria are already beginning the process of breaking down her body. It's all part of the cycle of life."
Scientifically accurate? Sure. The best audience or timing? Probably not.
In this book, Tyson assembles a multitude of scientific facts into chapters that deal with contentious issues in contemporary society--everything from vegetarianism to the divided political landscape in the United States. His main argument can be distilled down into, "Science is good. Rational thinking is good. Scientists are great, and everyone should try to be more like them. We're all more alike than we are different." I don't necessarily disagree with any of those points in particular, but his arguments for them can come off as cherry-picked or incomplete. I find it a little disconcerting that Tyson vehemently argues in the defense of nuance while ignoring certain areas of nuance in his own examples. His argument that the search for objective truth should be paramount might be noble in sentiment, and we certainly can do better as a society, but in some of his examples it may not be practicable (as unfortunate as that may be) and his criticisms lose steam when presented in this manner. This is a book of good points hampered by flawed examples.
Even some of his factoids are housed in unnecessary fiction that really does not drive his point home hard. For example, he says that male reindeer shed their antlers in November, therefore Santa's reindeer are actually female and have been mis-gendered for countless years. Except, they're fictional reindeer. They can fly, so can't it be said that they magically keep their antlers? I understand that he's merely attempting to make the science "fun," but I also believe that basing your factual statements on something fictional undermines the fact itself. I can understand this being effective for very young audiences, but it seems like this book is not targeted towards them (considering the profanity).
Tyson does this sort of thing a lot. He shoehorns facts into places just because he can. I imagine he's the kind of guy at parties who constantly tries to show off all of his fun facts. "I see you're drinking wine. Did you know that the red color comes from the anthocyan pigments present in the skin of the grapes? Your shoes are made of leather. Did you know that traditional leather tanning methods took around 30 days to complete? Modern methods of mineral tanning are much faster and can complete this process within 1-2 days."
The book itself is okay. There are a lot of interesting facts in here. Tyson certainly can be a good storyteller and many of the ones presented here are told in a compelling way. There were some parts that stood out to me as being both eloquent and even-handed in presentation and analysis, such as his section about confederate statues and what they represent. However, I feel like he runs into issues when attempting to relate things back to a wider perspective and uses them as a raised eyebrow at society. And again, I agree with Tyson's opinions and thoughts more often than not. I just feel like his approach is flawed and even mildly condescending. His thought experiments are effective, if a bit juvenile, and I find it difficult to determine who this book is really for. The fence sitters who aren't sure if science is important or not but have also not given science much thought? I think he's at his best when he's just telling stories of science and not trying to jam it into a broader, more philosophical point or attempting to "fix" a societal flaw.
Tyson's main argument, that a "cosmic perspective" is essential in helping us overcome our logical shortcomings and help us move into a better society, is a valid one. I just find this book to be a bit too boring, simplistic, and dotted with Tyson's mild tone deafness. In many ways, it's almost like a collection of his Twitter posts re-organized and bridged together. For a much better (if slightly outdated) argument for why science and science education is important, I recommend Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan.
October 22, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. In it, Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a convincing case for a new, scientific perspective on civilisation.
February 17, 2023
This book was a mixed bag for me. Gaining any sense of perspective on humans' place in the universe should be a healthy exercise for all of us, and Tyson is to be applauded for encouraging us to step back from our myopic perceptions of our importance as a species and the smallness of our day to day concerns.
I enjoyed his challenges to rethink our assumptions about the world through thought experiments. How do you feel about your life circumstances at this moment? Given the option, would you prefer to be sent back to a prior time about which we know certain specific things, or forward into a future about which we can only make some educated guesses? That's a tough one for me; the future would seem to be the better choice, but then again there are those melting glaciers and expanding populations, and in this country, a seemingly intractable hotbed of political divisiveness and gun violence. Good food for thought.
Tyson is also arguably the G.O.A.T when it comes to reducing complex scientific or mathematical issues to terms that "lay" individuals can understand. But I question his assertion that scientific principals can be easily applied to research in psychology, sociology or anthropology, thus making obvious what should be the "rational" decisions in these areas. Often, empirical studies in these fields can only go so far without confirmation bias and other systemic problems creeping in.
Here's an example I'm familiar with: Are there health benefits to having pets in your home? Hard one to measure given confounds too extensive to list here, on top of which the researcher typically loves companion animals, as do the pet-owner participants in the study. It's easier to approach the question differently by evaluating the effects of interactions with pets under controlled circumstances (visits to residential facilities, e.g.) but even so, such studies are challenging to replicate while keeping all variables identical. So the theoretical question "Should pets be allowed in all shared residences such as apartment buildings because sharing a home with them bestows health benefits?" could not be answered on a rational basis. We really can't come up with a universal answer to that one.
The skepticism triggered by my own occasional mental digressions of this kind seeped through to other of his arguments. At times his examples seemed tortured in order to make his points.
I was also troubled by what appeared to be his complete dismissal of the value of studying, and learning from, history. It seems as if only that which can be evaluated and interpreted in the current moment has merit to him. What we think and feel can't help but feed into our assessment of what is rational in non-scientific areas. And what we think and feel is in some part determined by cultural heritage - and history.
With all that said, I found the book mentally stimulating, even if the stimulation took the form of counter-arguments to his assertions. It was much easier to discuss these things internally than to argue with individuals whose views I know to be contradictory to my own, rational or not. :-)
I enjoyed his challenges to rethink our assumptions about the world through thought experiments. How do you feel about your life circumstances at this moment? Given the option, would you prefer to be sent back to a prior time about which we know certain specific things, or forward into a future about which we can only make some educated guesses? That's a tough one for me; the future would seem to be the better choice, but then again there are those melting glaciers and expanding populations, and in this country, a seemingly intractable hotbed of political divisiveness and gun violence. Good food for thought.
Tyson is also arguably the G.O.A.T when it comes to reducing complex scientific or mathematical issues to terms that "lay" individuals can understand. But I question his assertion that scientific principals can be easily applied to research in psychology, sociology or anthropology, thus making obvious what should be the "rational" decisions in these areas. Often, empirical studies in these fields can only go so far without confirmation bias and other systemic problems creeping in.
Here's an example I'm familiar with: Are there health benefits to having pets in your home? Hard one to measure given confounds too extensive to list here, on top of which the researcher typically loves companion animals, as do the pet-owner participants in the study. It's easier to approach the question differently by evaluating the effects of interactions with pets under controlled circumstances (visits to residential facilities, e.g.) but even so, such studies are challenging to replicate while keeping all variables identical. So the theoretical question "Should pets be allowed in all shared residences such as apartment buildings because sharing a home with them bestows health benefits?" could not be answered on a rational basis. We really can't come up with a universal answer to that one.
The skepticism triggered by my own occasional mental digressions of this kind seeped through to other of his arguments. At times his examples seemed tortured in order to make his points.
I was also troubled by what appeared to be his complete dismissal of the value of studying, and learning from, history. It seems as if only that which can be evaluated and interpreted in the current moment has merit to him. What we think and feel can't help but feed into our assessment of what is rational in non-scientific areas. And what we think and feel is in some part determined by cultural heritage - and history.
With all that said, I found the book mentally stimulating, even if the stimulation took the form of counter-arguments to his assertions. It was much easier to discuss these things internally than to argue with individuals whose views I know to be contradictory to my own, rational or not. :-)
May 16, 2023
My favorite part of Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization was the section about intelligent life in the universe, and why we think we'd ever be able to communicate with them. It all starts right here at home.
"We don't know how to communicate meaningfully with chimpanzees. Assessing the effort we invest in trying to get big brained mammals to do what we say, we tend to measure their intelligence by an ability to understand us, rather than measure our intelligence by an ability to understand them. Since we can't meaningfully communicate with any other species on earth, not even those genetically closest to us, how audacious of us to think we can converse at all with intelligent alien life upon first meeting them?"
Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a great point here, one that we humans tend to ignore. I immediately thought of one of my favorite authors, Michael C. Grumley, whose Breakthrough series does exactly that: exploring our ability to understand and communicate with dolphins, and even translating that technology into communicating with other mammals and alien life. Putting the responsibility on us to listen and strive to understand rather than arrogantly challenging other life to understand us is the kind of paradigm shift I need to embrace.
I always feel smarter and more inspired after reading one of Neil deGrasse Tyson's books.
"We don't know how to communicate meaningfully with chimpanzees. Assessing the effort we invest in trying to get big brained mammals to do what we say, we tend to measure their intelligence by an ability to understand us, rather than measure our intelligence by an ability to understand them. Since we can't meaningfully communicate with any other species on earth, not even those genetically closest to us, how audacious of us to think we can converse at all with intelligent alien life upon first meeting them?"
Neil deGrasse Tyson makes a great point here, one that we humans tend to ignore. I immediately thought of one of my favorite authors, Michael C. Grumley, whose Breakthrough series does exactly that: exploring our ability to understand and communicate with dolphins, and even translating that technology into communicating with other mammals and alien life. Putting the responsibility on us to listen and strive to understand rather than arrogantly challenging other life to understand us is the kind of paradigm shift I need to embrace.
I always feel smarter and more inspired after reading one of Neil deGrasse Tyson's books.
December 4, 2022
First off, I won’t this in a goodreads giveaway. Thank you Henry Holt & Co. and Penguin Random House.
With this book deGrasse Tyson used his scientific perspective to analyze today’s cultural world. And one of his predictions became true. You need read the book to find out what it is.
I enjoyed reading the candour that he used. This book might rub people the wrong way, but science often does. He also drew in a bit of Biblical perspective, which I thought was super cool.
Ponder what is written on the pages before coming to a snap judgement.
With this book deGrasse Tyson used his scientific perspective to analyze today’s cultural world. And one of his predictions became true. You need read the book to find out what it is.
I enjoyed reading the candour that he used. This book might rub people the wrong way, but science often does. He also drew in a bit of Biblical perspective, which I thought was super cool.
Ponder what is written on the pages before coming to a snap judgement.
November 4, 2022
“Differences in opinion enrich the diversity of a nation, and ought to be cherished and respected in a free society, provided everyone remains free to disagree with one another, and, most importantly, everyone remains open to rational arguments that could change your mind. Sadly, the conduct of many in social media has devolved to the opposite of this. Their recipe? Find an opinion they disagree with and unleash waves of anger and outrage because your views do not agree with theirs. Social, political, or legislative attempts to require that everybody agree with your personal truths are ultimately dictatorships.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson addresses how science, rational thought, and evidence-based decision making can improve our civilization in significant ways. He tackles this topic in ten chapters: Truth and Beauty, Exploration and Discovery, Earth and Moon, Conflict and Resolution, Risk and Reward, “Meatarians” and Vegetarians, Gender and Identity, Color and Race, Law and Order, and Body and Mind.
He addresses both sides of the existing political divide, trying to find common ground. Rather than try to summarize this book, I offer the quotes below. Tyson backs everything up with evidence. If any of these passages sound interesting, you will likely enjoy this book. I applaud him for attempting to heal our large gaps in critical thinking, which have become increasingly evident in recent times.
4.5
Memorable passages:
“People no longer know who or what to trust. We sow hatred of others fueled by what we think is true, or what we want to be true, without regard to what is true…We’ve lost all sight of what distinguishes facts from opinions. We’re quick with acts of aggression and slow with acts of kindness.”
“Scientists may be the exclusive discoverers of what is objectively true in the universe. Objective truths apply to all people, places, and things, as well as all animals, vegetables, and minerals….they are true even when you don’t believe in them.”
“Objective truths exist independent of that five-sense perception of reality. With proper tools, they can be verified by anybody at any time at any place.”
“Objective truths of science are not founded in belief systems. They are not established by the authority of leaders or the power of persuasion, nor are they learned from repetition, or gleaned from magical thinking.”
“To deny objective truths is to be scientifically illiterate, not to be ideologically principled.”
“One of the great features of a working democracy is that we get to disagree without killing one another. What happens when democracy fails? What happens when we hold no tolerance for views that differ from our own? Do we, instead, desire a dictatorship in which all views in the land agree with the dictator? Do we pine for a system where dissenting views are suppressed, buried, or burned?”
“People are more the same than different.”
“Cosmic perspectives wield the power to humble our human hubris with full justification for doing so.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson addresses how science, rational thought, and evidence-based decision making can improve our civilization in significant ways. He tackles this topic in ten chapters: Truth and Beauty, Exploration and Discovery, Earth and Moon, Conflict and Resolution, Risk and Reward, “Meatarians” and Vegetarians, Gender and Identity, Color and Race, Law and Order, and Body and Mind.
He addresses both sides of the existing political divide, trying to find common ground. Rather than try to summarize this book, I offer the quotes below. Tyson backs everything up with evidence. If any of these passages sound interesting, you will likely enjoy this book. I applaud him for attempting to heal our large gaps in critical thinking, which have become increasingly evident in recent times.
4.5
Memorable passages:
“People no longer know who or what to trust. We sow hatred of others fueled by what we think is true, or what we want to be true, without regard to what is true…We’ve lost all sight of what distinguishes facts from opinions. We’re quick with acts of aggression and slow with acts of kindness.”
“Scientists may be the exclusive discoverers of what is objectively true in the universe. Objective truths apply to all people, places, and things, as well as all animals, vegetables, and minerals….they are true even when you don’t believe in them.”
“Objective truths exist independent of that five-sense perception of reality. With proper tools, they can be verified by anybody at any time at any place.”
“Objective truths of science are not founded in belief systems. They are not established by the authority of leaders or the power of persuasion, nor are they learned from repetition, or gleaned from magical thinking.”
“To deny objective truths is to be scientifically illiterate, not to be ideologically principled.”
“One of the great features of a working democracy is that we get to disagree without killing one another. What happens when democracy fails? What happens when we hold no tolerance for views that differ from our own? Do we, instead, desire a dictatorship in which all views in the land agree with the dictator? Do we pine for a system where dissenting views are suppressed, buried, or burned?”
“People are more the same than different.”
“Cosmic perspectives wield the power to humble our human hubris with full justification for doing so.”
August 1, 2022
Sidereus Nuncius, as Galileo put it, looks at a range of historical and ongoing issues from a cosmic perspective. Some may quibble with whether the insights provided at always "cosmic," but if you consider that to mean looking at accepted "truths" from a big picture perspective it falls into place. Tyson looks at topics as divergent as truth & beauty, war & peace, vegetarianism & "meatarianism," gender, race, and law and order. Through each he offers some actual truths, that is, facts, that should make each of us reconsider the "truths" we so often take as real. Tyson asks a lot of questions, often not to be answered but to make us think differently. He brings his trademark bluntness and his equally trademarked wry humor to draw us away from our inherent, religious, and politically motivated biases into a place where we can reassess our beliefs. Granted, the book rambles a bit, in part because of the breadth of the coverage, but readers can't help but feel they need a new way of thinking. Alas, self-selection bias will keep many of the people who could gain from Tyson's insights from picking up the book in the first place, but that in itself helps drive the point that we need to think just a little bit better than we historical have done.
Note that I received an advanced readers copy via a Goodreads Giveaway.
Note that I received an advanced readers copy via a Goodreads Giveaway.
October 4, 2022
No. I did not like this book at all. This was not "Cosmic Perspectives" it was Neil's Perspectives and I thought the entire thing was self serving and self centered. Including bringing up old Twitter posts and how he was in the right. Just not for me at all and basically turned me off of him as an author.
August 20, 2022
If you are a rational, open-minded person, you will love Tyson's Starry Messenger. Tyson looks at the many ways we allow thoughts, feelings, opinions and biases to influence how we interpret the world around us. If you are rational and open-minded you likely see many of these things as they happen, but when put together in a single book, the result can be stunning. It can also likely be a bitter pill to swallow (or spit out entirely) if it invalidates your beliefs. The book reinforces both the importance of well-collected and representative data and the ability to operate in an ambiguous zone where there is no clearly defined correct or incorrect conclusion. I particularly love when as a thought experiment, Tyson looks at racism from the perspective of Blacks being superior and whites being inferior. For some readers, they may be greatly offended. To me, it was amusing in an almost not-funny way because it is such a beautifully simplistic thought experiment that shows the implicit bias in perspective, and how those with power can ingrain opinions to the point where whole groups of humans accept them as fact. And while using data as a basis for making decisions is great, it isn't totally infallible either, unless all humans have access to the data in a form they can interpret it. More than once I've watched data be presented as solid proof that something is being done right, when the data being used is selective to the message the presenter wants to craft, but is accepted without question or debate because it involves "hard numbers". Tyson's thought-provoking book reminds me that two things are universal for me as an individual - treat others as you would want to be treated, and that the wise individual always has more questions than answers. Read this book if you want to be challenged on the way you think, or to be reminded that it's worth the effort to look at things from perspectives other than your own. Way to go, Neil! A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 26, 2023
Neil deGrasse Tyson is such an interesting guy! And his voice is so soothing lol
This book is really interesting, it's very general though, good for beginners/intermediate level of knowledge of space and science.
Each chapter is like a debatable social construct, race, gender, vegan/vegetarianism, etc.
The book was kinda like a dinner date with Neil, and it was interesting and very thought provoking. I'd recommend the read.
This book is really interesting, it's very general though, good for beginners/intermediate level of knowledge of space and science.
Each chapter is like a debatable social construct, race, gender, vegan/vegetarianism, etc.
The book was kinda like a dinner date with Neil, and it was interesting and very thought provoking. I'd recommend the read.
October 1, 2022
Neil deGrasse Tyson attempts to apply his scientific knowledge and method to explain many of societies behaviors and actions. As he points out in the first part of the book there are, at least, three types of truths that people seem to operate under. The first is objective truths which are based on evidence and is the type of truth used in science. These are not based in a belief system and are not dictated by authority. They are simply explanations derived from evidence and become more established as more experiments confirm the result. The other two truths are: Personal truths, which are things you believe to be true or what you want to believe are true but are not evidence based. The most prevalent of this type are religious truths that have no evidence to support them but are firmly believed by a large portion of society. The third type of truth is political truths, that are similar to personal truths but are driven more by propaganda and indoctrination. Most of society operates under the last two truths, so, in this book Tyson attempts to apply objective truths to the issues he discusses. He delves into a wide variety of topics, most of which I won't go into, but there are a couple of points I would like to make.
He had the most to say in his chapter titled Color & Race, a subject he has an obvious overriding interest in. He pointed out the need we seem to have to categorize people by their skin color, such as white, black, red or yellow but none of these colors are actually the color of the skin of the people they are applied to. He noted that President Barack Obama had a white mother and an African born father making him half and half but in white America he is labeled black, so would he be considered white in black Africa? He also talked about a statue in New York that has Theodore Roosevelt majestically riding a horse and on each side of him are a Native American and a Black man. It seems the obvious purpose of the statue is convey a sense of white superiority over the "lesser" races. This brings me to a thought I had while reading Tyson's book that involves Obama and white superiority. I want to emphasis this is my own thought and not Tyson's, but was Obama responsible for the rise of Trump? After all Obama is intelligent, well educated, good looking, articulate, charismatic, a remarkable family man, faithful to his wife and has just about every trait that any man would want. So imagine how white supremacists must have felt after Obama became president, because up to that point they could live in their delusion of superiority by just ignoring any successful black man but now, all of a sudden, Obama was on their television every night with all of his superior traits. No wonder they fell in love with Trump, he was just as dumb as them. The only chink in Obama's armor was his big ears and as Tyson noted in the book this is a white man trait derived from his mothers side.
It's obvious this theory of mine is a personal truth and not an objective truth, like so many of the beliefs that society has, only confirming what Tyson talks about in the book.
He had the most to say in his chapter titled Color & Race, a subject he has an obvious overriding interest in. He pointed out the need we seem to have to categorize people by their skin color, such as white, black, red or yellow but none of these colors are actually the color of the skin of the people they are applied to. He noted that President Barack Obama had a white mother and an African born father making him half and half but in white America he is labeled black, so would he be considered white in black Africa? He also talked about a statue in New York that has Theodore Roosevelt majestically riding a horse and on each side of him are a Native American and a Black man. It seems the obvious purpose of the statue is convey a sense of white superiority over the "lesser" races. This brings me to a thought I had while reading Tyson's book that involves Obama and white superiority. I want to emphasis this is my own thought and not Tyson's, but was Obama responsible for the rise of Trump? After all Obama is intelligent, well educated, good looking, articulate, charismatic, a remarkable family man, faithful to his wife and has just about every trait that any man would want. So imagine how white supremacists must have felt after Obama became president, because up to that point they could live in their delusion of superiority by just ignoring any successful black man but now, all of a sudden, Obama was on their television every night with all of his superior traits. No wonder they fell in love with Trump, he was just as dumb as them. The only chink in Obama's armor was his big ears and as Tyson noted in the book this is a white man trait derived from his mothers side.
It's obvious this theory of mine is a personal truth and not an objective truth, like so many of the beliefs that society has, only confirming what Tyson talks about in the book.
July 31, 2022
Starry Messenger is a collection insightful and at times witty essays about issues in society from the perspective of a scientific thinker. deGrasse Tyson addresses many issues of our time such as war, peace, politics, gender, race, guns, abortion law, and policy. A recurring theme is that we’d all be better off by thinking more rationally and focusing on solving problems rather than convincing people that your solution is the best one . Looking at data rather deGrasse Tyson explains how, in core ways we are more similar than different, and with that in mind, perhaps we can set bias and preconceptions aside and start to focus on rational problem solving informed by social context.
The author acknowledges that this isn’t as easy as simply deciding to do it. Our evolution and history has led us to think and act in ways that favor more tribal, and short term solution seeking. Being rational is hard.
For example, in the chapters on race and gender, the author points to our desire to categorize -- into very coarse and imprecise categories -- as being at the heart of many of the challenges around bias we face today. This, combined with our tendency to think short term and locally means that we open do consider long range and broader impacts in our calls to action and our policy decisions.
While deGrasse Tyson make it clear that he has a liberal belief system, this isn’t a collection of anti-conservative screeds. We learn that Liberals and Conservatives can all be science deniers in their own ways, and that members of each group can set critical thinking aside when calling for policy change when an issue touches on one their core values.
While the book touches on some serious issues, there were a number of humorous segments. This approach shows deGrasse Tyson’s skill as educator since humor is memorable, and memorable means learning. For example, in the chapter on Law and Order, we hear three stories of how the author didn’t get to serve on a jury because of his logical and data based approach to evidence. (While I understand they central idea of not wanting jurors to bring outside information into their judgements, it is a bit absurd to consider that skills in evaluating evidence could also be disqualifying, or at least considered undesirable.)
This book is a great example of how to bring facts and analysis to the task of solving problems while also debunking myths about stereotypes about people’s politics. And while science makes mistakes, the scientific process is geared towards challenging ideas so that those mistakes surface.
The central message I got from the book: forget preconceptions, listen to each other, and trade facts rather than opinions. This is very much a book I needed to read at this time, and I think others might also use it as a way to reset their approach to thinking and talking about issues.
(This review is based on an Advance Readers Edition)
The author acknowledges that this isn’t as easy as simply deciding to do it. Our evolution and history has led us to think and act in ways that favor more tribal, and short term solution seeking. Being rational is hard.
For example, in the chapters on race and gender, the author points to our desire to categorize -- into very coarse and imprecise categories -- as being at the heart of many of the challenges around bias we face today. This, combined with our tendency to think short term and locally means that we open do consider long range and broader impacts in our calls to action and our policy decisions.
While deGrasse Tyson make it clear that he has a liberal belief system, this isn’t a collection of anti-conservative screeds. We learn that Liberals and Conservatives can all be science deniers in their own ways, and that members of each group can set critical thinking aside when calling for policy change when an issue touches on one their core values.
While the book touches on some serious issues, there were a number of humorous segments. This approach shows deGrasse Tyson’s skill as educator since humor is memorable, and memorable means learning. For example, in the chapter on Law and Order, we hear three stories of how the author didn’t get to serve on a jury because of his logical and data based approach to evidence. (While I understand they central idea of not wanting jurors to bring outside information into their judgements, it is a bit absurd to consider that skills in evaluating evidence could also be disqualifying, or at least considered undesirable.)
This book is a great example of how to bring facts and analysis to the task of solving problems while also debunking myths about stereotypes about people’s politics. And while science makes mistakes, the scientific process is geared towards challenging ideas so that those mistakes surface.
The central message I got from the book: forget preconceptions, listen to each other, and trade facts rather than opinions. This is very much a book I needed to read at this time, and I think others might also use it as a way to reset their approach to thinking and talking about issues.
(This review is based on an Advance Readers Edition)
January 31, 2023
I'm a massive fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson's work on space & astrophysics. So, I was really excited to read this book. However, it was a massive let-down and I'm genuinely disappointed in the mediocre quality.
Starry Messenger felt more like a summary of Neil's political worldview more than anything. Perhaps that's my fault for expecting a book on science/space etc. However, at one point, he tried to summarize the (very complicated) Israel & Palestine conflict in a few sentences. Much of what he said felt surface-level & unnecessary.
I really wanted this book to be a page turner. And it was… but in so many bad ways. I ended up turning the pages frantically searching for something good.
Two stars (only because I couldn't bring myself to give Neil one star).
Starry Messenger felt more like a summary of Neil's political worldview more than anything. Perhaps that's my fault for expecting a book on science/space etc. However, at one point, he tried to summarize the (very complicated) Israel & Palestine conflict in a few sentences. Much of what he said felt surface-level & unnecessary.
I really wanted this book to be a page turner. And it was… but in so many bad ways. I ended up turning the pages frantically searching for something good.
Two stars (only because I couldn't bring myself to give Neil one star).
February 29, 2024
M-am apropiat cu oarecare teamă de cartea asta pentru că nu știam exact dacă o să fie o lectură ușurică sau greoaie. Asta pentru că am citit de curând și „Povestiri despre viitor” de David Christian despre care credeam că e popculture, dar nu a fost, așa că de data asta am zis să fiu precaută. Cartea e însă foarte plăcută de citit, se citește repede și autorul „narează” mai degrabă decât să prezinte anumite informații și opinii. Cartea e despre mai multe lucruri care ne-au preocupat ca civilizație de-a lungul timpului: adevăr și frumusețe, culoare și rasă, lege și ordine, corp și minte și altele asemenea — Neil deGrasse Tyson oferind perspective „cosmice” asupra acestor probleme, după ce le pune în antiteză și le aduce cumva pe un teren controversat. Adesea e ușor ironic, (doar) în aparență cinic și ne dezvăluie ceva ce am fi putut intui cu toții: că suntem limitați, că războaiele și fărădelegile noastre sunt minuscule în fața universului și chiar ridicole (de multe ori își imaginează ce ar zice niște extratereștri dacă ne-ar vedea într-o ipostază sau alta și, sincer, nu cădem deloc bine).
Presupoziția gândirii liniare a oamenilor, dar și iraționalitatea care ne este caracteristică ghidează ca un fir roșu opiniile autorului despre diverse teme, dublându-le invariabil cu informații, date și perspective științifice. Te simț limitat citind Mesagerul stelar, mai ales când îți dai seama că mare parte din micimea ta este dată tocmai de condiționările propriei specii. A nu gândi liniar, a fi rațional în pofida sentimentelor (dar în aceeași măsură, a rămâne uman), a gândi mai departe de adevărurile personale în orice situație, faptul că sunt lucruri pe care nici măcar nu ni le putem imagina sau nu le putem înțelege (cum ar putea funcționa, de exemplu, o specie mult mai evoluată decât noi, cum ar gândi și cum am putea noi accesa vreodată un alt tip de gândire), toate acestea te fac să te gândești de două ori înainte de a spune că omul e cea mai tare ființă de pe Pământ. În orice caz, omul ca ființă dăunătoare pentru planetă și alte specii nu e tocmai o idee străină nouă astăzi, dar Neil deGrasse Tyson ne face să ne gândim că nici „mama natură” nu e neapărat mai bună sau mai frumoasă, oferindu-ne o perspectivă poate dură în direcția asta. „Mama natură” care ucide nediscriminat, dezastrele naturale care uneori ne atrag (deși sunt morbide), fac parte dintr-un mecanism complex care nu pare să aibă nicio considerație față de specia umană (sau de vreo altă specie, că veni vorba). Deci, pe cât de frumoasă, pe atât de adversă.
Mi-a plăcut mult să citesc „Mesagerul stelar”. Într-un fel, se citește ca o poveste, de-aia și curge așa repede și te invită, desigur, să cauți mai departe informații și perspective despre anumite lucruri pe care le găsești aici, fie că vorbim despre date, opinii, perspective. Mi se pare că e o carte bună de avut în bibliotecă pentru toată lumea. Îți amintește cât ești de mic și cât de necesar este să nu mai arunci cu „adevărul personal” în ceilalți, formându-ți judecăți de valoare puternice și contrare doar pentru că nu poți ieși din propria limitare. E o invitație directă la a fi mai empatici, atenți și (mai) raționali.
Și, desigur, așa cum notează Laura Câlțea: „cel mai frumos lucru din tot acest univers infinit, ne spune Tyson, este că suntem dotați cu o inteligență care ne lasă să-l cunoaștem cât de cât. Și ăsta e un gând pentru care merită să speri.”
Presupoziția gândirii liniare a oamenilor, dar și iraționalitatea care ne este caracteristică ghidează ca un fir roșu opiniile autorului despre diverse teme, dublându-le invariabil cu informații, date și perspective științifice. Te simț limitat citind Mesagerul stelar, mai ales când îți dai seama că mare parte din micimea ta este dată tocmai de condiționările propriei specii. A nu gândi liniar, a fi rațional în pofida sentimentelor (dar în aceeași măsură, a rămâne uman), a gândi mai departe de adevărurile personale în orice situație, faptul că sunt lucruri pe care nici măcar nu ni le putem imagina sau nu le putem înțelege (cum ar putea funcționa, de exemplu, o specie mult mai evoluată decât noi, cum ar gândi și cum am putea noi accesa vreodată un alt tip de gândire), toate acestea te fac să te gândești de două ori înainte de a spune că omul e cea mai tare ființă de pe Pământ. În orice caz, omul ca ființă dăunătoare pentru planetă și alte specii nu e tocmai o idee străină nouă astăzi, dar Neil deGrasse Tyson ne face să ne gândim că nici „mama natură” nu e neapărat mai bună sau mai frumoasă, oferindu-ne o perspectivă poate dură în direcția asta. „Mama natură” care ucide nediscriminat, dezastrele naturale care uneori ne atrag (deși sunt morbide), fac parte dintr-un mecanism complex care nu pare să aibă nicio considerație față de specia umană (sau de vreo altă specie, că veni vorba). Deci, pe cât de frumoasă, pe atât de adversă.
Mi-a plăcut mult să citesc „Mesagerul stelar”. Într-un fel, se citește ca o poveste, de-aia și curge așa repede și te invită, desigur, să cauți mai departe informații și perspective despre anumite lucruri pe care le găsești aici, fie că vorbim despre date, opinii, perspective. Mi se pare că e o carte bună de avut în bibliotecă pentru toată lumea. Îți amintește cât ești de mic și cât de necesar este să nu mai arunci cu „adevărul personal” în ceilalți, formându-ți judecăți de valoare puternice și contrare doar pentru că nu poți ieși din propria limitare. E o invitație directă la a fi mai empatici, atenți și (mai) raționali.
Și, desigur, așa cum notează Laura Câlțea: „cel mai frumos lucru din tot acest univers infinit, ne spune Tyson, este că suntem dotați cu o inteligență care ne lasă să-l cunoaștem cât de cât. Și ăsta e un gând pentru care merită să speri.”
February 21, 2024
I borrowed this one via the library because I really enjoyed Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. This book isn't quite the same. Think of it as a social commentary on the human race and our systems of beliefs, laws, political systems, etc. Tyson tries (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) to explain why using rational, science based arguments are superior to using emotions, tribalism, religion, and flawed beliefs to make decisions. He also points out how contradictory and egotistical our beliefs can be, especially as we consider ourselves more intelligent than and superior to, all other known life forms.
If you read this be prepared to have 'your buttons pushed.' If you are a vegan, you might just want to skip chapter six altogether. There is something in here almost guaranteed to offend nearly every reader.
This isn't my favorite work by the author but I will give Tyson kudos for providing an excellent narration for his work. Even when I didn't agree with one of this pointed opinions, Tyson's voice was soothing enough that I didn't get too worked up about it.
Here's one of my favorite quotations that I won't pose any argument against. :-)
Tally them all, living synergistically and symbiotically in our gut and on our skin, and you get more living organisms than cells of our own bodies. The number may be as high as 100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion) microbes. Some of them may even influence what foods we crave, such as chocolate, as they break down larger molecules into smaller ones that more easily pass into your bloodstream. You think your cravings are your own. Instead, the chocoholic bacteria in your gut are what’s summoning the bonbons.
My overall rating is 3.5 stars but I hope his next book focuses more on astrophysics and less on his opinions about the human condition.
If you read this be prepared to have 'your buttons pushed.' If you are a vegan, you might just want to skip chapter six altogether. There is something in here almost guaranteed to offend nearly every reader.
This isn't my favorite work by the author but I will give Tyson kudos for providing an excellent narration for his work. Even when I didn't agree with one of this pointed opinions, Tyson's voice was soothing enough that I didn't get too worked up about it.
Here's one of my favorite quotations that I won't pose any argument against. :-)
Tally them all, living synergistically and symbiotically in our gut and on our skin, and you get more living organisms than cells of our own bodies. The number may be as high as 100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion) microbes. Some of them may even influence what foods we crave, such as chocolate, as they break down larger molecules into smaller ones that more easily pass into your bloodstream. You think your cravings are your own. Instead, the chocoholic bacteria in your gut are what’s summoning the bonbons.
My overall rating is 3.5 stars but I hope his next book focuses more on astrophysics and less on his opinions about the human condition.
December 15, 2022
Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization, by Neil deGrasse Tyson, is an interesting book that takes an "above ground" view of politics and the human condition. In the style of many books released since the Trump era, this is the perspective of a famous celebrity (astrophysicist) on topics ranging from beauty and aesthetic, to human philosophy, political tribalism and it uses a "scientific" viewpoint to analyze and offer recommendations. Right off the bat I will say that I did not fully enjoy this book. As pop science goes, it has some interesting tidbits of information on the reflectivity of the sun, on basic statistics, earth sciences and space - all things I would like to see in a deGrasse Tyson book. I also enjoyed some of the authors perspectives, and the constant reminder to weigh political opinions objectively. These are good points on the whole.
Where I disliked the book was the simplicity of the message, and the contradictions that entails. deGrasse Tyson has been a policy advisor for the White House in the United States, and while being a self described "Liberal" (to use the American parlance of the word), has also engaged with centrist and right-leaning perspectives that he agrees with. The author has good perspective on politics, but the messaging of the book is far to simple to offer any profound insight. The author argues for more people to "just get along", for more balanced views based off of scientific rationality, and for reduced public policy in countries, to simplify processes for the electorate. On paper, not so bad. But in practice, deeply flawed. As the complexities of power sharing increase with increasing populations, more complex geopolitical arenas, and most importantly, more catastrophic events, democracies will be challenged by the fact that their electorates do not understand politics and what it means for them, and have no interest in it, on the whole. Declining voter rates have shown this across the Western world. Simplifying the process to trap the interests of people who have no interest in politics seems naïve to me. If this is the way forward, we will not be able to tackle larger issues like climate change or poverty, let alone getting to space. These arenas will remain the avenue of elite capture. More robust public policy, better public engagement, more transparent governance processes, and more progressive framework and structures are all needed, and this requires an expansion, not a decrease in policies. I wish the world operated in a way that allowed for this authors view - I really do. But the objective reality is much different. Democracy is eroded, not just by elite capture, but by indifference. Until small governments start biting the average citizen, whether it be through increasing food and home prices, catastrophic weather events, poor provision of services, declining quality of living, or increasingly, armed conflict, we will not see a change. I wish I could agree more with Neil deGrasse Tyson on this point, but unfortunately, I feel like this book offers a simplistic message that is designed to make people feel a bit better, without engaging in the processes, and putting in the time and effort (let alone the tax dollars) that is required to make meaningful structural changes in a democratic system.
Where I disliked the book was the simplicity of the message, and the contradictions that entails. deGrasse Tyson has been a policy advisor for the White House in the United States, and while being a self described "Liberal" (to use the American parlance of the word), has also engaged with centrist and right-leaning perspectives that he agrees with. The author has good perspective on politics, but the messaging of the book is far to simple to offer any profound insight. The author argues for more people to "just get along", for more balanced views based off of scientific rationality, and for reduced public policy in countries, to simplify processes for the electorate. On paper, not so bad. But in practice, deeply flawed. As the complexities of power sharing increase with increasing populations, more complex geopolitical arenas, and most importantly, more catastrophic events, democracies will be challenged by the fact that their electorates do not understand politics and what it means for them, and have no interest in it, on the whole. Declining voter rates have shown this across the Western world. Simplifying the process to trap the interests of people who have no interest in politics seems naïve to me. If this is the way forward, we will not be able to tackle larger issues like climate change or poverty, let alone getting to space. These arenas will remain the avenue of elite capture. More robust public policy, better public engagement, more transparent governance processes, and more progressive framework and structures are all needed, and this requires an expansion, not a decrease in policies. I wish the world operated in a way that allowed for this authors view - I really do. But the objective reality is much different. Democracy is eroded, not just by elite capture, but by indifference. Until small governments start biting the average citizen, whether it be through increasing food and home prices, catastrophic weather events, poor provision of services, declining quality of living, or increasingly, armed conflict, we will not see a change. I wish I could agree more with Neil deGrasse Tyson on this point, but unfortunately, I feel like this book offers a simplistic message that is designed to make people feel a bit better, without engaging in the processes, and putting in the time and effort (let alone the tax dollars) that is required to make meaningful structural changes in a democratic system.
March 6, 2023
Estuvo bien, no sabía qué esperar, esa es la verdad. Me gustó y disfruté de la forma de escribir de Neil. Sin embargo, salí del libro casi igual a como entré, no me aportó nada nuevo de información, de punto de vista ni de nada. De hecho, me habló de sus opiniones, pero con cuidado y siendo bastante políticamente correcto.
Es un ensayo en el que toca temas como belleza, racismo, homofobia, poder, cuerpo, mente, etc. y da una mirada más científica del tema en cuestión y, además, su propia opinión. Pensé que me daría más ciencia, más explicaciones o cosas por el estilo, pero no fue así. Lo que más hizo fue usar experimentos mentales para probar sus puntos, lo que estuvo bien aunque me hubiese gustado más.
Incluso en algunos temas sentí que me dio una mirada superficial o que lo desvió a una arista que no me parecía tan interesante. Por ejemplo, en el primero sobre la belleza me hubiera gustado más, pero la enfocó en "la verdad es la belleza" y solo habló sobre la verdad objetiva, verdad personal y todo eso. Por eso siento que fue algo muy personal para él, pero que para una persona externa se sintió como solo anecdótico y no un libro que aportara algo.
El tema del racismo, por motivos lógicos, fue interesante porque en una parte dio argumentos científicos de porqué la raza blanca era inferior o más parecida a los simios. Como una especie de contraparte a los argumentos que décadas antes se daban, solo para demostrar lo absurdo que es esto de la superioridad de una raza por sobre otra. También fue el capítulo en el que más se explayó y dio datos históricos y otros científicos.
Además, parece que este libro es una explicación a distintas opiniones polémicas que dio en twitter porque se explicó de cuatro veces que lo cancelaron. E incluso así, en un caso, cuando habló de la ciudad en la que todo funcionaría con hechos, claro, lo hizo sonar perfecto, pero estaba lleno de vacíos en sus argumentos que me sorprendió que los ignorara de forma tan tranquila.
Sé que debería haber más de lo que comentar, pero en serio que me fue por completo indiferente. No es aburrido de leer, de hecho su pluma es ligera y cercana, es como un amigo hablándote. Sin embargo, fue todo tan parcial, una visión como muy personal por su cuenta que era más una forma de conocerlo que algo con lo que tener otros puntos de vista o aprender.
Mensaje de las estrellas es un ensayo que toca 10 temas de todo tipo y el autor los analiza desde su punto de vista y desde distintos hechos científicos. Está bien, en mi caso, no me aportó absolutamente nada nuevo.
Es un ensayo en el que toca temas como belleza, racismo, homofobia, poder, cuerpo, mente, etc. y da una mirada más científica del tema en cuestión y, además, su propia opinión. Pensé que me daría más ciencia, más explicaciones o cosas por el estilo, pero no fue así. Lo que más hizo fue usar experimentos mentales para probar sus puntos, lo que estuvo bien aunque me hubiese gustado más.
"Somos rápidos para actuar con agresividad y lentos para conducirnos con bondad"
Incluso en algunos temas sentí que me dio una mirada superficial o que lo desvió a una arista que no me parecía tan interesante. Por ejemplo, en el primero sobre la belleza me hubiera gustado más, pero la enfocó en "la verdad es la belleza" y solo habló sobre la verdad objetiva, verdad personal y todo eso. Por eso siento que fue algo muy personal para él, pero que para una persona externa se sintió como solo anecdótico y no un libro que aportara algo.
El tema del racismo, por motivos lógicos, fue interesante porque en una parte dio argumentos científicos de porqué la raza blanca era inferior o más parecida a los simios. Como una especie de contraparte a los argumentos que décadas antes se daban, solo para demostrar lo absurdo que es esto de la superioridad de una raza por sobre otra. También fue el capítulo en el que más se explayó y dio datos históricos y otros científicos.
"¿A dónde nos lleva esto? Quizá a ningún lugar, quizá a todos. En mi opinión, como humano, científico y residente de la Tierra, quizá lo más hermoso del universo es que es conocible. No se requieren mensajes escritos en tablas en el cielo para que esto sea así. Solo es. Para mí, este pináculo de verdad objetiva hace que el universo mismo sea lo más hermoso del universo"
Además, parece que este libro es una explicación a distintas opiniones polémicas que dio en twitter porque se explicó de cuatro veces que lo cancelaron. E incluso así, en un caso, cuando habló de la ciudad en la que todo funcionaría con hechos, claro, lo hizo sonar perfecto, pero estaba lleno de vacíos en sus argumentos que me sorprendió que los ignorara de forma tan tranquila.
Sé que debería haber más de lo que comentar, pero en serio que me fue por completo indiferente. No es aburrido de leer, de hecho su pluma es ligera y cercana, es como un amigo hablándote. Sin embargo, fue todo tan parcial, una visión como muy personal por su cuenta que era más una forma de conocerlo que algo con lo que tener otros puntos de vista o aprender.
Mensaje de las estrellas es un ensayo que toca 10 temas de todo tipo y el autor los analiza desde su punto de vista y desde distintos hechos científicos. Está bien, en mi caso, no me aportó absolutamente nada nuevo.
"La naturaleza no tiene ninguna obligación de adaptarse a nuestra limitada capacidad para interpretar la realidad"
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November 23, 2023Dnf about 15%
Sorry, but I bounced off this one. It's not awful but I found it sort of glib and simplistic- humanity will be fine if we embrace science in everything we do and adopt a "cosmic" perspective ( good luck with that). The anecdotes used to illustrate Tyson's points were sometimes interesting ( although I remain dubious about some of his conclusions) but overall it failed to hold my attention, I found what I did read to be forgettable and the library wants it back...so.
I should give this another chance at some time to be determined in the distant future ( when all our problems have been solved by science and a cosmic perspective) .-30-
Sorry, but I bounced off this one. It's not awful but I found it sort of glib and simplistic- humanity will be fine if we embrace science in everything we do and adopt a "cosmic" perspective ( good luck with that). The anecdotes used to illustrate Tyson's points were sometimes interesting ( although I remain dubious about some of his conclusions) but overall it failed to hold my attention, I found what I did read to be forgettable and the library wants it back...so.
I should give this another chance at some time to be determined in the distant future ( when all our problems have been solved by science and a cosmic perspective) .-30-
January 2, 2023
The most important book of the year. I cannot stress it enough how this little book contains so much valid information and facts that we, as humanbeings, need to hear. It does not matter whether you are a conservative or a liberal, you need to read this book asap.
For instance, I thought I had enough information on vegetarianism or racism in theory but as it turns out Vegetarians are also "cannibals" and democrats were historically more "racist"...etc.
I also loved how Neil deGrasse Tyson included alien's perspective if they were to come to the earth and make some observation. Their conclusion is sure to be funny.
For instance, I thought I had enough information on vegetarianism or racism in theory but as it turns out Vegetarians are also "cannibals" and democrats were historically more "racist"...etc.
I also loved how Neil deGrasse Tyson included alien's perspective if they were to come to the earth and make some observation. Their conclusion is sure to be funny.
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