Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
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82:42
Robert Krulwich interviews author live at 92nd Street Y in NYC
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67K
May, 2017
Spoiler:
Reminding the audience that the universe is what we measure it to be, not what feels good or what we want it to be, the author says he wrote the book to give regular people a “fluency” in astrophysics. He says that our five senses developed to keep us from getting eaten by lions, not to help us understand the universe, which is why math is so “potent.” He entertains the audience with a story about whipped cream on hot chocolate as a way of explaining how scientific truths emerge.
5:32
Author roundtable interview with CBS Morning News crew
21K
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May, 2017
Spoiler:
Although the author is known for his work related to outer space, he says he also likes to write about things such as the fact that there are more bacteria in one centimeter of a person’s colon than the number of people who have ever been born. He notes that this kind of “cosmic perspective” puts us in our place; for example, from the perspective of our gut bacteria, we are simply a vessel in which they can thrive.
26:48
Author chats with Barry Kibrick and shows explanatory slides
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295
Aug, 2017
Spoiler:
The author explains that the best way to understand the beginnings of the universe or to reconstruct cosmic history is to go in reverse, using particle accelerators to simulate pressures and temperatures that would have been common at certain times, “baby step by baby step” working our way back to the first moments of the Big Bang. He emphasizes that the universe “is under no obligation” to make sense to us, that it doesn’t care about us and is not here to serve us.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, and science communicator. Since 1996, he has served as the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City. Tyson received the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal and the Public Welfare Medal from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences for his exceptional efforts in promoting science.
Other books by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Publications
The Washington Independent Review of Books: A slim but satisfying read about the nature of the universe from one of America’s leading scientists
The Christian Research Institute: Missing the Signposts: A Review of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson
Medium: Book Review: Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Kirkus Reviews: A sublime introduction to some of the most exciting ideas in astrophysics that will leave readers wanting more.
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