People who are scientists today are scientists in spite of the system, typically, not because of it. Neil deGrasse Tyson peoplescientistspite Change image and share on social
When you put money directly to a problem, it makes a good headline. It makes a good campaign slogan. You get to claim that you've engaged in these activities within an election cycle. But certain investments take longer than an election cycle. Neil deGrasse Tyson activitycampaignclaim share on social
I was an aspiring astrophysicist, and that's how I defined myself, not by my skin color. People didn't treat me as someone with science ambitions. They treated me as someone they thought was going to mug them, or who was a shoplifter. Neil deGrasse Tyson ambitionaspireastrophysicist share on social
I'm constantly claimed by atheists. I find this intriguing. In fact, on my Wiki page - I didn't create the Wiki page, others did, and I'm flattered that people cared enough about my life to assemble it - and it said, 'Neil deGrasse is an atheist.' Neil deGrasse Tyson assembleatheistcare share on social
If you only think of me during Black History Month, I must be failing as an educator and as an astrophysicist. Neil deGrasse Tyson astrophysicistblackeducator Change image and share on social
Keep in mind that if you take a tour through a hospital and look at every machine with on and off switch that is brought into the service of diagnosing the human condition, that machine is based on principles of physics discovered by a physicist in a machine designed by an engineer. Neil deGrasse Tyson basebringcondition share on social
I think that intelligence is such a narrow branch of the tree of life - this branch of primates we call humans. No other animal, by our definition, can be considered intelligent. So intelligence can't be all that important for survival, because there are so many animals that don't have what we call intelligence, and they're surviving just fine. Neil deGrasse Tyson animalbranchcall share on social
People credit me for making the universe interesting when in fact the universe is inherently interesting, and I'm merely revealing that fact. I don't think I'm anything special for this to happen. Neil deGrasse Tyson creditfacthappen Change image and share on social
In all civilizations we've studied, all cultures that we know of across the Earth and across time have invested some kind of attempt to understanding where where, where they come from, and where they are going. Neil deGrasse Tyson attemptcivilizationculture share on social
It may be that our cosmic curiosity... is a genetically-encoded force that we illuminate when we look up and wonder. Neil deGrasse Tyson cosmiccuriosityencode Change image and share on social