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'''Neil deGrasse Tyson''' is an atheist activist and museum employee. Like "Professor" [[Richard Dawkins]], he is known more for his activism, including pushing for [[Pluto]] to be removed from the list of planets, than for his science. Like Dawkins, he is a museum employee rather than a professor.
'''Neil deGrasse Tyson''' (born October 5, 1958) is an American [[astrophysicist]], [[science communication|science communicator]], the Frederick P. Rose Director of the [[Hayden Planetarium]] at the [[Rose Center for Earth and Space]], and a Research Associate in the Department of Astrophysics at the [[American Museum of Natural History]]. Since 2006, he has hosted [[PBS]]'s educational television show ''[[NOVA scienceNOW]]''. He has been a frequent guest on ''[[The Daily Show]]'', ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' and ''[[Jeopardy!]]''.
He is often promoted by liberals as notable not just because of his activism, but because of his skin color. Liberals rarely mention the possibility that his "achievements", such as they are, are due to "[[affirmative action]]".
==Early life==
Tyson was born in New York City as the second of three children. His father, Cyril deGrasse Tyson, was a [[sociologist]] and human resource commissioner for New York City mayor [[John Lindsay]]. His mother, Sunchita Feliciano Tyson, was a [[gerontologist]].<ref>Whitaker, Charles (August 2000). "[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=BdkDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60 Super Stargazer]". Ebony '''55''' (10): 60. {{ISSN|0012-9011}}.</ref><ref>[http://www.cornerstoneliteracy.org/meetings/Winter%202007/Wednesday%20materials/Advance%20Reading.pdf Advance Reading for Keynote address]. Cornerstone. Accessed September 4, 2009.</ref> Tyson attended the [[Bronx High School of Science]] (1972–1976) where he captained the wrestling team and was [[editor-in-chief]] of the school's ''Physical Science Journal''. Tyson had an abiding interest in [[astronomy]] from a young age—and obsessively studied it in his teens—eventually even gaining some fame in the astronomy community by giving lectures on the subject at the age of 15.
Astronomer [[Carl Sagan]], who was a faculty member at [[Cornell University]], tried to recruit Tyson to Cornell for [[undergraduate]] studies.<ref>{{cite news
|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_10_55/ai_63735675
|title= Super Stargazer - astrophysicist Neil De Grasse Tyson - Brief Article
|accessdate= 2008-06-24
|author= Whitaker, Charles
|year= 2000
|month= 08
|work= [[Ebony (magazine)|Ebony]]
|publisher= Johnson Publishing }}</ref> During an interview with writer Daniel Simone (see the entire interview in the November 2, 2007 issue of Dan's Papers<ref>{{cite web|title=A Conversation With Neil deGrasse Tyson|publisher=[[PBS|PBS.org]]|accessdate=October 25, 2009|date=July 2004|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/tyson.html}}</ref>), Tyson said, "Interestingly, when I applied to Cornell, my application dripped of my passion for the study and research of the Universe. Somehow the admissions office brought my application to the attention of the late Mr. Sagan, and he actually took the initiative and care to contact me. He was very inspirational and a most powerful influence. Mr. Sagan was as great as the universe, an effective mentor." But Tyson chose to attend [[Harvard University|Harvard]], where he majored in [[physics]]. He was a member of the [[Sport rowing|crew team]] in his freshman year, but returned to wrestling, eventually [[Letterman (sports)|lettering]] in his senior year. Tyson earned his [[Bachelors of Arts|B.A.]] degree in physics from Harvard in 1980 and began his graduate work at the [[University of Texas at Austin]], where he earned his [[Master of Arts (postgraduate)|M.A.]] degree in Astronomy in 1983. In addition to wrestling and rowing in college, he was also active in dancing in styles including [[Jazz dance|jazz]], [[ballet]], [[wikt:Afro-Caribbean|Afro-Caribbean]], and [[List of dance style categories#International Latin|Latin Ballroom]]. In 1985, he won a gold medal with the University of Texas dance team at a national tournament in the International Latin Ballroom style. He began a doctoral program at the University of Texas, but transferred in 1988 to [[Columbia University]] after University of Texas dissolved his committee.<ref>{{cite video|date=December 12, 2008|title=Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0I5Fl1Qn-Do|accessdate=May 01, 2010|time=45:43}}</ref> In 1991, he earned a [[Doctorate of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] degree in astrophysics. (See the biographical summary provided by the [[International Astronautical Federation]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Neil deGrasse Tyson|publisher=[[International Aeronautical Foundation|iafastro.org]]|accessdate=October 25, 2009|url=http://www.iafastro.org/?id=504}}</ref> Tyson also featured on the [[NASA]] Academy Sharing Knowledge.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[NASA|NASA.gov]]|title=Interview with Neil deGrasse Tyson|first=Dan|last=Cohen|accessdate=October 25, 2009|url=http://askmagazine.nasa.gov/pdf/pdf31/NASA_APPEL_ASK_31i_interview.pdf}}</ref>)
==Career==
[[File:Tyson & students.jpg|thumb|Tyson with students at the 2007 [[American Astronomical Society]] conference]]
Tyson has written a number of popular books on astronomy. In 1995, he began to write the "Universe" column for ''[[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History]]'' magazine. In a column for the magazine he authored in 2002, Tyson coined the term "[[Manhattanhenge]]" to describe the two days annually on which the evening sun aligns with the cross streets of the street grid in Manhattan, making the sunset visible along unobstructed side streets.
In 2004, he hosted the four-part "Origins" miniseries of [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]'s ''[[NOVA (TV series)|Nova]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/origins/|title=NOVA - Origins - PBS|year=2004|work=[[Public Broadcasting Service]] (PBS)|author=WGBH Educational Foundation|accessdate=2009-06-07}}</ref> and co-authored with [[Donald Goldsmith]] the companion volume for this series, ''Origins: Fourteen Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution''.<ref>{{cite book |title=Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution |last=Tyson |first=Neil deGrasse |first2=Donald|last2=Goldsmith |year=2004 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Co |location=New York |isbn=9780393059922}}</ref> He again collaborated with Dr. Goldsmith as the narrator on the documentary [[400 Years of the Telescope]] which premiered on PBS in April 2009.
In 2001, President [[George W. Bush]] appointed Tyson to serve on the [[Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry]] and in 2004 to serve on the [[President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy]], the latter better known as the "Moon, Mars and Beyond" commission. He was soon afterward awarded the [[NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal]], the highest civilian honor bestowed by NASA.<ref Name="PSM">{{cite web|title=Symposium Awards|publisher=National Space Symposium|accessdate=October 25, 2010|url=http://www.nationalspacesymposium.org/about/awards/douglas-s-morrow-public-outreach-award}}</ref>
As director of the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson bucked traditional thinking to keep [[Pluto]] from being referred to as the ninth planet in exhibits at the center. Tyson has explained that he wanted to look at commonalities between objects, grouping the terrestrial planets together, the gas giants together, and Pluto with like objects and to get away from simply counting the planets. He has stated on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'', ''[[The Daily Show]]'' and ''[[BBC Horizon]]'' that this decision has resulted in large amounts of hate mail, much of it from children.<ref>''[[The Colbert Report]]'', 2006-08-17</ref> In 2006, the [[International Astronomical Union|I.A.U.]] confirmed this assessment by changing Pluto to the "[[dwarf planet]]" classification. [[Daniel Simone]] wrote of the interview with Tyson describing his frustration. "For a while, we were not very popular here at the Hayden Planetarium."
Tyson has been Vice-President, President, and Chairman of board of the [[Planetary Society]]. He was also the host of the PBS program ''[[NOVA scienceNOW]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/|title=NOVA - scienceNOW - PBS|work=[[Public Broadcasting Service]] (PBS)|accessdate=2009-06-07}}</ref> He attended and was a speaker at the [[Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival|Beyond Belief]] symposium on November 2006. In 2007, Tyson, who is known for his vibrant character, cheerful demeanor, and awe of the vastness of the universe itself, was chosen to be a regular on [[The History Channel]]'s popular series ''[[The Universe (TV series)|The Universe]]''.
In May 2010 he launched a one-hour radio talk show called [[Star Talk]] in which he co-hosted the show with comedienne [[Lynne Koplitz]]. The show was syndicated on Sunday afternoons on [[KTLK (AM)|KTLK AM]] in Los Angeles and [[WHFS]] in Washington DC. The show lasted for 13 weeks, but was ressurected in December 2010 cohosted with comedians [[Chuck Nice]] and [[Leighann Lord]] instead of Koplitz.
==Views==
Tyson has argued that [[intelligent design]], which credits complex, yet-to-be-understood phenomena in nature to a higher intelligence, thwarts the advance of scientific knowledge.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YotBtibsuh0 YouTube - Neil deGrasse Tyson on "Intelligent Design" at "Beyond Belief", Youtube]</ref><ref>[http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/read/2005/11/01/the-perimeter-of-ignorance Neil deGrasse Tyson : "The Perimeter of Ignorance"]</ref><ref name="HolyWars">[http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/read/1999/10/01/holy-wars Holy Wars] from [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]</ref> He has written and broadcast extensively about his views of religion, spirituality and the spirituality of science itself including the essays "The Perimeter of Ignorance"<ref>[http://research.amnh.org/users/tyson/18magazines_perimeter.php The Perimeter of Ignorance] from Tyson's website</ref> and "Holy Wars"<ref name="HolyWars" /> both appearing in ''[[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History]]'' magazine and the 2006 ''Beyond Belief'' workshop.<ref>[http://beyondbelief2006.org/ Beyond Belief 2006: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival] from [[The Science Network]]</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgSaTYLYRGI Beyond Belief '06 - Neil deGrasse Tyson] (Monday, November 5) from YouTube</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJOpDLjpSYI Beyond Belief '06 - Neil deGrasse Tyson] (Tuesday, November 7th) from [[YouTube]]</ref>
Tyson lived next to the [[World Trade Center]] and was an eyewitness to the [[September 11 attacks|September 11, 2001 attacks]]. He wrote a widely circulated letter on what he saw.<ref>[http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/read/2001/09/11/the-horror-the-horror "The Horror, The Horror"] from Tyson's website</ref> On June 6, 2008, after the conclusion of the [[Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008|Democratic presidential primaries]], Tyson wrote an op-ed in ''[[The New York Times]]'' in which he presented a statistical analysis of recent polling data. From this analysis, Tyson concluded that in a hypothetical election held on the day of publication of his article, [[Barack Obama]] would lose to [[John McCain]], whereas [[Hillary Clinton]] would beat McCain.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/06/opinion/06tyson.html|title=Vote by Numbers|work=The New York Times|author=Neil deGrasse Tyson|date=2008-06-06|accessdate=2009-06-07}}</ref>
Tyson has collaborated with evolutionary biologist [[Richard Dawkins]] and presented talks with him on religion and science.<ref>[http://richarddawkins.net/events#event_3ef651d96580d1fc9c00e2ddb9d70139 Richard Dawkins website]</ref> When asked if he personally believed in a higher power, Tyson responded: "Every account of a higher power that I've seen described, of all religions that I've seen include many statements with regard to the benevolence of that power. When I look at the universe and all the ways the universe wants to kill us, I find it hard to reconcile that with statements of beneficence."<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZhOm6N4-I0&feature=channel Youtube video]</ref>
==Media appearances==
Tyson was the keynote speaker during the dedication ceremony of [[Deerfield Academy]]'s new science center, the Koch Center in 2007. He emphasized the impact science will have on the 21st century, as well as explaining that investments into science may be costly, but their returns in the form of knowledge gained, and perking interest is invaluable. Tyson also appeared as the Keynote speaker at [[The Amazing Meeting]] 6, a science and skepticism conference hosted by the ''[[James Randi Educational Foundation]]'', in June 2008.
Tyson appeared a record eight times on ''[[The Colbert Report]]'' between October 26, 2005 and January 6, 2011. He also appeared four times on ''[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]'' between January 2007 and March 2010, once to discuss black holes and his new book ''[[Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries]]''. Two days after his first appearance on ''The Daily Show'', the book ranked as the fourth best selling book on Amazon. He has also made appearances on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' (2007).<ref>http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/watch</ref> He served as one of the central interviewees on the various episodes of the [[History Channel]] science program, ''[[The Universe (TV series)|The Universe]]'' and was featured as a guest interviewee on episode #156 of ''[[The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe]]'' (2008). Tyson participated on the [[NPR]] radio quiz program ''[[Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!]]'' in 2007.<ref>[http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=35&prgDate=02-24-2007&view=storyview Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!] from [[National Public Radio|NPR]]</ref> On October 25, 2008 he appeared on the series premiere of ''[[D.L. Hughley Breaks the News]]'', a [[CNN]] comedic news show. In 2009 he appeared as a guest on [[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992 TV series)|The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]], talking about his book ''[[The Pluto Files]]''. On June 25, 2009 he appeared as a guest on ''[[Late Night With Jimmy Fallon]]'' to promote his book, ''[[The Pluto Files]]'' and talk about his PBS show, ''[[NOVA scienceNOW|Nova scienceNOW]]''. He has been in two of the [[Symphony of Science]] videos, We Are All Connected and The Poetry of Reality. In 2010 he appeared on "[[The Rachel Maddow Show (TV series)|The Rachel Maddow Show]]" to discuss Pluto's reclassification, during a recurring segment called "Moment of Geek." He also featured on an episode of ''[[Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?]]'' as the ask the expert lifeline.<ref>http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/cv/profiles</ref><ref>http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/626200</ref><ref>http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/648292</ref> In November 2008 Tyson made a [[guest appearance]] in an episode S05E16 "Brain Storm" of ''[[Stargate Atlantis]]''. In November 2010 Tyson made a [[guest appearance]] in an episode of ''[[The Big Bang Theory]]''.
==Personal life==
[[File:Neil deGrasse Tyson.jpg|thumb|Signing a copy of his book "Origins". Portrait taken at [[JREF]]'s TAM6, ''The Amazing Meeting'']] Tyson lives in New York City with his wife and two children.<ref>[http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/tyson/profile/about-neil-degrasse-tyson Profile on Official Tyson website]</ref> Tyson is a fine wine enthusiast whose collection was featured in the May 2000 issue of the ''[[Wine Spectator]]'' and the Spring 2005 issue ''[[The World of Fine Wine]]''.
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[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:Atheists]]