Neil deGrasse Tyson

2015-05-13T01:32:31Z

JoeyHS: Undo revision 1152335 by VargasMilan (talk)

'''Neil deGrasse Tyson''' is an astrophyicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium. Like the [[agnosticism|agnostic]] and [[evolution]]ist [[Richard Dawkins]], he is a very public figure, having been featured on various popular media programs such as the [[History Channel]], where he has promoted his agnostic, [[scientific]] and [[rational]] [[worldview]].<ref>[http://bigthink.com/think-tank/neil-degrasse-tyson-atheist-or-agnostic Is Neil deGrasse Tyson an atheist or agnostic?]</ref> He is the director of the Hayden Planetarium <ref>[http://www.haydenplanetarium.org/about/message Hayden Planetarium - About]</ref> and a member of the Planetary Society, but is not a professor. In 2014, Tyson was the host of 'Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey' <ref>[http://www.cosmosontv.com/ Cosmos]</ref> which is an updated version of the agnostic [[Carl Sagan|Carl Sagan's]] 1980 documentary entitled Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

==Quote Fabrication Controversies==
===Fabrication of a George W. Bush quote===
Tyson has been repeatedly accused of fabricating quotes that he uses in his presentations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/16/another-day-another-quote-fabricated-by-neil-degrasse-tyson/|title=Another Day, Another Quote Fabricated By Neil deGrasse Tyson|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 16, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> The most damning accusation is that he fabricated a quote that he attributes to President George W. Bush. Tyson claims that Bush said, "Our God is the God who named the stars" in the week shortly after 9/11 as a way of separating Christians and Jews from radical Muslims.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_jG5kKfacY#t=33|title=Neil deGrasse Tyson: George Bush and Star Names|last1=Tyson|first1=Neil|date=Unknown|website=YouTube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> However, there is zero evidence that George W. Bush ever uttered that phrase. He had a similar line in a February 2003 speech given after the Columbia space shuttle disaster: "The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghomwBSnM6w|title=George W. Bush: The American Presidency Project|last1=Bush|first1=George|date=February 1, 2003|website=YouTube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> The quote had nothing to do with Islam, nothing to do with 9/11 (it happened a year and a half after 9/11), and no reasonable observer could conclude that the line was meant to separate Jews or Christians from Muslims. Every aspect of Tyson's story about Bush and the quote about stars was found to be false.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/16/another-day-another-quote-fabricated-by-neil-degrasse-tyson/|title=Another Day, Another Quote Fabricated By Neil deGrasse Tyson|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 16, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref>

===Fabrication of a newspaper headline===
Tyson was also accused of fabricating a newspaper headline that he regularly uses to question the numerical illiteracy of journalists. The quote he uses in his presentations is, "Half the schools in the district were below average."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Y8tG6pJDY|title=Neil deGrasse Tyson - Fear of Numbers - 2012|last1=Tyson|first1=Neil|date=2012|website=YouTube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> He attributes that quote to "Newspaper Headline." However, extensive research using Google and Nexis records has revealed that such a headline does not exist.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/10/super-scientist-neil-degrasse-tyson-doesnt-understand-statistics/|title=Super Scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson Doesn’t Understand Statistics|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 10, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> Although a small handful of news articles contain similar phrases, none contains the verbatim phrase that is quoted extensively by Tyson.

Even if such a headline did occur, it might well be sensible if it were a shortened form of saying that half the schools in the district were below the state average. But without the story, it is impossible to say whether there was some mathematical stupidity.

===Fabrication of a Member of Congress quote===
In addition to using a newspaper headline that does not appear to exist, Tyson has also been accused of fabricating a quote which he says was uttered by a "Member of Congress."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/15/did-neil-degrasse-tyson-just-try-to-justify-blatant-quote-fabrication/|title=Did Neil deGrasse Tyson Just Try To Justify Blatant Quote Fabrication?|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 15, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> Tyson uses this quote in his presentations to illustrate the mathematical illiteracy of politicians. The quote cited by Tyson is, "I have changed my views 360 degrees on that issue."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/albertocairo/status/509742544616321026|title=And it's not just journalists who don't understand data...|last1=Cairo|first1=Alberto|date=September 10, 2014|website=twitter.com|publisher=Twitter|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> Tyson has also used this line in college commencement addresses.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-8-8401WQ|title=Neil deGrasse Tyson, Doctor of Science|last1=Tyson|first1=Neil|date=May 21, 2012|website=YouTube.com|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref>

As with the other quotes which Tyson is accused of fabricating, there is also zero evidence that this particular quote has ever been uttered by a member of Congress. Extensive searches of Google, Nexis, and the Congressional Record found no instance of the quote spoken by a member of Congress.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://thefederalist.com/2014/09/15/did-neil-degrasse-tyson-just-try-to-justify-blatant-quote-fabrication/|title=Did Neil deGrasse Tyson Just Try To Justify Blatant Quote Fabrication?|last1=Davis|first1=Sean|date=September 15, 2014|website=thefederalist.com|publisher=The Federalist|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> A similar quote was spoken by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) in 1998, but she was attacking a colleague, not referring to her own views.

“You have done a 360-degree turn," Waters said, according to the ''Los Angeles Times''. "I’m a little disappointed. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that you would have such a conflict in views about perjury and lying.”<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.latimes.com/1998/dec/09/news/mn-52296|title=Never Condoned Lying Under Oath, Hyde Says|last1=Writer|first1=Staff|date=December 9, 1998|website=latimes.com|publisher=The Los Angeles Times|accessdate=September 16, 2014}}</ref> If Tyson was referring to Waters' quote, it is unclear why he mangled it and then refused to cite her as the quote's source.

Nor it is clear why Tyson objects to the term "360-degree turn". A politician might well reverse his views on an issue twice, and that could be described as a 360-degree turn.

Hey Andy, attacking Tyson on your pathetic wiki does nothing. No matter what you do, your resume and your credentials will always be the equivalent of dog shit, especially when compared with someone like Tyson's. Sure he made a few misquotes, however he later admitted he was wrong, like a true scientist does. YOU, on the other hand, REFUSE TO ADMIT YOU'RE WRONG (or acting like a spoiled brat) when you OBVIOUSLY are (FBI Incident and Lenski Affair ring any bells?). Grow up, you pathetic imbecile.

== See also ==

*[[Irreligion and superstition]]
*[[Evolution and Cases of Fraud, Hoaxes and Speculation]]
*[[Age of the earth]]

== Notes ==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tyson, Neil deGrasse}}
[[Category:Agnostics]]

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Neil deGrasse Tyson