Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on the Bill Maher show on July 25, 2014.
I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Dr. Tyson in the summer of 2011. I found him to be a remarkably intelligent man with insights into the cosmos that continue to inspire me to this day. You can read about this in my book, Cosmology and Buddhist Thought: A Conversation with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson.
National Review Cover via image capture from video
When astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson dropped by Bill Maher’s show, Real Time, Bill Maher showed him the image on the left – a National Review cover story about Tyson called “Smarter Than Thou.”
He also talked to him about the cult of Tyson and “puffed-up ‘nerd’ culture” in America. This may have been the result of the extremely successful series, The Cosmos, that Tyson hosted.
Maher asked a simple question for Tyson: “Why do you think the right dislikes you so much?”
Maher’s theory was that they dislike Tyson “’cause you’re a scientist, and you’re a black one.” They resent the fact that he’s smarter than them.
Tyson noted that there “appears to be some jealousy” on the right that the “nerd set” tends to vote more Democratic.
Maher also brought up broader scientific theories that Republicans don’t like, like the idea that earth life is very insignificant in the scope of the universe.
Tyson argued that it’s actually amazing to imagine how everything is connected. This is what we talked about in my book Cosmology and Buddhist Thought: A Conversation with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. We call this the insight of interbeing – a word invented by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Interbeing teaches that humans are linked to trees and all other life forms as well as the planet, solar system and the universe.
Watch this hilarious video to see who does not like Neil deGrasse Tyson.
For more about Neil deGrasse Tyson and cosmology read:
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Cosmology and Buddhist Thought: A Conversation with Dr. Neil deGrasse Tysonby Dr. Jerome Freedman Cosmology and Buddhist Thought is the result of a conversation with astrophysicist and television celebrity, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, that took place in New York at the end of May, 2011. While cosmologists look at the outer space with massive instruments an… [Read More…] |
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