Everyone knows of the planet Pluto, it was the only American discovered planet, Mickey Mouse’s dog’s name; it is the most popular planet in America. But the man who was in charge of the research to declare Pluto out of the planet category is Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson has gained a lot of publicity from this, his other tv shows, radio shows and social media; leading to high pop culture status as a scientist. Neil deGrasse Tyson has positively influenced the world through this books, scientific findings and being a highly respected scientist. He also has a pop culture presence through his tweets and tv shows, where his main goal is not to entertain, but to educate and enlighten people about astrophysics. Neil deGrasse Tyson is an acclaimed and …show more content…
From all of this media popularity and being a astrophysicist, he has earned the title “Nerd with street cred”(newsmakers). A Forbes article says “his message is not primarily about the content of scientific discoveries. Instead, it's rooted in science as a shared human endeavor.”(what is Neil deGrasse Tyson’s rule in the scientific community). Tysons main goal is not to be the most famous person alive, or conduct the most experiments or be the smartest person ever. Instead, he thinks everyone deserves to know about science and should know about science. Through this mindset, Tyson has gained popularity. Tyson explains, "If I spend as much as a minute of your time that you come see me at a talk just entertaining you and not enlightening you, I would have failed in my mission to educate and enlighten. The entertainment is not the goal; the enlightenment is"(Neil deGrasse Tyson). Tyson has gained fame and money from his popularity and he knows this. But he is not really concerned about all that. Every minute of his life he has a mission to enlighten, not just entertain. Tyson loves science and loves to explain science to other people, and he uses his platform to do just that. Tyson just uses his popularity on tv, radio, and social media as a platform to accomplish his …show more content…
He has conducted various scientific findings, earning him respect from fellow scientists around the world. As explained “Though he is a popular figure on television and social media, impassioned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson's primary job is serving as the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and conducting related research” (Newsmakers).Tyson continues to be a popular figure in the eyes of the general public. But he still has a main occupation that reflects his interests and his education; at a planetarium. He hasn't “sold out” to be famous. Jeff Foust wrote in a review of Tyson’s The pluto files “ Tyson and colleagues decided to eschew the standard display of the solar system for one grouped by “families”: the Sun, the terrestrial planets, the asteroid belt, the gas giants, and finally the Kuiper Belt of distant icy bodies, of which Pluto appeared to be a natural member”(foust). This is just part of Tyson’s research on the so called planet pluto. Working for a solution, Tyson was finally able to justify a category for the now dwarf planet pluto. He televised all of his work, and wrote about it. This is a huge part of Tyson’s career earning him a great deal of prestige and respect. Education is a major part in Tyson’s life. He is always looking to further his education weather it is going to class, conducting research, or even learning from other people he comes in contact
Chris Hadfield was a small town boy that became a celebrity through hard work and using what he learned to his advantage. Chris Hadfield managed to increase the popularity of the career choice of an astronaut, help Canada build its own space agency and was a leading pioneer in the exploration of space for Canada. To conclude, Chris Hadfield has accomplished many things that and has proven that he is very important to
America went to the moon in the 1960’s, during a time of war, a time that was so far behind in technology compared to now, but yet human beings went to the moon . Human beings are capable of many wonderful things and their potential has no limits, except for the limits that are placed by government and society. Neil deGrasse Tyson attempted to liberate NASA from the limits of low funding by giving a speech to the U.S Senate. Tyson used emotion and logical thinking to make the complexity of NASA as relatable to the audience as possible, and by doing so he wanted to convey to them how important NASA is in our society today and the future of the human kind.
Christopher Hitchens took a very one-sided approach to the idea of science and religion co-existing. In his work, “Does science make belief in God obsolete?” he made various attempts to poke fun at the concept of religion in modern times. However, the one that stuck out to me the most was when Hitchens said “It is how we came up with answers before we had any evidence. It belongs to the terrified childhood of our species, before we knew about germs or could account for earthquakes. It belongs to our childhood, too, in the less charming sense of a demanding a tyrannical authority: a protective parent who demands compulsory love even as he exacts a tithe of fear.” (4). Religion was a method of our predecessors to give answer the questions they couldn’t solve, and give a purpose to life. But, I believe it is an outdated method since science has become commonplace after 1832.
Imagine a world where many people are not born the way they are just by chance, but by design. Not a design by a god but by men. What is one of the most common science fiction topics? Well thanks to scientific advancement people can start moving cloning more into science and less into fiction. Thanks to the impeccable work of many scientists across the world the world is moving forward in many ways. But it begs the question, what limits do politicians have to place on science? Is best to let them have free reign over their domain, as politicians have on their own, or do they need to be tethered? Because of the advancements in communications, the world culture is becoming less and less divisible, so anything in one country effects the rest of the world more and more every day. What is coming in the future, and is the human race overstepping its boundaries? There are many concerns to be faced in the future that are coming.
Our inquisitive America, extensively interested in science, geography, history, and art, had an enormous discovery sitting in its backyard. The Corps of Discovery – installed with dangerous travel, difficult interactions, and golden opportunities – was America’s greatest expedition, led by the famous Meriwether Lewis and his chosen partner, William Clark.
Although Pluto was discovered in 1930, limited information on the distant planet delayed a realistic understanding of its characteristics. Today Pluto remains the only planet that has not been visited by a spacecraft, yet an increasing amount of information is unfolding about this peculiar planet. The uniqueness of Pluto's orbit, rotational relationship with its satellite, spin axis, and light variations all give the planet a certain appeal.
Many issues have arisen from the debate whether or not Pluto is a planet. Some astronomers say that Pluto should be classified as a “minor planet” due to its size, physical characteristics, and other factors. On the other hand, some astronomers defend Pluto’s planet status, citing several key features.
This project for Earth Science proved to be quite engaging. At first, I thought that the project was going to be long and arduous, however, being able to choose my topic for the project actually helped in galvanizing interest in it. Through this project, I learned a whole lot about the Jovian planets that fascinated me when I was a child. From gargantuan Jupiter, ringed Saturn, peculiar Uranus, and stormy Neptune, I learned many facts that I couldn’t discover outside of Earth Science. I learned many facts like how the Jovian planets got their colors, and whether or not Gas Giants are solely made of gas. I enjoy the fact that we are able to choose what we want to research about, choosing what interests us the most. Thanks to this project, I feel that I know just a bit more about the vast amount of knowledge of our Universe.
In addition to its moons, Pluto has a core, geology, seasons, and an atmosphere. Alan Stern is a planetary scientist with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA). According to Stern, “I can’t think of a single distinguishing characteristic that would set apart Pluto and other things that you’d call a planet, other than its size. So I like to say, ‘a Chihuahua is still a dog.’” Also from Discovery Education the text states, “Other astronomers have noted that their colleagues sometimes call Jupiter a giant planet. Why can’t Pluto be called a dwarf planet without being downgraded from planet status?” Another fact stated from Discovery Education was, “about 90% of the planets known to astronomers are outside Earth’s solar system. Some of these extra-solar planets do not fit the IAU’s definition of a planet. Yet IAU astronomers still refer to them as planets.” USA Today stated, “The debate among Gingerich, Williams and Dimitar Sasselov, director of the Harvard Origins of Life Initiative, took place Sept. 18 with scientists, teachers and civilians watching. Two of the three, Gingerich and Sasselov, said Pluto should be a planet. A vote among audience members agreed.” Another statement mentioned by USA Today was, “Harvard science historian Owen Gingerich, who chairs the IAU planet definition committee, argued at a forum last month that "a planet is a culturally defined word that changes over time," and that Pluto is a planet.” Finally from CNN they interviewed Alan Stern, a member of NASA, who said, “We're just learning that a lot of planets are small planets, and we didn't know that before” and “Fact is, in planetary science, objects such as Pluto and the other dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt are considered planets and called planets in everyday discourse in scientific
There are many myths when talking about science. Myths are usually routined views or stories that help make sense of things. Misunderstandings of science are most likely due to educational programs. The article focuses on ten myths.
An Astronomy topic that has always been intriguing is space travel. The ability to rocket into space, look down on Earth, and “…explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before” (IMDB) is an adventure that people dream of experiencing. On July 20, 1969, an estimated six million people watched Neil Armstrong become the first man to walk on the Moon (Nixon Library). Presently, people are paying Virgin Galactic $250,000 to reserve a seat on a spaceship that is expected to tour suborbital space in the near future (Virgin Galactic). Although space travel continues to be of interest, there is also some controversy. Controversies include: the allocation of government resources for space exploration, government verses commercial spacecrafts, and the need to colonize other planets for the survival of humanity. The intrigue and the controversy of space travel are the reasons for this Astronomy conversation.
Are any scientific theories true? If so why? If not why do we rely on them?
Ever since the beginning of time there have been stars. Not only stars in the sky, but moons, planets, and even galaxies! Astronomy is defined as the branch of science that deals with celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. In other words it is the study of space, planets, and stars. Throughout the ages, many people have used astronomy to help them learn about the universe, our own planet, and even make predictions about life itself. Understanding astronomy means understanding where it originated, the different groups/cultures that used it, and modern purposes of the science of the stars.
The big bang theory is an attempt to explain how the world began. The big bang theory begins with what is called a “singularity.” This term is used to describe an area in space which defies all the known laws of physics. Singularities are thought to exist at the core of black holes. Black holes are areas of intense gravitational pressure. The pressure is thought to be so intense that matter is pressed together into an infinite amount of pressure. The dense hot mass of the singularity slowly expanded. This process is called inflation. As the singularity expanded the universe went from dense and hot to cool and expansive. Inflation is still continuing on today which means that the universe is continually expanding.
Eventually, after all of the bias against the heliocentric model subsided, it was looked at in a new light. The Roman Catholic Church even eventually accepted it. Scientists began to discover that the Sun was and still is at the center of the solar system and that all the planets, including Earth, orbit it. Even though Copernicus had to fight to get his theory published and even though it had a misleading preface, Copernicus’ theory was eventually given the thought and consideration that it deserved. It has helped scientists propose the modern model of the solar system which is incredibly accurate. Copernicus’ theory also forced the Roman Catholic Church to change their view of the solar system in the light of science. These positive changes are still clearly visible today in many of the schools and churches across the globe.