Our history, in the cosmos and on planet Earth, was shaped by countless events, some obviously epic, some seemingly trivial, yet all vital in getting us to this point, here and now, the people we are today. Neil deGrasse Tyson More Quotes by Neil deGrasse Tyson More Quotes From Neil deGrasse Tyson We still don't know for sure what the trigger was, but since we've discovered meteorites with supernova dust, we do know that a violent explosion rocked our cosmic neighborhood at the time of our birth, and it's quite possible that without it, our stable, stately solar system would never exist at all. Neil deGrasse Tyson violentbirthdust The press still thinks [global warming] is controversial. So they find the 1% of the scientists and put them up as if they're 50% of the research results. You in the public would have no idea that this is basically a done deal and that we're on to other problems, because the journalists are trying to give it a 50/50 story. It's not a 50/50 story. It's not. Period. Neil deGrasse Tyson givingideasthinking I'd like to live in a world where people embrace objective truths rather than be offended by them. Neil deGrasse Tyson objective-truthpeopleworld In fact, I think it was the philosopher Hume who argued that it's far more likely that a miracle is a new physical phenomenon that we have yet to discover and have now discovered in that moment than it is a spiritual force coming down from God making something happen in front of you. Neil deGrasse Tyson miraclespiritualthinking 95, 96 percent of all that drives the universe has no known origin. Neil deGrasse Tyson percentknownuniverse Thomas Jefferson basically secularized Jesus. Neil deGrasse Tyson jesus Most science fiction is about tomorrow, a tomorrow brought to you by innovations in science and technology, and China was worried that if they just have everybody learning what is, they're not going to be in a position to invent a tomorrow because their brain isn't even wired to go in that direction. Neil deGrasse Tyson innovationtechnologybrain You ask people, do you pray to [a person or] God. If you say yes to that, you're religious by, presumably, anybody's standards of your conduct. And it's the yes to that question that applies to 40% of scientists. So, there're plenty of atheists who are scientists or not scientists. There maybe a conflict but many people in this country coexist in both worlds. Neil deGrasse Tyson atheistreligiouscountry If our solar system is not unusual, then there are so many planets in the universe that, for example, they outnumber the sum of all sounds and words ever uttered by every human who has ever lived. To declare that Earth must be the only planet with life in the universe would be inexcusably bigheaded of us. Neil deGrasse Tyson examplewould-besound Next time you're stunned by a large moon on the horizon, bend over and view it between your legs. The effect goes away entirely. Neil deGrasse Tyson mind-blowingmoonviews Research in education has shown that we remember field trips long into adulthood. I remember visiting the post office in second grade and looking at the sorting machine. I have vivid memories of that, when I don't even remember the name of the teacher who took me. Neil deGrasse Tyson namesteachermemories Hunting for meteorites is like trying to find a pebble on miles of beach. Neil deGrasse Tyson huntingtryingbeach when I wrestled, I would set aside the time to wrestle, so that in my mind it didn't interfere with my study time. That helped me psychologically. When I'm wrestling, I'm not studying the universe. And when I'm studying the universe, I'm not wrestling. Neil deGrasse Tyson studymindwrestling Imagine a life-form whose brainpower is to ours as ours is to a chimpanzee’s. To such a species, our highest mental achievements would be trivial. Their toddlers, instead of learning their ABCs on Sesame Street, would learn multivariable calculus on Boolean Boulevard. Our most complex theorems, our deepest philosophies, the cherished works of our most creative artists, would be projects their schoolkids bring home for Mom and Dad to display on the refrigerator door. Neil deGrasse Tyson dadmomphilosophy We think scientific literacy flows out of how many science facts can you recite rather than how was your brain wired for thinking. And it's the brain wiring that I'm more interested in rather than the facts that come out of the curriculum or the lesson plan that's been proposed. Neil deGrasse Tyson brainfactsthinking Last I checked, Bill Gates was worth $50 billion. If the average employed adult, who is walking in a hurry, will pick up a quarter from the sidewalk, but not a dime, then the corresponding amount of money given their relative wealth that Bill Gates would ignore if he saw it lying on the street is $25,000. Neil deGrasse Tyson averagesciencelying I try to keep this in mind when tied in to a rope 75 feet up in a tree... The history of ideas about our place in the universe has been a long series of let-downs for those who like to believe we are special. Neil deGrasse Tyson feetbelieveideas Some air you inhale was exhaled by Cleopatra. Neil deGrasse Tyson mind-blowingairmind Once something is answered, then there's another question. Hence the eternal quest. Neil deGrasse Tyson eternalquests We are not figuratively, but literally stardust. Neil deGrasse Tyson stardust
