Neil deGrasse Tyson, an internationally renowned astrophysicist, science policy advisor, and media personality, has made significant contributions to science education and public outreach. His engagements extend to various platforms, including lectures, media appearances, and advisory roles. This article explores Tyson's connection with Syracuse University, highlighting his lectures, discussions on science in movies, and contributions to science education and outreach.
Tyson's work centers on problems of galactic structure, star formation, and galaxy evolution. His research interests also include dwarf galaxies and the "bulge" at the center of the Milky Way. As the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson is known for translating complex cosmic phenomena into terms non-scientists can comprehend.
Lectures and Public Appearances
Neil deGrasse Tyson has visited Syracuse to discuss science in blockbuster movies. He knows most adults won't crack open a science textbook out of pure curiosity, but pop culture can be the best vehicle for sharing theories and what-if scenarios about our universe.
On Tuesday, April 25, Tyson addressed some of the best and worst uses of science in pop culture onstage at the Landmark Theatre. It's one of his favorite topics. Here are 11 scientific pop culture moments he loves to unpack:
- Would we have superpowers if we used our whole brain? Tyson debunks the myth that humans only use 10 percent of their brain.
- Cryogenics: More like bad freezer burn. Tyson doesn't buy cryogenics as a way to avoid aging or to time travel. "Human biological tissue is probably too fragile to survive being frozen for very long."
- Zombies: They can't exist. "When something bites you, you don't turn into that thing," he said. "If that were remotely possible, Evander Holyfield would have turned into Mike Tyson long ago."
- Quidditch in space. Tyson says the chasers, beaters, keepers and seekers could make the game work in space, as long as space suits and rocket packs were used to move around in zero gravity, rather than capes and magic broomsticks.
- The problem with lightsabers. If lightsabers were made of light they would just pass through each other.
- Can we replace skeletons with metal? "For the human body to work, you'd have to graft the tissue onto the metal. Our muscles connect to ligaments that connect to your bones. It works biologically. In order to get foreign material in there, you gonna have to attach it all some other way."
- Potato farming on Mars. Enough water and grow lights make the theory plausible, but essential soil nutrients for potato growth would be sorely lacking, he says, even with human fertilizer.
- Jurassic Park: Why not? "If you can't build stuff, you're just a really smart useless animal, otherwise," he said. "Set up a trip wire and you're good. You can keep eating your lunch. I'm not worried about smart animals that can't build stuff, on an island somewhere."
- "Star Trek" warp drive invented to explain space travel. Tyson appreciates how the "Trek" writers made an effort to include physics in their plot.
Tyson also served as a keynote speaker at the NEXT technology, manufacturing, and innovation conference on the Syracuse University campus. He explored the state of science literacy in America and the importance of continued investment in scientific research for economic health.
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Teaching science: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Innovare Advancement Center
Tyson participated in the virtual event launching the Innovare Advancement Center about Quantum Information Science at Rome Air Force Base. He also delivered the keynote, “Quantum Fundamentals for Everyone,” at the “Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accelerator.”
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) leads the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies. The Innovare Advancement Center aims to converge world-class talent with cutting-edge facilities in critical research areas, including artificial intelligence/machine learning, cybersecurity, quantum, and unmanned aerial systems.
Syracuse University Physics Department
The Syracuse University Physics Department has celebrated several achievements:
- Physics majors Beatriz Bueno Dorea, Jia Ying Ling, Shane Ryan, Kathleen McHugh, and Seif Hejazine were recognized with an award for their academic excellence.
- Stephen Bogan was awarded the Beardsley Award.
- Diane Portugal was awarded the Gelling Award.
- Laurel White was named a 2020 Goldwater Scholar.
- Soumi De was awarded a Los Alamos Fellowship.
Doctoral candidates Merrill Asp, Kenneth Ratliff, and Ohana Benevides Rodrigues were selected as Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants. Graduate Student, Ohana Benevides Rodrigues was elected to be a Fermilab Student and Postdoc Association (FSPA) officer.
Ph.D. Defenses
Several students successfully defended their Ph.D. dissertations:
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| Name | Defense Date | Dissertation Title |
|---|---|---|
| Brandon Melcher | April 3, 2020 | Cosmological Implications of Co-Decaying Dark Matter |
| Soumi De | June 18, 2020 | Merging neutron star and black hole binaries: Inference of their parameters and hydrodynamic simulations of their formation and fate |
| Ethan Stanifer | June 25, 2020 | Investigating the relationships between disorder, structure, and dynamics in amorphous systems |
| Francis Toriello | July 23, 2020 | Laboratory Studies of Structural Changes in Water-Poor and Water-Rich Ices: A Connection to Molecule Formation in Interstellar Ices |
| Motahareh Larimi | July 24, 2020 | Investigating the Parameters Influencing the Sensitivity of a Protein Nanopore Sensor |
| Preeti Sahu | August 4, 2020 | Fluidization and Segregation in Confluent Models for Biological Tissues |
| Kuang Liu | August 13, 2020 | Rigidity in Frictional Particle Packings and Dynamics in Living Polymeric Packings |
Allegations of Sexual Misconduct
National Geographic investigated allegations of sexual misconduct against Neil deGrasse Tyson. The astrophysicist was accused of sexual misconduct by three women in November, just after the fifth season of his show StarTalk aired. In the November allegations, musician Tchiya Amet said Tyson raped her while they were graduate students in the 1980s. A physics professor later said Tyson groped her at a party and one of his former assistants said he made unwanted advances toward her.
Read also: DeGrasse Tyson on Civilization