Spring Break
The Daily OrangeAstrophysicist praises potential of human understanding
By Ashley Kingsford
Posted: 11/10/04, 1:25 AM EST Section: News
Even though the night sky stretches out infinitely, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson sees only potential in the human race's ability to capture that idea.
Tyson used this theme of comprehension in his lecture at Hendricks Chapel Tuesday night. Degrasse used the cosmos to explain the possibilities of the human mind.
According to Tyson, many people think they know about the universe that exists around us, but they are still uninformed about the information they are hearing. To prove this, Tyson showed a list of false statements that the average person hears throughout his lifetime and has come to accept as reality.
"It's frightening that people believe this stuff," Tyson said. "It just shows that people know very little about the universe."
Citing the common idea that the North Star is the brightest star in the sky, Tyson disproved the notion by saying most people are unwilling to look at the statement a different way.
"The North Star is actually the 49th brightest star," Tyson said. "That is why your wishes won't come true."
Although many people do not know a whole lot about the universe, Tyson said they seem to be obsessed with it. Many publications continue to give issues concerning the cosmos top priority. He cited an instance in the New York Times in which coverage of the planet Pluto shared the front page with President George W. Bush.
Tyson said he wants to make people more aware of the solar system and make sure museums represent the universe in the correct manner. He recently helped add a $200 million addition to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
The renovations to the Museum of Natural History that Tyson endorsed included a "cosmic pathway" representing a timeline of the universe. The pathway was constructed so that each step visitors made would represent 70 million years in the universe's history. To represent the space humans have taken up in the timeline, a single strand of hair was embedded in the path.
Tyson said he felt adamant about informing people about the universe around them. He said even if people learn nothing after leaving the museum, he hopes an interest in the universe will be sparked.
Tyson ended his lecture with the thought that "we are stardust," which emphasized the point that we as humans are one with the universe and we should know about our solar system because it is all a part of us.
Tyson used this theme of comprehension in his lecture at Hendricks Chapel Tuesday night. Degrasse used the cosmos to explain the possibilities of the human mind.
According to Tyson, many people think they know about the universe that exists around us, but they are still uninformed about the information they are hearing. To prove this, Tyson showed a list of false statements that the average person hears throughout his lifetime and has come to accept as reality.
"It's frightening that people believe this stuff," Tyson said. "It just shows that people know very little about the universe."
Citing the common idea that the North Star is the brightest star in the sky, Tyson disproved the notion by saying most people are unwilling to look at the statement a different way.
"The North Star is actually the 49th brightest star," Tyson said. "That is why your wishes won't come true."
Although many people do not know a whole lot about the universe, Tyson said they seem to be obsessed with it. Many publications continue to give issues concerning the cosmos top priority. He cited an instance in the New York Times in which coverage of the planet Pluto shared the front page with President George W. Bush.
Tyson said he wants to make people more aware of the solar system and make sure museums represent the universe in the correct manner. He recently helped add a $200 million addition to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.
The renovations to the Museum of Natural History that Tyson endorsed included a "cosmic pathway" representing a timeline of the universe. The pathway was constructed so that each step visitors made would represent 70 million years in the universe's history. To represent the space humans have taken up in the timeline, a single strand of hair was embedded in the path.
Tyson said he felt adamant about informing people about the universe around them. He said even if people learn nothing after leaving the museum, he hopes an interest in the universe will be sparked.
Tyson ended his lecture with the thought that "we are stardust," which emphasized the point that we as humans are one with the universe and we should know about our solar system because it is all a part of us.
