nPostednOctober 5, 2016
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nToday’snthe day to celebrate one of the world’s most famous astrophysicists.nWhy is THIS particular astrophysicist so famous, you might ask?
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| Could it be because he is so adorable? |
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nOfncourse, like anyone who has achieved a lot, NeilndeGrasse Tyson worked hard, going to school and getting a bajillionndegrees, doing research associate stuff in the American Museum ofnNatural History’s Department of Astrophysics, and directing thenHayden Planetarium in New York City.
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nAndnthen he worked a little more:
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nHenwrote columns and a Q&A for magazines, he published books, hendid public speaking, and he hosted TV shows and podcasts. Because ofnall of this stuff, NdGT is considered at least as important for hisnscience communication with the public as for his science itself.
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nHencarries the public-communications torch once carried by beloved (and,nsadly, now dearly departed) astronomer / writer / public speaker / TVnshow host Carl Sagan. For one thing, Sagan’s amazing TV series Cosmosnhad a new-updated version, in 2014 – and it was hosted by NeilndeGrasse Tyson. n
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nInnthat show, NdGT explained a bit about Sagan’s influence on him:
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nCarlnSagan wanted to meet with NdGT when the latter was just a 17-year-oldnkid from the Bronx. Sagan showed young Neil around Cornell Universitynand gave him an autographed book (“For Neil Tyson, With all goodnwishes to a future astronomer”). It was very meaningful to NdGTnthat Sagan did all of that…
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n…andnthen:
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nAtnthe end of the day, he drove me back to the bus station. The snow wasnfalling harder. He wrote his phone number, his home phone number, onna scrap of paper. And he said, “If the bus can’t get n
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nthrough,ncall me. Spend the night at my home, with my family.”
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nInalready knew I wanted to become a scientist, but that afternoon Inlearned from Carl the kind of person I wanted to become. He reachednout to me and to countless others. Inspiring so many of us to study,nteach, and do science. Science is a cooperative enterprise, spanningnthe generations.
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nNeilndeGrasse Tyson cannot help but spill wisdom here, there, andneverywhere, so as a special birthday celebration, enjoy:
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nAlsonon this date:
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BalloonsnAround the World Day
BalloonsnAround the World Dayn
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nEncyclopedistnDenis Diderot’s birthday
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nPortugal’snRepublic Day
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nNovembern holidays
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nNovembern birthdays
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nHistoricaln anniversaries in November
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