Finally it came to me what bugs me about Neil deGrasse Tyson is that he's so fookin' jolly. It seems every time I see him he's laughing or has comical Twitter posts or so.
But ... when they're corrupting the science in textbooks for children, that's not so funny.
He has a grave responsibility and only secondarily as a black guy as he's the King Astrophysicist just now and that carries heavy juju. Steven Hawking has been King forever but he looks like he's in it for the fun of it now as he turns up on Pink Floyd albums and The Simpsons. He has become kind of the background God King and Tyson is the front man.
The King Astrophysicist has something of a straightjacket when he mustn't lose his TV audience and that's the same situation Carl Sagan had. They become something between an entertainer and a scientist and, despite formidable qualifications as scientists, they look medium ridiculous on TV.
Given a remarkably small NASA budget and constant threats to cut it further, the King Astrophysicist needs to be something of an activist even though such activism may alienate some percentage of his viewing audience. So, yah, less comedy and more activism. That's the ticket.
Note: as a percentage of the full US budget, NASA is nothing more than a chicken scratch. When Congress shuts them down it's only for public spectacle as they have almost no effect on the budget. As to redirecting space dollars to Earth, it would make no difference as they don't spend enough.
But ... when they're corrupting the science in textbooks for children, that's not so funny.
He has a grave responsibility and only secondarily as a black guy as he's the King Astrophysicist just now and that carries heavy juju. Steven Hawking has been King forever but he looks like he's in it for the fun of it now as he turns up on Pink Floyd albums and The Simpsons. He has become kind of the background God King and Tyson is the front man.
The King Astrophysicist has something of a straightjacket when he mustn't lose his TV audience and that's the same situation Carl Sagan had. They become something between an entertainer and a scientist and, despite formidable qualifications as scientists, they look medium ridiculous on TV.
Given a remarkably small NASA budget and constant threats to cut it further, the King Astrophysicist needs to be something of an activist even though such activism may alienate some percentage of his viewing audience. So, yah, less comedy and more activism. That's the ticket.
Note: as a percentage of the full US budget, NASA is nothing more than a chicken scratch. When Congress shuts them down it's only for public spectacle as they have almost no effect on the budget. As to redirecting space dollars to Earth, it would make no difference as they don't spend enough.
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