The Best of Neil deGrasse Tyson Talks

Neil deGrasse Tyson is the world-renowned America astrophysicist and the internet’s favorite science guy. He is also a lecturer, author, radio personality, TV host of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, director of the Hayden Planetarium and research associate in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. And he de-planeted Pluto.

SEE ALSO: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s most mind blowing tweets

Internet is full of videos featuring Dr. Tyson that it was nearly impossible to pick just seven of his best sermons on science  – from state addresses and conferences to interviews on talk shows.

1. Beyond Belief, 2006

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s first talk at Beyond Belief 2006. Makes some excellent points about intelligent design.

 

2. Dawkins vs. Tyson, Beyond Belief, 2006

At the Beyond Believe discussion Thyson rebukes Dawkins for his rhetorical style. It’s short and a good introduction to just how cutting Dr. Tyson can be without ever being offensive.

 

3. The Poetry of Science, with Richard Dawkins

Famed evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins, and noted astrophysicist and author, Neil Degrasse Tyson, will meet at Howard University to discuss the elegance and beauty that science and the natural world have to offer to mankind, and why it is so important that everyone is exposed to this beauty.

 

4. Testifying before the US Senate Science Committee

In 2012, Dr. Tyson testified before the US Senate Science committee, ardently advocating against cutting funds from the NASA space shuttle program. This video captures his passionate defense of scientific research and the importance of education, as well as the need for further—not decreased—funding.

 

5. On Aliens and ET

As an expert on all things space, Dr. Tyson also has some very interesting thoughts on UFOs, ET and aliens. He shares them with the audience in this lecture.

 

6. On Pluto’s Place in the Universe

Dr. Tyson is a very vocal opponent of calling Pluto a planet. Much to the chagrin of Pluto enthusiasts like and Seth Meyers, Tyson has worked tirelessly to remove Pluto from its planetary peers like Venus and Mars. Here, Dr. Tyson squares off against Meyers on Late Night with Seth Meyers about the topic.

 

7. On The Theory of Everything

The topic of a unifying idea that can tie the General and Special relativity, and thus all of physics, together is inherently interesting, if not fruitful, and the debators bring everything they’ve got. But watching how deftly our host brings it all together shows just how necessary he is, not just to the world at large but to the near-cloistered science community, too.

8. Keynote Speech, 28th National Space Symposium, 2012

Dr. Tyson’s Keynote Speech at the National Space Symposium sums up all of his scientific brilliance in one talk. Though he doesn’t really deliver much new material – hearkening back to previous points he has raised – it’s still a powerful example of his rhetoric and passion for his craft.

The Best of Neil deGrasse Tyson Talks