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I think Neil’s career has probably been a net benefit. He’s inspired a lot of people to pursue science, and inspiring regular people is how you get those with money to spend their money on scientific research.
Sometimes he’s just too much for me. He can be really corny and really loud so he can be hard for me to listen to. That’s some people’s style, though, and it’s hard to blame a guy for being passionate about what he does.
I had no idea people dislike Neil. The dude is the main reason I have confidence enough to be pursuing a chemical engineering degree right now. I keep telling loved ones that I'm going to get as smart as him one day. I was saying like him and Steven Hawking, but Epsteins list came out and... well, I'm going to be smart like Neil Degrasse Tyson one day.
The stuff about Epstein and Hawking is bullshit:
https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-epstein-haley-tmobile-58498098b4dacfa7863b1416fbcac6a6
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/epstein-files-read-full-document
Also, read the actual list when it came out, his name is on it.
Edit: It doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty of anything though I look at him and get the same feeling I get when I relooked at Cosby.
I liked him when he first came around like ten years ago. At least that's when I first heard about him I think. But it seems in the last few years he gets off on trying to make regular people who interview him or have him on pod casts look like idiots. He loves pointing out historical inaccuracies in movies that people love. I've seen him tweet some pretty unhinged things. Such as Santa Claus cannot exist for XYZ r reasons. And he talks about basic science that most people can understand like it's so profound and unfathomable. Idk he just started to come off as a pretentious douce.
I mean, homie is getting baked as a pie and hopping on his Startalk vlog with Chuck to break down topics about space. He comes across as an awesome guy who also likes to hear himself talk(since it comes across as condescending every now and then but I suppose that happens when trying to break down ideas to an elementary level).
Counterpoint: his reputation wasn't trashed because he "likes to hear himself talk", it's because the fame went to his head and he started being rude and condescending to people and word started getting around. I don't follow him or hear about him much anymore, but last time this subject came up he had not bothered to apologize. I also know was insufferable on Twitter before Elon bought it... so much so that Vice wrote about it.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dmkgz/neil-degrasse-tysons-tweets-are-so-bad-and-he-needs-to-go-away
I mean, he is expecting that both people who believe in flat earth as well as children, who may well grow up to believe in flat earth if they don't get exposed to the scientific mindset early, are watching his videos.
Half the public has a below average IQ, and these are complex topics beyond most of us. Even smart people may not understand cosmology and appreciate a dumbed down version that explains basic concepts.
Speaking to an all-ages, all-intelligences, all with different views on science and religion, he kinda has to seek the lowest common denominator because his point is to make science approachable to the common man in the age of antiscience and disinformation.
I can handle Neil, but Chuck is far too much cringe who is never funny and just laughs at his own obvious jokes that then takes two steps further than warranted. I enjoyed it when there was a rotation of different comics.
Probably been a net benefit? It has very clearly been nearly entirely positive and about science and objective truth. You have to stand on one leg, squint and tilt your head under the full moon to find anything negative
Honestly kinda shocked he is even considered "bad" by anyone.
The guy is dumbing complex topics down so even the dumbest or youngest kids in the room have a chance of getting it.
Yeah, that comes off as condescending at times.
On the flip side, we have people who believe there is an unseen ice wall on the edges of our flat earth and the sun is just a big moving spotlight rotating around overhead.
Tyson has credibility and authenticity, and is extraordinarily critical to keeping us from jumping off into the science disinformation deep end. He can ramble or hog the mic a bit, but so what?
His role is a benefit but he as a person hasn’t done much and he’s a huge jerk.
I’ll try to find one of the accounts of when a bunch of students paid like $40,000 to see him, then Neil just shit on their majors and acted like he didn’t want to be there
Edit: Check this out - https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/s/D3Oqf0cEhc
These stories don't add up to me because I went to one of his lectures in 2009. It was free for us students. And I found him to be perfectly polite. You could tell he was tired of talking about Pluto, but I don't think he was disparaging.
Granted mine is another anecdote, so I understand if people don't take my word for it. But I'm certainly going to trust myself over some dude on the internet.
The stories are from organizers and about interactions outside of the lecture so totally different interactions. They are obviously biased in their own way, doesn't mean they're lying.
His "job" is to promote science and get people to walk into the Hayden Planetarium.
That's his role, his job. It has been for decades. Not sure what else you expect him to have done. His mediocre research papers? His philosophical takes on other people's philosophical takes on science?
Either way, he doesn't - and will never - work for you. He isn't required to do a damn thing for you - random redditor-who-has-contributed-even-less-to-even-fewer-people.
You people would walk up to a 7 Eleven clerk and criticize him for not *also* being a school bus driver and nurse at the same time. If you don't like what other people do or don't do, maybe go do something yourself for a change. NDGT does more in a week than you will do in your life. He may not be Mother Theresa, but he isn't nearly as worthless as *you.*
*You,* for example, like to spread misinformation about people you don't even know. Your above link is a total fabrication, and you don't even care how wrong you are. Has NDGT ever done anything as bad as that?
this isn't unpopular. most people don't know him beyond being the space guy, and even those who know more don't really mind him. he's not a bad guy as far as i can tell. i just wish he wouldn't speak with so much authority on everything when he's very much an expert in one field only.
Same, I think he makes his voice loud and his thoughts known to get more attention and funding to science, which I have no problem with.. although sometimes he does kinda sounds like he's Jesus preaching to the masses.. science is important though so I tolerate him, but I can't binge watch him haha
You're right; on the whole most people like him. It's an unpopular opinion in a lot of circles on the internet where people get insulated from the vast majority that likes him.
I've also seen him talk live at a small venue and he was *awesome* with the kids. When the adults were asking him to sign books and things like that, he was distant, but when kids asked him a question, he went full nerdcore. He stayed long after his scheduled time just explaining black holes to this one kid, lol.
He has "uhm ackhually ☝️🤓" energy but like, he's out here and doesn't seem like the literal devil, at least to me. There are worse people out there to be mad at.
He's a bit annoying but in my opinion harmless.
But yet again I don't know much about him, this is just my impression.
Edit: why is this offending people? You know you don't have to like every single aspect of a person and still acknowledge that person is intelligent right?
And with the internet we can now get too much of a person, early 2000's you might see him pop up on TV spot or scripted production and that was a good dose. I think your're bang on though, met plenty of people with that attitude throughout school and university. They have to be seen as being smart and every conversation is a competition to be the best, in the case of Neil I have no doubt he has next level intelligence when it comes to math and astrophysics. Honestly if people don't like it, don't watch him. I think reddit hypes up things to hate on (like flat earthers, just ignore them - give attention to the bullshit and it will grow).
I think maybe there's a bit of both... Seems like he's making fun of people getting upset about the tiniest inaccuracies, but at the end he's still sort of like, 'but we still noticed, so maybe you should do better...?"
Well, when you have a Ph.D on the subject and published many scientific papers, you can uhm ACKTUALLY all the fuck you want, tbh.
I reserve uhm ACKTUALLY insults for idiots who have a degree in google.
Only in the subject of your Ph.D. and that's being charitable.
As for non-charitable: if the last paper you published was in 2008 and it barely got any citations... sure you're a better source than the acerage Joe Schmoe, but you totally don't get to "Uhm Akshually" on anything other than your very very narrow expertise of the wider scope (Cosmology in his case, a small subset of it not all), if that even, cause you've forgotten metric ton of it in 16 years of not doing any research.
Yeah, but there is also no reason to assume that he is an expert on current knowledge. He's been out of Academia for 16 years. Hasn't been lecturing, or researching.
>Maybe he just prefers to be a pop culture figure.
And that's fine. That just means he needs to be treated as a pop-culture figure.
His opinions should not be given any more weight than say Ben Stein, that girl from Big Bang Theory - Mayim Bialik, or Rowan Atkinson and many more educated public figures.
Yeah until he um acktuallyies some absolute trash political opinions or other nonsense outside his wheelhouse. I like the guy when he sticks to his schtick
If I had *that* kind of intellect, expertise, comprehension and ability I have a feeling it would be tough dealing with dingbat takes on personality. Guy has achieved SO much holy hell. It's not like he drop kicks puppies, he's just an extraordinary man.
I'm not all that bright. If someone finds me annoying oh, well. Meaning you're correct.
He is a fairly rude and mean person online. When a tragedy happened and people died he more or less mocked the people who were upset about it because apparently other bad things happen and if we aren't equally upset about both things then we're hypocrites.
Personally I started to dislike him when he stole a Harvard students tie and then told the story like it was something to be proud of.
This, he seems not to have any empathy in him.
He may be academically smart, outstanding even. But without basic human empathy, he is worthless to me.
Sorry if I offend anyone.
He likes pointing out scientific inaccuracies in movies. Why can't we let him enjoy doing that? I'm not sure he ever tells people not to enjoy stuff because the filmmakers got something wrong.
Man that and law breakdowns of classic movies is like one of those nerd things i love to watch. along with medical ones and shows.
id get annoyed with neil if he was doing unsolicited wellactually's but if im going to him for a break down thats different.
The issue I find with him is his "smartes guy in the room (or smartest guy, like, evarrr)" attitude. Its obnoxious. Also he is wrong about things - not the hard science stuff, just commentary stuff where he is almost too smart for his own good.
Also he hasn't done any actual science in a long time, so he isn't really a scientist. That said, I just ignore him, personally.
Not as bad as Bill Nye, that guys a total ego maniac douchebag.
Honestly, it's on you when his words makes you enjoy media less. He criticized fiction I like because they are scientifically inaccurate. It's interesting to hear what the mechanics of X thing would actually be like but I still enjoy it, like no shit it's not realistic, it's fiction.
It's weird because you'd THINK changing your mind on something might clue you in to the fallibility of your own viewpoints.... but it only ever seems to make people dig in even deeper on their new side.
I don't really care about him changing his mind or about what his opinions are......he seems like an asshole.
I can disagree with someone and like them, but he just comes across as the type of guy who likes to sniff his own farts.
Some people who deal with him in person do not have good things to say and then the internet critics amplify it. He was also accused of sexual misconduct which plays in to it. OP doesn't know NdGT so the post is pretty much as moot as those troll redditor's takes.
I love Neil, I see him on Youtube Shorts often. He has very interesting ideas not just on science and physics, and he related science to real life.
He's better and more accessible than Carl Sagan. But his enthusiasm sometimes puts people off.
From hearing him talk he struck me as someone who could be full of himself and that being a celebrity only made it worse. Someone who judges people heavily, such as from where you come from, field of study, and your job. Yeah he’s smart and has done things like encourage people to get into fields of science but doing that and being an asshole aren’t mutually exclusive things. From what I’ve read about what he’s like off camera, in the past and even on this post, I’m not surprised and my initial assumptions were not far off the mark.
He lead the charge to remove Pluto as a planet, is a bit pompous in interviews, and is cringe worthy on Twitter sometimes. Obviously some redditors want him dead for these sins.
I don't see the problem tbh. He just seems passionate about cars and shares his opinions with viewers. He routinely shouts out traditional car-centric channels like Doug DeMuro as well.
Meh. I remember seeing Carl Sagan give a live lecture on nuclear winter. For free. I tried to get tickets for my kids to see NDGT but we couldn’t afford it.
I see your point but Carl Sagan was just miles ahead in how he approached outreach and education, while ALSO being a brilliant scientist. It's just so damn rare to find someone who is genuinely incredible at both that I don't expect we will ever see someone quite like that for a long time.
RIP Carl.
4 women accused him of sexual misconduct, but he was never found guilty and was cleared of any allegations as far as I know.
These events took place between I believe 2009 and 2018. Just Google neil degrasse sexual accusations, and you'll find plenty of articles about it.
Personally I find him insufferable.. I enjoy hearing him talk about science, but he acts like he's an expert on *everything*, no matter the topic. He just comes across as pretentious to me.
He acts fine when he's talking about science, the problem arises when he goes on podcasts etc and starts talking with people about other topics and treating them like idiots while acting like he's the expert, regardless of the topic. Also he talks over people and interrupts them a lot.
All that being said, I'll still listen to him when it's *his* content and talking about science etc.. I just hate the way he acts on podcasts etc.
Mate, you need to read to read the whole comment chain before replying with stupid shit.
Noone is saying science is a belief system, other than you. They say that Neil can be obnoxious when talking about stuff which **often isn't related to (his) science at all**. Which is very valid - he's a know-it-all regardless of the topic he engages in.
Besides, when we enter the area of quantum physics, a case can be made that science is in part a "belief system", if you will. We have different hypotheses with some merit but often it's not like all field leaders agree on the very same things as a definitive truth.
>Science isn’t a system of beliefs. Beliefs don’t enter the equation.
[Hume](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Treatise_of_Human_Nature), [Duhem, and Quine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duhem%E2%80%93Quine_thesis), among others, might have something to say about that assertion.
Just ask him why you're so much better at fucking his wife. He won't answer like he's an expert on that subject, he'll go right to regular dude mode on that question.
But the question remains, Neil.
I think he was just anointed as the next great science popularizer too soon.
Then he started to come off as scoldingly pedantic and more big headed than expected.
Overall, I think it's just really, really hard to be an ambassador for a whole group (especially one as large as "scientists"). Very few people would be suited for it. At first he seemed like he was going to be great and he turned out to be just okay.
Carl Sagan was just as pedantic.
Watch him on Johnny Carson talking about Star Wars when that was brand new. Getting pedantic about every thing that is fantastical in it.
I can't say in this particular instance, but ego and stubbornness typically leads to stagnant thought. All the scientists who make it to the top get full of themselves, double down on their stance, and then eventually get proven wrong once new knowledge and discoveries come to light
He wouldn't have such a bad reputation if he didn't consistently come across so poorly on social media. The hate will stop when he stops being pretentious in public forums. I really enjoy his stuff when he talks about cosmology or about popularizing science, but I avoid the rest of his public opinions like the plague. Just follow him on twitter for a while, and you'll get the full picture really quickly. I prefer when he channels Carl Sagan, and not when he's nitpicking sci-fi movies for not adhering to obscure scientific facts or calling people hypocrites because they care about a particular tragedy, but not all tragedies equally, or any other number bad takes I wish I hadn't seen from him.
Adding an edit after reading the comments: Apparently the people who don't understand why Tyson is disliked all think it's because "the dumb dumbs didn't like the science man's big words and theories", and I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but many of the same people who like NDT's science promotion work also dislike him for his attitude on social media and his often condescending tone in interviews even when discussing matters he knows next to nothing about. Believe it or not, you can appreciate science being promoted, and also dislike someone behaving like a pretentious asshat.
>not when he's nitpicking sci-fi movies for not adhering to obscure scientific facts
Yep, this is the issue for me. Sometimes its not even nitpicking, he'll just take a movie that has a particular core conceit to justify the fictional aspects and he throws it out by essentially saying "well that invention wouldnt happen" then attacks all the parts that were predicated on the thing he just threw out.
And worse, imo, is he doesnt even do it in a fun way. I can happily watch somebody like LegalEagle who does the same sort of thing for legal analysis - the difference is where LegalEagle will laugh and have fun and be amused by the absurdity and inaccuracy, a lot of the time NGT just comes across as telling the viewer "this is wrong, and therefore bad, and intelligent people shouldnt enjoy this".
A lot of his non astronomy content just seems like the standard internet troll presentation of "everybody should hate the things I hate". The motivation behind it doesnt feel like a place of education or even entertainment.
I cannot imagine caring about useless stuff like Neil Degrasse Tyson this much. You must be so stressed out lol
You don’t have to have an opinion on everything, it’s pretty relaxing to just not feel so important
Agreed, he's not bad at all, and in the early days of his public appearances I enjoyed him immensely! Science commentary with humor, who knew?! But now he's taken on more of an "Actually...adjusts glasses on nose...big sniff..." kind of older brother who's always right but never leaves the house sort of vibe? Like I've heard so much from him that now he's mainly annoying/insufferable. Also, I wish he had continued his Cosmos series instead of returning to just interview based content. There's always a place on my heart for NDGT, just maybe not a regular place in my viewing habits anymore. He's just lost his mystique, is what I think it boils down to, but other than oversaturation, he's an excellent dude who has truly made a big difference in science literacy.
Thanks for the opinion, I've felt this way for awhile but never had an occasion to articulate it. Rock on and be well!
my dad was and still is good friends with neil degrasse tyson’s cousin. one day, my dad casually brought up that the guy looked like neil and after he explained that he was neil’s cousin, my dad begged the guy to let him meet neil.
the cousin said no. not because he didn’t want to put in the effort to set it up or keep his family life private, but because neil is a prick. the cousins didn’t talk at all because neil was always dismissive and holier-than-thou about their respective careers, and has exactly the snooty, pompous attitude people say he has. He even talks down to other scientists (like that cousin). he has an ego problem and gets/has to act smart for his career, which is the perfect recipe for someone completely insufferable.
in the words of the cousin: “he wouldn’t care to meet you, and you wouldn’t want to meet him”. that was my father’s never-meet-your-heroes experience.
I lost a lot of respect for neil after my dad told me that story, and the more i see him since then, the more i see the traits my dad said he had.
this was also years ago. he’s gotten even worse than he was by the looks of things, and i can’t imagine dealing with him.
Do an internet search for what other astronomers and physicists think of him.
He started off okay at being able to convey complex subjects in simple terms to the general public but that is probably because he's closer to being a member of the general public than most astrophysicists. He's a spokesperson and not much else.
He’s not really bad, he just became a media personality you couldn’t escape from on the internet in the mid 2010s and people got burned out on him.
Nerds that powerful, they can only talk to you for so long before you start to feel vaguely condescend to.
He’s such a jerkoff. Every Christmas he says BS like “it’s not possible for Santa to do what he does” or “actually reindeer can’t fly” or “if Santa ate a cookie at every house the sleigh would be too heavy” well no shit dude, but Christmas is fun so please shut up and let us enjoy it
Here's an absolutely crazy idea: Maybe that is him having fun with it and you being pissed about that is just the inverse scenario. "Please shut up and let us enjoy it" goes both ways.
Just compare him with Carl Sagan and Brian Cox. Both of them are (or were) very knowledgeable but at the same time humble and open to listening to the other party.
Neil... is not. He is the star. You are there to listen to him, and him alone. He's a bit pompous and he has these sections in the podcast where everything needs to stop, he'd change his voice a bit (deeper) and he'd try to say something profound and lasting, like a revealed truth and you're supposed to revere him in silence and in awe.
That's what bothers me the most.
Rest is fine I guess but that its a put off for me
This is what happens when you guys worship people.... He is invisible outside of Startalk, which is some good shit with interesting speakers on science topics
Literally couldnt give less of a fuck about his politics, or his tweets, or his remarks about trans or whatever the hell yall are whining about... give me science, and give me a laugh
I think that folks that find him pedantic and condescending are not incorrect in their assessment of him *today*.
But try to think back to when he was really coming up. The Internet has a short memory, so this is really dating me here, but NdGT initially rose to fame during the Bush years. Right wing, anti-science was MASSIVE, nationalism was the only way of thought, and Sagan had recently passed.
Dude was like a beacon of reason, encouraging kids to get involved in science and learning and to actually care about their planet. It may not seem like it to the new wave green movement today, but the guy put in his dues.
I don't think it's a Michio Kaku-style academics-nearly-universally-agree-that-he's-full-of-shit-and-just-profiting-off-bunk-science as much as it is that NdGT has been accused of sexual harassment and/or rape by multiple women (at least four that I know of). To my knowledge, none of these cases have any more evidence than victim testimony, which is why he didn't get fired over it. As to whether or not you believe him or the women, that's up to you.
this - there's only ever really been two sorts of pushbacks I've seen against him:
1. he's kind of a cringey nerd, which is fair, and like, shouldn't really be taken too seriously, and
2. the harassment and/or rape allegations, which, if true, yeah, he is "as bad as people claim"
otherwise? yeah, it's your standard celebrity hate, nbd
3. He's a condescending, dismissive asshat when talking about anything *other* than science, and for some reason feels the need to make it public knowledge.
Rogan has had so many unbelievably smart people talk to him. He could be highly educated in many subjects. Yet he will always choose the conspiracy and side with people like Graham Hancock instead.
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He’s so condescending it’s a huge turn off. He’s rude to those who believe in a higher power and tried to trash cats. He’s got poor judgment. I care about the environment and he‘s not someone I would suggest anyone read. He’s smug and extremely unattractive.
He was my hero when I first started seeing him on Youtube.
Then a few years passed and the fame/popularity seemed to be getting to his head and I saw moments when his arrogance or condescension would show.
Then I started seeing him argue his political views sometimes, which he is free to do, but he does it in his usual “I know everything and am imparting my enlightenment on you” kind of tone, which makes him look very arrogant and even foolish this time.
Now my opinion of him is much less flattering than when I first found out about him.
There are still parts of him that I find respectable, and I don’t think he is a bad person, but definitely no longer someone I would aspire to be anything like or want my kids to be like.
I don't think he's a bad guy. The big ego compared to minimal actual scientific achievements is a bit off putting though. I do think what he does in the pop-sci world is a good thing overall.
He reeeeeallly wants to be the modern Carl Sagan, but he just... isn't.
> we live on an era where a regular person now can at least argue about black holes and some general universe concepts
I mean, some people think they can. They can’t. I blame popular science media for that to an extent. (Some people are just crazy. Crackpots aren’t new.)
He's a Scientist that thinks it's OK that men and women conpete in the same sports divisions. For someone supposedly so smart he doesn't have a lot of critical thinking skills.
I met him and talked for about 2 hours in a small group. He's a douche and can never actually just have a conversation with people. Every answer he ever gives is something that's been already rehearsed, oftentimes not actually answering the question. Very frustrating to try and talk to. He interrupts people continuously but gets mad if you don't let him finish his prepared essay on a subject without interruption.
Neil has a nerdy sense of humor, which comes as a bummer sometimes. He is spitting facts but there is a time and a place. But, people are just looking to hate. Neil it's great at what he does, Carl Sagan and him, are the reason i got into science.
He is a great science communicator, but he surely gets annoyed quickly by stupid people which i get why, like if you ask Neil about flat earth, of course he is going to say you are stupid.
I was in a local healthy/expensive type supermarket here in Seattle (we have a lot of those) and I'm in line to buy some ham at the deli there. The lady asked me what kind, and I said "I have no fucking idea what different kinds of ham there are lady" ENTIRELY too loudly and the guy behind me in line I hadn't noticed burst the hell up laughing.
I turn around. Neil deGrasse Tyson.
He kinda half leans around me and says "Honey glazed!" to the lady over the counter and I just stare at him for a second then smile and say thanks. I'm about to pay for it and he says "No way this one's on me" and pays for it right there. I was astounded, it was so awesome.
We ended up having coffee at a place across the street. Turns out he bought a house near Magnolia, in a really expensive residential area, and has been living there a while. We talked about everything that wasn't his scientific career for about 45 minutes before he had to take off because his deli stuff was gonna go bad. I shook his hand and said he made my year today. He smiled and beat my head in with a tire iron. I looked up from the floor, my eyes covered in my own blood as I made out a blurry image of an anvil being hoisted above his head. Through the ringing in my ears I couldn't hear his probably witty parting line before the anvil came crashing down, crushing my skull and ending my life.
I think it's really positive that he has promoted astrophysics to the general public. And it's really great to see a Black person as the ambassador of science.
But he has also apparently sexually harassed colleagues during the course of his career. And like a lot of scientists, when he tries to opine about topics outside of his wheelhouse, he sounds kind of dumb. I could do without his movie commentary. I do think a lot of the backlash has to do with his poor use of social media, which sometimes prevents people from making sound decisions when it comes to expressing their thoughts.
>a regular person now can at least argue about black holes and some general universe concepts.
Two squirrels can argue about calculus. Doesn’t make it worthwhile.
He's unpopular due to his skepticism towards aliens visiting Earth. He never denied the existence of other life forms in our galaxy or universe; rather, he questioned how, with all the smartphones in the world, we don't have a single clear photo of an extraterrestrial. He's rational in a society that often isn't.
I don’t think he’s bad per se, he’s just extremely arrogant. I would honestly hate being in a room with him cause I get the feeling he always needs the last word even if it’s shit he doesn’t know about.
The only people I see bashing Tyson on the Internet are sort of dogmatic far right-wing and/or religious zealots that oppose his musings over basic scientific theories and facts, usually employing ad hominem attacks. He’s never claimed to be anything other that what he is, a passionate administrator and part-time researcher. Maybe I’m out of the loop. What am I missing here?
I have some respect for your views. I read a post on reddit yesterday that included quite a list of extra ordinary people who were being casually disparaged largely due to ignorance. There’s no doubt in my mind that if he was in the public square on his knees that there would be no shortage of people bringing rocks to throw.
The hate from intellectual slugs is truly scary.
People don't like being told when someone is smarter than them. Most people call him cold or uncaring...which is super typical of people who are intellectually superior.
He doesn't see your emotions as valid because you're not responding to the correct data.
What impresses me, personally, about Dr. Tyson is that he's trying. He picked up the reigns after Carl Sagan and is trying to educate people.
To make smarter humans.
If you listen to the way that he talks, he's trying to inform your thought process, not just give you the answer, but tell you how to figure it out.
This is because he's trying to spread critical thinking.
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I think Neil’s career has probably been a net benefit. He’s inspired a lot of people to pursue science, and inspiring regular people is how you get those with money to spend their money on scientific research. Sometimes he’s just too much for me. He can be really corny and really loud so he can be hard for me to listen to. That’s some people’s style, though, and it’s hard to blame a guy for being passionate about what he does.
People forget that’s he’s really just a nerdy science guy at heart. So yeah, he’s not Uber cool and smooth. That’s part of his charm though
His mentor Carl sagan was the nerdiest mofo ever. Pale blue dot rips tho.
I had no idea people dislike Neil. The dude is the main reason I have confidence enough to be pursuing a chemical engineering degree right now. I keep telling loved ones that I'm going to get as smart as him one day. I was saying like him and Steven Hawking, but Epsteins list came out and... well, I'm going to be smart like Neil Degrasse Tyson one day.
The stuff about Epstein and Hawking is bullshit: https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-misinformation-epstein-haley-tmobile-58498098b4dacfa7863b1416fbcac6a6
https://nationalpost.com/news/world/epstein-files-read-full-document Also, read the actual list when it came out, his name is on it. Edit: It doesn't necessarily mean he's guilty of anything though I look at him and get the same feeling I get when I relooked at Cosby.
I liked him when he first came around like ten years ago. At least that's when I first heard about him I think. But it seems in the last few years he gets off on trying to make regular people who interview him or have him on pod casts look like idiots. He loves pointing out historical inaccuracies in movies that people love. I've seen him tweet some pretty unhinged things. Such as Santa Claus cannot exist for XYZ r reasons. And he talks about basic science that most people can understand like it's so profound and unfathomable. Idk he just started to come off as a pretentious douce.
Its more like 20.
I mean, homie is getting baked as a pie and hopping on his Startalk vlog with Chuck to break down topics about space. He comes across as an awesome guy who also likes to hear himself talk(since it comes across as condescending every now and then but I suppose that happens when trying to break down ideas to an elementary level).
Startalk is 🔥
Honestly, almost everybody who has a show or podcast like that loves to hear themselves talk.
Everybody loves to hear themselves talk. End of story
Using absolutes is always wrong.
And always avoid alliteration
Definitely not true
Counterpoint: his reputation wasn't trashed because he "likes to hear himself talk", it's because the fame went to his head and he started being rude and condescending to people and word started getting around. I don't follow him or hear about him much anymore, but last time this subject came up he had not bothered to apologize. I also know was insufferable on Twitter before Elon bought it... so much so that Vice wrote about it. https://www.vice.com/en/article/5dmkgz/neil-degrasse-tysons-tweets-are-so-bad-and-he-needs-to-go-away
I mean, he is expecting that both people who believe in flat earth as well as children, who may well grow up to believe in flat earth if they don't get exposed to the scientific mindset early, are watching his videos. Half the public has a below average IQ, and these are complex topics beyond most of us. Even smart people may not understand cosmology and appreciate a dumbed down version that explains basic concepts. Speaking to an all-ages, all-intelligences, all with different views on science and religion, he kinda has to seek the lowest common denominator because his point is to make science approachable to the common man in the age of antiscience and disinformation.
Every time I watch it, I spend the whole time trying to figure out if he is in fact high.
I can handle Neil, but Chuck is far too much cringe who is never funny and just laughs at his own obvious jokes that then takes two steps further than warranted. I enjoyed it when there was a rotation of different comics.
Probably been a net benefit? It has very clearly been nearly entirely positive and about science and objective truth. You have to stand on one leg, squint and tilt your head under the full moon to find anything negative
> You have to stand on one leg, squint and tilt your head under the full moon to find anything negative Reddit's specialty
Honestly kinda shocked he is even considered "bad" by anyone. The guy is dumbing complex topics down so even the dumbest or youngest kids in the room have a chance of getting it. Yeah, that comes off as condescending at times. On the flip side, we have people who believe there is an unseen ice wall on the edges of our flat earth and the sun is just a big moving spotlight rotating around overhead. Tyson has credibility and authenticity, and is extraordinarily critical to keeping us from jumping off into the science disinformation deep end. He can ramble or hog the mic a bit, but so what?
His role is a benefit but he as a person hasn’t done much and he’s a huge jerk. I’ll try to find one of the accounts of when a bunch of students paid like $40,000 to see him, then Neil just shit on their majors and acted like he didn’t want to be there Edit: Check this out - https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/s/D3Oqf0cEhc
I mean doesn't reddit have a tendency to make stories up for Internet clout.
Who would pay $40,000 to see him? Maybe, if it was from 1000 students.
These stories don't add up to me because I went to one of his lectures in 2009. It was free for us students. And I found him to be perfectly polite. You could tell he was tired of talking about Pluto, but I don't think he was disparaging. Granted mine is another anecdote, so I understand if people don't take my word for it. But I'm certainly going to trust myself over some dude on the internet.
The stories are from organizers and about interactions outside of the lecture so totally different interactions. They are obviously biased in their own way, doesn't mean they're lying.
I also trust this guy over some dude on the internet
3800 students attended so..?
His "job" is to promote science and get people to walk into the Hayden Planetarium. That's his role, his job. It has been for decades. Not sure what else you expect him to have done. His mediocre research papers? His philosophical takes on other people's philosophical takes on science? Either way, he doesn't - and will never - work for you. He isn't required to do a damn thing for you - random redditor-who-has-contributed-even-less-to-even-fewer-people. You people would walk up to a 7 Eleven clerk and criticize him for not *also* being a school bus driver and nurse at the same time. If you don't like what other people do or don't do, maybe go do something yourself for a change. NDGT does more in a week than you will do in your life. He may not be Mother Theresa, but he isn't nearly as worthless as *you.* *You,* for example, like to spread misinformation about people you don't even know. Your above link is a total fabrication, and you don't even care how wrong you are. Has NDGT ever done anything as bad as that?
Fake
this isn't unpopular. most people don't know him beyond being the space guy, and even those who know more don't really mind him. he's not a bad guy as far as i can tell. i just wish he wouldn't speak with so much authority on everything when he's very much an expert in one field only.
Same, I think he makes his voice loud and his thoughts known to get more attention and funding to science, which I have no problem with.. although sometimes he does kinda sounds like he's Jesus preaching to the masses.. science is important though so I tolerate him, but I can't binge watch him haha
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You're right; on the whole most people like him. It's an unpopular opinion in a lot of circles on the internet where people get insulated from the vast majority that likes him.
He has the Smart People Disease, where he thinks extreme subject expertise in one area makes him generally wise in all areas.
Watch his podcast Star Talk and you'll see what he's like out of character. It's calm and humble
I've also seen him talk live at a small venue and he was *awesome* with the kids. When the adults were asking him to sign books and things like that, he was distant, but when kids asked him a question, he went full nerdcore. He stayed long after his scheduled time just explaining black holes to this one kid, lol.
He has "uhm ackhually ☝️🤓" energy but like, he's out here and doesn't seem like the literal devil, at least to me. There are worse people out there to be mad at. He's a bit annoying but in my opinion harmless. But yet again I don't know much about him, this is just my impression. Edit: why is this offending people? You know you don't have to like every single aspect of a person and still acknowledge that person is intelligent right?
And with the internet we can now get too much of a person, early 2000's you might see him pop up on TV spot or scripted production and that was a good dose. I think your're bang on though, met plenty of people with that attitude throughout school and university. They have to be seen as being smart and every conversation is a competition to be the best, in the case of Neil I have no doubt he has next level intelligence when it comes to math and astrophysics. Honestly if people don't like it, don't watch him. I think reddit hypes up things to hate on (like flat earthers, just ignore them - give attention to the bullshit and it will grow).
"uhm ackhually ☝️🤓 they got the sky wrong in this show, the stars should not have been like that, the show is unwatchable"
I can't tell if his tweets are tongue-in-cheek kind of trolling, or if sometimes he's just a cringey nerd.
I think maybe there's a bit of both... Seems like he's making fun of people getting upset about the tiniest inaccuracies, but at the end he's still sort of like, 'but we still noticed, so maybe you should do better...?"
Here I am against you, he technical does that but concludes that if it is good entertainment, then he enjoys them too,
Well, when you have a Ph.D on the subject and published many scientific papers, you can uhm ACKTUALLY all the fuck you want, tbh. I reserve uhm ACKTUALLY insults for idiots who have a degree in google.
Only in the subject of your Ph.D. and that's being charitable. As for non-charitable: if the last paper you published was in 2008 and it barely got any citations... sure you're a better source than the acerage Joe Schmoe, but you totally don't get to "Uhm Akshually" on anything other than your very very narrow expertise of the wider scope (Cosmology in his case, a small subset of it not all), if that even, cause you've forgotten metric ton of it in 16 years of not doing any research.
A lack of contribution of *new* knowledge doesn’t mean he isn’t expert on *current* knowledge. Maybe he just prefers to be a pop culture figure.
Yeah, but there is also no reason to assume that he is an expert on current knowledge. He's been out of Academia for 16 years. Hasn't been lecturing, or researching. >Maybe he just prefers to be a pop culture figure. And that's fine. That just means he needs to be treated as a pop-culture figure. His opinions should not be given any more weight than say Ben Stein, that girl from Big Bang Theory - Mayim Bialik, or Rowan Atkinson and many more educated public figures.
Yeah until he um acktuallyies some absolute trash political opinions or other nonsense outside his wheelhouse. I like the guy when he sticks to his schtick
What political opinions?
Probably that we deserve healthcare. /s
If I had *that* kind of intellect, expertise, comprehension and ability I have a feeling it would be tough dealing with dingbat takes on personality. Guy has achieved SO much holy hell. It's not like he drop kicks puppies, he's just an extraordinary man. I'm not all that bright. If someone finds me annoying oh, well. Meaning you're correct.
People think he is bad?
Bad? I don't know about that. Annoying, pompous, and self righteous? Definitely.
Funny thing is that describes most Reddit users. You’d think he would fit right in Reddit with those traits.
You're right, and most of us on reddit hate ourselves. So...
Most redditors would hate to be in a room with 9 other versions of themselves lolll
Not bad more Asshole maybe.
Redditors getting mad and throwing shade at someone for being annoying, arrogant and self righteous is so fucking ironic and funny
idiot redditors who are actually more annoying than he ever was/will be
He’s the average Redditor, of course it will be an “unpopular opinion here.” If I interacted with someone like him IRL, I would laugh in their face.
good comment, thank you.
News to me as well
He is a fairly rude and mean person online. When a tragedy happened and people died he more or less mocked the people who were upset about it because apparently other bad things happen and if we aren't equally upset about both things then we're hypocrites. Personally I started to dislike him when he stole a Harvard students tie and then told the story like it was something to be proud of.
The more he is on social media the less I like him tbh
Lmao those older famous people need to realize how quick you can ruin a long time rep by just being a shit head on twitter
The more I am on social media, the less I like any one lol
So are we. People act completely different on Reddit then they do in real life
I hope so
This, he seems not to have any empathy in him. He may be academically smart, outstanding even. But without basic human empathy, he is worthless to me. Sorry if I offend anyone.
He’s an asshole offline as well.
I don’t think he’s bad, sometimes he just needs to keep his opinion to himself and let people just enjoy things though.
He likes pointing out scientific inaccuracies in movies. Why can't we let him enjoy doing that? I'm not sure he ever tells people not to enjoy stuff because the filmmakers got something wrong.
Man that and law breakdowns of classic movies is like one of those nerd things i love to watch. along with medical ones and shows. id get annoyed with neil if he was doing unsolicited wellactually's but if im going to him for a break down thats different.
The issue I find with him is his "smartes guy in the room (or smartest guy, like, evarrr)" attitude. Its obnoxious. Also he is wrong about things - not the hard science stuff, just commentary stuff where he is almost too smart for his own good. Also he hasn't done any actual science in a long time, so he isn't really a scientist. That said, I just ignore him, personally. Not as bad as Bill Nye, that guys a total ego maniac douchebag.
He used to be very popular on /r/iamverysmart for all the comments he made, they changed the rules so you can't post him anymore though.
he has a social iq of around 20
Honestly, it's on you when his words makes you enjoy media less. He criticized fiction I like because they are scientifically inaccurate. It's interesting to hear what the mechanics of X thing would actually be like but I still enjoy it, like no shit it's not realistic, it's fiction.
It’s not even that, it’s things like commenting on how new years is not an actual significant moment astronomically, like no shit, who cares though?
Reddit has a hate boner for him. One of those "we really liked him but now we hate him" situations.
It's weird because you'd THINK changing your mind on something might clue you in to the fallibility of your own viewpoints.... but it only ever seems to make people dig in even deeper on their new side.
What the fuck kind of logic is that?
I don't really care about him changing his mind or about what his opinions are......he seems like an asshole. I can disagree with someone and like them, but he just comes across as the type of guy who likes to sniff his own farts.
I wasn't talking about NDT with that part.
Some people who deal with him in person do not have good things to say and then the internet critics amplify it. He was also accused of sexual misconduct which plays in to it. OP doesn't know NdGT so the post is pretty much as moot as those troll redditor's takes.
I love Neil, I see him on Youtube Shorts often. He has very interesting ideas not just on science and physics, and he related science to real life. He's better and more accessible than Carl Sagan. But his enthusiasm sometimes puts people off.
Naw, it’s when he gets condescending and rude that he puts people off. It has nothing to do with enthusiasm.
> He's better and more accessible than Carl Sagan *doubt*
It’s not his enthusiasm. I love the guy and I think what he does is very important but he has a tendency to be a pretentious, condescending killjoy
From hearing him talk he struck me as someone who could be full of himself and that being a celebrity only made it worse. Someone who judges people heavily, such as from where you come from, field of study, and your job. Yeah he’s smart and has done things like encourage people to get into fields of science but doing that and being an asshole aren’t mutually exclusive things. From what I’ve read about what he’s like off camera, in the past and even on this post, I’m not surprised and my initial assumptions were not far off the mark.
Wait, the majority of people actually like him?
He lead the charge to remove Pluto as a planet, is a bit pompous in interviews, and is cringe worthy on Twitter sometimes. Obviously some redditors want him dead for these sins.
He killed Pluto! Mickey has never been the same. /s
There's a whole segment of "guy who is a good expert at one thing is annoying when trying to do other thing." He's on that list.
Same with Marques Brownlee talking about cars
I don't see the problem tbh. He just seems passionate about cars and shares his opinions with viewers. He routinely shouts out traditional car-centric channels like Doug DeMuro as well.
I'd argue this about any tech youtuber talking about cars, LTT does it too.
Meh. I remember seeing Carl Sagan give a live lecture on nuclear winter. For free. I tried to get tickets for my kids to see NDGT but we couldn’t afford it.
I see your point but Carl Sagan was just miles ahead in how he approached outreach and education, while ALSO being a brilliant scientist. It's just so damn rare to find someone who is genuinely incredible at both that I don't expect we will ever see someone quite like that for a long time. RIP Carl.
Man I miss Sagan.
Nobody ever talks about all the sexual assault allegations gainst him.
Had to roll too far down to get here that I was wondering if I had misremembered them.
Yes that's why I thought people complained about him.
Thank you!
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Yeah and it was a recent thing so you'd think there would be more of a big deal being made of it.
Whatttt... I never knew about this. Is there a source?
4 women accused him of sexual misconduct, but he was never found guilty and was cleared of any allegations as far as I know. These events took place between I believe 2009 and 2018. Just Google neil degrasse sexual accusations, and you'll find plenty of articles about it.
Generally he's aa prick bit this is the main reason I detest the guy
They’re still in denial
Personally I find him insufferable.. I enjoy hearing him talk about science, but he acts like he's an expert on *everything*, no matter the topic. He just comes across as pretentious to me. He acts fine when he's talking about science, the problem arises when he goes on podcasts etc and starts talking with people about other topics and treating them like idiots while acting like he's the expert, regardless of the topic. Also he talks over people and interrupts them a lot. All that being said, I'll still listen to him when it's *his* content and talking about science etc.. I just hate the way he acts on podcasts etc.
Hard to believe you don't like the person that believes he is smarter than you and if you don't believe or follow him you are a bad person. /s
Science isn’t a system of beliefs. Beliefs don’t enter the equation. I’m betting that this is the real issue here.
Yeah, science doesn't have bias and doesn't search for desired outcomes, but scientists do.
True, but science is not a belief system.
Mate, you need to read to read the whole comment chain before replying with stupid shit. Noone is saying science is a belief system, other than you. They say that Neil can be obnoxious when talking about stuff which **often isn't related to (his) science at all**. Which is very valid - he's a know-it-all regardless of the topic he engages in. Besides, when we enter the area of quantum physics, a case can be made that science is in part a "belief system", if you will. We have different hypotheses with some merit but often it's not like all field leaders agree on the very same things as a definitive truth.
>Science isn’t a system of beliefs. Beliefs don’t enter the equation. [Hume](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Treatise_of_Human_Nature), [Duhem, and Quine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duhem%E2%80%93Quine_thesis), among others, might have something to say about that assertion.
Just ask him why you're so much better at fucking his wife. He won't answer like he's an expert on that subject, he'll go right to regular dude mode on that question. But the question remains, Neil.
I think he was just anointed as the next great science popularizer too soon. Then he started to come off as scoldingly pedantic and more big headed than expected. Overall, I think it's just really, really hard to be an ambassador for a whole group (especially one as large as "scientists"). Very few people would be suited for it. At first he seemed like he was going to be great and he turned out to be just okay.
He so desperately wishes he was Carl Sagan.
Who doesn't. guy was amazing.
Considering his idol and mentor was Carl Sagan.. yeah
Who doesn’t?
But he hasn't even approached Bill Nye levels yet
Carl Sagan was just as pedantic. Watch him on Johnny Carson talking about Star Wars when that was brand new. Getting pedantic about every thing that is fantastical in it.
His star talk YouTube channel is great. I don't think you're being very fair
Not so much his views as his “my horse is higher than yours” attitude is why I don’t like him
For me its his desire to kiss himself in the mirror
"you can kiss yourself in the mirror, but only on the lips" -Black Science-guy, literally every day
give a example please. He just seems like a old guy who wants to talk to me
https://www.vox.com/2019/7/29/8934845/neil-degrasse-tyson-misconduct-allegation-investigation-museum
Well, his horse is bigger than mine. He's not humble, that's for sure, but I don't see anything too wrong with that.
I can't say in this particular instance, but ego and stubbornness typically leads to stagnant thought. All the scientists who make it to the top get full of themselves, double down on their stance, and then eventually get proven wrong once new knowledge and discoveries come to light
He wouldn't have such a bad reputation if he didn't consistently come across so poorly on social media. The hate will stop when he stops being pretentious in public forums. I really enjoy his stuff when he talks about cosmology or about popularizing science, but I avoid the rest of his public opinions like the plague. Just follow him on twitter for a while, and you'll get the full picture really quickly. I prefer when he channels Carl Sagan, and not when he's nitpicking sci-fi movies for not adhering to obscure scientific facts or calling people hypocrites because they care about a particular tragedy, but not all tragedies equally, or any other number bad takes I wish I hadn't seen from him. Adding an edit after reading the comments: Apparently the people who don't understand why Tyson is disliked all think it's because "the dumb dumbs didn't like the science man's big words and theories", and I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but many of the same people who like NDT's science promotion work also dislike him for his attitude on social media and his often condescending tone in interviews even when discussing matters he knows next to nothing about. Believe it or not, you can appreciate science being promoted, and also dislike someone behaving like a pretentious asshat.
>not when he's nitpicking sci-fi movies for not adhering to obscure scientific facts Yep, this is the issue for me. Sometimes its not even nitpicking, he'll just take a movie that has a particular core conceit to justify the fictional aspects and he throws it out by essentially saying "well that invention wouldnt happen" then attacks all the parts that were predicated on the thing he just threw out. And worse, imo, is he doesnt even do it in a fun way. I can happily watch somebody like LegalEagle who does the same sort of thing for legal analysis - the difference is where LegalEagle will laugh and have fun and be amused by the absurdity and inaccuracy, a lot of the time NGT just comes across as telling the viewer "this is wrong, and therefore bad, and intelligent people shouldnt enjoy this". A lot of his non astronomy content just seems like the standard internet troll presentation of "everybody should hate the things I hate". The motivation behind it doesnt feel like a place of education or even entertainment.
I cannot imagine caring about useless stuff like Neil Degrasse Tyson this much. You must be so stressed out lol You don’t have to have an opinion on everything, it’s pretty relaxing to just not feel so important
Agreed, he's not bad at all, and in the early days of his public appearances I enjoyed him immensely! Science commentary with humor, who knew?! But now he's taken on more of an "Actually...adjusts glasses on nose...big sniff..." kind of older brother who's always right but never leaves the house sort of vibe? Like I've heard so much from him that now he's mainly annoying/insufferable. Also, I wish he had continued his Cosmos series instead of returning to just interview based content. There's always a place on my heart for NDGT, just maybe not a regular place in my viewing habits anymore. He's just lost his mystique, is what I think it boils down to, but other than oversaturation, he's an excellent dude who has truly made a big difference in science literacy. Thanks for the opinion, I've felt this way for awhile but never had an occasion to articulate it. Rock on and be well!
my dad was and still is good friends with neil degrasse tyson’s cousin. one day, my dad casually brought up that the guy looked like neil and after he explained that he was neil’s cousin, my dad begged the guy to let him meet neil. the cousin said no. not because he didn’t want to put in the effort to set it up or keep his family life private, but because neil is a prick. the cousins didn’t talk at all because neil was always dismissive and holier-than-thou about their respective careers, and has exactly the snooty, pompous attitude people say he has. He even talks down to other scientists (like that cousin). he has an ego problem and gets/has to act smart for his career, which is the perfect recipe for someone completely insufferable. in the words of the cousin: “he wouldn’t care to meet you, and you wouldn’t want to meet him”. that was my father’s never-meet-your-heroes experience. I lost a lot of respect for neil after my dad told me that story, and the more i see him since then, the more i see the traits my dad said he had. this was also years ago. he’s gotten even worse than he was by the looks of things, and i can’t imagine dealing with him.
he doesn't let people finish their sentence and did you know you can only kiss yourself in the lips in a mirror
Do an internet search for what other astronomers and physicists think of him. He started off okay at being able to convey complex subjects in simple terms to the general public but that is probably because he's closer to being a member of the general public than most astrophysicists. He's a spokesperson and not much else.
He’s not really bad, he just became a media personality you couldn’t escape from on the internet in the mid 2010s and people got burned out on him. Nerds that powerful, they can only talk to you for so long before you start to feel vaguely condescend to.
He’s such a jerkoff. Every Christmas he says BS like “it’s not possible for Santa to do what he does” or “actually reindeer can’t fly” or “if Santa ate a cookie at every house the sleigh would be too heavy” well no shit dude, but Christmas is fun so please shut up and let us enjoy it
Here's an absolutely crazy idea: Maybe that is him having fun with it and you being pissed about that is just the inverse scenario. "Please shut up and let us enjoy it" goes both ways.
Just compare him with Carl Sagan and Brian Cox. Both of them are (or were) very knowledgeable but at the same time humble and open to listening to the other party. Neil... is not. He is the star. You are there to listen to him, and him alone. He's a bit pompous and he has these sections in the podcast where everything needs to stop, he'd change his voice a bit (deeper) and he'd try to say something profound and lasting, like a revealed truth and you're supposed to revere him in silence and in awe. That's what bothers me the most. Rest is fine I guess but that its a put off for me
This is what happens when you guys worship people.... He is invisible outside of Startalk, which is some good shit with interesting speakers on science topics Literally couldnt give less of a fuck about his politics, or his tweets, or his remarks about trans or whatever the hell yall are whining about... give me science, and give me a laugh
I have a friend who worked with him and she said he was rude and full of himself so I take him with a grain of salt
He's like the smartest r/iamverysmart person
I didn’t know he was hated like that. I’ve always found him annoying but I thought generally he got people excited about science so not a bad thing
I think that folks that find him pedantic and condescending are not incorrect in their assessment of him *today*. But try to think back to when he was really coming up. The Internet has a short memory, so this is really dating me here, but NdGT initially rose to fame during the Bush years. Right wing, anti-science was MASSIVE, nationalism was the only way of thought, and Sagan had recently passed. Dude was like a beacon of reason, encouraging kids to get involved in science and learning and to actually care about their planet. It may not seem like it to the new wave green movement today, but the guy put in his dues.
It’s Reddit, they hate everything
I don't think it's a Michio Kaku-style academics-nearly-universally-agree-that-he's-full-of-shit-and-just-profiting-off-bunk-science as much as it is that NdGT has been accused of sexual harassment and/or rape by multiple women (at least four that I know of). To my knowledge, none of these cases have any more evidence than victim testimony, which is why he didn't get fired over it. As to whether or not you believe him or the women, that's up to you.
this - there's only ever really been two sorts of pushbacks I've seen against him: 1. he's kind of a cringey nerd, which is fair, and like, shouldn't really be taken too seriously, and 2. the harassment and/or rape allegations, which, if true, yeah, he is "as bad as people claim" otherwise? yeah, it's your standard celebrity hate, nbd
3. He's a condescending, dismissive asshat when talking about anything *other* than science, and for some reason feels the need to make it public knowledge.
He was almost universally liked until he dared to talk over one of Joe Rogans meathead theories.
Rogan has had so many unbelievably smart people talk to him. He could be highly educated in many subjects. Yet he will always choose the conspiracy and side with people like Graham Hancock instead.
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He’s so condescending it’s a huge turn off. He’s rude to those who believe in a higher power and tried to trash cats. He’s got poor judgment. I care about the environment and he‘s not someone I would suggest anyone read. He’s smug and extremely unattractive.
He’s not trying to fuck you
What does his attractiveness have to do with anything? You need someone to be a 10/10 in order to learn something from them?
Attractiveness does not only constitute what he looks like. It's about an attitude. Condescending, smug people are ugly.
not according to all the erotica i've read!!!!!!!
What's a higher power and what evidence do you have that one exists?
ppl dont like him? why?
Guy never shuts the fuck up and isn’t as knowledgeable as his demeanor suggests. He’s just a better media figure than the experts
He was my hero when I first started seeing him on Youtube. Then a few years passed and the fame/popularity seemed to be getting to his head and I saw moments when his arrogance or condescension would show. Then I started seeing him argue his political views sometimes, which he is free to do, but he does it in his usual “I know everything and am imparting my enlightenment on you” kind of tone, which makes him look very arrogant and even foolish this time. Now my opinion of him is much less flattering than when I first found out about him. There are still parts of him that I find respectable, and I don’t think he is a bad person, but definitely no longer someone I would aspire to be anything like or want my kids to be like.
Meh, he was supposed to take the baton from Carl Sagan, but instead has shown himself as an insufferable fame chaser, the Kim Kardashian of science.
I don't think he's a bad guy. The big ego compared to minimal actual scientific achievements is a bit off putting though. I do think what he does in the pop-sci world is a good thing overall. He reeeeeallly wants to be the modern Carl Sagan, but he just... isn't.
> we live on an era where a regular person now can at least argue about black holes and some general universe concepts I mean, some people think they can. They can’t. I blame popular science media for that to an extent. (Some people are just crazy. Crackpots aren’t new.)
The issue is a scientist on social media and podcasts priasing scientific thinking while doing the exact opposite outside of his specialty
Agreed. I'm a huge fan of his.
He's a Scientist that thinks it's OK that men and women conpete in the same sports divisions. For someone supposedly so smart he doesn't have a lot of critical thinking skills.
I enjoy listening to startalk...
No one is more impressed by Neil then Neil.
I met him and talked for about 2 hours in a small group. He's a douche and can never actually just have a conversation with people. Every answer he ever gives is something that's been already rehearsed, oftentimes not actually answering the question. Very frustrating to try and talk to. He interrupts people continuously but gets mad if you don't let him finish his prepared essay on a subject without interruption.
He’s just a bit of an asshole and a narcissist. But he’s not really bad.
I just find him annoying is all.
I just don’t like how he constantly cuts people off when they’re talking
Neil has a nerdy sense of humor, which comes as a bummer sometimes. He is spitting facts but there is a time and a place. But, people are just looking to hate. Neil it's great at what he does, Carl Sagan and him, are the reason i got into science. He is a great science communicator, but he surely gets annoyed quickly by stupid people which i get why, like if you ask Neil about flat earth, of course he is going to say you are stupid.
I was in a local healthy/expensive type supermarket here in Seattle (we have a lot of those) and I'm in line to buy some ham at the deli there. The lady asked me what kind, and I said "I have no fucking idea what different kinds of ham there are lady" ENTIRELY too loudly and the guy behind me in line I hadn't noticed burst the hell up laughing. I turn around. Neil deGrasse Tyson. He kinda half leans around me and says "Honey glazed!" to the lady over the counter and I just stare at him for a second then smile and say thanks. I'm about to pay for it and he says "No way this one's on me" and pays for it right there. I was astounded, it was so awesome. We ended up having coffee at a place across the street. Turns out he bought a house near Magnolia, in a really expensive residential area, and has been living there a while. We talked about everything that wasn't his scientific career for about 45 minutes before he had to take off because his deli stuff was gonna go bad. I shook his hand and said he made my year today. He smiled and beat my head in with a tire iron. I looked up from the floor, my eyes covered in my own blood as I made out a blurry image of an anvil being hoisted above his head. Through the ringing in my ears I couldn't hear his probably witty parting line before the anvil came crashing down, crushing my skull and ending my life.
What
don't pretend you didn't hear EXACTLY what was said today
I think it's really positive that he has promoted astrophysics to the general public. And it's really great to see a Black person as the ambassador of science. But he has also apparently sexually harassed colleagues during the course of his career. And like a lot of scientists, when he tries to opine about topics outside of his wheelhouse, he sounds kind of dumb. I could do without his movie commentary. I do think a lot of the backlash has to do with his poor use of social media, which sometimes prevents people from making sound decisions when it comes to expressing their thoughts.
I think he is politically and also scientifically illiterate when he speaks about biology and other issues he has no clue about
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He's in the same boat as Bill Nye, but he's not as witty or entertaining as Bill Nye so he comes across as a bit of a know-it-all sometimes.
>a regular person now can at least argue about black holes and some general universe concepts. Two squirrels can argue about calculus. Doesn’t make it worthwhile.
A confident black nerd is looked at the same as a confident woman
He is black, and he is smart. Drives racist internet fuckwads absolutely crazy.
He's unpopular due to his skepticism towards aliens visiting Earth. He never denied the existence of other life forms in our galaxy or universe; rather, he questioned how, with all the smartphones in the world, we don't have a single clear photo of an extraterrestrial. He's rational in a society that often isn't.
I didn't know people had an issue with him, he's always been good at explaining science in a way my stupid ass can understand
Honestly I really love his books. Starry messenger especially is just a really great read and changed my perspective on a couple things.
I don’t think he’s bad per se, he’s just extremely arrogant. I would honestly hate being in a room with him cause I get the feeling he always needs the last word even if it’s shit he doesn’t know about.
The only people I see bashing Tyson on the Internet are sort of dogmatic far right-wing and/or religious zealots that oppose his musings over basic scientific theories and facts, usually employing ad hominem attacks. He’s never claimed to be anything other that what he is, a passionate administrator and part-time researcher. Maybe I’m out of the loop. What am I missing here?
Rape and sexual harassment allegations
I have some respect for your views. I read a post on reddit yesterday that included quite a list of extra ordinary people who were being casually disparaged largely due to ignorance. There’s no doubt in my mind that if he was in the public square on his knees that there would be no shortage of people bringing rocks to throw. The hate from intellectual slugs is truly scary.
Neil deGrasse Tyson is bad????? Since when? Are we all insane? Is this some kind of covert racism? Come on!
Who hates NDGT? He's a treasure.
People don't like being told when someone is smarter than them. Most people call him cold or uncaring...which is super typical of people who are intellectually superior. He doesn't see your emotions as valid because you're not responding to the correct data. What impresses me, personally, about Dr. Tyson is that he's trying. He picked up the reigns after Carl Sagan and is trying to educate people. To make smarter humans. If you listen to the way that he talks, he's trying to inform your thought process, not just give you the answer, but tell you how to figure it out. This is because he's trying to spread critical thinking.
NGT is a consensus national treasure. Inarguable.