"Letters from an Astrophysicist" by Neil DeGrasse Tyson

A book about the cosmos and what matters.

I am often met with questioning and surprised glances when I make reference to physics and the cosmos in my English and Literature classes. One of the biggest tragedies of making silos out of disciplines and subjects is denying their joys to each other.

A student of commerce may find an idea on evolution deeply rewarding just like a student of physics could relish the deconstruction of a Victorian poem. Amongst the many things going wrong with modern education is the steady separation of disciplines when an interdisciplinary approach ought to be the norm instead.

This book reminded me of the same and in a deeply meaningful manner. Neil DeGrasse Tyson often does that. I shrugged off my lab coat and picked up a thick tome of literature when I elected to not continue in the field of science having opted for it in my senior secondary studies.

But that does not mean I should shrug off the scientific or cosmic perspective now, should it?

The Cosmic Perspective

This book is a rich assortment of correspondence that Dr. Tyson (more on the prefix title shortly) has received in his decades as an astrophysicist and popular science educator. More often than not, what I relish about his writings and his response is the simplicity of his grasp over science and how he elects to communicate it.

A lot of good knowledge in academia, in particular, and the larger world, in general, gets lost because it is not accessible. That ought not to be the case.

Good scientific analysis, as well as a detailed new-historicist review, can subscribe to technical language while at the same time also being accessible to the “masses”. I dread to even use the word “masses” as it creates an elitist binary of sorts.

This book makes no qualms about that. It is straightforward in carrying out its central message- that of the cosmic perspective being a humbling one. I am reminded of Carl Sagan’s assertion that we are but a “pale blue dot”.

You will find below a much-circulated snap from the James-Webb Telescope. The image, which is the farthest we as a species have been able to peek into space and time is a deeply humbling, awe-inspiring, and almost a spiritual experience for me. This book does the same numerous times.

Populist vs Popular vs Nuance

This brings me to a troubling question. Does nuance get sacrificed at the altar of populism?

What do I mean by that?

Dr. Tyson is immensely popular due to his far-reaching influence online and in popular media. However, in spite of it (or perhaps because of it) some of his lesser-known colleagues in academia and research often find faults in his approach.

Don’t get me wrong, some of their critiques are accurate and often stem from allocating more time to science education than raw research (the last published research paper that Dr. Tyson worked on was way back in 2008, as per his website).

A more recent article criticizing the populism of Yuval Noah Harari begs me to ask the same question of Dr. Tyson. He proudly declares in the book that in the research journal of the pure sciences, the prefix of Dr. is often dropped- attaching more significance to ideas than academic clout. But in striving to be popular, one must be very careful to not sacrifice nuance.

Nailing a good story is difficult and personally, I’d much rather be educated by the well-credentialed research of Dr. Tyson (read Astrophysics for People in a Hurry for instance) rather than the now slightly questionable narratives of Harari (read the prior hyperlinked article for more insight).

Regardless, the bottom line is that knowledge and curiosity can be fostered without losing too much nuance and depth. This book does that well, if not a tad bit repetitively at times.

As for you dear reader, this is not a letter from an astrophysicist but a humble newsletter from an assistant professor of English. Regardless, I hope you read both with equal zest and cherish what they may have to offer. Do share this post if you found it rewarding and follow the newsletter for more offerings. I promised a reading-laden July, and I hope to deliver.

I will leave you with the poem I wrote when the James Webb telescope was first launched into outer-space-

A Glance

Do the eyes

that peer

into the past,

wield

the poet’s curse,

or the baron’s purse?

I taste

stars

with every glance,

I shiver in awe

for what

I saw

and split.

For some,

the truth

they will realise;

for others,

yet another

Webb of lies.

-NKD