“A fascinatingly disturbing thought” ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson’s disturbing thought: That there is about a one percent difference between human DNA and the DNA of our nearest genetic relatives the chimpanzee. You could say that whatever it is that makes us human is somehow contained in that one percent difference. Think of what those differences are: simple tools vs. rockets, gestured “language” vs. poetry and the language of mathematics.

So imagine if we encountered a life form that is one percent “more advanced” than humans, in the same way that humans are one percent more advanced than chimpanzees. Imagine what that might look like–keeping in mind how we treat those one percent “inferior” to us.

It’s a “fascinatingly disturbing thought.”

Do view the video below…It’s Neil deGrasse Tyson at his best.

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Neil de Grasse Tyson ~ Photo by John Roling

Neil deGrasse Tyson ~ We Stopped Dreaming

This collection of Neil deGrasse Tyson clips (assembled by Scrunchthethird on YouTube) are inspiring. I’m old enough to remember when we landed on the moon and the excitement that generated in me as a child. It was a great way to grow scientists. It was a great way to keep us dreaming. We’ve lost our vision of what space means to us on so many levels: spiritually, economically, intellectually.

The impact of NASA is not easily estimated, so it’s often easily dismissed. The opportunities lost by failing to dream are also not easily estimated and easily dismissed. What a shame.
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