Star boffin heads to NZ
A scientist dubbed the ‘‘sexiest astrophysicist alive’’ will visit New Zealand in July.
Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson will unravel the mysteries of outer space for audiences in Auckland and Christchurch.
Tyson was voted the ‘‘sexiest astrophysicist alive’’ by People magazine in 2000, but it’s his extensive knowledge of star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies and the structure of the Milky Way that has earned him 19 honorary doctorates.
He is best known for his StarTalk podcast and show, and his hosting of the acclaimed documentary series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Tyson is also an author of several popular science books.
His New Zealand A Cosmic Perspective shows will feature a presentation, a fireside chat with a local personality and a questionand-answer session with the audience.
Tyson will tackle questions around the likelihood of meeting alien life and the threat posed by artificial intelligence. He’ll also look at whether politics and religion are fuelling a ‘‘war’’ on science in western cultures.
Tyson is part of a movement that promotes science education to produce a more rational society that is equipped to deal with the problems of the future.
‘‘The most dangerous people in a free society are those who don’t know,’’ he says.
‘‘It’s OK to not know. But if you don’t know, but think you do know… that is dangerous. Those are the signs of the end of an informed democracy.’’
His New Zealand tour is part of his efforts to educate people about the wonders of the universe and create more interest in science generally.
Tyson will speak at Christchurch’s Horncastle Arena on July 4 and Auckland’s Vector Arena on July 9.
Tickets for both shows go on sale at 12pm on April 4, and are available from Ticketek (Christchurch) and Ticketmaster (Auckland).