Emmy Quickie: Neil deGrasse Tyson on How a Chat With David Crosby Blew His Mind (Exclusive Video)
On Neil deGrasse Tyson’s radio and television show “StarTalk,” the astrophysicist — joined by special guests like former President Bill Clinton, George Takei, Susan Sarandon, Christopher Nolan and Arianna Huffington — delivers the perfect blend of space, science and pop culture.
But even Tyson, who is typically the one dropping truth bombs about the world, found himself surprised by an interview he had with Crosby, Stills & Nash rock legend David Crosby.
“Here’s a line I just would not have ever thought would come out of David Crosby’s mouth: ‘I was a fan of science fiction before I ever wrote my first musical note,'” Tyson said in an interview with TheWrap. “I was like, ‘Whoa.’ Science fiction was about the future, what was possible in people’s dreams — in people who dreamed about a future.”
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“So David Crosby of Crosby, Stills & Nash has this hidden underbelly of science fiction fandom that drives his optimism about the future,” Tyson added. “I don’t know where else you would learn that if not for an interview on ‘StarTalk.'”
“StarTalk” first started off on radio, then became a series of podcasts funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Last year, the series “jumped species,” as Tyson described it, to become a weekly television show airing on the National Geographic Channel.
Although the topics Tyson discusses on his show may seem niche, Tyson said “StarTalk” is intended to draw as wide a crowd as possible to the world of space and science.
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“As an educator, I want people to want to learn, but I carry some of that burden to get you to want to learn,” Tyson said. “The goal of ‘StarTalk’ is to attract you to science — even if you don’t know you like science, even if you know you don’t like science.”
Watch the video above.
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