Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization Hardcover – September 20, 2022

I am already a fan of the author so reading his words and perspective was tremendously enjoyable. I wanted to use a highlighter to mark so many significant passages. I'll probably read it again in a couple of years.

Great book - Neil is such a great writer and the subject is right up his ally. Highly recommend for any level reader!

Highly recommended! - In his new book, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson provides a cosmic perspective to life on the planet. It is an excellent presentation of the adoption of a global perspective of nature, which is at the core of the yoga teachings and Indian philosophy. A global perspective helps us to recognize that we are all interconnected and therefore, interdependent. The right perspective facilitates us to properly view the details of reality, at the same time as we see the totality … it is the ability to see simultaneously the leaves of a tree and the entire tree. The better the view of the tree, helps to see better the leaves. Modern science tells us about the benefits of using a microscope and a “macroscope” to properly perceive our concerns.The author (born in 1958) has been the director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Natural History in New York City since 1996. He attended Bronx High School of Science in NYC (source of eight Nobel Prizes), studied at Harvard, University of Texas, Columbia, and Princeton. He began his interest in astronomy at age nine when he visited the Planetarium. He has received 21 honorary doctorates, the Public Welfare Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, and Asteroid 13123 Tyson was named in his honor.Tyson examines a large number of topics, including astrology, gender identification, safety and violence, race and ethnicity, religion, political orientation, eating habits, disabilities, our views on life and death, and many other controversial subjects. His views on all the them challenge our traditional stands and are easily digested by a special mixture of humor and sarcasm. The book has a comprehensive source of information, mainly available on the Internet.For many of his selected topics, he visualizes how aliens visiting the planet would see us. Those aliens, he says, have none of our biases, our preferences, or our preconceived notions. Probably, those aliens have noticed that the very concept of truth on Earth is fraught with conflicting ideologies and habits. In one of the most sarcastic passages, Tyson deals with vegans and meat eaters and says that aliens would be incensed by vegetarians for slaughtering their plant brethren and by their special interest in reproductive organs (flowers, seeds, nuts, berries); by eating then, humans disrupt the life cycle of the planet. And he concludes that the barbaric behavior includes eating the younger versions of plants and infanticidal practices like eating baby carrots, baby spinach, baby arugula, baby artichokes, baby squash, bean sprouts.Brilliantly, Tyson summarizes the enormous impact of space exploration on our view of the planet. In a short period of five years, just after Apollo 11 (the first walk on the Moon), in spite of the virulent Cold War, the Vietnam fighting, and numerous Campus unrests, the US took a significant number of unprecedented actions: “Comprehensive Clean Air Act” 1970), “First National Earth Day” (1970), “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration” (NOOA- 1970), “Environmental Protection Agency” (1970), DDT banned (1972), “Clean Water Act” (1972), first unleaded gasoline emission standards (1973), and the “Endangered Species Act” (1973). During those five years, “Physicians Without Borders” was founded (1971), the first catalytic converted for cars was invented and adopted, and the “Whole Earth Catalog” became a hit publication (1968-1972). We began to see our planet with different eyes!

Starry Messenger, Cosmic Perspective on Civilization by Neil deGrasse Tyson (Henry Holt and Company, 2022)An interesting book that seems to have two overriding themes: first, appreciate and even consider acting more like a scientist. We are encouraged to be more open-minded and guided by “facts” only after actionable belief is subjected to exposure, testing and peer review. Secondly, it would help for us to think in other than binary terms, even though it is in our nature to do so. Much of what we view as either one thing or another can be deceptive. Our inclination to think in binary terms blinds us to the reality that much of the life we live and encounter exists as part of a vast spectrum, with innumerable and nuanced aspects.Some of the book smacks of mild conceit, such as when he relates how it took him 73 seconds to solve a Rubik’s cube. I say this because he was comparing his performance to that of a super-computer. Regardless, his stories are worthwhile. My favorite story concerns one of the three times he was excluded from serving on a jury. It was a criminal trial, and he made the penultimate cut for selection to the jury. The judge asked if any of the remaining potential jurors had any questions. Tyson raised his hand and asked why the judge told them that the defendant is charged with possession of 1700 milligrams of coke, instead of saying that he is charged with 1.7 grams, which is a more accurate description (since the thousand in 1700 and "mil" in milligrams cancel one another out). Of course, he was implicitly saying that the former characterization suggests a very large quantity to the uninformed juror, which would likely produce bias. Not surprisingly, he was excused once again from serving as a jury member.He does an excellent job in his treatment of disabilities, citing examples of people who have excelled in spite of what are commonly viewed as disabilities. He queries if Stephen Hawking was really disabled, given his proficiency in science and whether, when compared to his intellect and accomplishments, is it we or most of us who should be considered disabled? He cites to Helen Keller, Jim Abbott (the Yankee pitcher with only one hand who pitched a no-hitter against Cleveland), and others who excelled, regardless of what would generally be considered as having a debilitating trait. He takes this one step further and compares our capabilities to other living organisms on this planet. Within the animal kingdom, our natural capabilities are far from ideal when it comes to our somewhat deficient five senses. Yes, but what about our big brains? We do not even possess the largest brains in the animal world (whales, elephants and dolphins have bigger brains). And who is to say that ants are not conscious? He refers to the mycelium network under trees as the "Wood Wide Web." What makes our inter-communication more important than the obvious communications that go on underground?With regard to race and gender identity, he effectively makes the case that there is a vast spectrum that must be considered relevant and acted upon in order to fully appreciate the vast "continuum" of human nature. His Chapter Four, entitled Conflict & Resolution, is a worthwhile read as well. He does a deep dive into what he refers to as standard Democratic and Republican tropes regarding one or the other party. He calls out unfair generalizations on both sides. Groups like Braver Angels make it their mission to promote conversations along these lines. Two examples:Example 1: “Conservatives value the nuclear family and the stability it brings to civilization, unlike liberals, who live under questionable moral codes.”Retort: “Nearly half of all babies born in the states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia and South Carolina are born to unmarried women…The corresponding rates for the famously blue states…are half that.”Example 2: “Liberals occupy the high ground on science while conservatives embrace science deniers,”Retort: “Other than climate change and modern biology, there’s very little else about science in America that conservatives deny…Okay. Then what about the liberals themselves? Turns out the following list of beliefs and practices lands squarely in their corral: crystal healing, therapeutic touch, feather energy, magnetic therapy, homeopathy, astrology, anti-GMO, anti-pharma.”Finishing up with what an alien reaction to our existence might be, he reminds us that we, as humans, share 98% of our DNA make-up with chimps. He goes on to explain that the 2% does make, and has made, an enormous difference in our evolutionary progress, social relations, inventions and built environment. But then he goes on to speculate. What if aliens visiting earth were to have a genetic structure enhanced beyond our own, with a similar difference of 2%? In that event, we would be viewed, with all of our achievements, as little more than children or worse, inferior animals to be exploited for the benefit of the aliens.All of these musings and stories are intended to help us think about life and living in a more objective, reasoned way. As an attorney who was trained to think like an attorney, it was refreshing to be able to appreciate thinking in the way that Tyson suggests. His approach could be of great cultural benefit to us all. At the very least, he is recommending that we work to set aside our insecurities and open up to seeing the world the way he and (according to him) other scientists do. In the process, this could help us open up to one another by questioning our own biases that impede humanistic progress.Of course, this is easier said than done. I am reminded of a quote from John Dewey (Human Nature and Conduct): “Character that is unable to undergo successfully the strain of thought and effort required to bring about competing tendencies into a unity, builds up barriers between different systems of likes and dislikes. The emotional stress incident to conflict is avoided not by readjustment but by effort at confinement.” This quote resonates with the political divisions and confined tribalism we currently experience in this country. If the reader is looking for a guide as to how to motivate people to emerge from their caves (an analogy he makes in the beginning of the book in support of space travel) and undertake that "strain of thought and effort" required for human progress, it will not be found in this book. Perhaps the best we can do is bring scientists to a greater extent, with their perspectives and methods, into our political processes so, at the very least, implicit biases would be challenged before being acted upon. Regardless, I recommend the book. Beyond being informative, it is also an enjoyable read.