Who's More Pro-Science, Republicans or Democrats? - Neil deGrasse Tyson

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2009/02/04/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson_Pluto_Files

Neil deGrasse Tyson defends government support for U.S. science research under President George W. Bush, and says that, contrary to popular belief, "funding for science under Republican administrations has been historically higher than under Democrats."

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Neil deGrasse Tyson, the bestselling author and director of the world-famous Hayden Planetarium, chronicles America's irrational love affair with Pluto, man's best celestial friend.

Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson's professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. Tyson obtains his data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as from telescopes in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and in the Andes Mountains of Chile. In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a 12-member commission that studied the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security. In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a 9-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the "Moon, Mars, and Beyond" commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Committee, which will help guide NASA through its perennial need to fit its ambitious vision into its restricted budget. In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public.

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[blitzphilosophy]

Please make this man president.

[crazysoxx98]

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON FOR PRESIDENT!!!!!

[DieOrBlink]

@jogeryjogo well fuck america

[VeefDaddy2]

@jogeryjogo This is such a silly, glib thing to say, and flies in the face of any statistical rigor. It's just a copout. Republicans and Democrats are both widely varied and complex, and you just can't sum up ideologies of 320 million people in a single sentence like that. Try harder, jogeryjogo.

[jogeryjogo]

The fact is Republicans are more pro-science and more pro-American than Democrats. Remember that next time you vote.

[Kross2099]

@GridJumping At the risk of starting an argument or going off track, Obama did not shut down NASA. He ended the program that involved sending people to space for no particular reason, using technology that had not been improved since the 1970s, and returning with no new or useful information. NASA is still running strong and is focusing its time on more efficient means of space travel rather than needlessly sending men to space to float around for a month.

[GridJumping]

Obama shuts down NASA and Newt makes a campaign promise of colonizing the moon. I've never seen a more apparent example of what Dr. Tyson is talking about.

[TheAtheologian]

@Douglas1102 errr, you did notice NASA was the one that got the least extra money? Also, he did ask, what would you say is pro-science, education in science, or investment in science, which at this time are completely different. I can't go sitting on a hill waiting for apples with elementary knowledge of physics and complex maths and change the world.

His example was more the point that he was not afraid, simply because he anticipated their decision due to certain motivations.

[uknowispeaksense]

@gulbirk true, and I understand your point. The funding of science though is a fraction of those other things..at least in my country anyway. Anyhow, nice exchanging ideas with you. Cheers :0)

[KnightBeren]

Top comments are both about Neil deGrasse Tyson for president: I support this because I want a badass for the president!!

[gulbirk]

@uknowispeaksense I understand. I also understand that science is of course neccesary. I am not proposing to stop funding science. My point was that even though you fund science, that wouldnt matter much if other things like schools, hospitals, working condititions, welfare, general wealth, etc failed.

[uknowispeaksense]

@gulbirk Don't get me wrong, I think most republicans are batshit crazy and couldn't organise a root in a brothel with a fistful of cash. I'm trying to find the paper I was reading. I know for fact it was published in a peer reviewed economics journal so I am extremely confident that it was accurate. I don't read biased papers.