Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries
byNeil deGrasse Tyson
An exploration of various essays about astronomy, physics, earth and space sciences as well as discourse on how media portrays physics and where to draw the line between creative freedom and overly distorted representation of science. If you have decent exposure to physics and astronomy, some of the essays may seem repetitive, and this book is better geared as introductory exposure to these topics. Neil goes over the history of some of the major discoveries in astronomy and how our view of the universe and our place in it has evolved over time. I enjoyed some of the later chapters which were some of his stronger opinions on science and religion and the media.
Motivations to Read
I'm a fan of Neil deGrasse Tyson and how he brings so much passion and energy into talking about physics. When I was younger a fun pastime of mine was to binge watch the science channel. Now I seem to be very curious about exploring various books around science and space.
3 Reasons to Read
- Easy to understand introduction to astronomy, physics, earth and space sciences.
- Discussions on the media's portrayal of science.
- Forty of Neil deGrasse Tyson's favorite essays from the Natural History magazine.
Notable Quotes
“Not only do we live among the stars, the stars live within us.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
“When scientifically investigating the natural world, the only thing worse than a blind believer is a seeing denier.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
“The remarkable feature of physical laws is that they apply everywhere, whether or not you choose to believe in them. After the laws of physics, everything else is opinion.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
“Science is a philosophy of discovery. Intelligent design is a philosophy of ignorance.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
“In modern times, if the sole measure of what's out there flows from your five senses then a precarious life awaits you.” Neil deGrasse Tyson
Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries Notes & Summary
