Episode

#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
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1:50:03
Published: Thu Oct 03 2019
Description

“What matters is: Are you a good problem solver? Are you moral? Are you a hard worker? Are you a good leader? Do you have insights into the field? These are the questions that matter.” — Neil deGrasse TysonAstrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) was appointed the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium in 1996. Dr. Tyson’s professional research interests are primarily related to the structure of the Milky Way galaxy, and the formation of stars, supernovas, and dwarf galaxies.Dr. Tyson graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, received his BA from Harvard, and earned his PhD in astrophysics from Columbia University in 1991. In 2001 he was appointed by President Bush to serve on the 12-member Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry. In 2004 Dr. Tyson received a second appointment from President Bush, this time to the nine-member President’s Commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy (dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission). In 2016 he was appointed by the US secretary of defense to be an advisor to the DoD on the future of sci-tech innovation.Dr. Tyson has been awarded 21 honorary degrees as well as the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, and he has authored multiple books on the universe, including Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status.His newest book is Letters from an Astrophysicist, a companion to his 2017 bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.Since 2006 Dr. Tyson has appeared as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW. He also hosts a popular radio show and podcast called StarTalk in addition to the Emmy-nominated StarTalk TV show on National Geographic.In 2014 Dr. Tyson hosted a reboot of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.This episode is brought to you by Helix Sleep. I recently moved into a new home and needed new beds, and I purchased mattresses from Helix Sleep. It offers mattresses personalized to your preferences and sleeping style without costing thousands of dollars. Visit HelixSleep.com/TIM and take the simple 2-3 minute sleep quiz to get started, and the team there will match you to a mattress you’ll love.Their customer service makes all the difference. The mattress arrives within a week, and the shipping is completely free. You can try the mattress for 100 nights, and if you’re not happy, it’ll pick it up and offer a full refund. To personalize your sleep experience, visit HelixSleep.com/TIM and you’ll receive up to $125 off your custom mattress.This episode is also brought to you by ShipStation. Do you sell stuff online? Then you know what a pain the shipping process is. Whether you’re selling on eBay, Amazon, Shopify, or over 100 other popular selling channels, ShipStation was created to make your life easier. ShipStation lets you access all of your orders from one simple dashboard, it works with all of the major shipping carriers, locally and globally, including FedEx, UPS, and USPS.Tim Ferriss Show listeners get to try ShipStation free for 60 days by using promo code TIM. There’s no risk and you can start your free trial without even entering your credit card info. Just visit ShipStation.com, click on the microphone at the top of the homepage, and type in TIM!***If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds, and it really makes a difference in helping to convince hard-to-get guests. I also love reading the reviews!For show notes and past guests, please visit tim.blog/podcast.Sign up for Tim’s email newsletter (“5-Bullet Friday”) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Interested in sponsoring the podcast? Please fill out the form at tim.blog/sponsor.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss YouTube: youtube.com/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
In this episode, Tim Ferriss interviews Neil deGrasse Tyson, a renowned astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, about his life, work, and perspectives on science, education, and more.
00:00 - 06:43 (06:43)
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Neil deGrasse Tyson
Summary

In this episode, Tim Ferriss interviews Neil deGrasse Tyson, a renowned astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, about his life, work, and perspectives on science, education, and more.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker talks about how his parents fed his and his siblings' interests, and how cultural institutions located in the city played a role in that upbringing.
06:43 - 33:36 (26:53)
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Parenting
Summary

The speaker talks about how his parents fed his and his siblings' interests, and how cultural institutions located in the city played a role in that upbringing. They also discuss the safety of New York City for children in the past and present.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks about the effectiveness of the book "Cosmos" co-written by Ann Druyan in conveying scientific knowledge and how journalists should present scientific discoveries to the public.
33:36 - 54:46 (21:09)
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Science
Summary

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks about the effectiveness of the book "Cosmos" co-written by Ann Druyan in conveying scientific knowledge and how journalists should present scientific discoveries to the public.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses his book "Letters from an Astrophysicist" which features 101 of his letters that range from insights on the universe, to advice on parenting and responses to personal reactions.
54:46 - 1:09:15 (14:29)
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Neil deGrasse Tyson
Summary

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses his book "Letters from an Astrophysicist" which features 101 of his letters that range from insights on the universe, to advice on parenting and responses to personal reactions. Tyson also highlights the positive aspect of ambition and how it is not always synonymous with stepping on others to get ahead.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the importance of being prepared and having exposure to pop culture in order to communicate effectively with interviewers and their audience.
1:09:15 - 1:26:55 (17:39)
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Communication
Summary

The speaker discusses the importance of being prepared and having exposure to pop culture in order to communicate effectively with interviewers and their audience.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss discusses the trade-off parents make in requiring grades for their children, and how grades do not necessarily measure personal growth.
1:26:55 - 1:36:53 (09:58)
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Education
Summary

Tim Ferriss discusses the trade-off parents make in requiring grades for their children, and how grades do not necessarily measure personal growth. Despite having mediocre grades, Tim never considered himself a mediocre student.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast episode features an ad for Ship Station, a shipping software that allows users to access all of their orders from one dashboard and offers discounts on shipping costs.
1:36:54 - 1:49:12 (12:18)
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shipping, sleep
Summary

This podcast episode features an ad for Ship Station, a shipping software that allows users to access all of their orders from one dashboard and offers discounts on shipping costs. The episode also includes an ad for Helix Sleep, a sleep quiz that matches users with the perfect mattress based on their body type and sleep preferences.

Episode
#389: Neil deGrasse Tyson — How to Dream Big, Think Scientifically, and Get More Done
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show