ipl-logo

The Cosmic Perspective By Neal Degrasse Tyson Analysis

946 Words4 Pages

“The Cosmic perspective” Written by Neal deGrasse Tyson, is an essay that goes in-depth on the beauty of the universe. At the beginning of the essay, Tyson talks about how the ideas of astronomy came from simple beginnings scientifically but have advanced with humanity. In Addition to this, Tyson talks about how the scientific perspective can only be studied by those with the privilege of not focusing on survival. Tyson gives a litany of examples demonstrating how science has increased humanity's collective knowledge. Tyson's main idea in the text is that the cosmic perspective allows us to see the beauty of the universe beyond earth, and why we should focus more on getting all members of society to that point. “The Cosmic Perspective” is successful …show more content…

The products listed were hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon. The reason Tyson used this example is that the elements share a trend of being the most common elements found in the universe. Everything from the farthest reaches of the universe to everything around you including those in your daily life is composed of the same elements. To put this into perspective 96.5% of your entire body mass is composed of the most common elements found in the universe mentioned previously. As Tyson inspiringly puts it,” We are not simply in the universe. The universe is in us”. Tyson’s point is undeniable when almost all of your body's matter is also extremely common in the universe, Thus achieving Tyson's goal in this example. Tyson also uses logical persuasive writing in other examples. At the end of paragraph 2, Tyson recalls being in biology class and learning that more bacteria live in one centimeter of your colon than the number of humans that have ever lived. Tyson wisely stated, “That kind of information makes you think twice about who—or what— is actually in charge”. Tyson uses this example to show just how small the earth and humanity are in our universe. Instead of using metaphorical imagery with scientific facts to achieve his goal, Tyson instead uses large

Show More
Related
82 Words | 1 Pages

The Cosmic Race is an essay written by Mexican philosopher Jose Vasconcelos to express the future race in the Americas and how the new emergent will occur. The first part of the essay was entitled “Mestiza” discusses the myth of the fall and rise of Atlantis in the American missions he encounters the white race as the worlds invader. Vasconcelos sees the Latin America as the land for developments the land that is open to strangers and not racist towards other cultures.

Read More
520 Words | 3 Pages

In the Tanner Humanities Center video of Neil deGrasse Tyson, Tyson discusses the problems with the American currency. His platform is that there should be scientists like him on the U.S currency, so they could be valued as people who contributed to who we are as a nation. While watching the video, I enjoyed his humor , and the way he used logic to explain how the currency should be labeled. Although, I disagree with Tyson’s view that scientists should be the ones on the currency, I believe that the currency should be changed. It should not only have scientists, but some politicians, artists, etc.

Read More
846 Words | 4 Pages

Neil deGrasse Tyson writer of “Back to The Final Frontier,” is an astrophysicist writer and science communicator. With Tyson’s knowledge on the aerospace industry, he describes in his article what it will take for America to remain the leading superpower in space. While reading his article, I found that Neil deGrasse Tyson does an excellent job at persuading his audience by establishing credibility, with great evidence to support his case, and to support his case he offers effective strategies of reasoning, while organizing it well for the reader to understand. Tyson is quick to start establishing credibility in the first sentence stating, “Spring 2001, amid the manicured lawns of the Princeton University campus, I was recumbent in an office chair with my mind in the universe when the phone rang. It was the White House.

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

Nevertheless, using another source of evidence, Barry was able to again persuade the audience from a different point of view. As seen in the text, “And just as Einstein refused to accept his own theory until his predictions were tested, one must seek out such findings” (Barry). This showed that the author is credible and persuasive by using a well known scientist to aid him in explaining uncertainty. Coincidentally, Einstein went through the struggle of uncertainty himself, he is better able to understand the importance of it. However, using all scientist’s as a source for understanding the importance of uncertainty, gives Barry the advantage of multiple sources.

Read More
261 Words | 2 Pages

Francis Schaeffer and James W. Sire present a views of the universe that reflects judeo-scripture in their works. They describe the ideas that God created the universe to be good, and that God continues to oversee and Shepard all that lies within it. God did not simply form the earth with aimless intentions. He had an eternal detailed plan for all He created and would create, and all that He made had a good and holy purpose. In Genesis in Space and Time, Schaeffer conveys it as, “A doxology of all creation-everything glorifying God on its own level” (56).

Read More
360 Words | 2 Pages

Alan Lightman, a physicist, social entrepreneur, and creative writer of various works, including Our Place in the Universe: “Face to Face with the Infinite,” is written for the general public. This essay, takes the reader through humanity’s scientific discovery. For example, in his introduction, Lightman catches the reader’s attention by telling his own story so the readers can relate to it. Throughout the essay, the concept of size is predominant. Lightman conveys our place in the universe through the representation of a scale to let readers understand the universe.

Read More
710 Words | 3 Pages

He utilizes logos in order to give validity to his conclusions on each of the three hypotheses. Since this is an scientific article it was necessary, and is why this rhetorical device is the center of his paper. When discussing both the overdose and testicular frying hypotheses, Gould explains that while they are both possible hypotheses, their Achilles heel is that "it is difficult to advance any arguments against this hypothesis.” This means it is untestable and unusable, otherwise useless. He then explains that the meteor hypothesis is "fruitful science because it generates tests, and provides us with things to do and extends outward.”

Read More
484 Words | 2 Pages

"Ryter was this gummy that changed my life, and if you're reading this, maybe he changed the world, too" (Philbrick 8). In "The Last Book in the Universe," by Rodman Philbrick, Ryter is an old gummy who dreams of changing the world for the future. The strong character tries to change a significant problem in his society. The problem involves mind probes. He feels that it is bad for everyone who is using it because everyone is slowly losing memory due to the probes.

Read More
836 Words | 4 Pages

It is after two paragraphs exploring notions of man’s cosmic connection that Sagan asserts his first claim in the essay, “plainly there is no way back… we are stuck with science” (1). The compassionate tone persists even in assertions, as seen through the use of first person. More compassionate is the gentle acknowledgement of the pseudoscience appeal. “Yes, the world would be a more interesting place if there were UFOs lurking in the deep waters off Bermuda… or if our dreams could, more often than can be explained by chance and our knowledge of the world, accurately foretell the future” (1). This series of sentences ends the introduction.

Read More
1008 Words | 5 Pages

Although Harlow Shapley and Heber D. Curtis were the first astronomers to formally debate the scale of the universe in 1920 with their individual claims and findings on this highly contested topic, they were not the first or the last to postulate the various scientific theories of our universe. The “Great Debate” has been slightly misrepresented as an astronomical and scientific debate between only two astronomers when in actuality this debate and controversy was not a singular event in 1920, but a longstanding scientific effort as a result of a multitude of scholars trying to decipher and understand the scale of the universe. The history of events and discoveries that led to this debate and controversy span centuries and is an often overlooked

Read More
1312 Words | 6 Pages

296). Those who realize that we belong to the universe are much more open for discoveries that it has to offer. He uses the example of ultra violet light. We can physically see it ourselves but that didn’t stop our desire to want more and to find out how to use it (p. 296).

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

From the early ages, Space and the concept of Space Exploration has retained a notion of mystique and intrigue ever since the first astrologists gazed up at the stars. With the launch of Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong became the first person to ever step on the moon. Many years of struggle as well as many lives being lost has only led to greater discoveries but the sacrifices that were made will always be mourned and remembered. And despite the risks, the notion of space travel has led us to many different discoveries and truths about the galaxy. The aims of the space program today should be centered around obtaining the brightest of mankind, to get them involved, provide safety, and continue to fulfill the treaty which “bans the use of placing

Read More
271 Words | 2 Pages

The Son of Neptune is a fictional greek mythological story that takes place in a modern-day setting. It is the seventh book in a huge series written by Rick Riordan. The main cover of the book features a young boy around his teens emerging from icy cold water holding a golden staff with a large golden bird attached to the top. The Son of Neptune was published on October 4, 2011, featuring a total of 513 pages. The Son of Neptune is actually a very unique book in that each chapter is not the same perspective of a single character.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

Megan Castro Professor Jason Southworth PHI 2010 January 25, 2016 Paper #1: Paley In William Paley 's The Teleological Argument, Paley concludes that God exists-or rather a "watchmaker", i.e. a designer of the universe, exists. Paley presents his argument with the over-stretching of the analogy that the existence of such an intricate design that is a watch, has a great purpose, as opposed to a stone that is of no use, and serves as proof of a watchmaker. Paley uses the example of a watch to explain and conclude that the universe is just the same. The intricate design that is the universe has a great purpose and serves as proof of a universe maker, i.e. God, which further concludes that God exists.

Read More
263 Words | 2 Pages

The article “‘The Universe is slowly dying,’ study shows with unprecedented precision” by Ben Brumfield describes what scientists found about the decreasing energy in the cosmos. When the Big Bang occurred, it created all the mass and energy in the universe, and that energy travels through space until it’s absorbed or hits an object. Recently, an international group of scientists used data from powerful telescopes to study the energy radiating from a piece of the universe. They found that there was half as much energy as there was 2 billion years ago. The universe will grow older and its energy will slowly disappear, but it will still be there.

Read More

More about The Cosmic Perspective By Neal Degrasse Tyson Analysis

Open Document