To be fair, I don’t think Tyson is particularly bigoted, hateful, or a know nothing. He’s a smart man, and can communicate his ideas in a very accessible way.
He does come across as a bit arrogant, yes.
His biggest failing is that he sucks all the air out of the room when he is part of a panel. Just a blabbermouth. An entertaining one, but it does short-change everybody else on the panel. I’ve seen it several times.
But he’s usually the draw so promoters seem to let it slide. Just look at any panel discussion he is on and he runs out in front of everybody else, hitting his laugh lines, and entertaining the crowd.
I have a feeling he’s an engaging person, but one that just talks too much.
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That’s the feeling I get, but it makes him perfect as a spokesperson for astronomy. He’s engaging and excellent at relating ideas in terms lay people can understand. That’s something that most scientists I know cannot do, at least not in any sort of engaging manner. I think that makes Tyson the one person I know who can at least succeed Sagan in popularizing astronomy.
Sagan’s Cosmos series influenced my upbringing and helped get me interested in space and science in general. It had an even bigger impact on my parents, who in turn helped encourage me to pursue science. I don’t know if the reboot will have the same effect on people or not, but I sincerely hope that it will.