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102-495: The organization previously administered the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge , a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate a supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. The organization has been funded through member contributions, grants, and conferences, though it ceased accepting memberships after 2015. For several years,

204-469: A Bachelor of Arts degree in physics at Harvard College in 1980 and then began his graduate work at the University of Texas at Austin , from which he received a Master of Arts degree in astronomy in 1983. By his own account, he did not spend as much time in the research lab as he should have. His professors encouraged him to consider alternative careers and the committee for his doctoral dissertation

306-478: A This Morning host, stated that the program would pay for her flights to the US to be tested. Salway subsequently backed out of the challenge, claiming it was "dodgy" and "set up to make it impossible to pass". Randi rejected an application from Rico Kolodzey, a breatharian who claimed to have survived without food since 1998. In 2006, Randi agreed to test Kolodzey's claims, but the two parties were unable to agree on

408-442: A supernatural or paranormal ability under agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. A version of the challenge was first issued in 1964. Over a thousand people applied to take it, but none was successful. The challenge was terminated in 2015. James Randi developed the idea for the challenge during a radio panel discussion when a parapsychologist challenged him to "put [his] money where [his] mouth is." In 1964, Randi offered

510-584: A "widely read, UK-based Internet chat group", following Benny Peiser 's renewed call for reclassification of Pluto's status. Peiser's entry, in which he posted articles from the AP and The Boston Globe , spawned from The New York Times ' s article entitled "Pluto's Not a Planet? Only in New York". Tyson has been vice-president, president, and chairman of the board of the Planetary Society . He

612-450: A $ 1,000 prize, soon increasing it to $ 10,000. Later, Lexington Broadcasting wanted Randi to do a show called the $ 100,000 Psychic Prize, so they added $ 90,000 to the original $ 10,000 raised by Randi. Finally, in 1996, one of his friends, Internet pioneer Rick Adams , donated $ 1 million for the prize. The prize is sometimes referred to in the media as the "Randi Prize". By April 1, 2007, only those with an already existing media profile and

714-544: A Hurry (2017). During the same period, he wrote a monthly column in StarDate magazine, answering questions about the universe under the pen name "Merlin". Material from the column appeared in his books Merlin's Tour of the Universe (1998) and Just Visiting This Planet (1998). Tyson served on a 2001 government commission on the future of the U.S. aerospace industry and on the 2004 Moon, Mars and Beyond commission. He

816-566: A campaign of the Space Advocates nonprofit was founded in 2012 by John Zeller and advocates doubling NASA's budget to one percent of the federal budget. In his book Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier Tyson argues that large and ambitious space exploration projects, like getting humans to Mars , will probably require some sort of military or economic driver in order to get the appropriate funding from

918-541: A claimant's ability to perform, non-blinded preliminary control tests are often performed. For example, the JREF had dowsers perform a control test, in which the dowser attempts to locate the target substance or object using their dowsing ability, even though the target's location has been revealed to the applicant. Failure to display a 100% success rate in the open test would cause their immediate disqualification. However, claimants were usually able to perform successfully during

1020-638: A conference at the National Academy of Sciences , Tyson responded to a question about whether genetic differences might keep women from working as scientists. He said that his goal to become an astrophysicist was "hands down the path of most resistance through the forces... of society... My life experience tells me, when you don't find Blacks in the sciences, when you don't find women in the sciences, I know these forces are real and I had to survive them in order to get where I am today. So before we start talking about genetic differences, you gotta come up with

1122-447: A curtain, and the subjects were in front of the curtain with eyes and ears covered so as not to be able to deduce who was behind the curtain. A colored ball was chosen randomly to determine whether Wang or the control person would go first, and in that order they tried to transmit the energy onto the subject's hand (hidden from their view inside a cardboard box). The subject then stated whether she had felt any energy and whether it came from

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1224-563: A dollar.' It's a half a penny." In March 2012, Tyson testified before the United States Senate Science Committee , stating that: Right now, NASA's annual budget is half a penny on your tax dollar. For twice that—a penny on a dollar—we can transform the country from a sullen, dispirited nation, weary of economic struggle, to one where it has reclaimed its 20th century birthright to dream of tomorrow. Inspired by Tyson's advocacy and remarks, Penny4NASA ,

1326-525: A later date on any possible changes to the requirements and procedures. As an April Fool's prank on April 1, 2008, at the MIT Media Lab , Randi pretended to award the prize to magician Seth Raphael after participating in a test of Raphael's "psychic abilities". On March 8, 2011, the JREF announced that qualifications were being altered to open the challenge to more applicants. Whereas applicants were previously required to submit press clippings and

1428-412: A letter from an academic institution to qualify, the new rules now require applicants to present either press clippings, a letter from an academic institution, or a public video demonstrating their ability. The JREF explained that these new rules would give people without media or academic documentation a way to be considered for testing, and would allow the JREF to use online video and social media to reach

1530-426: A level of gullibility that leaves people susceptible to being taken advantage of. I see science literacy as kind of a vaccine against charlatans who would try to exploit your ignorance. — Neil deGrasse Tyson, from a transcript of an interview by Roger Bingham on The Science Network Tyson has written and broadcast extensively about his views of science, spirituality, and the spirituality of science, including

1632-570: A little differently." So I said, "Okay, Neil deGrasse Tyson, widely claimed by atheists, is actually an agnostic." During the interview "Called by the Universe: A Conversation with Neil deGrasse Tyson" in 2009, Tyson said: "I can't agree to the claims by atheists that I'm one of that community. I don't have the time, energy, interest of conducting myself that way... I'm not trying to convert people. I don't care." In March 2014, philosopher and secularism proponent Massimo Pigliucci asked Tyson: "What

1734-407: A mysterious force a distance of 91 centimeters (3 feet), unhindered by wood, metal, plastic or cardboard. The energy, he said, could be felt by others as heat, pressure, magnetism, or simply "an indescribable change." A total of nine people were selected by Wang as subjects who would be able to determine whether they were receiving the force from his hand. On stage, Wang and a control person were behind

1836-473: A passive atheist? An apathetic atheist? Do you rally, or do you just not even care? So I'd be on the 'I really don't care' side of that, if you had to find adjectives to put in front of the word 'atheist'." Pigliucci contrasted Tyson with scientist Richard Dawkins : "[Dawkins] really does consider, at this point, himself to be an atheist activist. You very clearly made the point that you are not." Tyson replied: "I completely respect that activity. He's fulfilling

1938-539: A personal letter... Tyson revisited this moment on his first episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey . Pulling out a 1975 calendar belonging to the famous astronomer, he found the day Sagan invited the 17-year-old to spend a day in Ithaca . Sagan had offered to put him up for the night if his bus back to the Bronx did not come. Tyson said, "I already knew I wanted to become a scientist. But that afternoon, I learned from Carl

2040-582: A podcast guest interviewee on The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe , Radiolab , Skepticality , and The Joe Rogan Experience , and he has he been in several of the Symphony of Science videos. He lived near the World Trade Center and was an eyewitness to the September 11, 2001, attacks . He wrote a widely circulated letter on what he saw. Footage he filmed on the day was included in

2142-462: A preliminary investigation, but after the Yellow Bamboo group "threw every sort of obstacle in the way of that plan", Randi announced that he was terminating further involvement with them. A local volunteer contacted Randi offering to investigate the group unofficially. A low-resolution video showed the investigator being knocked to the ground during a preliminary test. The JREF pointed out that

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2244-523: A premise of the interview." Tyson has positively advocated for the freedoms of homosexual and transgender people and argued about the topic repeatedly against right-wing commentators. Tyson is an advocate for expanding the operations of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration . Arguing that "the most powerful agency on the dreams of a nation is currently underfunded to do what it needs to be doing". He has suggested that

2346-479: A prize of US$ 1,000 to anyone who could demonstrate a paranormal ability under agreed-upon testing conditions. This prize was later increased to US$ 1   million in bonds and was administered by JREF. Since its inception, more than 1,000 people applied to be tested. The Challenge was eventually terminated, with JREF noting in 2015, "We can no longer justify the resources to interact with these people." No applicants were able to demonstrate their claimed abilities under

2448-486: A question session at the University at Buffalo if he believed in a higher power, Tyson responded: "Every account of a higher power that I've seen described, of all religions that I've seen, include many statements with regard to the benevolence of that power. When I look at the universe and all the ways the universe wants to kill us, I find it hard to reconcile that with statements of beneficence." In an interview with Big Think , he said: "So, what people are really after

2550-401: A really important role out there." Tyson has spoken about philosophy on numerous occasions. In March 2014, during an episode of The Nerdist Podcast , he said that philosophy is "useless" and that a philosophy major "can really mess you up", which was met with disapproval. Pigliucci, a philosopher, later criticized him for "dismiss[ing] philosophy as a useless enterprise". In 2005, at

2652-699: A regular video cast and YouTube show, The Randi Show , in which former JREF outreach coordinator Brian Thompson interviewed Randi on a variety of skeptical topics, often with lighthearted or comedic commentary. It has not been active since August 2012. In November 2015, Harriet Hall produced a series of ten lectures called Science Based Medicine for the JREF. The videos deal with various complementary alternative medicine subjects including homeopathy , chiropractic , acupuncture and more. The JREF posted many of its educational videos from The Amaz!ng Meeting and other events online. There are lectures by Neil DeGrasse Tyson , Carol Tavris , Lawrence Krauss , live tests of

2754-464: A system where there's equal opportunity. Then we can start having that conversation." In a 2014 interview with Grantland , Tyson said that he related his experience on that 2005 panel in an effort to make the point that the scientific question about genetic differences can not be answered until the social barriers are dismantled. "I'm saying before you even have that conversation, you have to be really sure that access to opportunity has been level." In

2856-479: A television project, and D.J. Grothe assumed the position of president on January 1, 2010, holding the position until his departure from the organization was announced on September 1, 2014. The San Francisco newspaper SF Weekly reported in August 2009, that Randi's annual salary was about $ 200,000. Randi resigned from JREF in 2015. As of January 2024, JREF leadership consisted of: In 1964, Randi began offering

2958-429: A wider audience. Since the challenge was first created by Randi in 1964, about a thousand people applied, but none were successful. Randi has said that few unsuccessful applicants ever seriously considered that their failure to perform might be due to the nonexistence of the power they believe they possess. In January 2015, James Randi announced that he was officially retiring and stepping down from his position with

3060-475: Is an absolute monster." He has appeared numerous times on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart . He has made appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien , The Tonight Show with Jay Leno , Late Night with Jimmy Fallon , and The Rachel Maddow Show . He served as one of the central interviewees on the various episodes of the History Channel science program, The Universe . Tyson participated on

3162-451: Is it you think about God?" Tyson replied: "I remain unconvinced by any claims anyone has ever made about the existence or the power of a divine force operating in the universe." Pigliucci then asked him why he expressed discomfort with the label "atheist" in his Big Think video. Tyson replied by reiterating his dislike for one-word labels, saying: "That's what adjectives are for. What kind of atheist are you? Are you an ardent atheist? Are you

James Randi Educational Foundation - Misplaced Pages Continue

3264-786: Is my great pleasure to announce the creation of the James Randi Educational Foundation. This is a non-profit, tax-exempt, educational foundation under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of Delaware. The Foundation is generously funded by a sponsor in Washington D.C. who wishes, at this point in time, to remain anonymous. JREF is now headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia . Randi stated that Johnny Carson

3366-527: Is used in the film Europa Report . Tyson also made an appearance in an episode of Martha Speaks as himself. In a May 2011 StarTalk Radio show, The Political Science of the Daily Show , Tyson said he donates all income earned as a guest speaker. he is a frequent participant in the website Reddit 's AMAs (Ask Me Anythings) where he is responsible for three of the top ten most popular AMAs of all time. In Action Comics #14 (January 2013), which

3468-457: Is what is my stance on religion or spirituality or God, and I would say if I find a word that came closest, it would be 'agnostic'... at the end of the day I'd rather not be any category at all." Additionally, in the same interview with Big Think , Tyson mentioned that he edited Misplaced Pages's entry on him to include the fact that he is an agnostic: I'm constantly claimed by atheists. I find this intriguing. In fact, on my Wiki page –I didn't create

3570-981: The ARCS Foundation , enabling Tyson to attend international meetings in Italy, Switzerland, Chile, and South Africa and to hire students to help him with data reduction. In the course of his thesis work, he observed using the 0.91 m telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, where he obtained images for the Calán/Tololo Supernova Survey helping to further their work in establishing Type Ia supernovae as standard candles . During his thesis research at Columbia University, Tyson became acquainted with Professor David Spergel at Princeton University , who visited Columbia University in

3672-734: The Bronx and then in Riverdale . From kindergarten throughout high school, Tyson attended public schools in the Bronx: PS 36 Unionport, PS 81 Robert J. Christen, the Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (MS 141), and graduated from The Bronx High School of Science in 1976 where he was captain of the wrestling team and editor-in-chief of the Physical Science Journal . His interest in astronomy began at

3774-563: The NPR radio quiz program Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in 2007 and 2015. He appeared several times on Real Time with Bill Maher and he was also featured on an episode of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as the ask-the-expert lifeline. He has spoken numerous times on the Philadelphia morning show, Preston and Steve , on 93.3 WMMR, as well as on SiriusXM's Ron and Fez and The Opie and Anthony Show . Tyson has been featured as

3876-678: The Nerdist YouTube Channel . On February 28, 2014, Tyson was a celebrity guest at the White House Student Film Festival . In 2014, Tyson helped revive Carl Sagan's Cosmos: A Personal Voyage television series, presenting Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey on both FOX and the National Geographic Channel . Thirteen episodes were aired in the first season, and Tyson has said that if a second season were produced, he would pass

3978-613: The Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society of the Two-year School. He and James Randi delivered a lecture entitled Skepticism , which related directly with the convention's theme of The Democratization of Information: Power, Peril, and Promise . In 2012, Tyson announced that he would appear in a YouTube series based on his radio show StarTalk . A premiere date for the show has not been announced, but it will be distributed on

4080-645: The Public Welfare Medal in 2015 for his "extraordinary role in exciting the public about the wonders of science". Tyson was born in Manhattan as the second of three children, into a Catholic family living in the Bronx . His African-American father, Cyril deGrasse Tyson (1927–2016), was a sociologist and human resource commissioner for New York City mayor John Lindsay , and the first director of Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited . His mother, Sunchita Maria Tyson (née Feliciano; 1928–2023),

4182-707: The Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. The center is part of the American Museum of Natural History , where Tyson founded the Department of Astrophysics in 1997 and has been a research associate in the department since 2003. From 1995 to 2005, Tyson wrote monthly essays in the "Universe" column for Natural History magazine, some of which were later published in his books Death by Black Hole (2007) and Astrophysics for People in

James Randi Educational Foundation - Misplaced Pages Continue

4284-540: The United States federal government . As a science communicator, Tyson regularly appears on television, radio, and various other media outlets. He has been a regular guest on The Colbert Report , and host Stephen Colbert refers to him in his comedic book I Am America (And So Can You!) , noting in his chapter on scientists that most scientists are "decent, well-intentioned people", but presumably tongue-in-cheek , that "Neil DeGrasse [ sic ] Tyson

4386-406: The "Universe" column for Natural History magazine. In a column Tyson wrote for a special edition of the magazine, called "City of Stars", in 2002, he popularized the term " Manhattanhenge " to describe the two days annually on which the evening sun aligns with the street grid in Manhattan , making the sunset visible along unobstructed side streets. He had coined the term in 1996, inspired by how

4488-530: The 2008 documentary film 102 Minutes That Changed America . In 2007, Tyson was the keynote speaker during the dedication ceremony of Deerfield Academy 's new science center, the Koch Center in Massachusetts , named for David H. Koch '59. He emphasized the impact science will have on the twenty-first century, as well as explaining that investments into science may be costly, but their returns in

4590-448: The 2015 Amazing Meeting, the MDC set up a controlled double-blind demonstration with volunteers listening to two identical recordings with a randomly selected Ethernet cable, a normal one or the cable claiming to improve the listening experience. After seven volunteers (1 hit, 1 miss and 5 hearing no difference), the demonstration was ended as they were unable to select the "enhanced" cable over

4692-620: The Hayden Planetarium. In 1994, Tyson joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist while he was a research affiliate in Princeton University. He became acting director of the planetarium in June 1995 and was appointed director in 1996. As director, he oversaw the planetarium's $ 210 million reconstruction project, which was completed in 2000. Upon being asked for his thoughts on becoming director, Tyson said "when I

4794-522: The JREF website published the blog Swift , which included news and information as well as exposés of paranormal claimants. The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) officially came into existence on February 29, 1996, when it was registered as a nonprofit corporation in the State of Delaware in the United States. On April 3, 1996, James Randi formally announced the creation of JREF through his email hotline. THE FOUNDATION IS IN BUSINESS! It

4896-468: The JREF. In September 2015, JREF announced that their board had decided that it would convert the foundation into a grant-making foundation, and they will no longer accept applications directly from people claiming to have a paranormal power. In 2015 the James Randi paranormal challenge was officially terminated. The official challenge rules stipulated that the participant must agree, in writing, to

4998-698: The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, workshops on cold reading by Ray Hyman , and panels featuring leading thinking on various topics related to JREF's educational mission on the JREF YouTube channel. JREF past president D.J. Grothe has claimed that the JREF's YouTube channel was once the "10th most subscribed nonprofit channel of all time", though its status in 2013 was 39th and most non-profits do not register for this status. The foundation produced its own "Internet Audio Show" which ran from January–December 2002 and

5100-620: The Smallville Crows. Tyson also had a minor appearance as himself in the 2016 film Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice . In May 2013, the Science Laureates of the United States Act of 2013 (H.R. 1891; 113th Congress) was introduced into Congress. Tyson was listed by at least two commentators as a possible nominee for the position of Science Laureate, if the act were to pass. On March 8, 2014, Tyson made

5202-454: The Wiki page. Others did, and I'm flattered that people cared enough about my life to assemble it–and it said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist." I said, "Well, that's not really true." I said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an agnostic." I went back a week later. It said, "Neil deGrasse Tyson is an atheist" again–within a week!–and I said, "What's up with that?" and I said, "All right, I have to word it

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5304-490: The age of nine after visiting the sky theater of the Hayden Planetarium . He recalled that "so strong was that imprint [of the night sky] that I'm certain that I had no choice in the matter, that in fact, the universe called me." During high school, Tyson attended astronomy courses offered by the Hayden Planetarium, which he called "the most formative period" of his life. He credited Mark Chartrand III, director of

5406-522: The astronomy community by giving lectures on the subject at the age of 15. Astronomer Carl Sagan , who was a faculty member at Cornell University , tried to recruit Tyson to Cornell for undergraduate studies. In his book, The Sky Is Not the Limit , Tyson wrote: My letter of application had been dripping with an interest in the universe. The admission office, unbeknownst to me, had forwarded my application to Carl Sagan's attention. Within weeks, I received

5508-443: The backing of a reputable academic were allowed to apply for the challenge. It was hoped that the resources freed up by not having to test obscure and possibly mentally ill claimants would then be used to challenge high-profile alleged psychics and mediums such as Sylvia Browne and John Edward with a campaign in the media. On January 4, 2008, it was announced that the prize would be discontinued on March 6, 2010, in order to free

5610-403: The central beliefs of society. It has not been active since December 2011. Consequence was a biweekly podcast hosted by former outreach coordinator Brian Thompson in which regular people shared their personal narratives about the negative impact a belief in pseudoscience , superstition , and the paranormal had had on their lives. It has not been active since May, 2013. The JREF also produced

5712-562: The challenge without following through. Eventually the clock was replaced with text stating that "over 5 years" had passed. Browne died in 2013. In an appearance on Larry King Live on January 26, 2007, Randi challenged psychic Rosemary Altea to take the one-million-dollar challenge. During Altea and Randi's June 5, 2001 meeting on the same show, Altea refused to take the challenge, calling it "a trick". Instead Altea, in part, replied "I agree with what he says, that there are many, many people who claim to be spiritual mediums, they claim to talk to

5814-438: The challenge, I always have an 'out': I'm right!" Self-proclaimed psychic Rosemary Altea suggested the one million dollars prize fund did not exist, or was in the form of pledges or promissory notes. The JREF stated that the million dollars was in the form of negotiable bonds within a "James Randi Educational Foundation Prize Account" and that validation of the account and the prize amount could be supplied on demand. The money

5916-456: The common cable enough times to satisfy the testing protocols. Neil DeGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( US : / d ə ˈ ɡ r æ s / də- GRASS or UK : / d ə ˈ ɡ r ɑː s / də- GRAHSS ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist , author, and science communicator . Tyson studied at Harvard University , the University of Texas at Austin , and Columbia University . From 1991 to 1994, he

6018-496: The conditions and criteria of their test. Claims that cannot be tested experimentally are not eligible for the Challenge. Claimants were able to influence all aspects of the testing procedure and participants during the initial negotiation phase of the challenge. Applications for any challenges that might cause serious injury or death were not accepted. To ensure that the experimental conditions themselves did not negatively affect

6120-468: The course of collaborating with his thesis advisor on the Galactic bulge typically found in spiral galaxies . Tyson's research has focused on observations in cosmology , stellar evolution , galactic astronomy , bulges , and stellar formation . He has held numerous positions at institutions including the University of Maryland , Princeton University , the American Museum of Natural History , and

6222-426: The dead. There are many, people, we all know this. There are cheats and charlatans everywhere." Randi's response was to suggest that Altea was also one of the "cheats and charlatans". In an appearance on ITV's This Morning , on September 27, 2011, magician Paul Zenon challenged Welsh psychic Leigh Catherine (aka Leigh-Catherine Salway) to take the one million dollar challenge and she accepted. Phillip Schofield ,

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6324-465: The essays "The Perimeter of Ignorance" and "Holy Wars", both appearing in Natural History magazine and the 2006 Beyond Belief workshop. In an interview with comedian Paul Mecurio , Tyson offered his definition of spirituality, "For me, when I say spiritual, I'm referring to a feeling you would have that connects you to the universe in a way that it may defy simple vocabulary. We think about

6426-531: The first or second person. Wang needed to be the person selected by at least 8 of the 9 subjects in order to win the million dollars. After both of the first two subjects failed to choose Wang, the challenge was over. Wang stated that he would try again the next year, saying, "This energy is mysterious". Tech journalist Lee Hutchinson approached the JREF after writing an article for Ars Technica about directional Ethernet cables that claim to "keep your audio signal completely free of electromagnetic interference". At

6528-602: The form of knowledge gained and piquing interest is invaluable. He has also appeared as the keynote speaker at The Amazing Meeting , a science and skepticism conference hosted by the James Randi Educational Foundation . Tyson made a guest appearance as a version of himself in the episode " Brain Storm " of Stargate Atlantis alongside Bill Nye and in the episode " The Apology Insufficiency " of The Big Bang Theory . Archive footage of him

6630-435: The general public has a tendency to overestimate how much revenue is allocated to the space agency. At a March 2010 address, referencing the proportion of tax revenue spent on NASA, he stated, "By the way, how much does NASA cost? It's a half a penny on the dollar. Did you know that? The people are saying, 'Why are we spending money up there...' I ask them, 'How much do you think we're spending?' They say 'five cents, ten cents on

6732-526: The kind of person I wanted to become." Tyson chose to attend Harvard where he majored in physics and lived in Currier House . He was a member of the rowing team during his freshman year, but returned to wrestling , lettering (achieving varsity team rank) in his senior year. He was also active in dance (styles including jazz , ballet, Afro-Caribbean , and Latin Ballroom ). Tyson earned

6834-603: The latter better known as the "Moon, Mars, and Beyond" commission. Soon afterward, he was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal , the highest civilian honor bestowed by NASA. In 2004, Tyson hosted the four-part Origins miniseries of the PBS Nova series and with Donald Goldsmith, co-authored the companion volume for this series, Origins: Fourteen Billion Years Of Cosmic Evolution . He again collaborated with Goldsmith as

6936-469: The money for other uses. In the meantime, claimants were welcome to vie for it. One of the reasons offered for its discontinuation is the unwillingness of higher-profile claimants to apply. However, at The Amazing Meeting 7 , it was announced that the $ 1 Million Challenge prize would not expire in 2010. The Foundation issued a formal update on its website on July 30, 2009, announcing the Challenge's continuation, and stated more information would be provided at

7038-592: The narrator on the documentary 400 Years of the Telescope , which premiered on PBS in April 2009. As director of the Hayden Planetarium , Tyson bucked traditional thinking in order to keep Pluto from being referred to as the ninth planet in exhibits at the center. He has explained that he wanted to look at commonalities between objects, grouping the terrestrial planets together, the gas giants together, and Pluto with like objects, and to get away from simply counting

7140-400: The open test, confirming that experimental conditions are adequate. Claimants agreed to readily observable success criteria prior to the test, results were unambiguous and clearly indicated whether or not the criteria have been met. Randi had said that he need not participate in any way with the actual execution of the test, and he has been willing to travel far from the test location to avoid

7242-470: The perception that his anti-paranormal bias could influence the test results. The discussions between the JREF and applicants were at one time posted on a public discussion board. After the resignation of Randi's assistant Mark Kramer and subsequent changes to challenge rules—requiring applicants to have demonstrated considerable notability—new applications were no longer logged. In 1979, Randi tested four people in Italy for dowsing ability. The prize at

7344-430: The person or organization that best represents the spirit of the foundation by encouraging critical questions and seeking unbiased, fact-based answers." Some of the recipients include the following: One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge was an offer by the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) to pay out one million U.S. dollars to anyone who could demonstrate

7446-801: The phenomenon recalls the sun's solstice alignment with the Stonehenge monument in England. Tyson's column also influenced his work as a professor with The Great Courses . In 2001, U.S. President George W. Bush appointed Tyson to serve on the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry and in 2004 to serve on the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy ,

7548-434: The pipes water was running through, and only one would be selected at a time. At least 5 liters per second (0.18 cubic feet per second) of water would flow through the selected pipe. The dowser must first check the area to see if there is any natural water or anything else that would interfere with the test, and that would be marked. Additionally, the dowser must demonstrate that the dowsing reaction works on an exposed pipe with

7650-763: The planetarium at the time, as his "first intellectual role model" and his enthusiastic teaching style mixed with humor inspired Tyson to communicate the universe to others the way he did. When he was 14, he received a scholarship from the Explorers Club of New York to view the June 1973 total solar eclipse aboard the SS Canberra . The scientific cruise carried two thousand scientists, engineers, and enthusiasts, including Neil Armstrong , Scott Carpenter , and Isaac Asimov . Tyson obsessively studied astronomy in his teen years; he eventually even gained some fame in

7752-577: The planets. He has stated on The Colbert Report , The Daily Show , and BBC Horizon that the decision has resulted in large amounts of hate mail, much of it from children. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) confirmed this assessment by changing Pluto to the dwarf planet classification. Tyson recounted the heated online debate on the Cambridge Conference Network (CCNet),

7854-481: The role of host to someone else in the science world. On March 9, 2020, he returned with a follow-up season of Cosmos titled Cosmos: Possible Worlds . On April 20, 2015, Tyson began hosting a late-night talk show entitled StarTalk on the National Geographic Channel, where he interviews pop culture celebrities and asks them about their life experiences with science. Around 2016, he

7956-604: The same interview, Tyson said that race is not a part of the point he is trying to make in his career or with his life. According to Tyson, "[T]hat then becomes the point of people's understanding of me, rather than the astrophysics. So it's a failed educational step for that to be the case. If you end up being distracted by that and not [getting] the message." He purposefully no longer speaks publicly about race. "I don't give talks on it. I don't even give Black History Month talks. I decline every single one of them. In fact, since 1993, I've declined every interview that has my being black as

8058-414: The test of each dowser and the dowser must pass two of the three trials to pass the test. A lawyer was present, in possession of Randi's $ 10,000 check. If a claimant were successful, the lawyer would give him the check. If none were successful, the check would be returned to Randi. All of the dowsers agreed with the conditions of the test and stated that they felt able to perform the test that day and that

8160-484: The test started, but disagreed with each other about where it was, as well as with the ones who found no natural water. Astronomer Dennis Rawlins described the challenge as insincere, saying that Randi would ensure he never had to pay out. In the October 1981 issue of Fate , Rawlins quoted him as saying "I always have an out". Randi stated that Rawlins did not give the entire quotation, and actually said "Concerning

8262-402: The test was not conducted according to the proposed protocol, with multiple flaws in the execution including being carried out at night. Upon viewing a set of still shots from the incident, several people experienced with stun-guns suggested that an electroshock weapon could have been used. In July 2009, Danish psychic/dowser Connie Sonne was given the chance to prove her dowsing ability. She

8364-450: The test. When all of the tests were over and the location of the pipes was revealed, none of the dowsers had passed the test. Dr. Borga had placed his markers carefully, but the nearest was a full 2.4 meters (8 ft) from the water pipe. Borga said, "We are lost", but within two minutes he started blaming his failure on many things such as sunspots and geomagnetic variables. Two of the dowsers thought they had found natural water before

8466-424: The testing conditions, with all applicants either failing to demonstrate the claimed ability during the test or deviating from the foundation conditions for taking the test such that any apparent success was held invalid; thus, the prize was not awarded. The foundation produced two audio podcasts, For Good Reason which was an interview program hosted by D.J. Grothe , promoting critical thinking and skepticism about

8568-614: The time was $ 10,000. The conditions were that a 10-by-10-meter (33 by 33 ft) test area would be used. There would be a water supply and a reservoir just outside the test area. There would be three plastic pipes running underground from the source to the reservoir along different concealed paths. Each pipe would pass through the test area by entering at some point on an edge and exiting at some point on an edge. A pipe would not cross itself but it might cross others. The pipes were 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) in diameter and were buried 50 cm (20 in) below ground. Valves would select which of

8670-423: The universe as an intellectual playground, which it surely is, but the moment you learn something that touches an emotion rather than just something intellectual, I would call that a spiritual encounter with the universe." He has argued that many great historical scientists' belief in intelligent design limited their scientific inquiries, to the detriment of the advance of scientific knowledge. When asked during

8772-468: The venue and method of the test. Members of a group from Bali, referring to themselves as Yellow Bamboo, claimed one of their number, Pak Nyoman Serengen, could knock down an attacker at a distance, using only a piece of yellow bamboo . Video clips on their website showed a crowd of students running at Serengen, and falling to the ground when (or, in some cases, slightly before) Serengen extended his hand and shouted. The JREF arranged volunteers to carry out

8874-460: The water flow was sufficient. Before the test they were asked how sure they were that they would succeed. All said either "99 percent" or "100 percent" certain. They were asked what they would conclude if the water flow was 90 degrees from what they thought it was and all said that it was impossible. After the test they were asked how confident they were that they had passed the test. Three answered "100 percent" and one answered that he had not completed

8976-399: The water running. Then one of the three pipes would be selected randomly for each trial. The dowser would place ten to one hundred pegs in the ground along the path he or she traces as the path of the active pipe. Two-thirds of the pegs placed by the dowser must be within 10 cm (3.9 in) of the center of the pipe being traced for the trial to be a success. Three trials would be done for

9078-531: Was a gerontologist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare and is of Puerto Rican descent. Neil has two siblings: Stephen Joseph Tyson and Lynn Antipas Tyson. Neil's middle name, deGrasse, is from the maiden name of his paternal grandmother, who was born as Altima de Grasse in the British West Indies island of Nevis . Tyson grew up in the Castle Hill neighborhood of

9180-456: Was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University . In 1994, he joined the Hayden Planetarium as a staff scientist and the Princeton faculty as a visiting research scientist and lecturer. In 1996, he became director of the planetarium and oversaw its $ 210 million reconstruction project, which was completed in 2000. Since 1996, he has been the director of the Hayden Planetarium at

9282-452: Was a kid... there were scientists and educators on the staff at the Hayden Planetarium... who invested their time and energy in my enlightenment... and I've never forgotten that... to end up back there as its director, I feel this deep sense of duty, that I serve in the same capacity for people who come through the facility today, that others served for me". Tyson has written a number of popular books on astrophysics. In 1995, he began to write

9384-498: Was a major sponsor, giving several six-figure donations. From 2003 to 2015, JREF annually hosted The Amazing Meeting (styled as The Amaz!ng Meeting), a gathering of scientists , skeptics , and atheists . Perennial speakers included Richard Dawkins , Penn & Teller , Phil Plait , Michael Shermer and Adam Savage . In 2008, the astronomer Philip Plait became the new president of JREF, and Randi became its board chairman. In December 2009, Plait left JREF due to involvement in

9486-763: Was also the host of the PBS program Nova ScienceNow until 2011. He attended and was a speaker at the Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival symposium in November 2006. In May 2009, Tyson launched a one-hour radio talk show called StarTalk , which he co-hosted with comedian Lynne Koplitz . The show was syndicated on Sunday afternoons on KTLK AM in Los Angeles and WHFS in Washington DC. The show lasted for thirteen weeks, but

9588-519: Was asked to dowse some randomly selected cards hidden in envelopes and lost the challenge by selecting other incorrect ones. In an interview with Mark Edward afterward, she insisted that she lost merely because, "…it wasn't time yet for my powers to be revealed." In July 2014, Chinese salesman Fei Wang was tested in front of an audience of 600 at the conclusion of The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas. Wang said that from his right hand, he could transmit

9690-503: Was awarded the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal in the same year. From 2006 to 2011, he hosted the television show NOVA ScienceNow on PBS . Since 2009, Tyson has hosted the weekly podcast StarTalk . A spin-off, also called StarTalk , began airing on National Geographic in 2015. In 2014, he hosted the television series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey , a successor to Carl Sagan 's 1980 series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage . The U.S. National Academy of Sciences awarded Tyson

9792-502: Was broadcast via a live stream. The archive can be found as mp3 files on the JREF website and as a podcast on iTunes. As part of the JREF's goal of educating the general population about science and reason, people involved in their community ran a popular skeptic based online forum with the overall goal of promoting "critical thinking and providing the public with the tools needed to reliably examine paranormal, supernatural, and pseudoscientific claims". On October 5, 2014, this online forum

9894-478: Was co-developing a sandbox video game with Whatnot Entertainment, Neil deGrasse Tyson Presents: Space Odyssey , which aimed to help provide players with a realistic simulation of developing a space-faring culture, incorporating educational materials about space and technology. The development was abandoned after April 2020. [A] most important feature is the analysis of the information that comes your way. And that's what I don't see enough of in this world. There's

9996-562: Was dissolved, ending his pursuit of a doctorate from the University of Texas. Tyson was a lecturer in astronomy at the University of Maryland from 1986 to 1987 and in 1988, he was accepted into the astronomy graduate program at Columbia University , where he earned a Master of Philosophy degree in astrophysics in 1989, and a PhD degree in astrophysics in 1991 under the supervision of Professor R. Michael Rich . Rich obtained funding to support Tyson's doctoral research from NASA and

10098-402: Was divorced from the JREF and moved as its own entity to International Skeptics Forum. The JREF has also helped to support local grassroot efforts and outreach endeavors, such as SkeptiCamp , Camp Inquiry and various community-organized conferences. However, according to their tax filing, they spend less than $ 2,000 a year on other organizations or individuals. The JREF Award "is given to

10200-439: Was held in an Evercore Wealth Management account. On Larry King Live , March 6, 2001, Larry King asked psychic Sylvia Browne if she would take the challenge and she agreed. Randi appeared with Browne again on Larry King Live on September 3, 2001, and she again accepted the challenge. However, she refused to be tested and Randi kept a clock on his website recording the number of weeks that had passed since Browne accepted

10302-425: Was published November 7, 2012, Tyson appears in the story, in which he determines that Superman 's home planet, Krypton , orbited the red dwarf LHS 2520 in the constellation Corvus 27.1 lightyears from Earth. He assisted DC Comics in selecting a real-life star that would be an appropriate parent star to Krypton, and picked Corvus, which is Latin for "Crow", and which is the mascot of Superman's high school,

10404-534: Was resurrected in December 2010 and then, co-hosted with comedians Chuck Nice and Leighann Lord instead of Koplitz. Guests range from colleagues in science to celebrities such as GZA , Wil Wheaton , Sarah Silverman , and Bill Maher . The show is available via the Internet through a live stream or in the form of a podcast . In April 2011, Tyson was the keynote speaker at the 93rd International Convention of

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