Star Messenger (Neil deGrasse Tyson)

The appearance of a new Neil deGrasse Tyson book is always an event, at least for those who like to look outside our planet. The man who is often considered the successor of Carl Sagan in the field of popularizing astronomy and astrophysics returns to bookstores with his “Messenger from the stars”, but this time with a work much more oriented towards science in general and to itself. humanity.

Considered an advanced civilization, the human one nevertheless has very diverse peculiarities that call into question this statement. In fact, the author wonders what an extraterrestrial species would think about us if he could see what we think about concepts as diverse as religion, skin color, gender diversity, etc.

Seeing these and other aspects of humanity from a certain distance, or in other words, gaining a certain cosmic perspective on our civilization, should help us, according to deGrasse Tyson, to be much more aware that the current extreme polarization does little good for its development.

All these cultural, political, economic conflicts, etc., which are currently the protagonists, could be resolved more efficiently if we contemplated them from a more distant and external way, as if they were not interpreted by ourselves. And in this crusade to solve them, what better than science, whose more objective and universal look should provide the keys for it. This is the author’s proposal, who also puts the reader in the position of discovering the true importance of humanity in the universe, and its obligations towards itself and everything that surrounds it.

Master in the art of disseminating and arousing the interest of those who read his books, deGrasse Tyson once again uses his well-known sense of humor and his extensive knowledge in all areas of knowledge to shake any preconceived ideas we may have on various topics such as ecology, society, culture, science, or our own place in the cosmos.

Superbly written and suitable for all audiences, deGrasse Tyson’s book is accompanied by a fair amount of notes, often pointing to online resources that can be quickly accessed for more information.

In short, a new literary incursion by this well-known author and scientist in his committed facet of explaining complex scientific concepts in an accessible and entertaining way for the general public.

Paidos. 2023. Contexts Collection. Softcover, 285 pages. ISBN: 978-84-4934-079-6