I read Neil deGrasse Tyson's PhD thesis...

Neil deGrasse Tyson's research papers:

[tibees]

Apologies to today's patron cat (dog) of the day, Izzy, whose name was truncated from the end.

[useraccount]

One of the first things I was told when doing a PhD was "you're not expected to change the world". A small contribution is a catalyst to greater knowledge over time.

[tiersolutions]

Neil wakes up his whole family to tell them he's going to bed

[KateeAngel]

After reading the comments I see a very obvious problem with perception of scientists by general public:
They expect literally every thesis and paper to be some "huge discovery" or "huge contribution" all by itself and every single scientist to have made some great discoveries...
In reality almost noone's thesis is something truly special. Mostly it is just a summary of very routine simple work. I "love" how all people who are far from academia like to imagine that science is still done by lone geniuses, and that every step is some "revolutionary discovery". And if you fail to live up to that ridiculous standards, a lot of people will claim "you are not a real scientist". In reality it is all about having huge lab, with many trained people, expensive equipment and good financing. And almost all work is slow process of incrementally accumulating new facts bit by bit

[lswonke]

Neil was my Astronomy TA at the University of Texas and also a friend. He always has demonstrated an ability to take complex situations and make them understandable to anyone.

[hookbeak]

Just like Neil deGrasse Tyson, you have an adept way of communicating your synopsis of his 370 page thesis to people such as myself, who failed miserably at their academic studies, but still enjoy learning from those who excelled to PhD level. Your voice is so gentle & pleasant to listen to which helps when trying to comprehend this complex subject.

[coniccinoc]

Everything about this journey, getting a copy of the thesis, understanding the thesis and then making a video so others can follow is remarkable.
Young Ms you are brilliant.
Thank you for a wonderful lesson.

[prschuster]

This goes to show that science is a cooperative effort. 99+ % of professional scientists never make a name for themselves and are never mentioned in the history books. Fame is really hit or miss, but every one who becomes well known owes a great debt to all those who do the work. Neil found his niche as a communicator, and you also have a talent for that.

[philpaine]

While we justly celebrate the handful of geniuses who make profound breakthroughs in science and change the game, the meat and potatoes of science are the thousands of dedicated people who do the kind of work that Tyson did for his PhD. Without an abundance of such work, the supergeniuses would have nothing to make breakthroughs with. Most scientists know that they will labour in relative anonymity, their work known to only a handful of colleagues in their field. They do their work out of love for it, not just to become bigshots.
However, Tyson did become a sort of bigshot in a particular specialty: science communication and popularization. It's a crucial job, since without it, we would not get any scientists at all. Someone has to inspire that kid with a backyard telescope to pursue their dream of becoming an astronomer, or that other kid with a butterfly collection to become a biologist. Few people have the necessary skill for this, and we should respect that skill. Really good ones don't show up very often. Isaac Asimov's thesis was so lame an item that it garnered a grand total of two citations, and his career as a researcher was nothing remarkable --- yet when he died, there were headline obituaries in every major newspaper in the world, with good reason.

[mathiasthelander]

”So I became an expert i galaxies” 5 seconds in and the stakes are high..

[fisterB]

Seems like a solid piece of work to me, thanks Tibees, for elaborating .:. I remember that time with my own thesis, an average thesis at best, but the hardest time ever in my life. Everything after seemed easy and, like Neil, I decided to pursue something very different. Somehow he learned to give the journalists the kind of language and story telling they wanted and he became the first person they would call whenever something spacey happened.

[Sam_on_YouTube]

Tyson is not famous for being a good physicist. I mean, I'm sure he's pretty good. Good enough that he got a PhD, while I dropped the major as an undergrad. And he was good enough to get the positions that lead to his rise in the field where he actually shines, science communication.

But he'll tell anyone who mentions his wife that she's the better scientist in their marriage by far and anyone who knows them both seems to agree.

[guillaumerenou]

Merci Tibee for bringing all these remarkable works and explaining it.

[TradinTigerJohn]

Fundamental to science communication is knowing the science so you can communicate it. Tyson obviously did some quality science. Just successfully competing for observation time at a world-class observatory puts you in an elite class of astronomers and astrophysicists. He built a solid foundation for his future success as a science communicator where he has excelled.

[ColeRees]

Thank you for this information. I am an amateur astronomer that is wanting to get into professional, scientific research. I have spent months trying to learn about many of these things and seeing Neil discuss his specific research is exactly the details I’ve been looking for. Someone who is reporting exact observations with tools I understand how to use. I can’t wait to comb through his entire thesis to start coming up with observations of my own to start working on. I can’t wait to go back to school to start putting my work into practice!

[VivaMidnight]

Love this! Brief, calmly presented, and the projector really took me back..

[aresmars]

Kudos to you for your deep dive in Tyson's research and communicating to the world in under 15 minutes!

[MoldingMatty]

Neils work in science communication is stellar, it is interesting to see what he did do in academia but I don't think it's the main focus of his career.

[Diachron]

Great to see you still putting out content, Tibees. You continue to be an inspiration.

[the_inquisitive_inquisitor]

I'm about to start a Bachelor's Degree program in Metallurgical Engineering off the back of a Trade School degree in Welding and Fabrication Technology.
I was the worst student ever when I was younger, spent 10 years working low skill jobs until I saved up enough to go back to school.

I have tons of respect for people who can excel in their fields of science, I can't seem to learn without getting my hands on things.