Neil deGrasse Tyson is out here on Twitter daily, popping people’s balloons and knocking the ice cream cone out of their trembling, science-deprived hands. Detractors might plead with the scientist and TV personality to please not ruin all their favorite movies, but he will not listen. To wit, anyone who hated Neil deGrasse Tyson’s recent Frozen tweet can keep crying horse-size tears from their massive eyeballs.
“I’m just saying!,†Tyson said while visiting Late Show Friday night, when Stephen Colbert asked him to defend his tweet about Elsa’s equine eye size. “Let’s me make it clear. That’s not an opinion. I measured the size of her head and measured her eyeballs. Those are measurements. I didn’t just pull that out of the ether. That’s science!†He declared, “You don’t have to like my science, but that doesn’t make it wrong because you didn’t like it.â€
Ugh, fine. On the other hand, Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks we can avoid a global coronavirus pandemic, which is really nice to hear at the end of a long week. “I think we’re in the middle of a massive experiment worldwide,†he muses. “The experiment is: Will people listen to scientists? In this case, medical professionals,†which would mean obeying public health edicts like frequent handwashing, minimal face touching, and seeking treatment when symptoms present themselves.
Concludes Tyson, “It’d be interesting if we all paid attention to what scientists say, maybe the virus will just blow on by, with a minimum of cases, and then we kicked its ass, for obeying the recommendation of science on how to minimize your chances of getting it.†On the other other hand, Neil deGrasse Tyson is an astrophysicist, not a virologist, so for God’s sake, keep your sneezes to yourself! Sneeze into your elbow like the president taught you!