Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

“Differences in opinion enrich the diversity of a nation, and ought to be cherished and respected in a free society, provided everyone remains free to disagree with one another, and, most importantly, everyone remains open to rational arguments that could change your mind. Sadly, the conduct of many in social media has devolved to the opposite of this. Their recipe? Find an opinion they disagree with and unleash waves of anger and outrage because your views do not agree with theirs. Social, political, or legislative attempts to require that everybody agree with your personal truths are ultimately dictatorships.�

Neil deGrasse Tyson addresses how science, rational thought, and evidence-based decision making can improve our civilization in significant ways. He tackles this topic in ten chapters: Truth and Beauty, Exploration and Discovery, Earth and Moon, Conflict and Resolution, Risk and Reward, “Meatarians� and Vegetarians, Gender and Identity, Color and Race, Law and Order, and Body and Mind.

He addresses both sides of the existing political divide, trying to find common ground. Rather than try to summarize this book, I offer the quotes below. Tyson backs everything up with evidence. If any of these passages sound interesting, you will likely enjoy this book. I applaud him for attempting to heal our large gaps in critical thinking, which have become increasingly evident in recent times.

4.5

Memorable passages:

“People no longer know who or what to trust. We sow hatred of others fueled by what we think is true, or what we want to be true, without regard to what is true…We’ve lost all sight of what distinguishes facts from opinions. We’re quick with acts of aggression and slow with acts of kindness.�

“Scientists may be the exclusive discoverers of what is objectively true in the universe. Objective truths apply to all people, places, and things, as well as all animals, vegetables, and minerals�.they are true even when you don’t believe in them.�

“Objective truths exist independent of that five-sense perception of reality. With proper tools, they can be verified by anybody at any time at any place.�

“Objective truths of science are not founded in belief systems. They are not established by the authority of leaders or the power of persuasion, nor are they learned from repetition, or gleaned from magical thinking.�

“To deny objective truths is to be scientifically illiterate, not to be ideologically principled.�

“One of the great features of a working democracy is that we get to disagree without killing one another. What happens when democracy fails? What happens when we hold no tolerance for views that differ from our own? Do we, instead, desire a dictatorship in which all views in the land agree with the dictator? Do we pine for a system where dissenting views are suppressed, buried, or burned?�

“People are more the same than different.�

“Cosmic perspectives wield the power to humble our human hubris with full justification for doing so.�