Doctor Badass: Voice of Space

This is Neil deGrasse Tyson. I first came across him four years ago on The Daily Show being interviewed about his decision, as Director of the Hayden Planetarium, to demote Pluto (not pictured) from the status of "planet" to whatever it is now. It was a blistering performance, and I immediately searched for more ofhim on youtube. Fortunately there's loads, and it's all brilliant. In a more recent online Q and A his contemplation of the achievements of Newton inadvertently threw up the following meme:

 

But it doesn't really do him justice.
The following clip - in which he takes on both Intelligent Design and Richard Dawkins' blind spot - does I hope give some idea of just what an outstanding communicator he can be. Sorry it's a bit raspy. Seriously, look him up on youtube. I think I love him even more than Heather Couper. He's working on a new series of Cosmos. I can't wait.

In a couple of nights I'll be trying to give my own talk about Science or more accurately about the necessity of staving off my growing interest in Science long enough to write a Science Fiction pilot. It will be on Thursday as part of an evening packed with London Dungeon folk at The Miller near London Bridge. In fact this will be the second time I've given this talk. The first was at an open mic night called Science Showoff  which I enjoyed hugely - nothing could last longer than nine minutes, like a pub-bound demi-TED spot. I'll post the thing in full when I'm done, but in the meantime here's the Maestro...