Stephen Colbert Interviews Neil deGrasse Tyson, The Beauty Of Science Proven

By Steve West | Updated

This article is more than 2 years old

The video below is without a doubt the greatest and most heartfelt love fest for science in recent memory. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and ambassador of scientific knowledge, shares with Stephen Colbert his enthusiasm for science. Not only that, but he takes the time to explain in simple terms how it is that scientists are so mistrusted. With no shots taken at those who seek to suppress science, Dr. Tyson exposes eloquently the wariness that science faces daily by the world.

This interview, which took place in January of 2010 at Montclair Kimberley Academy with an out of his schtick Colbert, goes beyond being a simple and dry examination of science in the modern world. I’m not ashamed to admit that watching Dr. Tyson’s awe at the beauty of Pi – or how we are part of the universe just as the universe is a part of us – made me get a little choked up.


What’s also interesting about the interview is that while it reinforces my love of science, it makes me examine my own role in science. Am I just a fact memorizer, or can I seek out the answers to questions that no one has thought of yet? It’s a little bit of both. My willingness to wonder why and test my theories out is a large part of what makes me successful as a chef. That may not be science, but I hope it’s scientific.

You don’t have to be a science geek to support the work of scientists. I challenge you to watch the video and not be moved.

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