“I just revealed the coolness that was inherent within Science.” ~Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson

I’d like to start today’s post by wishing a very Happy Birthday to Angie the Queen of Kings. Be sure to wish her a happy one as well.

So, down to the question of the hour. How was Neil Degrasse Tyson’s lecture? If you really need to ask that question, you obviously aren’t that familiar with him and his work. It was friggin’ amazing.

We had better seats than the governor of our fine state. Yeah.

Whether it was excitement or a bad bit of salami that I ate, on the way there I decided to become violently ill. And of course I forgot my emergency meds that make me not care about being violently ill. It turned out okay, though. As soon as Neil started talking, there wasn’t anything in the entire multiverse except us. There was no sickness. There were no other people. Just me and Neil floating in the vastness of space. Propelled only by the soothing tone of his voice.

He ended the lecture part of the evening with a reading of “Pale Blue Dot”, in near total darkness, with only this image illuminated:

It went a little something like this:

Yeah, I nearly cried. So, did everybody else.

I’m sure you are asking where all of the photos are. Well, they announced at the very beginning of the lecture, to turn off all cell phones and no photos or video were allowed. And then they patrolled the lecture hall like the secret police to make sure we obeyed. It’s fine, though. The only camera I needed was my mind camera.

As for the cards, well, it became clear around the end of the lecture, right before the Q&A, that I had to make a choice. I could either a) listen to the rest of the lecture OR b) Go stand in the hall and wait in a rapidly forming line of people. I chose to stay with Neil. And it turned out that he would have only signed one thing, he wouldn’t have personalized it, and I probably wouldn’t have got my photo with him. As it turns out, I feel I did just fine with my choice.

Apparently, while we were driving to the show, Neil’s interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air was being played on NPR. Check it out.

Okay, now I am officially late. Three days in a row of late nights and early mornings is taking it’s toll on me. Gotta run.

See ya’ tomorrow.

More soon. ~SC