Just Visiting This Planet

Bringing his cosmic perspective to civilization on Earth, Neil deGrasse Tyson, bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, shines new light on the crucial fault lines of our time-war, politics, religion, truth, beauty, gender, race, and tribalism-in a way that stimulates a deeper sense of unity for us all.In a time when our political and cultural perspectives feel more divisive than ever, Tyson provides a much-needed antidote to so much of what divides us, while making a passionate case for the twin engines of enlightenment-a cosmic perspective and the rationality of science.After thinking deeply about how a scientist views the world and about what Earth looks like from space, Tyson has found that terrestrial thoughts change as our brain resets and recalibrates life's priorities, along with the actions we might take in response. As a result, no outlook on culture, society, or civilisation remains untouched.In Starry Messenger, Tyson reveals just how human the enterprise of science is. Far from a cold, unfeeling undertaking, scientific methods, tools, and discoveries have shaped modern civilisation and created the landscape we've built for ourselves on which to live, work, and play. Tyson shows how an infusion of science and rational thinking renders worldviews deeper and more informed than ever before-and exposes unfounded perspectives and unjustified emotions.With crystalline prose and an abundance of evidence, Starry Messenger walks us through the scientific palette that sees and paints the world differently. From lessons on resolving global conflict to reminders of how precious it is to be alive, Tyson reveals, with warmth and eloquence, ten surprising, brilliant, and beautiful truths of human society, informed and enlightened by knowledge of our place in the universe.

*Fully revised and updated for the 21st century*<BR><BR>The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry takes readers on an odyssey into the deepest, darkest depth of the universe and back again with his extra-terrestrial tour guide, Merlin.<BR><BR>Merlin is a timeless visitor to Earth from the planet Omniscia in the Andromeda galaxy, and he has observed first-hand many of the major scientific events of Earth's history - from the Big Bang to the extinction of the dinosaurs and beyond.<BR><BR>In Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike about the universe and our place within it. All questions are answered with authentic science, infused with wit, wisdom, an occasional rhyme and accompanied by the odd illustration. Merlin's friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time - including da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein and Hubble, and Merlin's Tour also features playful conversations with these historical luminaries.<BR><BR>Based on the first book that Tyson ever published in the 1990s and now fully updated and extended for the twenty-first century, Merlin's Tour of the Universe is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about how the cosmos works.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER<BR><BR>How to Survive Your First Alien Encounter:<BR><BR>- Do NOT shake hands. You don't know what part of the Alien's anatomy you just touched.<BR>- Avoid sudden movements. Especially if they have lasers. Or tentacles. Or both.<BR>- Remember: you are the representative of Earth. No pressure.<BR><BR>Ever since childhood, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has wanted to be abducted by aliens. Here, he draws upon a lifetime's fascination to explore the science of alien life - and to offer a practical guide to your first alien encounter.<BR><BR>Would an alien really be a humanoid with a pointy head, or might it look more like a worm, a roving cloud of gas, or perhaps a 'testicle monster'? How should you communicate with an alien who didn't speak English, and what does it have to do with the Pythagorean Theorem? And if an alien did demand 'Take me to your leader!', who are you actually meant to take it to?<BR><BR>Touching on Star Wars and Spielberg, UFOs and Area 51, Take Me to Your Leader is both a romping work of popular science and a love letter to our as-yet-elusive extraterrestrial friends.<BR><BR>It is the most entertaining book ever written by one of the best-loved scientists in the world, and perhaps in the galaxy.

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER<BR><BR>How to Survive Your First Alien Encounter:<BR><BR>- Do NOT shake hands. You don't know what part of the Alien's anatomy you just touched.<BR>- Avoid sudden movements. Especially if they have lasers. Or tentacles. Or both.<BR>- Remember: you are the representative of Earth. No pressure.<BR><BR>Ever since childhood, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has wanted to be abducted by aliens. Here, he draws upon a lifetime's fascination to explore the science of alien life - and to offer a practical guide to your first alien encounter.<BR><BR>Would an alien really be a humanoid with a pointy head, or might it look more like a worm, a roving cloud of gas, or perhaps a 'testicle monster'? How should you communicate with an alien who didn't speak English, and what does it have to do with the Pythagorean Theorem? And if an alien did demand 'Take me to your leader!', who are you actually meant to take it to?<BR><BR>Touching on Star Wars and Spielberg, UFOs and Area 51, Take Me to Your Leader is both a romping work of popular science and a love letter to our as-yet-elusive extraterrestrial friends.<BR><BR>It is the most entertaining book ever written by one of the best-loved scientists in the world, and perhaps in the galaxy.

*Fully revised and updated for the 21st century*<BR><BR>The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Astrophysics for People in a Hurry takes readers on an odyssey into the deepest, darkest depth of the universe and back again with his extra-terrestrial tour guide, Merlin.<BR><BR>Merlin is a timeless visitor to Earth from the planet Omniscia in the Andromeda galaxy, and he has observed first-hand many of the major scientific events of Earth's history - from the Big Bang to the extinction of the dinosaurs and beyond.<BR><BR>In Merlin's Tour of the Universe, Merlin responds to popular questions asked by adults and children alike about the universe and our place within it. All questions are answered with authentic science, infused with wit, wisdom, an occasional rhyme and accompanied by the odd illustration. Merlin's friends include the most important scientific figures and explorers of all time - including da Vinci, Magellan, Newton, Einstein and Hubble, and Merlin's Tour also features playful conversations with these historical luminaries.<BR><BR>Based on the first book that Tyson ever published in the 1990s and now fully updated and extended for the twenty-first century, Merlin's Tour of the Universe is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about how the cosmos works.