'I'm chomping at the bit': Neil deGrasse Tyson to host movie event in Columbus
Known to point out the scientific inaccuracies of TV shows and films, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson will take audiences through a series of entertaining reviews of classic and modern blockbusters when he visits Columbus on Sept. 21.
Presented by the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts, the host of National Geographic's “StarTalk” will take center stage in the Palace Theatre for "Neil deGrasse Tyson: An Astrophysicist goes to the Movies."
From "Star Wars" to "The Martian," Tyson, 62, will explore the scientific elements of movies and determine which filmmakers got them wrong, or, surprisingly, got them right.
Tyson: 'I'm ready to get back into these theater spaces and share this energy'
Although Tyson has continued to produce content virtually, the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, said he's been eager to connect with fans in person since the crippling of live events due to COVID-19.
"Oh my God, it's really been a year-and-a-half and I'm chomping at the bit," Tyson said. "I'm ready to get back into these theater spaces and share this energy."
Originally scheduled for March 2020, Tyson's appearance will be his second time in Greater Columbus, with the first dating back to February 2016 at the Palace Theatre.
Given Tyson's research of exploding stars, dwarf galaxies and the structure of the Milky Way, CAPA spokeswoman Rolanda Copley said she's excited to have him grace the stage of the 2,827-seat theatre.
"He has studied astrophysics for years, and he's very knowledgeable in the topic but he finds a way to make it entertaining and interesting for those that don't know about it," she said. "He takes a common interest in movies and uses it to funnel things you wouldn't understand or pursue, and it's fascinating to listen to him."
OSU astronomy professor: 'It's … guaranteed to teach you something you didn't know'
Having known Tyson for over 25 years, David Weinberg, an astronomy professor at Ohio State University, said Tyson has always had a gift for describing astronomical phenomenons in a colorful and entertaining way.
When they first met as postdoctoral researchers at Princeton University in the early 1990s, Weinberg knew attention would quickly follow the astrophysicist once the world caught wind of his charismatic and humorous educational style,
"What's always exceptional about (Tyson) is that he's super-entertaining to listen to, but he also has real scientific ideas to communicate," said Weinberg, who also works as chair of OSU's Astronomy Department. "So, it's kind of guaranteed to be fun and guaranteed to teach you something you didn't know."
Tyson lends scientific knowledge to Hollywood
Along with his knowledge of the greater universe, Tyson is no stranger to films.
As an avid fan of cinema, Tyson said he grew up analyzing how filmmakers tinkered with or accurately used science in their movies.
"I've always sort of collected it in a satchel," he said. "Anytime I see a movie, I have a satchel and I add up that they didn't get that right and I tossed that in a satchel, or they did really good there, and I put that in it. And I've been carrying this through my life. And I said, you know, I've got to do something with this and so I put it together to create an entire sort of show that works in theaters."
Tyson has also had the opportunity to make cameos in several blockbusters, including "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice."
Filmmakers have even brought him on to their projects to ensure that they are scientifically sound. And in time, Tyson has grown a deep appreciation for creatives who want to stay true to the laws of the cosmos.
"I have a soft spot for artists who reach out to me that say, 'You know, I want to sprinkle science in my project,'" he said. "I just come running because they didn't have to ask me. They could have just made up stuff, but I try to get inside their own creative angle. So that whatever the fantasy is, we can keep the fantasy. But on the edges, put some good science in there and maybe the science will enable or empower (them) to tell an even better story."
Tyson's show to celebrate science in film
Instead of dissecting movies that take place in outer space for an hour-and-a-half, Tyson said he will also dive into movies such as "Monsters, Inc." or "A Bug's Life" that have subtle elements of science.
But at the show's core, will be a celebration of science and the efforts made by the world's filmmakers, whether successful or otherwise. But more than anything, Tyson said he will enjoy being in front of an audience and continuing to push for science literacy, just as his intellectual role model Mark Chartrand III did for him.
"He wasn't a mentor for me," Tyson said of Chartrand III, the former director of the Hayden Planetarium. "He was just visible to me and I saw what he did and how he spoke and what he knew and I said, 'If I'm ever gonna be a scientist, I want to be that kind of scientist.' It's an honor to be in the same place for others that scientists and educators of the past have been for me."