One of the great challenges in this world
is knowing enough about a subject
to think you're right but not enough about the subject
to know you're wrong.
There's like a gazillion hours of me on the internet.
In almost every case, I'm talking about the universe--
black holes, the big bang, time travel, God.
What I'm going to do in this MasterClass
is teach you how to think.
The goal here is to train your mind
how to see the world differently, how
to question what others say.
I've come to realize that there are three categories of truth--
personal truth, political truths,
and the objective truths that shape our understanding
of the universe.
The interesting thing about an objective truth
is that it's true no matter what.
Imagine that.
By the time we're done, you will be
equipped with some of the methods and tools
so you can turn data into information, information
into knowledge, knowledge into wisdom.
We all have susceptibility to bias.
Search engines on the internet are the epitome of confirmation
bias, and you're going to use that as evidence
that you are correct?
No.
The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not
you believe in it.
What does it mean to be skeptical?
What does it mean to be convinced by data?
A proper skeptic questions what they're unsure
of but recognizes when valid evidence is
presented to change their mind.
I will equip you to not only find objective truths
but then communicate to others how to get there.
It's not good enough to be right.
You also have to be effective.
The less connected you are to what is objectively true,
the less likely you will be able to make decisions
that will benefit your life--
your life, the life of your family, and even civilization
itself.
I'm Neil deGrasse Tyson, and this is my MasterClass.