>> Stephen: HEY, EVERYBODY!
WELCOME BACK!
WE'RE HERE WITH NEIL deGRASSE TYSON!
AUTHOR OF "LETTERS FROM AN ASTROPHYSICIST."
BUT YOU'RE THE ASTROPHYSICIST.
THESE AREN'T WHAT PEOPLE WROTE TO YOU, THIS IS WHAT YOU WROTE
BACK TO PEOPLE?
>> IT'S BOTH, BUT IT ALSO CONTAINS LETTERS I JUST WROTE,
ONE TO MY PARENTS, ONE TO N.A.S.A.
THERE'S A EULOGY I WROTE IN A FORM OF A LETTER TO MY FATHER
WHO PASSED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
I WROTE AN OPEN LETTER 2012 BECAUSE I LIVED TWO BLOCKS FROM
GROUND ZERO AND JUST TO WITNESS THAT WAS -- I MEAN, I GET -- I
WELL UP JUST REMEMBERING THAT.
MY ACCORDANCE RELATED TO THAT -- MY CORRESPONDENCE RELATED TO
THAT, AND LETTERS TO PEOPLE IN SEARCH OF MEANING AND THEY WRITE
TO ME ON THE HOPE, AND I THINK I DELIVERED IT AT LEAST IN SOME OF
THE CASES WHERE I CAN SHARE ASTROPHYSICIST LUMINOSITY ON A
DECISION THEY NEED TO MAKE NEXT.
IT INCLUDES LETTERS FROM PEOPLE IN PRISON, THERE ARE LETTERS --
WHAT ARE YOU DOING.
>> Stephen:.
>> Stephen: I'M WRITING THE PHRASE COSMIC PERSPECTIVE
LUMINOSITY.
I WANT TO NAME A BAND THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> I COULD SAY SHED LIGHT ON IT,
BUT LUMINOSITY IS WHAT STARS DO.
IT COMES OUT OF THAT.
SO THERE'S A JEWISH WOMAN RAISING A TEN-YEAR-OLD SON WHO'S
ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM AND HE COMES HOME FROM HEBREW SCHOOL
AND SAYS HE DOESN'T BELIEVE IN GOD AND THAT HE THINKS THE BIBLE
IS JUST STORIES AND SHE SAYS, WHERE DID YOU GET THESE IDEAS?
AND HE SAYS, COSMOS.
>> Stephen: ARE YOU HAPPY, NEIL?
HAVEN'T THE JEWS SUFFERED ENOUGH, NEIL?
( LAUGHTER ) I'VE GOT TO GET TO THIS LETTER.
>> ANOTHER LETTER.
>> Stephen: A LETTER FROM 2006 --
>> SO AFTER THAT EXCHANGE, SHE INVITED ME TO HIS BAR MITZVAH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S NICE.
THAT WAS VERY NICE.
>> Stephen: EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH THE
DEMOTION OF PLUTO FROM PLANET TO ALSO RANET.
>> GET OVER IT.
>> Stephen: NO ONE'S OVER IT, NO ONE FORGIVES YOU.
TAKE A LOOK AT.
THIS WOULD YOU MIND READING TO THE PEOPLE WHAT THE YOUNG PERSON
WROTE TO YOU HERE?
>> THIS IN THE BOOK IS REPRODUCED IN FACSIMILE, THIS IS
FROM A FOURTH GRADER.
A MISSED OFF FOURTH GRADER.
( LAUGHTER ) IT'S IN A CHAPTER CALLED HATE
MAIL.
>> Stephen: OH, OKAY.
THIRD GRADER.
DEAR SCIEN-TEST.
>> Stephen: YOU'RE MOCKING A FOURTH GRADER?
WOW!
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
WOW!
>> I'M JUST -- BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE THE WORD SPELLED, I I
AM ENUNCIATING.
DEAR SCIEN-TEST.
WHAT DO YOU CALL PLUTO IF IT'S NOT A PLANET ANYMORE?
IF YOU MAKE IT A PLANET AGAIN ALL THE SCIENCE BOOKS WILL BE
RIGHT.
DO PEOPLE LIVE ON PLUTO?
IF PEOPLE LIVE THERE, THEN THEY WON'T EXIST!
WHY CAN'T PLUTO BE A PLANET?
IF IT'S SMALL, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A PLANET
ANYMORE.
SOME PEOPLE LIKE PLUTO AND IF IT DOESN'T EXIST THEY DON'T HAVE A
FAVORITE PLANET.
PLEASE WRITE BACK, BUT NOT IN CURSIVE BECAUSE I CAN'T READ IN
CURSIVE.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
I JUST WANT TO KNOW, WE DUG UP THAT CHILD, SHE'S IN COLLEGE,
MAJORING IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES IN FLORIDA.
SO SHE TURNED OUT OKAY IN SPITE OF THIS.
>> Stephen: WOW, LETTERS FROM FROM -- "LETTERS FROM AN
ASTROPHYSICIST" IS ON SALE NOW.
NEIL deGRASSE TYSON, EVERYBODY!
GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH FORMER NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SUSAN
RICE!