I like Tyson but when he speaks out of his element, he sounds ridiculous. When he talks about HISTORY, he sounds like Ben Carson. = He's a great science promoter but a damn terrible historian. Ugh. I actually STOPPED watching the Science channel altogether when he was implying that Galileo got burned at the stake. I was like, NOOOOOOOOooooo... and realized he does NOT use fact checkers and is really speaking what he thinks. That was about 2.5 yrs ago. I was very disappointed 'cause I was devoted to the channel.. a bit too much. But it was time for a TV break anyway. I think a scientist can work well as advising but not as politicians. They're far too green. They'd be shredded. == I personally don't think most scientists would be that great in representation roles. Too narrowly focused, not broad-minded enough to handle the complexities of reality. But it would be nice to see a few though. == It was part of a larger presentation of history he was giving, complete with little slides and things. He doesn't work alone: Other people help him put that stuff together. Did he speak first and then they added the slides? Or was he working off of a teleprompter? I don't know. If he was speaking off the cuff and the slides added later, it's forgivable _somewhat_. But if it was a teleprompter, prepared ahead of time, its not accidental. Here's the problem: He is VERY influential to kids and adults alike. Presenting ahistorical _implications_ even if he wasn't presenting them as ahistorical facts amounts to the same result in the listeners mind. The Science channel is about promoting Science. I'm all for that! But at the cost of accuracy in other disciplines? That's not good. It's not. These things cost money to make, somebody paid for it, somebody checks things before they go out the door. Its bad enough we had textbooks being printed calling slaves immigrants. It's 2016: You've got OpenCyc - and you've got other knowledge databases available FOR FREE that can check any fact you throw at it. No... I'm sorry but if someone is an educator there's no excuse for opinion to mask as fact. I don't expect absolute perfection, but they can do damn better, especially when being in SUCH influential roles for so many millions. == What'd Bill do? [He broke my heart a few years ago, although somewhat redeemed when I saw him as a Ed Beagley Jr's neighbor on a show a few years ago. I understood *why* a little better... but yeah, some of the things he says nowadays I'm just like, BILL PLEASE NO.... no no.....] == Ah - well GMOs aren't my issue but considering his status, he has to be careful whose bridges he's burning. He's at the level of influence of a politician or religious leader and doesn't have the same freedom to speak as he did a couple of years ago. I expect him to enter politics at some point more formally tbh. ==