In the first two episodes of the reboot of Cosmos Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson has done an excellent job laying down the basics of time, space, and how life developed on Earth. Because Cosmos is a show about science, Tyson clearly explains in the same engaging way Carl Sagan did almost thirty years ago that all of the theories scientists accept as truth go through a process of hypothesis, testing and verifying results. Certainly an hour-long science program produced for mass consumption couldn’t be controversial. After all, who would object to people learning something about the universe we live in?
Creationists or intelligent design supporters, that’s who. Intelligent design according to those who accept this theory insist that there is no way over billions of years the universe and life on our little planet randomly developed from cosmic ?star stuff.? They demand equal time to present their theories. It’s not enough that creationists already have their own programs, books, and school curriculum to educate why one god created everything in the universe six thousand years ago in six days. They want time on Tyson’s show to make sure people get all sides to the debate on how we got here.
But Neil Degrasse Tyson isn’t doing that, and that’s not fair and balanced! He’s only talking about science that’s been verified through accepted research methods. There are plenty of people calling themselves scientists who don’t agree with what Tyson is saying on his show. In fact, the astrophysicist is the only person on the show. He gets a whole hour to talk about his version of science, and no one else even has a chance to get a word in. If Neil DeGrasse Tyson were a real scientist interested in real scientific debate about alternate theories, he would at least mention them on his show, right?
And that’s the problem with creationists demanding equal time on Tyson’s show, Cosmos is not a program to debate fact verses faith; it’s a show about actual scientific theories tested and proven through research. What Tyson said in last week’s episode summed it up well, ?We’re not afraid to admit what we don’t know. There’s no shame in that. The only shame is to pretend that we have all the answers.?
Edited/Published by: SB
