Name: Michael Rastegar
Professor Grimstead
Eng 1 sec 2
11/15/2015
Word count: 1560
RD # 1
Essay III: Reflection Essay
Forged in the Stars: Neil de Grasse Tyson’s Death by Black Hole
Introduction:
Neil de Grasse is a famous American astrophysicist and author. His infectious love of space made him one of the most intelligent and assertive astrophysicists of the modern time. He has managed to convey the understanding and wonder of astronomy through his work in the “Death by Black Hole”. The author has succeeded to depict the vast and daunting study and evaluation of astronomy as a subject of fascinating awe. He portrays it as something that we all can and should attempt to discover and understand for ourselves (Tyson, p.193). The details in the…show more content… These studies have led to significant discoveries some of which have gone unappreciated. Just as he asserts, “My vote for the most underappreciated discovery of the twentieth Century is the realization that supernovas -the explosive death throes of high-mass stars- are the primary source for the origin and relative mix of heavy elements in the universe” (Tyson,p.192). The statement shows the human endeavor to understand the complexity of the solar system. The extensive research being conducted serves to explain this struggle. For many years, there have been musings on topics related to the origin and formation of stars. Some of the hot topics such as the source of stellar energy and transmutation of elements elicited heated debates among scientists. However, there existed a tension between science and religion amidst this confusion of mystery. The emerging question during the same time was whether science and religion could co-exist. The hard stance and the rift between science and religion have only increased confusion in the understanding of the celestial bodies. The confusion and divergence in opinion and attitude between these two groups are just as messy as the nuclear chemistry…show more content… Tyson succeeds to ground the lofty subject matter of “Death by Black Hole” while at the same time elevating the human desire to look forward to more discoveries. Instead of just describing astronomy in the antiquated and dusty language, Tyson brings a new and fresh personal tone to the subject matter of discussion. His writings explain some of the challenging ideas in a vivid and explicit manner. Tyson in his endeavors prefers to give the reader a sense of humbling perspective instead of the embarrassing ignorance. Moving to the subject of science and religion, it is evident that there is no reason to form a battle line between the two. Drawing a line between science and religion is like searching for truth while at the same time limiting places you are willing to get the truth from. The study of the world through science is interesting and should solidify our faith in