Tyson’s zeal for knowledge is intoxicating and irresistible, even if it means less time for the ostensible topic of the conversation — his starring role in the documentary series
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, premiering on Fox and National Geographic in March.
“I see myself as a servant of the public appetite for the universe,” says Tyson, seated in his office overlooking the giant white sphere of the Hayden Planetarium.
Scattered among hundreds of astronomy books are, among other things, a vanity plate reading “COZMIC,” a life-sized bust of Sir Isaac Newton, a half-dozen or so globes, a quill pen collection, a can of Dole pineapples in “cosmic fun shapes” and a pink boa.
Tyson’s combination of humor, intelligence and accessibility have made him one of the most recognizable scientists in the country and put him atop many fantasy dinner-party guest lists. The author or editor of 10 books, he maintains an active social media presence (1.5 million Twitter followers) and produces a radio show and podcast, “StarTalk Radio.” He’s also become a late-night TV regular, through frequent visits to
The Daily Show,
The Colbert Report and
Real Time With Bill Maher.
Now he’s moving into prime time with
Cosmos, a follow-up to Carl Sagan’s groundbreaking 1980
PBS series,
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. In what may seem like an odd pairing,
Seth MacFarlane serves as executive producer on the series. Tyson first met the
Family Guy creator at a gathering of the Science and Entertainment Exchange in Los Angeles several years ago and later pitched him about getting involved in a
Cosmos reboot.