by Grania
Jerry’s venturing downtown this afternoon, and spotted this and asked me to post it.
My first thought was “There’s a play about Neil deGrasse Tyson?” But of course, it isn’t a play but a talk, although Chicago Theater is particularly coy about saying what he will be talking about.
It is heartening to see that talks by scientists can and do fill theaters. I am sure it will be highly enjoyable, Tyson has a remarkable gift for communicating his love for science.
Is anybody going to be there?
“Is anybody going to be there?”
It’s sold out. Can’t you read your own post!
😉
Because no-one could possibly have bought tickets before it sold out, right?
~Grania
I’m pretty sure Mike meant “All of the tickets have been purchased, so of course many people will be there!”
It was a joke, playing on the ambiguity of the word “anyone”. See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcasm.
It’s like New York City. Nobody goes there, it’s too crowded.
I think he meant “is anybody who reads this blog going to be there?”
Neil’s also going to be at the Comerica Theater in Phoenix on Thursday. Yes, I’ll be there! He’s going to talk about science in the movies.
Or the lack of it!
/@
The wife and I are going to Comerica, too!
Go Tigers!
Wait…Phoenix??
As many mailing lists I get myself on, I would think I would have found out about it. But no!
I saw him here in Columbus Ohio and was pleased at how he filled the theater. I was terribly impressed at what a great speaker and entertainer he is. I expected good science and to be entertained but NDT could be a stand-up comedian!
I saw Neil’s talk in Grand Rapids, Michigan last month and I loved it!
He came to my town a few months ago, and although I was not in attendance, I know that he spoke about the portrayal of science in movies (both the good and the bad). I imagine that’s the topic in every city on this tour.
A lot of people do seem to think Neil has “sold out.” But not me.
Doesn’t “MSG” on the marquee stand for Madison Square Garden? But in Chicago???
Madison Square Garden is one of the promoters of Neil’s tour. The Chicago Theater seats 3,880. Tickets cost $60-$150.
http://www.thechicagotheatre.com/events/2016/may/neil-degrasse-tyson-at-the-chicago-theatre.html
Fermilab in Batavia, IL, about 40 miles from the Chicago Theater, is into calving season. After the first calf of the year was born, they asked for name suggestions. The most popular are Higgs Bison and Neil (or Eat) DeGrasse Bison.
https://twitter.com/Fermilab/status/725369113338646529
Ha, those are both great! Thanks for the chuckle. 😀
Hope he does more of the Cosmos series.
In his diaries Samuel Pepys recounts his pleasure at attending sermons. I see this impulse still lives.
I took the headline to mean NdeGT had ‘sold out’ (to whom? Creationists, presumably).
Ah, the traps inherent in the colloquial English language…
cr
“It is heartening to see that talks by scientists can and do fill theaters”
Prof Brian Cox has a 37 date tour of Britain starting in the autumn and so far 12 of those are sold out. This includes the first night in Aberdeen which sold out in 2 days – which I’m going to thanks to my wonderful, quick-acting wife.
I saw him when he came to NYC, where it was also sold out. It was fantastic, you’ll enjoy it.
I saw him when he came to Toronto…educational, entertaining, funny..and hearing *that voice* fill the theater with a beautiful Saturn picture on the screen while he closed with a bit from Pale Blue Dot still gives me shivers.
I am pleased that there are “scientist celebrities” but I am also concerned about “the little guy”, as always. People often forget about minor league athletes or small-town actors … so, here’s a hat tip to everyone who makes the big ones possible, too.
I also saw Neil in Toronto. 2.5 hours non-stop, witty, informative, very entertaining. And he says he has about 30 different talks he can do, he asks the promoters to choose which one they want him to give. Very impressive.
We drove up from Champaign to go to this show (bought tickets back in December) and it was pretty great. He spoke for over two hours on the topic “An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies,” followed by Q&A. Very similar to his Twitter feed – it was almost a comedy show.
I’ve also seen him speak in University settings before and he certainly knows how to cater to his audience. The Chicago Theater talk was for the general public, using the pop culture we all know to make science relevant to all of us in a way that anyone can understand. As someone who has a background in science I would have enjoyed a little more depth, but it was very well done for an audience of 3600.