Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson took flak Sunday for tweeting out death statistics in response to the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton.
“In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings,” Tyson said, before listing the numbers of people who die every 48 hours from medical errors, the flu, suicide, car accidents, and homicide via handgun.
He then seemed to scold those who were emotionally upset by the shootings, writing, “Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.”
In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings.
On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose…
500 to Medical errors
300 to the Flu
250 to Suicide
200 to Car Accidents
40 to Homicide via HandgunOften our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 4, 2019
Twitter users erupted in negative response, with many claiming that Tyson’s coldly mathematical approach to human suffering was inappropriate.
A person can be both intellectually brilliant and practically asinine.
Case in point…
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) August 4, 2019
i think motive, avoidability and culpability are all forms of data that have perfectly logical emotional ramifications. you’d be angrier if somebody shot your kid than if your kid died of typhus, this is obvious and rational
— elizabeth bruenig (@ebruenig) August 4, 2019
Imagine tweeting this and thinking it adds anything to intelligent discourse
— Shaena Montanari (@DrShaena) August 4, 2019
Making a didactic if factually accurate point does not always equate to intelligent or productive discourse. And this was neither inteligent nor productive. Disappointed to read this from you.
— Andrew Baggarly (@extrabaggs) August 4, 2019
The Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, which Tyson leads, announced last week that it would allow him to keep his position after concluding an investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him.
“The museum’s investigation into allegations concerning Neil deGrasse Tyson is complete,” a museum spokeswoman said. “Based on the results of the investigation, Dr. Tyson remains an employee and director of the Hayden Planetarium. Because this is a confidential personnel matter, there will be no further statements by the museum.”
