New Orleans Program, Vol. 1 - National Science Teachers Association

Thursday, 2:00–4:00 PM
226
2:00–4:00 PM THE PLANETARY SOCIETY LECTURE
Why We Need to Study Earth from Space (Earth)
(General) La Louisiane Ballroom I, Convention Center
Speaker
Neil deGrasse Tyson
President of the Board of Directors,
The Planetary Society,
Astrophysicist, Author, and
Host, PBS NOVA scienceNow
New York, N.Y.
Speaker
Bill Nye
Vice President, The Planetary Society
Scientist, Author, and Host, The
Science Channel’s 100 Greatest Discoveries
Seattle, Wash.
Earth’s climate is undergoing profound changes. Scientists are studying rising temperatures,
shifting weather patterns, and how animals are adapting to altered ecosystems. How
interconnected are these changes? How interconnected should our response to them be?
Space offers a planetary-wide perspective of the challenges we face, and space observations
of Earth will play a significant role in helping us to meet those challenges. Join Bill Nye the
Science Guy and Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium of the American Museum
of Natural History for a fascinating and lively discussion of “Why We Need to Study Earth
from Space.” Visit The Planetary society’s website at planetary.org.
Neil deGrasse Tyson —A childhood glimpse of the Moon through binoculars helped steer Neil
deGrasse Tyson toward his lifelong passion for science, space exploration, and unraveling the universe’s
far-flung mysteries. Eventually, that closer look at another world also led Tyson to his role on The Planetary
Society’s board of directors, serving first as vice president for three years and now as chairman of
the board. An astrophysicist with the American Museum of Natural History and the Frederick P. Rose
Director of the Hayden Planetarium, Tyson focused his early research primarily on stellar evolution and
galactic structure. He appears as the on-camera host of the PBS NOVA spin-off NOVA scienceNow
and recently hosted the four-part television series Origins on PBS.
Bill Nye—As a student at Cornell University, Bill Nye the Science Guy® was introduced to the wonders
of astronomy in a class taught by Carl Sagan himself, one of the original founders of The Planetary
Society. So, for Nye it was like coming full circle to join the Society’s board of directors and later to
become the organization’s newest vice president. Scientist, comedian, teacher, and author, Nye became a
household name with his innovative, fast-paced television series Bill Nye the Science Guy. His latest
TV program, 100 Greatest Discoveries, airs in eight installments on the Science Channel.