Neil deGrasse Tyson to Talk About Movies at TPAC's Jackson Hall [Updated]

When I spoke to famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson in 2015, he had some interesting things to say about truth, and those who choose to manipulate it. "If you want to take a personal truth and use it to cherry-pick objective truths and you have power — cultural or political power — then you are creating a society that is not based on a foundation in reality," he told me. "We have words for societies such as them, they’re called dictatorships. Where you have a belief system and everyone must conform to that. And it’s a belief system that is your belief system but might not be someone else’s but you have to conform to it anyway because you’re a resident of that land."

Apropos for Inauguration Week and the Age of Fake News, no? Yes?

Anyway, Tyson came through Nashville in 2015 to deliver a lecture titled "Science as a Way of Knowing," wherein he spoke about the nature of empirical truths, and what we do with those truths. That's one of several topics NDT discusses on his lecture tours — tours that he likes to embark upon when he's not doing things like serving as the director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, or hosting Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey or his podcast Star Talk.

Well, news touched down this week that Tyson will return to Music City on Wednesday, June 14. But this time, rather than speaking at Vanderbilt University or TPAC — where he's lectured in the past — the good doctor will speak to Nashvillian science buffs, fittingly enough, beneath the stars from the stage at Ascend Amphitheater downtown. His presentation this go-round will be titled "An Astrophysicist Goes to the Movies," and tickets for that go on sale this Friday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. via this link. So add buying tickets to the list of things you can do that aren't depressing on Inauguration Day.

Now, if you follow NDT on Twitter, then you likely know he's an oft-vocal critic of pseudoscience in films. Some say this is a form of party-pooping, because, y'know, suspension of disbelief and all that. But I'm of the opinion that if we're basing a film here, in the universe — the universe in which we live — then hey, why not at least try to abide by the laws of physics.

If you're curious as to what sort of ground Tyson will cover with his "Movies" talk, this review and recap sums up his recent Philly appearance. Spoiler alert: He liked The Martian but not Armageddon. But — aside from its incredibly gross premise — what did he think about Passengers? Maybe we'll find out.

Update: Tyson's lecture has been moved from Ascend Amphitheater to TPAC's Jackson Hall. According to TPAC: "The date and time remain the same. Ticket holders to the original show will receive new tickets at comparable seat locations. Patrons requesting a refund may do so at the point of purchase by May 26."