MasterClass provides in-depth and engaging classes taught by experts in various fields. The classes are designed to bring your favorite experts to your home in an engaging online experience, which includes state of the art pre-recorded videos, workbooks, and stimulating assignments. Your yearly Annual Membership gives you access to 85+ world-renowned instructors on Film and TV, Culinary Arts, Design, Photography, Fashion, Sports, Science and Technology and so much more. Instructors include world-famous chef Gordon Ramsay, bestselling author Margaret Atwood and many more. The classes have about 20 lectures, each about 10 minutes so you can watch and re-watch at anytime. Video lessons can easily be watched on the MasterClass mobile app, on your desktop, Google Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, and Roku devices. Check out our MasterClass review to find out more details!
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This is a review of the Neil deGrasse Tyson Teaches Scientific Thinking and Communication class from MasterClass!
The MasterClass Instructor – Neil deGrasse Tyson
This class opens with an eye opening perspective on human life and what role we play in the universe. Neil deGrasse Tyson challenges viewers to consider their own daily routine as being their role in cosmic events. While at the same time reminding viewers that each one of us is not special or separate from the universe, rather everyone is just a small part of a much bigger whole.
For those who are not familiar with Neil deGrasse Tyson, he is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, planetary scientist, author, and science communicator. He has played an important role in communicating science, and has become one of the best known scientists in the public eye.
The past few decades have seen a wealth of lively, accessible writing about science in all its forms. But even with that surge, Neil deGrasse Tyson stands out. He’s become a kind of ambassador for stars, planets, and subatomic particles—a rare figure who combines a sense of humor with a sense of wonder. (Neil has drawn repeated bouts of love and dedication by no less than The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart.)
The goal of this class is to provide an inside look to Neil’s own thought process. He drives home the lesson that science literacy is not about what you know, but how you think. This key insight is what he has shared through this class and hopes by the end of the class every viewer is dissatisfied with not knowing what the objective truth is and has the tools to uncover their own objective truth.
Scientific Thinking and Communication – Who is it for?
This class is for anyone who wants to challenge how they view the world by learning how to think. Neil focuses on scientific literacy and communicating science skills. The goal of this class is to provide an inside look on how Neil approaches the scientific method and to inform viewers on how to approach the frontier of discovery in their own field of study. The class is also beneficial for anyone looking to strengthen their ability to effectively communicate their scientific discoveries.
MasterClass Neil deGrasse Tyson – Main Themes
- Scientific literacy
- Be empowered
- Curiosity
- Understand your audience
- It is not good enough to be right, you also have to be effective
MasterClass Workbook – Neil deGrasse Tyson
The workbook is a great addition to this class! It is broken up into three parts, “On Scientific Literacy”, “On Communicating Science”, and “Exploring Neil’s Concepts and Concerns”. Each section reiterates topics covered in the lessons, but the organization of this workbook also provides viewers with all of the information they need to succeed in the class. Neil has taken the time to explain many of the scientific references he makes in his lessons, including the scientific method, different theories, and quantum physics. He does this throughout the chapters while also providing a glossary for reference in the introduction. The section, “Exploring Neil’s Concepts and Concerns” also is an interesting addition where Neil focuses on questions like “can science and religion be reconciled?” and “don’t scientists get things wrong?”.
MasterClass Scientific Thinking and Communication Key Takeaways
This class focuses on the scientific method, different types of bias, scientific measurements, and most importantly, how to communicate your findings to different audiences. The first half of the class focuses on scientific thinking which includes how to go about the scientific method, how to recognize and avoid different types of cognitive bias’, and the importance of understanding accuracy, precision, and uncertainties in measurements.
Obviously, learning to think clearly and coming up with intelligent and original ideas is important. But it’s not everything: Being able to persuade and convince is equally crucial—although our current polarized era often inhibits it.
What I found most impactful and important was the second half of the class, which focused on communicating science. Neil deGrasse Tyson’s experience and ability to communicate science to the public is why he is so effective. He takes viewers on a step by step look at how he prepares for any public appearance and what he takes into account to best convey his message to different audiences. This is the key to the scientific process, because no matter how much data you have to back up your objective truth, if you can not effectively communicate your findings, then your objective truth has no value at all.
If I can communicate something, effectively, in ways that others can’t, and that which I’m trying to communicate matters to the health and wealth and security of the nation, I would be irresponsible if I did not.
Final Thoughts on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s MasterClass
I found this class very informative and empowering! Neil deGrasse Tyson has created a class that really does look behind the scenes at how he approaches the frontier of discovery and the importance of communicating science. If you are looking for a class that challenges you to ask questions, uncover objective truths, and provide the tools needed to effectively share your discoveries, then this is the class for you!
What do you think of this MasterClass?
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