Singapore, February 14, 2014 – About 800 students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and primary school children between ages 7 to 11 spent their Valentine’s Day with the renowned American Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Ann Druyan, co-writer, executive creator, and director of new 13-part series, COSMOS: A Spacetime Odyssey, premiering on National Geographic Channel next month, 15th March.
Both Neil and Ann were deep in conversation with NUS students in an hour-long special “Understanding the Universe” insight and discussion session, taking them on an epic journey to recount the saga of how humans discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time. Later in the afternoon, the duo then met with 30 curious children from Endeavour Primary School, Greendale Primary School and Chatsworth International School to delight their young minds with the wonders of the stars, planets and galaxies beyond Earth.
The discussion session with NUS students comprised questions fired through social media channels and live on-site, with each question attached to a hashtag, #cosmosSG. Ann’s inspirational vision for science edutainment, together with Neil’s magnetic storytelling, revived the relevance of science in daily lives through the power of science communication and vivid storytelling.
The NUS students and other academic staff were also treated with a sneak preview of the first episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a reincarnation of the iconic COSMOS: A Personal Voyage series created by Carl Sagan back in 1980.
Questions from the students ranged from, “How do you measure distances between stars?” to “Why did you choose to demote Pluto” and even included personal thank-yous from individuals who were fans of their published works and shows. When asked to share the most romantic phenomenon in the universe, Neil said, ”It will be everything I have witnessed, including all of you. You are all heavenly bodies.”
COSMOS: A SPACETIME ODYSSEY premieres on Saturday, 15th March, 10pm, on National Geographic Channel (StarHub TV Ch. 411 & SingTel mio TV Ch. 201). For more information, please refer to the “Cosmos Media Kit”.
Gwendoline LEE
Senior Associate, Singapore
Tactic PR
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Photo credit National Geographic Channel