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# Watch Neil DeGrasse Tyson Explain the History of the Universe in 8 Minutes

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VSiGzSHL.m3u8" -->
## Video: Neil deGrasse Tyson Looks Back at 'Cosmos'

[Watch (HLS stream): Neil deGrasse Tyson Looks Back at 'Cosmos'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VSiGzSHL.m3u8) (3:21)

![Neil deGrasse Tyson Looks Back at 'Cosmos'](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/VSiGzSHL/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-06-10. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson reflects on hosting the popular science show 'Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey'_


by 

[Jacob Shamsian](https://time.com/author/jacob-shamsian/)


## Jacob Shamsian


Jul 24, 2015 5:10 PM UTC

by 

[Jacob Shamsian](https://time.com/author/jacob-shamsian/)


## Jacob Shamsian


Jul 24, 2015 5:10 PM UTC

Expert [mind-blower](https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/397857324561215489), [Pluto-hater](http://time.com/3958381/neil-degrasse-tyson-pluto-dwarf-planet/) and all-around explainer Neil DeGrasse Tyson has now proved he can explain everything in the universe by explaining literally everything in the universe.

On MinutePhysics, the famed astrophysicist draws from his book “Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution.” He starts with the beginning of time about 13.7 billion years ago, when “all the space, and all the matter, and all the energy of the known universe was contained in a volume less than one-trillionth the size of the point of a pin.” He ends with homosapiens, who are enabled “to deduce the origin and the evolution of the universe,” like Tyson just did.


## Transcript

When we were asked often, who's your target audience, it was like everybody. What, am I not allowed to reach everybody? And, Drew even said anyone with a beating heart, and I wanted to add, well do zombies have a beating heart, I want to reach them too. Cosmos in 13 episodes covered a lot of the universe. And consistent with the original, Cosmos is a statement. Not only of what we know of the universe, but also what we know of our place within the universe. That's what enables people to take it to heart. That's why it sits differently in you. Science has been ascending. I'd go so far as to say, it's been trending.

And how do you trend? You trend not because there's one vocal supporter of something. You trend. When you become embraced by popular culture. And so, this gives me great expectation that science can be something that is not debated by politicians. But is respected by politicians so that they can shape the next thing they debate. Informed by that scientific discovery. That's the world we should be living in. And that's the, not the world we're in now. So I see maybe there's a time delay there, but I see it happening. Gives me great pleasure to know that I participated in some small way in making that sea change.

[ MUSIC ] If all you do is present scientifically determined truths, if you want to say it's controversial in your own circles, go ahead. But it's not controversial to any of us [ LAUGH ]. So, so, people say, oh you're tackling controver, no, we're tackling science. It's what experiment and observation has revealed about the natural world. I have a deep sense of relief [ LAUGH ] that the very last episode has aired. All of the effort required to make the 13 episodes. And then, the anticipation each week of an episode airing. And all the tweeting that was around it and the media. Maybe I'm delusional, but I'm thinking that my life can return to normal after this [ LAUGH ].

Except now that, now five times as many people are recognizing me on the street. So that's less normal. But I can duck into a car and then go back home. Then I can be dad and husband again. We didn't touch the inner mind, the human mind, consciousness, intelligence. We didn't really address that. We didn't address what aliens might be like. And, by the way, these are only topics we would address if it somehow gave us insight back to ourselves. Otherwise, it's kind of a one off and it would just be a fun excursion, but it wouldn't be Cosmonian. As Andrian is fond of saying, something like it's the sworing experience of, of knowledge, enlightenment and wonder.

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