Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilisation
Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Publisher: PB Harper Collins
Pages: 288
Price: Rs 599
“Black Boys Rape Our Young Girls But Violet Gives Willingly”. The Afro-American author learnt this mnemonic referencing the colour-coding of resistors in a Harvard physics class, circa 1975. It is a stunning example of racism and misogyny permeating a subject with no inherent cultural affect.
This book contains a mix of similar striking anecdotes and data-driven musings about the human condition. It is a series of short essays examining society and trends through a scientific lens to deliver “ego checks on our self-importance”. The title is