Neil deGrasse Tyson

Teaches Scientific Thinking and Communication

Course is $20/month (billed annually)

With a hit talk show and bestselling books, Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the most popular figures in modern science. Now the influential astrophysicist teaches you how his mind works and how he connects with audiences. Learn to think like a skeptic, open your own mind through scientific literacy, distill data, and navigate bias to discover objective truths—and deliver your ideas in ways that engage, excite, and inspire.

Browse Lesson Plan
1. What You Know Is Not as Important as How You Think

Meet your new instructor: world-renowned astrophysicist, Emmy-nominated host, author, and science communicator Neil deGrasse Tyson. Neil welcomes you and discusses the importance of scientific thinking and communication.

2. The Frontier of Science

The frontier of science is a messy place. Neil takes you through the process of understanding the frontier’s landscape and explains the roles of hypothesis and theory in determining objective truths.

3. The Scientific Method

When we use the scientific method in the quest for objective truths, nature is the judge and jury. Neil shares some remarkable astrophysical examples of how this method plays out in real life and in our vast universe.

4. Be a Skeptic: Ask Questions

Asking questions is a tried-and-true component of scientific thinking. Neil talks about the processes behind informed skepticism as well as how to evaluate incoming scientific data.

5. Cognitive Bias

If you are human, then you are susceptible to cognitive bias. Neil defines some of the most common cognitive biases and reveals how our need to feel special may be getting in the way of our search for objective truths.

6. Beware of Cultural Bias

Cultural biases and assumptions affect how we treat one another, but they may be harder to spot than we think. Neil provides examples of conscious and unconscious cultural biases and explains how to avoid them.

7. Rockets: Fuels and Propulsion

Chris explains the pros and cons of different types of rocket fuels including liquid fuel, solid fuel, and ionized gas.

8. Scientific Measurement: Calculating the Incalculable

Neil explores one of his favorite subjects: scientific measurement. He distinguishes precision from accuracy and offers examples to illuminate the approximations that are inherent in any measurement.

Browse all included classes

Try some of our classes

Enter your email and we’ll send you some samples of our favorite classes.

Thanks for signing up!

Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What's in every MasterClass subscription?

All 85+ classes and categories
PDF workbooks for every class
Audio-only lessons
Watch on your desktop, phone, or TV
Download and watch offline
New classes added every month