Neil deGrasse Tyson apologizes for weekend tweet about death

The Associated Press

5 years ago

File-This May 13, 2019, file photo shows Neil Degrasse Tyson attending the 23rd annual Webby Aw ... — File-This May 13, 2019, file photo shows Neil Degrasse Tyson attending the 23rd annual Webby Awards at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. DeGrasse Tyson learned the hard way that pointing out truths is not always helpful. The astrophysicist and author apologized Monday, Aug. 5, 2019, for a Sunday tweet in which he noted more people died in less attention-getting ways in the same two-day period as two mass shootings. (Photo by Christopher Smith/Invision/AP, File)

Neil deGrasse Tyson has learned after a tweet that pointing out truths is not always helpful.

The astrophysicist and author apologized Monday for a Sunday tweet in which he noted more people died in less attention-getting ways in the same two-day period as a pair of mass shootings.

He concluded his tweet with: “Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.” The tweet trended on Twitter and prompted outrage of being tone-deaf in nature.

In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings.

On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose…

500 to Medical errors
300 to the Flu
250 to Suicide
200 to Car Accidents
40 to Homicide via Handgun

Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.

— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 4, 2019

Tyson said on Facebook that he “miscalculated” how the tweet would be perceived and “genuinely believed” it would be helpful to “anyone trying to save lives in America.”

The science commentator has hosted several TV series, including “Nova.” He’s known for such bestselling books as “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.”