One of the great
challenges in this world
is knowing enough
about a subject
to think you're right but
not enough about the subject
to know you're wrong.
There's like a gazillion
hours of me on the internet.
In almost every case, I'm
talking about the universe--
black holes, the big
bang, time travel, God.
What I'm going to do
in this MasterClass
is teach you how to think.
The goal here is
to train your mind
how to see the world
differently, how
to question what others say.
I've come to realize that there
are three categories of truth--
personal truth,
political truths,
and the objective truths
that shape our understanding
of the universe.
The interesting thing
about an objective truth
is that it's true
no matter what.
Imagine that.
By the time we're
done, you will be
equipped with some of
the methods and tools
so you can turn data into
information, information
into knowledge,
knowledge into wisdom.
We all have
susceptibility to bias.
Search engines on the internet
are the epitome of confirmation
bias, and you're going
to use that as evidence
that you are correct?
No.
The good thing about science is
that it's true whether or not
you believe in it.
What does it mean
to be skeptical?
What does it mean to
be convinced by data?
A proper skeptic questions
what they're unsure
of but recognizes
when valid evidence is
presented to change their mind.
I will equip you to not
only find objective truths
but then communicate to
others how to get there.
It's not good
enough to be right.
You also have to be effective.
The less connected you are
to what is objectively true,
the less likely you will
be able to make decisions
that will benefit your life--
your life, the life of your
family, and even civilization
itself.
I'm Neil deGrasse Tyson,
and this is my MasterClass.
