Edit: Celeb scientists are smart, too
Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson have reached popularity not often accomplished by scientists.
They have become pop culture icons who aren't afraid to bring their expertise into the world of show business and entertainment.
By not fearing the spotlight, they are exposed to the same hazards other celebrities are subjected to. They become magnets for ridicule, even if that ridicule is baseless.
Columnist Neal Larsen of the Idaho Falls Post Register recently felt compelled to write a column calling Tyson a "horse's astrophysicist," after Tyson tweeted a statistic saying Hungary's medal count at the Rio Olympics was more impressive than the U.S.'s given the country's significantly smaller population/Anthony Kuipers, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Are you aware of this flap?
