This Kid Gives Me Hope

Have you ever heard a kid drop the term “non-Newtonian solid?” Apparently neither had famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. At the end of a Q&A session at Grand Valley State University, Dr. Tyson took a question from a 9 year old boy named Jacob about the feasibility of deflecting asteroids on a collision course with Earth. What followed was an entertaining 7 minute exchange between the two of them. The thing that amazes me is not just the intelligence of this young boy, but the fact that he doesn’t just ask his question and sit down. He actively debates with Dr. Tyson, questioning the answers he receives in return and offering alternate solutions to his initial query. Some children in Jacob’s shoes at that moment may have been a bit starstruck at being addressed by such a well known public figure, but he seized his opportunity to engage with a great mind of science.

Even if you have no interest in astronomy whatsoever, this video is well worth the time spent viewing it. It gives me hope that the future of our planet may be in safe hands if there are enough Jacobs out there looking up and thinking big.