Neil deGrasse on the recent shootings

phildidge wrote: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.

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1158074774297468928


Its been well received by many. With over 220,000 likes and yet others have been really angered

I think those angered are completely missing his point

He is not downplaying the shootings. He is showing how different people react to the different deaths of people emotionally.

What do others think?

Eilzel wrote:

phildidge wrote: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.

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1158074774297468928


Its been well received by many. With over 220,000 likes and yet others have been really angered

I think those angered are completely missing his point

He is not downplaying the shootings. He is showing how different people react to the different deaths of people emotionally.

What do others think?

I suppose the difference would be that those others are down to individual conditions or accidents.
In the case of a shooting the added horror is that another human could do that to someone else. Which may be why people are so much more emotionally struck by it.

I don't disagree with what NDT says, but his timing is very off.

phildidge wrote: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.

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1158074774297468928


Its been well received by many. With over 220,000 likes and yet others have been really angered

I think those angered are completely missing his point

He is not downplaying the shootings. He is showing how different people react to the different deaths of people emotionally.

What do others think?

Eilzel wrote:

phildidge wrote: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.

https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/1158074774297468928


Its been well received by many. With over 220,000 likes and yet others have been really angered

I think those angered are completely missing his point

He is not downplaying the shootings. He is showing how different people react to the different deaths of people emotionally.

What do others think?

I suppose the difference would be that those others are down to individual conditions or accidents.
In the case of a shooting the added horror is that another human could do that to someone else. Which may be why people are so much more emotionally struck by it.

I don't disagree with what NDT says, but his timing is very off.

phildidge wrote:TweetStorm
NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON·MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2019·READING TIME: 2 MINUTES
TweetStorm -  August 5, 2019

Yesterday, a Tweet I posted in reaction to the horrific mass shootings in America over the previous 48 hours, killing 34 people, spawned mixed and highly critical responses.

If you missed it, I offered a short list of  largely preventable causes of death, along with their average two-day death toll in the United States.  They significantly exceeded the death toll from the two days of mass shootings, including the number of people (40) who on average die from handgun homicides every two days.

I then noted that we tend to react emotionally to spectacular incidences of death, with the implication that more common causes of death trigger milder responses within us.

My intent was to offer objectively true information that might help shape conversations and reactions to preventable ways we die.  Where I miscalculated was that I genuinely believed the Tweet would be helpful to anyone trying to save lives in America.  What I learned from the range of reactions is that for many people, some information –-my Tweet in particular -- can be true but unhelpful, especially at a time when many people are either still in shock, or trying to heal – or both.

So if you are one of those people, I apologize for not knowing in advance what effect my Tweet could have on you. I am therefore thankful for the candor and depth of critical reactions shared in my Twitter feed. As an educator,  I personally value knowing with precision and accuracy what reaction anything that I say (or write) will instill in my audience, and I got this one wrong.

Respectfully Submitted
Neil deGrasse  Tyson

Eilzel wrote:

phildidge wrote:TweetStorm
NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON·MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2019·READING TIME: 2 MINUTES
TweetStorm -  August 5, 2019

Yesterday, a Tweet I posted in reaction to the horrific mass shootings in America over the previous 48 hours, killing 34 people, spawned mixed and highly critical responses.

If you missed it, I offered a short list of  largely preventable causes of death, along with their average two-day death toll in the United States.  They significantly exceeded the death toll from the two days of mass shootings, including the number of people (40) who on average die from handgun homicides every two days.

I then noted that we tend to react emotionally to spectacular incidences of death, with the implication that more common causes of death trigger milder responses within us.

My intent was to offer objectively true information that might help shape conversations and reactions to preventable ways we die.  Where I miscalculated was that I genuinely believed the Tweet would be helpful to anyone trying to save lives in America.  What I learned from the range of reactions is that for many people, some information –-my Tweet in particular -- can be true but unhelpful, especially at a time when many people are either still in shock, or trying to heal – or both.

So if you are one of those people, I apologize for not knowing in advance what effect my Tweet could have on you. I am therefore thankful for the candor and depth of critical reactions shared in my Twitter feed. As an educator,  I personally value knowing with precision and accuracy what reaction anything that I say (or write) will instill in my audience, and I got this one wrong.

Respectfully Submitted
Neil deGrasse  Tyson

Classy man

phildidge wrote:TweetStorm
NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON·MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2019·READING TIME: 2 MINUTES
TweetStorm -  August 5, 2019

Yesterday, a Tweet I posted in reaction to the horrific mass shootings in America over the previous 48 hours, killing 34 people, spawned mixed and highly critical responses.

If you missed it, I offered a short list of  largely preventable causes of death, along with their average two-day death toll in the United States.  They significantly exceeded the death toll from the two days of mass shootings, including the number of people (40) who on average die from handgun homicides every two days.

I then noted that we tend to react emotionally to spectacular incidences of death, with the implication that more common causes of death trigger milder responses within us.

My intent was to offer objectively true information that might help shape conversations and reactions to preventable ways we die.  Where I miscalculated was that I genuinely believed the Tweet would be helpful to anyone trying to save lives in America.  What I learned from the range of reactions is that for many people, some information –-my Tweet in particular -- can be true but unhelpful, especially at a time when many people are either still in shock, or trying to heal – or both.

So if you are one of those people, I apologize for not knowing in advance what effect my Tweet could have on you. I am therefore thankful for the candor and depth of critical reactions shared in my Twitter feed. As an educator,  I personally value knowing with precision and accuracy what reaction anything that I say (or write) will instill in my audience, and I got this one wrong.

Respectfully Submitted
Neil deGrasse  Tyson

Maddog wrote:Correct, factual and insensitive.