Summary

The cosmic perspective, though not explicitly defined, represents the bittersweet sense of accomplishment riddled with guilt that, for Tyson, naturally follows a logical, working understanding of the universe. He begins by acknowledging that not everyone has the “luxury of time not spent on mere survival” necessary to cultivate this understanding, such as migrant workers, sweatshop laborers, and homeless people (194). Tyson laments that having this cosmic perspective, though it enhances one’s capacity for knowledge, “comes with a hidden cost” (194). For Tyson, this cost manifests itself by causing him to lose track of worldly problems, like war, disease, poverty, climate change, and so forth. He finishes on a chillingly relevant phrase: “sometimes I forget that powerful people rarely do all they can to help those who cannot help themselves” (196). Tyson attempts to be as honest and transparent as possible, however, claiming...