'Other Animals … Are Smarter Than We Ever Thought,' Says Celebrated Astrophysicist in New PETA Ad
For Immediate Release:
August 5, 2011
Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382
New York — When it comes to promoting kindness to animals, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson has his feet on the ground. That's because the award-winning astrophysicist and author took time out of his incredibly hectic schedule to star in a new ad for PETA, which encourages people to have empathy for all their fellow Earthlings. In the ad (which was shot in his office at the Hayden Planetarium in Manhattan) Dr. Tyson appears above the words, "You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that kindness is a virtue." PETA is teaming up with the Huffington Post for the debut of the ad, which appears on its HuffPost Green feature.
Dr. Tyson also sat down for an exclusive interview with PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk in which he discussed everything from how his childhood spent observing dogs encouraged his critical thinking skills to the importance of instilling empathy in children—and more. "Humans aren't as good as we should be in our capacity to empathize with feelings and thoughts of others, be they humans or other animals on Earth. So maybe part of our formal education should be training in empathy," he says. "Imagine how different the world would be if, in fact, it were 'reading, writing, arithmetic, empathy.'"
Dr. Tyson is the director of the Hayden Planetarium. He has received 12 honorary doctorates and multiple awards, ranging from the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal to People's "Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive." In addition to writing dozens of books and articles for professional publications and for the public, Dr. Tyson is the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA's NOVA scienceNOW and the creator and host of StarTalk radio.
Dr. Tyson joins a long list of stars and other public figures—including Alec Baldwin, Bill Maher, Bob Barker, Pamela Anderson, Martha Stewart, Cornel West, Sir Paul McCartney, and Oliver Stone—who have teamed up with PETA to promote kindness to animals.
For more information and to view the full interview, please visit PETA.org.