"I've Always Believed in Aliens... Haven't I?"

 

Prof. Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the world's top "pop scientists". He's a science communicator in the media and has even been described as the natural successor to Carl Sagan. This could be why he was selected to present the new Cosmos TV series, a follow up to Sagan's famous epic 1980 documentary. I have always respected Tyson's professional attitude which is rare among media boffins. I recently had the chance to compare him to Prof Brian Cox who is far less mature and considerate, see: https://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2017/03/cern-disproves-ghosts.html and: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2017/02/cern-disproves-ghosts.html. Nevertheless, Neil deGrasse Tyson, in terms of his opinions, remained a true-blue skeptic. He has commented several times on UAP since 2017 and his position has been totally mainstream skeppist, similar to Mick West and Michael Shermer. For this reason I was very surprised to hear the news about his new book. It's called Take Me to Your Leader- Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter. Source: https://neildegrassetyson.com/books/2026-05-take-me-to-your-leader/. He has produced a short promotional video and blurb. Now, I have to make it perfectly clear I have not read the book, so I am speculating; but the blurb narrative seems very different to the author's previous pronouncements about UFO's. I can't help wondering if he's trying to pull off the same trick Prof. Simon Holland did. I don't think it's pleasant for anybody to admit we were wrong, especially if our delusion caused a lot of distress to others; and its end causes us a lot of humiliation. Readers of Roswell Rising- a Novel of Disclosure will know that in the fictional scenario I invented for the story, the skeptics all commit mass suicide when Disclosure happens, see: http://hpanwo-bb.blogspot.com/2016/08/roswell-rising-is-here.html. I actually think that would not happen in real life and I included it in the plot as a rather dark comedic jibe. The way the skeps will really cope will vary on the individual and community. The most arrogant ones with the most fragile egos will simply disappear from public life. Cox is one of those. His stomach capacity for humble pie is way too small. Other skeptics will do the noble thing, admit they were wrong and apologize to all the people they poked fun at and ridiculed, like Sam Harris, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2023/02/sam-harris-on-ufos.html. A few will do something very strange and rather risky; they will attempt to rewrite their own history. They will pretend they have always been believers and count on the short memories and laziness of their audience not to fact-check that. One who has tried this is Simon Holland, see: https://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2022/02/skeptic-copium.html. For him it seems to have worked. I always assumed Tyson was one of the big boys, but is he? Is he instead making plans for the same solution as Simon Holland? Obviously only reading the actual book will answer that. I suppose it's a good sign that the skeppers are being put into a position where they need any kind of solution; because whichever one they choose, it demonstrates that they were wrong and they know it.
See here for background: https://hpanwo.blogspot.com/2021/08/skeptics-portal.html.