Whilst not very active in the subject, I have a great interest in science. Figures like Neil Degrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins, and Lawrence Krauss make regular appearances in much of my online viewing and reading. Today I was watching a speech that Neil Degrasse Tyson made at The Story Telling of Science 2013 where he makes an interesting point.

“I submit that [newspapers publishing scientific discoveries] opened up a new era in the public awareness of cosmic discovery. The popularity of Einstein in 1905, right up through 1916, that continued to rise because [the] media took charge…”

It should come as no surprise to me considering that I get nearly all my scientific discovery nourishment via online videos or e-books, but this quote in particular really cemented to me how important mediated content is in actually progressing our civilisation. Here, Tyson talks explicitly about art – using the example of Van Gough’s Starry Night – bringing cosmic discovery into the mainstream, thus helping the scientific community to gather members and support in moving forward and making further discoveries.

The quote I’m referring to is at 11:40 in the below video.