OLogy Cards > Neil deGrasse Tyson

Ice Cream at 37,000 feet
As Neil tells it, "A few years ago, when Comet Hale-Bopp was visible, the sight of it from an airplane window moved me so much that I wanted to share my excitement with everybody on board. I jotted down some information on how and when it was discovered, as well as some terrifying facts about what would happen if it struck Earth. I attached my business card as Director of the Hayden Planetarium and handed the note to the flight attendant and said, "please deliver this message to the pilot." A few minutes later, the pilot made an announcement that an astrophysicist on board had supplied him with information that he would like to read about Comet Hale-Bopp. Later, the flight attendant invited me to sit in first class, and served me a mini-bottle of Champagne followed by an ice cream sundae."