The American Association of Physics Teachers has honored four physics instructors for their accomplishments in working with students and the physics education community.
The Klopsteg Memorial Award went to Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist and director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. “Dr. Tyson's outstanding accomplishments include communicating the excitement of science, especially cosmology and astrophysics, to scientists and non-scientists alike,” the nominating committee wrote. “Not only is he a missionary for scientific literacy but he practices what he preaches with his books, articles, talks, and television appearances. His works are exemplars of communicating both clear scientific explanations and a passion for science.” Tyson received his award together with a certificate and a $7500 cash prize during the society's summer meeting, 31 July–1 August in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he presented his Klopsteg Memorial Lecture, entitled “Adventures in Science Illiteracy.”
David...
