Neil deGrasse Tyson: Star Trek Is Better Than Star Wars Because Unlike the Millennium Falcon, The Enterprise Is ‘Real’
Neil deGrasse Tyson had no hesitation in choosing Star Trek over Star Wars due to the former’s inclination toward realism.
Different viewers have different expectations when it comes to sci-fi. While on one hand, many are ready to overlook some plot contrivances in favor of the narrative’s emotional bits, a sizeable demographic often prioritizes the realism depicted in them. Neil deGrasse Tyson unsurprisingly comes from the latter category, given his background as an astrophysicist.
And even though the conundrum of choosing between the two biggest sci-fi can prove to be a nightmare for fans of the genre, in Tyson’s case, it was fairly easy when it came to picking between Star Wars and Star Trek‘s space vessels.
Star Trek‘s Starship Enterprise scratches Neil deGrasse Tyson’s itch for realism
When posed with the question to choose between Star Wars‘ Millennium Falcon and Star Trek‘s Starship Enterprise, two of the most iconic space vessels in the genre, Tyson wasn’t hesitant to deem the latter as his favorite.
As for his reasoning, like most of his discussions surrounding sci-fi media, it simply boiled down to science, and unlike the Millennium Falcon, the Starship had the benefit of having “real scientists and real Engineers”. He added (via StarTalk):
Oh that’s easy, oh my gosh… the Enterprise. There’s no question, no question. The Enterprise has the benefit of being real in the sense that there are real scientists and real Engineers on staff, on the ship, monitoring its engines, its warp drives, its Photon Torpedoes, and so, it’s fake real as opposed to the Millennium Falcon, which is just fake fake.
Tyson was further enticed by the Enterprise’s inclination toward exploration with its space vessel, which was “revolutionary in terms of what we would
think space would and should be about,” when it hit the silver screen. And considering the show was notable for exploring themes that were rooted in reality, it’s easy to see why the IP remains near and dear to Tyson’s heart.
But in addition to preferring the Starship Enterprise over the Millennium Falcon, the astrophysicist once clarified that he could never get into the Star Wars mythology, given its lack of real physics.
Star Wars has never been Neil deGrasse Tyson’s cup of tea
Amidst his bias toward Star Trek, given its scientific roots, Neil deGrasse Tyson never really got the hang of Star Wars, and it’s not hard to see why. Despite its sci-fi backdrop, at its core, the George Lucas-driven IP leaned more toward being a fantasy than a hardcore sci-fi tale that falls more in line with the astrophysicist’s taste.
Elaborating on his viewpoint toward the sci-fi behemoth, he added (via Business Insider):
I never got into Star Wars. Maybe because they made no attempt to portray real physics. At all.
The StarTalk host have further expressed his greivances with the scientific inaccuracies within franchise, whether its BB-8’s movement on sand or the practicality of sucking energy from a star, and its destructive tendencies.
But at the end of the day, there’s no definitive answer when it comes to choosing between the two media giants, as it ultimately boils down to personal preference, as both IPs’ impact and contribution to sci-fi remain indelible.
