Why people recommend it
Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance between Astrophysics and the Military by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang is an exhaustive historical investigation into the deep, often overlooked connections between scientific advancement in astrophysics and global military security. On an episode of StarTalk Radio, the hosts explored the nuclear test ban treaty and referenced the deep alliance between astrophysics and the military to explain how nuclear testing practices evolved over time. Neil deGrasse Tyson himself discussed the book on another episode of StarTalk Radio, sharing a specific historical story regarding the surprising origins of using X-rays in aviation security and how science perpetually intertwines with national defense. Furthermore, Grant Sanderson mentioned the book on the Lex Fridman Podcast, noting that although he had not yet read it, he was aware of Tyson's work examining science through the lens of military application. Across these discussions, the book served as a vital reference point for understanding the complex ethical and historical partnerships binding scientific inquiry to geopolitical power and national security.
Who recommended it
- Grant Sanderson Discussed
Grant Sanderson — 1 mention
“i don't know if you've read it i haven't read it i've been meaning to read it but neil degrasse tyson actually came out with a book that talks about like science and the context of the military”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 2
“And we write about this in 'The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military.'”
“By the way, I retell that story in my book, 'Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance between Astrophysics and the Military' and more broadly, it's between Astrophysics and security. Hey, I'm Adrian Soulard and I reinvented the suitcase.”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (8: passing, ad reads, own books)
“So I wrote about this in my book from a few years ago when was it 2017 mhm um accessory to War the unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military”
“so I I wrote about this in my book from a few years ago... accessory to War the unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military”
“I came across Neil's book, "Accessory to War."”
“And I tell that story in Accessory to War with my co-author, Avis Lang.”
“oh this this is like another book I just this is coming out in three weeks is this about space war accessory to war the unspoken alliance between astrophysics and the military”
“so in accessori to war where we go back many centuries the editors said well we should use BCE”
“and I talked about in an accessory to war it's again I hate I feel so bad for doing this”
“no no the title is Failure to Launch”