The C.O.S.M.O.S effect of science influencers: a discourse analysis of Neil Degrasse Tyson's tweets

Abstract

Effective science influencers engage their audiences by discussing ideas and discoveries from scientific research in accessible and appealing ways, such as by referencing popular cultural trends or explaining new discoveries in simpler ways. However, their success depends on public image that they actively construct about themselves and about science in general. An especially successful science influencer today is astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson (NDT), whose Twitter (X) feed has over 14 million followers and includes posts about a wide range of topics, from recent discoveries about black holes to a humorous analysis of the moon's placement in the 2023 Barbie movie. This study analyzes the texts of NDT's social media posts to explore how he is a successful science influencer online. By analyzing different aspects of his identity that he draws on, this study addresses his conflicting construction of science in US society. Seven distinct personas emerged as key strategies NDT employs to showcase his expertise as a scientist, influencer, and celebrity. These personas, along with different types of expertise, work together to create a science aesthetic that NDT uses as a marketing tool for his content. The commodification of this science aesthetic enables NDT to achieve success both online and offline, in ways that may surpass traditional science communication. This research is significant because online science personalities may have an influence on how audiences engage with and conceptualize scientific content. Therefore, understanding how science and its communicators are constructed, performed, and marketed is useful for developing effective science communication strategies in the future.