Neil deGrasse Tyson appeared on the January 27, 2016 episode of The Nightly Show to respond to host Larry Wilmore‘s declaration of a “Code Red Science Emergency.”
Tyson used the time to publicly explain to rapper B.o.B. that the Earth is round, not flat as the rapper recently asserted in an extensive rant on Twitter and in a diss track titled “Flatline” aimed at Tyson. During Tyson’s insult-laden rebuttal, he also pointed out the danger to society when high-profile people like rappers with millions of Twitter followers and political candidates willfully ignore basic science.
Tyson concluded his explanation by proving the law of gravity and dropping the mic.
Dear @bobatl, as an astrophysicist I don’t rap, but I know people who do. This one has my back: https://t.co/BbMi4tzHLz
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 26, 2016