Acclaimed Astrophysicist, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, to Star at Ogilvy & Mather 2014 Cannes Lions Seminar

CANNES, France, June 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrated Astrophysicist, former NASA Advisory Council member, and New York Times best-selling author Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, is to deliver the fourth annual Ogilvy & Mather Inspire lecture at this year's Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity today in Cannes at 2.00 p.m..

Exploring the pervasive curiosity that motivates all truly creative people to explore new ideas, Dr. Tyson will examine the drivers of creative thinking across cultures and throughout time, with special emphasis on cosmic discovery and its role in the health and wealth of citizens.

Dr. Tyson is currently the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Centre for Earth and Space, and a research associate in the department of astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. Born in New York City, with a BA in Physics from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from Columbia, Dr. Tyson's research focus includes star formation, dwarf galaxies, exploring stars, and the structure of our Milky Way.

An ardent supporter of the public's appreciation of the cosmos, Dr. Tyson has been the recipient of eighteen honorary doctorates as well as the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal (the highest award ever bestowed by NASA to a non-government citizen).

Dr. Tyson's mission to bring science to the public and make it more accessible has led him to produce and appear on numerous TV and radio programmes. Working together with a team of stand-up comedians, he produced the radio program Star Talk in 2009, and in 2006 he appeared on PBS-NOVA's spin-off program, NOVA ScienceNOW. He also currently presents Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, launched in 2014, which is produced by Family Guy's Seth MacFarlane.

Dr. Tyson was appointed by the head of NASA to join its prestigious Advisory Council in 2006. He was also previously twice appointed by President Bush to serve on commissions assessing the Future of the US Aerospace Industry, and the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, 'Moon, Mars, and Beyond'.

Dr. Tyson is a prolific writer for professional and public audiences: in addition to numerous professional publications, he has been a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine, and has written several books, including the New York Times bestseller Death by Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries. He also wrote The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favourite Planet, chronicling his experience at the centre of the controversy over Pluto's planetary status.

Tham Khai Meng, Worldwide Chief Creative Officer at Ogilvy & Mather, said: "You only have to glance at Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's credentials to know we are in the presence of a living legend. For his day job he investigates the fundamental properties of the universe. In his spare time, he advises NASA. He writes newspaper columns, and popularizes science on TV in the company of stand-up comedians. He has even appeared in an issue of Action Comics, where he worked out the location of Superman's home planet. His talk about the links between curiosity, creativity and scientific progress promises to be truly fascinating. Cannes, as we know, is all about awards. But we'd better not get too excited over our Gold and Silver Lions. Dr Tyson is famous for something much bigger: He killed Pluto."

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson added: "The intense inquisitiveness that is very much at the heart of how creative people function is fundamental to cosmic discovery, and science more broadly. Building bridges between scientific and creative thinking is essential to the future of not only the creative and scientific industries, but also our advancement as a species as a whole. I am looking forward to being a part of the Cannes Lions Festival – a meeting-place for curious and creative minds."

Previous Ogilvy & Inspire speakers have included renowned philosopher and author, Alain de Botton; acclaimed urban architect, Rem Koolhaas; and celebrated English author, speaker, and international advisor on education, Sir Kenneth Robinson.

Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson:
- Former NASA Advisory Council Member -
- Twice Appointed to US Aerospace Commissions by President Bush -
- Honoured by NASA with Distinguished Public Service Medal -
- Host of Seth MacFarlane's 2014 Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey -
- New York Times Best Selling Author -
- Voted 'Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive' by People magazine -
- Spearheaded Demotion of Pluto, 'America's Favourite Planet' -

For further information please contact Sarah Owen on +44 (0) 7958 202 990 or [email protected]

Ogilvy & Mather

Ogilvy & Mather is one of the largest marketing communications companies in the world. It was named both the Cannes Lions Network of the Year and the Effies World's Most Effective Agency Network for two consecutive years, 2012 and 2013. The company is comprised of industry leading units in the following disciplines: advertising; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; shopper and retail marketing; health care communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing; consulting, research and analytics; branded content and entertainment; and specialist communications. O&M services Fortune Global 500 companies as well as local businesses through its network of more than 500 offices in 126 countries. It is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit http://www.ogilvy.com, or follow Ogilvy on Twitter at @Ogilvy and on Facebook.com/Ogilvy.

Cannes 2013 Creative Awards Facts & Figures:

• Network of the Year 2013 (and 2012)
• Ogilvy Brasil Agency of the Year 2013
• 155 Lions globally (first agency to win over 100 Lions in 1 year)
• 4 Grand Prix (including Titanium & Integrated)
• 1 Creative Effectiveness Award
• 37 Gold Lions
• 46 Silver Lions
• 67 Bronze Lions

About Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson

Selected Awards & Honours

Awards

• 2001 Medal of Excellence, Columbia University, New York City
• 2004 NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
• 2007 Klopsteg Memorial Award winner
• 2009 Douglas S. Morrow Public Outreach Award from the Space Foundation for significant contributions to public awareness of space programs.
• 2009 Isaac Asimov Award from the American Humanist Association
• Selected honorary doctorates
• 1997 York College, City University of New York
• 2000 Ramapo College, Mahwah, New Jersey
• 2000 Dominican College, Orangeburg, New York
• 2001 University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia
• 2002 Bloomfield College, Bloomfield, New Jersey
• 2003 Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
• 2004 College of Staten Island, City University of New York
• 2006 Pace University, New York City
• 2007 Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts
• 2007 Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
• 2008 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• 2010 University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama
• 2010 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York
• 2010 Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, Connecticut
• 2011 Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• 2012 Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts
• 2012 Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts

Honours

• 2000 Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive, People Magazine
• 2001 asteroid named: 13123 Tyson, renamed from Asteroid 1994KA by the International Astronomical Union
• 2001 The Tech 100, voted by editors of Crain's Magazine to be among the 100 most influential technology leaders in New York
• 2004 Fifty Most Important African-Americans in Research Science
• 2007 Harvard 100: Most Influential Harvard Alumni Magazine, Cambridge. Massachusetts
• 2007 The Time 100, voted by the editors of Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential persons in the world
• 2008 Discover Magazine selected him as one of "The 10 Most Influential People in Science".

Selected Bibliography

• Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier (2012)
• The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favourite Planet (2009)
• Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries (2007)
• The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist (1st edn 2000 / 2nd edn 2004)
• Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution (co-authored with Donald Goldsmith). (2004)
• My Favourite Universe (a 12-part lecture series) (2003)
• City of Stars: A New Yorker's Guide to the Cosmos (2002)
• Cosmic Horizons: Astronomy at the Cutting Edge (2000)
• One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos (2000)
• Just Visiting This Planet (1998)
• Universe Down to Earth (1994)
• Merlin's Tour of the Universe (1989)

SOURCE Ogilvy & Mather