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

dc.contributor.authorKubiak, Sarah Jane, author
dc.contributor.authorMartey, Rosa, advisor
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Ashley, committee member
dc.contributor.authorLuna, Jessie, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-02T15:20:09Z
dc.date.available2025-06-02T15:20:09Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractEffective 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.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierKubiak_colostate_0053N_18937.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/240982
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectidentity and persona
dc.subjectscience communication
dc.subjectsocial constructions of science
dc.subjectscience branding
dc.subjectexpertise
dc.subjectscience influencers
dc.titleThe C.O.S.M.O.S effect of science influencers: a discourse analysis of Neil Degrasse Tyson's tweets
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineJournalism and Media Communication
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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