Tyson (has) had an abiding interest in astronomy since he was nine years old, following his visit to Pennsylvania and seeing the stars, saying "it looks like the Hayden Planetarium". He obsessively studied astronomy in his teens, and eventually even gained some fame in the astronomy community by giving lectures on the subject at the age of fifteen. Tyson recalls that "so strong was that imprint (of the night sky) that I'm certain that I had no choice in the matter, that in fact, the universe called me."

Astronomer Carl Sagan, who was a faculty member at Cornell University, tried to recruit Tyson...for undergraduate studies..."Somehow the admissions office brought my application to the attention of the late Dr. Sagan, and he actually took the initiative and care to contact me. He was very inspirational and a most powerful influence...as great as the universe, an effective mentor." Tyson...attend(ed) Harvard University, however...
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