One of the scientists who helped remove Pluto’s planet status visited campus Monday night to speak in the Garrett Ballroom.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gave a presentation, called Adventures in Science Literacy: A Cosmic Perspective, that focused on the United States’ science literacy and involvement with science.

Tyson is the director of Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History and host of NOVA scienceNOW, a PBS television program.

Tyson told the audience in the packed room that there are several key factors that put America at the bottom of science literacy and advancements.

Rachel Campbell, an observatory education scientist at Western, said America’s low scientific literacy can be attributed to science not being taken seriously. Therefore, there’s not a big push for learning science in school or in general.

Tyson said faulty engineering was to blame for levees that broke in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2006 and a bridge that collapsed in Minnesota in 2007. The collapse killed 13 people and injured more.

Tyson said other countries value the sciences more than the U.S.

Campbell said the lack of science in the news influences Americans to believe science isn’t of high importance.

Arabic countries have scientists on their currency, Tyson said. The U.S. only has Benjamin Franklin on a $100 bill.

Tyson showed the audience currency from other countries decorated with scientific formulas and symbols.

“Benjamin Franklin was one of the greatest scientists of his day, but you would never know by looking at the treasury,?” he said.

Tyson presented a graph that showed the U.S. ranking low in the world for scientific advancement.

Louisville junior Sarah Bowling said Tyson’s presentation was interesting.

“I learned a lot about America’s involvement with science, and he went more in-depth on the topic than what I expected,?” she said.

Scott Davis, a junior from Sandusky, Ohio, said he assumed before the presentation that Tyson would talk more about astronomy than he did.

“I really liked his presentation,” he said. “It was the first time I’ve ever really heard that America is not moving forward in scientific advancements.”