Neil deGrasse Tyson has likened Brian Cox to Carl Sagan, which is an impressive vote of confidence. Cox might have a bit more swag: He’s an ex-musician (including membership in D:Ream, of “Things Can Only Get Better” fame) and is currently a physicist and a professor in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. He has lent his expertise to a variety of science and space programs for the BBC, given talks on topics like AI and entropy, and spreads knowledge in a down-to-earth, cultured, accessible manner. For this particular event, he’ll use spectacular “state-of-the-art imagery” on giant high-def screens to “explore the nature of science and time from the big bang to black holes,” among other things. by Leilani Polk