Pigliucci contrasted Tyson with scientist Richard Dawkins : "[Dawkins] really does consider, at this point, himself to be an atheist activist. You very clearly made the point that you are not." Tyson replied: "I completely respect that activity. He's fulfilling a really important role out there." Tyson has spoken about philosophy on numerous occasions. In March 2014, during an episode of The Nerdist Podcast, he said that philosophy is "useless" and that a philosophy major "can really mess you up", which was met with disapproval. Pigliucci, a philosopher, later criticized him for "dismiss[ing] philosophy as a useless enterprise".