Carl Sagan Cosmos

Denerick

I recently bought the Cosmos box set. I had watched the series a couple of times and I have to say, it has reignited a tingly feeling inside I haven't felt in a while. Anyone else have such an experience? The musings on alternate dimensions, his little scientific history re-enactments, all very interesting.

DailyBlaa

The yard stick against which all other science documentaries are judged. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen it. His passion and sense of wonderment translates so well from the screen. If only more thought like him the world would be a much better place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLkC7ralR30

mike65

Its 30 years since I saw it and I can only presume its all out of date (well a lot of it must be)

DailyBlaa

The vast majority is valid, it covers a lot of history and development of the field. Granted we have more detail of the universe than what was available to Sagan when the series was made but it would still be very entertaining and educational now.

It was one of the first series I can remember where the host is on screen during the documentary. Brian Cox tries to emulate his style a lot in his current series. He shares the same sense of wonderment with Sagan which helps capture the audience.

Doom

Carl sagan: Genius

Beeker

The best documentry series that has ever been on TV. Carl Sagan is a legend and the world is a poorer place since his death.:(
Cosmos changed my life when I watched it first, I have seen it countless times and it never fails to move me emotionally.

tricky D

I've been dipping into this a bit lately. It's great stuff despite the odd bit of waffling. I haven't been watching the Cox stuff, anybody got an opinion on how they stack up against each other. Imho Cox comes across a bit like a lost puppy.

DailyBlaa

Sagan is better for definite you feel like there is someone taking you on a journey. His passion for the subject comes across very well. Cox's approach to the Wonders series is very good. I like the way he talks to the audience rather than preaches. Sagan is an almost impossible act to live up to but Cox does a good job.

MagicMarker

Cox if very good imo, only discovered yesterday that he was the keyboard player in D:ream.

Cosmos is excellent but very dated as far as the production goes.

xper

I must dig out Cosmos again, I've only seen clips from it since it first blew me away as a kid.

Sagan was very much into conveying a message to humanity in addition to explaining how the universe worked. This comes across in his other popular works too - I would recommend reading his novel Contact to anyone (the film was lightweight entertainment by comparison).

Like other here apparently, I have been watching Wonders of the Universe and noting the similarity of the series to Cosmos. Brian Cox has emerged as the BBC's primary 'big science' guy and he carries off the exceptionally difficult trick of explaining the non-day-to-day concepts from physics to a general audience very well. I thought last week's episode in which he patiently gave a step-by-step explanation of entropy, why we travel through time in one direction and what this means for the future of the universe, was a great piece of television.

Beeker

Cox does a great job but he is no Sagan.

looksee

I watched the original series on television and I had a very eerie experience. He was explaining the 4th dimension, and whatever he said, I had the impression, just for a second, that I understood it. Then it was gone, and I could not recall what it was that I had understood. Great series.

MagicMarker

looksee wrote: »

I watched the original series on television and I had a very eerie experience. He was explaining the 4th dimension, and whatever he said, I had the impression, just for a second, that I understood it. Then it was gone, and I could not recall what it was that I had understood. Great series.

Time?

Anyhoo, I really enjoy Brian Cox's stuff, a new episode of Wonder's of the Universe is on at 9 on BBC2, I've also watched Wonders of the Solar System over the last week, a great show too!

looksee

MagicMarker wrote: »

Time?

Anyhoo, I really enjoy Brian Cox's stuff, a new episode of Wonder's of the Universe is on at 9 on BBC2, I've also watched Wonders of the Solar System over the last week, a great show too!

You can know what time is without understanding how it works. And anyway I think that it is the relationship of time to other dimensions that is important. I'm quite willing to say that I have no idea whether that is so, I don't have that kind of mind, which is why it was a revelation when I understood.

Rowley Birkin QC

MagicMarker wrote: »

Cox if very good imo, only discovered yesterday that he was the keyboard player in D:ream.

Cosmos is excellent but very dated as far as the production goes.

Did you also know that Brian May from Queen has a PhD in Astrophysics? :cool:

Capt'n Midnight

Rowley Birkin QC wrote: »

Did you also know that Brian May from Queen has a PhD in Astrophysics? :cool:

And it only took him 36 extra years

He's been on the Sky at Night the odd time too.

looksee

MagicMarker wrote: »

Cox if very good imo, only discovered yesterday that he was the keyboard player in D:ream.

Cosmos is excellent but very dated as far as the production goes.

Well yes, it was made 30 years ago.

amacachi

tricky D wrote: »

I've been dipping into this a bit lately. It's great stuff despite the odd bit of waffling. I haven't been watching the Cox stuff, anybody got an opinion on how they stack up against each other. Imho Cox comes across a bit like a lost puppy.

Not a fan of Cox at all, can't put my finger on what it is really but I just can't like him.

MagicMarker

looksee wrote: »

Well yes, it was made 30 years ago.

So was Alien.

Capt'n Midnight

In case anyone's interested

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056222378

Zavvi Carl Sagan's Cosmos 11.95
Absolute bargain, think it is this monday only so grab it while you can! Free delivery as well! Its an absolutely amazing series if you have not seen it yet!

http://www.zavvi.com/dvd/cosmos/10043930.html

Denerick

I'm currently reading Sagan's novel, 'Contact'. I'd recommend it, much better than that film with Jodie Foster.

chakotha

Also to be very much recommended is Jacob Bronowski's The Ascent of Man if you can get your hands on it. Great documentary from the early 70's.

fasty

I don't think the science in Cosmos is really *that* dated. Most of the time, theoretical physicists just bicker over each other's theories and try to come up with more and more lavish explanations for things like dark matter and refuse to even entertain the thought that gravity might not be a constant.

shizz

Started watching Cosmos last night, and I have to say I was expecting it to seem a lot more dated than it was. Was very impressed with its production.

IamtheWalrus

I've just finished the book. Great read. I've downloaded the series but I think I might leave it for a while in case I just skip over it and not take it in. I'm a little 'starred' out at the minute.

limpdd

Just read that Seth Macfarlane, Ann Druyan, Steven Soter and Neil Tyson are remaking Cosmos with national geographic channel and fox! Not sure about how this will go.

mike65

limpdd wrote: »

Just read that Seth Macfarlane, Ann Druyan, Steven Soter and Neil Tyson are remaking Cosmos with national geographic channel and fox! Not sure about how this will go.

Flat universe?

limpdd

mike65 wrote: »

limpdd wrote: »

Just read that Seth Macfarlane, Ann Druyan, Steven Soter and Neil Tyson are remaking Cosmos with national geographic channel and fox! Not sure about how this will go.

Flat universe?

Turns out the cosmos is only 7000 years old :-)

Turtwig

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hE_OehRLH3s

nozzferrahhtoo

Beeker wrote: »

The best documentry series that has ever been on TV. Carl Sagan is a legend and the world is a poorer place since his death.:(
Cosmos changed my life when I watched it first, I have seen it countless times and it never fails to move me emotionally.

This.

Neil Tyson has a show where it is clear that he is trying to be the next Sagan. I think he has the charisma and the passion to pull it off, but there was a poetry about Sagan that I think Tyson lacks. But it is good to know that Sagans legacy did not die with him and people just as passionate are still out there doing the same work.

Most depressing though is the persecution Sagan received in his life from scientists. It really seems like writers of "popular science" are looked down upon by some people in the science world. I think this is changing of late, but slowly... but it is a much needed change. If scientists want their grant money then good communicators of science acting as mediaries between them and the public are what they need to promote, not disparage.

Super Freak

amacachi wrote: »

Not a fan of Cox at all, can't put my finger on what it is really but I just can't like him.

These might change your mind.....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/timc
Recommended listening for all science lovers.

They changed my opinion of Brian Cox for sure.