13.8 billion years in the making - Cosmos 2014

Taylor365

ps200306 wrote: »

Watched episode 3 last night. More NdeGT axe-grinding and religion bashing about ancient superstitions regarding comets. He really bangs on about this stuff, and it takes away from the amazing pre-Enlightenment history (that he could be discussing) of scientific development from the Babylonians through the Greeks and the medieval Islamic scholars. What about those cartoon portrayals of the ugly degenerate ignorants huddled on the ground below the comet? NdeGT might want to consider that most people nowadays are equally ignorant about "how the heavens go", to use the phrase Galileo borrowed from Cesare Baronio.

I've always thought of NdeGT to be the type to frown on religion bashing.

To paraphrase himself, ''I don't believe in such ideas as Atheism or Atheists. I don't ski but I don't go around telling people I'm a non-skier.''

ps200306

Taylor365 wrote: »

I've always thought of NdeGT to be the type to frown on religion bashing.

To paraphrase himself, ''I don't believe in such ideas as Atheism or Atheists. I don't ski but I don't go around telling people I'm a non-skier.''

Perhaps I'm being too hard on him, then. But the inclusion of the Bruno story for a quarter of the first episode still seems oddly lopsided.

slade_x

Taylor365 wrote: »

I've always thought of NdeGT to be the type to frown on religion bashing.

To paraphrase himself, ''I don't believe in such ideas as Atheism or Atheists. I don't ski but I don't go around telling people I'm a non-skier.''

He does, Rational thought and critical thinking supplants the drive for religion bashing. Neil Degrasse Tyson does not even label himself an Atheist even though he is one.

ps200306 wrote: »

Perhaps I'm being too hard on him, then. But the inclusion of the Bruno story for a quarter of the first episode still seems oddly lopsided.

Too hard on him? I assume most here interested in the show would have at least learned of how the show was created, who writes it, who produces it and who directs it.

Carl Sagan is the Creator, a Writer and obviously the Presenter of Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

Neil DeGrasse Tyson is not the Creator, not a writer, not a director, not a producer, but is obviously the Presenter of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

One of the main sources of funding for the show that I can find comes from Seth MacFarlane who is also one of its Executive Producers, if you do not know who he is, he is the creator of Family Guy.

Its all in the Credits.

ps200306

slade_x wrote: »

He does, Rational thought and critical thinking supplants the drive for religion bashing. Neil Degrasse Tyson does not even label himself an Atheist even though he is one.

It goes without saying that holding oneself up as a rational thinker does not guarantee rational thinking. There are enough scientists masquerading as (self-styled) philosophers to demonstrate that their rational thinking doesn't necessarily extend beyond their domain of expertise.

slade_x wrote: »

Too hard on him? I assume most here interested in the show would have at least learned of how the show was created, who writes it, who produces it and who directs it...

Neil DeGrasse Tyson is not the Creator, not a writer, not a director, not a producer, but is obviously the Presenter of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

Neither is Neil deGrasse Tyson some paid actor doing a voiceover, as with most documentaries. He is the big name scientist hired to lend credibility to the show's content. As such, it would be naïve to think that he would not have been allowed to vet the script before agreeing to take it on. And the script is not intended to be limited to science subjects but, as Ann Druyan says, to address a perceived "intense antagonism to science".

apollo8

im thrilled with this find the original cosmos with carl sagan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL474A7F1BA0FCEF8C&v=ClPShKs9Kr0

who_ru

I really liked his line about black holes....

"if you want to know what the inside of a black hole looks like..........take a look around you".

Simple, but a very effective way of communicating it.

Markhor

Most of the stuff written and talked about science and the cosmos is just conjecture and theory, nobody really knows whats going on in the galaxies of the cosmos, its all theories not actual fact, my guess is just as good as any fool looking through an optical telescope and making grand announcements.

Nerro

Markhor wrote: »

Most of the stuff written and talked about science and the cosmos is just conjecture and theory, nobody really knows whats going on in the galaxies of the cosmos, its all theories not actual fact, my guess is just as good as any fool looking through an optical telescope and making grand announcements.

If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.
Same goes for everything else.

who_ru

Markhor wrote: »

Most of the stuff written and talked about science and the cosmos is just conjecture and theory, nobody really knows whats going on in the galaxies of the cosmos, its all theories not actual fact, my guess is just as good as any fool looking through an optical telescope and making grand announcements.

You are joking right?

Markhor

There may or may not be ducks all over the universe but we dont have to look there to find them, every river and lake in this place has them.

Taylor365

Markhor wrote: »

Most of the stuff written and talked about science and the cosmos is just conjecture and theory, nobody really knows whats going on in the galaxies of the cosmos, its all theories not actual fact, my guess is just as good as any fool looking through an optical telescope and making grand announcements.

This is like saying:

I walk, talk, sound and think like a Human, but what proof do i have that i am actually a Human?

What is proof?

Is proof what we can see, hear, smell and touch? Is all that exist and ever will just what are senses pick up?

I've been Neil DeGrasse Tyson, good night folks :P

RossFixxxed

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/fa1a1c8fb7/creationist-cosmos

I'll just leave this here as it seems releveant.

I like some of the new show, I don't like some. And boy oh boy do I miss Carl Sagan. There was just something extra special about the way he phrased things, a kind of poetry and wonder to it all. I'm delighted the show is back, and inevitibly dismayed at the specualar stupidity on display from some corners.

Taylor365

Just watched 1st episode there. Very underwhelming.

Maybe it's because I'm re-watching Sagan at the minute, but i feel deGrasse is too fast in narration.

I've listened to many of his shows/podcasts. They're good but pretty fast paced.

The pace doesn't convert well into this show. I mean, explaining the entire cosmic address in the space of 20mins while at the same time devoting 20mins to animated story of medieval astronomy is jarring.

They go through the planets of the solar system in 5 minutes....they might as well just call it the solar system as anyone who doesn't know it won't be able to take in all the information so quick.

First episode seemed all over the shop...

Beeker

Some of the shows are poor. The episode on the speed of light where they visit Italy like in the original was disappointing. Tyson did not explain relativity well. Sagan's episode on it was far better.
Overall some of the topics and concepts are poorly explained and often left unfinished.
How I miss Carl Sagan.

Rubecula

Beeker wrote: »

How I miss Carl Sagan.

I agree totally. Mr Beeker sir