Carl Sagan Cosmos series, the sequel!

[Coach]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I haven't watched the new series enough to notice anything like that.

The thing that made Carl Sagan so good is that you never got the feeling that he was trying to proselytize his message in that series. It makes me glad that I watched the original series in an era before social media and when I was innocent enough to not even know that there was a debate.

The whole fact that things have to be portrayed as "us versus them" these days is sad and I think it's just going to chase people away from wanting to participate in either.

While Sagan was highly critical of zealots and organized religion, he also thought that spirituality and science were totally compatible and science could be a source for spirituality. I much prefer to see that angle delivered. It just seems more positive and more effective if you really want to get religious people interested in science. Attacking just pushes them further away.

I'm just speculating based off of the appearance I saw on Colbert where he just seemed exhausted at the need of having to explain things that have been known since Sagan's time. As I said, Tyson said that the thing he thinks Sagan would find most surprising is the state of science and how much of a battle still wages to try and have people believe it. Maybe Sagan was more optimistic on how Cosmos would be received and Tyson is more cynical about to get the point across. It's pure speculation on my part.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The thing that made Carl Sagan so good is that you never got the feeling that he was trying to proselytize his message in that series. It makes me glad that I watched the original series in an era before social media and when I was innocent enough to not even know that there was a debate.

I think in the Original Cosmos, we were still in the Cold War, and there was certainly an emphasis by Sagan on avoiding nuclear holocaust. Global Warming was just starting to be hinted at. At the time, his evolution animation would have been very controversial. One of his themes was how insignificant we are in the Cosmos.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by troutman

I think in the Original Cosmos, we were still in the Cold War, and there was certainly an emphasis by Sagan on avoiding nuclear holocaust. Global Warming was just starting to be hinted at. At the time, his evolution animation would have been very controversial. One of his themes was how insignificant we are in the Cosmos.

Not sure if this is a comparison with targeting young earthers in the last episode. But if it is, it's different because nuclear war and climate change both have significant implications to the mass population, whereas younger earthers are really just one interest group. It'd be nice if they knew better, but really, no one is gonna die because of the existence of young earthers.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Teh_Bandwagoner

Not sure if this is a comparison with targeting young earthers in the last episode. But if it is, it's different because nuclear war and climate change both have significant implications to the mass population, whereas younger earthers are really just one interest group. It'd be nice if they knew better, but really, no one is gonna die because of the existence of young earthers.

Not making a comparison - just thinking that Sagan did have an agenda and a message.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by Teh_Bandwagoner

Not sure if this is a comparison with targeting young earthers in the last episode. But if it is, it's different because nuclear war and climate change both have significant implications to the mass population, whereas younger earthers are really just one interest group. It'd be nice if they knew better, but really, no one is gonna die because of the existence of young earthers.

While that one 2 min spot was directed at young earthers, he has been pretty adament about evolution and the supression of science by religion in general. People may not be dieing as a result of young-earthers existence, but they are certainly dieing because of religions' existence and our whole species is progressing slower than it should as a result of their insistence on spreading falsehoods.

[zamler]

Originally Posted by Teh_Bandwagoner

The problem for me is that it felt targeted towards on one specific audience when really the show should be meant for the masses. He might as well said "I'm looking at you, young-earthers!" at the end of that segment.

It was about as obvious a shot at "creationists" or whatever term you want to use as you can get. I didn't like it, should have just said something like, "this is what a 10,000 year old observable universe would look like" and leave it at that. People that think the Earth is 6,000 years old are not going to be convinced anyway no matter what evidence is put in front of their face. They'll just say "god created things this way" which explains everything in their minds.

But for me that's a small quibble I love the show even though it is a bit too basic for my tastes, hopefully we'll see things shift to the more detailed and complex scientific content. I would also like to see more actual content not nearly everything computer generated.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by zamler

It was about as obvious a shot at "creationists" or whatever term you want to use as you can get. I didn't like it, should have just said something like, "this is what a 10,000 year old observable universe would look like" and leave it at that. People that think the Earth is 6,000 years old are not going to be convinced anyway no matter what evidence is put in front of their face. They'll just say "god created things this way" which explains everything in their minds.

But for me that's a small quibble I love the show even though it is a bit too basic for my tastes, hopefully we'll see things shift to the more detailed and complex scientific content. I would also like to see more actual content not nearly everything computer generated.

I would have liked to see starlight in a 10,000 year scale, 1 mil and 1 billion scale. Much more neutral and super informative.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by Teh_Bandwagoner

I would have liked to see starlight in a 10,000 year scale, 1 mil and 1 billion scale. Much more neutral and super informative.

That's what I would have liked to have seen as well. A 45 second segment on the different stages of the lit universe. However, their point might have been to get people talking about it and they succeeded in that.

I also don't think the show is trying to change creationists minds. I think they are trying to reach the younger audience who just might listen. This show would be seen in many science classes.

[nik-]

I'm too dumb to understand that electron orbitals part.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by nik-

I'm too dumb to understand that electron orbitals part.

You mean the part that science today still can't completely explain? How honest of you.

[Coach]

Really enjoyed this episode. Light is a pretty crazy thing.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

You mean the part that science today still can't completely explain? How honest of you.

I didn't realize it was that unknown, except the "downshifting" part which he admitted. I guess I feel a lot less stupid now.

[evman150]

Really cool episode. I think the series has really hit its stride.

[Daradon]

Yeah, really enjoyed the last three episodes. The first two nearly put me off though, especially when they upsell into commercial and I know what's coming next.

Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot of commercials? Or is it just because they constantly try to leave you hanging/present a mystery going into break? Sometimes it's too much.

[Boo Radley]

Unbelievable, but why am I not surprised.

Kansas lawmakers want to ban FOX from airing COSMOS because...

This show has no basis in reality whatsoever. The host goes on and on about science and scientific method, but never once does he say anything positive about Jesus. He claims evolution and global warming are facts, not the opinions we all know them to really be. And he very proudly tells viewers that he wants our children to question authority, question religion and faith. This show won’t rest until all of our children are godless heathen liberals. - See more at: http://nationalreport.net/kansas-bla....YZc6vQWk.dpuf

The lawmakers do propose an alternative option to FOX.

[nik-]

Man, Kansas has really gone off the deep end in the last year or so huh?

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Boo Radley

Unbelievable, but why am I not surprised.

Kansas lawmakers want to ban FOX from airing COSMOS because...



The lawmakers do propose an alternative option to FOX.

FYI, that's an Onion-esque fake news site.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/Fak...osmos-Show.htm

[Boo Radley]

Originally Posted by MarchHare

FYI, that's an Onion-esque fake news site.

http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/Fak...osmos-Show.htm

But. But. It is such a well written and believable news story...

[MarchHare]

Originally Posted by Boo Radley

But. But. It is such a well written and believable news story...

To be fair, American religious conservatives have drifted dangerously into Poe's law territory over the past several years.

[troutman]

An atom is mostly empty space. A nucleus is the size of a dust mote inside a cathedral.