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kottke.org posts about cosmos

Carl Sagan explains the fourth dimension

posted by Jason Kottke   Dec 06, 2016

From his seminal TV program Cosmos, Carl Sagan attempts to explain the fourth dimension of spacetime. The story starts with Edwin Abbott's Flatland, but Sagan being Sagan, his explanation is especially lucid.

Carl Sagan on the Evolution of Humans

posted by Jason Kottke   Sep 28, 2015

From the landmark science series Cosmos, Carl Sagan narrates the evolution of humans from the first cells billions of years ago.

Neil deGrasse Tyson explains evolution

posted by Jason Kottke   Mar 23, 2014

The reboot of Cosmos has been solid but not spectacular so far, but the second episode contains as solid and clear an explanation of evolution as I've ever seen.

Even if evolution clashes with your world view, this is worth watching if only to understand what you're aligned against (per Bret Victor's advice). The third episode airs on Fox tonight and is about the creation of the scientific method.

Cosmos on Hulu

posted by Jason Kottke   Mar 10, 2014

If you missed it last night as I did, the new version of Cosmos is now available on Hulu (probably US-only unless you're clever).

The reviews are good so far.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

posted by Jason Kottke   Jul 24, 2013

Been waiting for this one for awhile: a three-minute trailer for Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a sequel to Carl Sagan's Cosmos.

The show will be hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson and is being produced by Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy) and Sagan's widow Ann Druyan. If MacFarlane's involvement raises some eyebrows, it shouldn't: he came up with the idea of rebooting the series and is apparently a big space nerd and fan of the original series. (via devour)

New Cosmos series

posted by Jason Kottke   Aug 05, 2011

This is a bit of a head-scratcher...the guy behind the Family Guy (Seth MacFarlane) is teaming up with Carl Sagan's widow and Neil DeGrasse Tyson to do a sequel to the landmark science series, Cosmos. The series will air in primetime on Fox.

The producers of the show say the new series will tell "the story of how human beings began to comprehend the laws of nature and find our place in space and time." They go on to boast: "It will take viewers to other worlds and travel across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest scale. The most profound scientific concepts will be presented with stunning clarity, uniting skepticism and wonder, and weaving rigorous science with the emotional and spiritual into a transcendent experience."

I'll be tuning in but will be pleasantly surprised if it does well in the ratings or is any good.

Cosmos on Hulu

posted by Jason Kottke   Mar 23, 2009

The entire Cosmos series is available for free on Hulu, in 480p no less (US only). From the Wikipedia:

[Cosmos] covered a wide range of scientific subjects including the origin of life and a perspective of our place in the universe. The series was first broadcast by the Public Broadcasting Service in 1980, and was the most widely watched series in the history of American public television until 1990's The Civil War. It is still the most widely watched PBS series in the world. It won an Emmy and a Peabody Award and has since been broadcast in more than 60 countries and seen by over 600 million people, according to the Science Channel.

(thx, sam)

Several episodes of Carl Sagan's Cosmos series

posted by Jason Kottke   Sep 26, 2006

Several episodes of Carl Sagan's Cosmos series are available on Google Video. They were all there at some point, but it looks like some got taken down.