Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey: WATCH IT!

March 3, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a 13-episode television series, starts March 9. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Ann Druyan (producer of the series and Carl Sagan's widow) said they made the series for the broadest possible audience "Because we're coming out of a period of intense antagonism to science and we all thought that it was time to make the case for science, and make it in such a way that people would be on the edge of their seats the whole time."

This Cosmos is a continuation of Carl Sagan's 1980 Cosmos, which became a huge phenomenon in the U.S. among all ages and sections of the people and over time brought the awe and wonder of the universe and science to more than 400 million people in 60 countries. Many people have given heartfelt testimony to how that series influenced their thinking and their lives, how it opened their minds to the wonders of the universe and natural world. Sagan famously brought to us the fact that human beings are made of "star stuff": "The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of star stuff."

If this 2014 update lives up to the original, it may well open up societywide curiosity, excitement, and conversation about science and the cosmos. Hold viewing parties. DVR it. Gather together in groups of all kinds. Watch, discuss, and debate. Let us know what you and others think about it.

The series starts Sunday, March 9. Check your local listings for the series schedule. It airs on Fox and the National Geographic channel.

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