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Cosmos: Carl Sagan
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Format | Color, NTSC, Collector's Edition, Multiple Formats, Box set, Full Screen |
Contributor | Carl Sagan, Jonathan Fahn, Jaromr Hanzlk, Robert H. Goddard |
Language | English |
Number Of Discs | 1 |
Runtime | 13 hours |
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Product Description
Product Description
Astronomer Carl Sagan's landmark 13-part science series takes you on an awe-inspiring cosmic journey to the edge of the Universe and back aboard the spaceship of the imagination. Topics covered include: the 15-billion year history of the Universe; the evolution of life on Earth and what forms life might take on other worlds; Johannes Kepler, the first modern astronomer; the hellish atmosphere of Venus and the threat of the Greenhouse Effect on Earth; the search for life on Mars; the 17th century exploration of the Earth; the Voyager missions to Jupiter and Saturn; the possibility of time travel; Einstein's theories; the life cycle of stars; determining the origin of the Universe; the brain and the evolution of intelligence; how we might communicate with alien civilizations; the continued survival of the human race versus the threat of nuclear destruction.
Amazon.com
When Cosmos was first broadcast in 1980, our world--and the context of Carl Sagan's eloquent "personal journey"--was a different place. The late Dr. Sagan would be pleased to witness the cooling of the Cold War, the continued exploration of space, and ongoing efforts to curb our destructive dependence on fossil fuels. For Sagan's series is far more than a guided tour through "billions and billions" of stars and galaxies. It remains a profound plea for the unity of humankind, for the recognition that "we are a way for the universe to know itself," with an obligation to know our origin, our place in the universe, and our future potential.
In the course of 13 fascinating hours, Cosmos spans its own galaxy of topics to serve Sagan's theme, each segment deepening our understanding of how we got from there (simple microbes in the primordial mud) to here (space-faring civilization in the 21st century). In his "ship of the imagination," Sagan guides us to the farthest reaches of space and takes us back into the history of scientific inquiry, from the ancient library of Alexandria to the NASA probes of our neighboring planets. Upon this vast canvas Sagan presents the "cosmic calendar," placing the 15-billion-year history of the universe into an accessible one-year framework, then filling it with a stunning chronology of events, both interstellar and earthbound.
From the lives of the stars to creation theories, functions of the human brain, and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence, Cosmos asks big questions. When appropriate, Sagan offers big answers, or asks still bigger--and yes, even spiritual--questions at the boundaries of science and religion. What's most remarkable about Cosmos is that it remains almost entirely fresh, with few updates needed to the science that Sagan so passionately celebrates. It is no exaggeration to say that Cosmos--for all the debate it may continue to provoke--is a vital document for humanity at a pivotal crossroads of our history. --Jeff Shannon
Product details
- Aspect Ratio : 1.33:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 12 ounces
- Item model number : COSDV1010
- Media Format : Color, NTSC, Collector's Edition, Multiple Formats, Box set, Full Screen
- Run time : 13 hours
- Release date : October 22, 2002
- Actors : Carl Sagan, Jaromr Hanzlk, Jonathan Fahn, Robert H. Goddard
- Subtitles: : Spanish, German, Italian, English, French, Japanese
- Language : English (Dolby Digital 5.1), Unqualified
- Studio : UNKNO
- ASIN : B000055ZOB
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,781 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #822 in DVD
- Customer Reviews:
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Well done. Makes you think of so many things. Better than many modern programs.
Very happy with this purchase! Thanks.
Throughout the whole Cosmos series, Dr. Sagan's narration flows like music to the listener; although it was written in prose, his delivery produces the effect of a cosmic poetry, and offers a first glimpse with the transcendent. The following is an example of that glimpse, taken from the brilliantly entitled chapter "The Edge of Forever":
"Who knows for certain?
Who shall here declare it?
Whence was it born?
Whence came creation?
The gods are later than this
World's formation.
Who then can know
The origins of the world?
None knows whence creation arose...
Or whether He has
Or has not made it...
He who surveys it
from the lofty skies.
Only He knows...
... or perhaps He knows not."
This is a 3500 year old Rig-Veda, a collection of early sanskrit hymns, reflecting a tradition of skeptical questioning about creation and the universe, as paraphrasing Dr. Sagan.
... I would like to finally add that Cosmos somehow reminds me of the following words which keep stirring my mind:
"The human heart refuses
to believe in a universe
without a purpose"
It is credited to Emmanuel Kant if I am correct, although the concept may not be original to him. Kant had brilliant ideas but never a simple and clear writing style, and I can attest to that since I abandoned the task of reading his books several times. But on this one he could not have been more clear and concise to express such a big concept in so few words.
Just watch the entire Cosmos with your most dedicated attention and you will know what I am talking about. For example, ponder on the sheer expanse of space and time with your closed eyes, and that experience alone will bring you closer to the cosmic energy, and put all your daily mundane affairs and problems into perspective.
But I want to focus on the parts of the ancient Greeks. Every time I watch the series, I am amazed at some of the ancient Greeks who should be better-known today. "The Backbone of Night" discusses the amazing discoveries of Aristarchus of Samos, Thales of Miletus, Anaximander, Theodorus of Samos, Empedocles, and Democritus, rational analytic people all. They freely pursued actual scientific knowledge, while others (Plato, Aristotle, and the Pythagoreans) advocated slavery and mysticism regarding some geometric shapes and irrational numbers.
My favorite person among them is Aristarchus. His contemporaries considered him "alpha" (1st) in no subject, but "beta" (2nd) in everything. I would trade everything in my life to be that.
So I would watch the entire Cosmos series just for that one episode, to understand how some ancient Greeks understood that the Earth was a sphere, that there were indivisable "atoms", that the Earth was 24,000 miles in circumference (and why), that the Earth circled the Sun, and that the stars were suns very far away.
I am profoundly moved that the ancient Greeks understood many things not re-discovered by Europeans for more than a 1,000 years.
As Sagan suggested, just imagine that the ancient Greek scientists hadn't been overcome by the Greek mystics like Aristotle and Plato, setting us back 1,000-1,500 years. We would have colonized the solar system by now and be on our way to the stars.
That's why I love Cosmos. My high school and college classes never mentioned all that. The science classes only focused on modern Europe and the history classes only taught about ancient Greeks in the Trojan and The Peloponnesian War. Cosmos goes beyond that.
I love the Encyclopedia Galactica too, of course. I hit freeze frame on the DVD for each planet he examines, trying to figure out the biology and society of the alien planets. But I know JUST enough chemistry to know I don't know enough about it but that it seems rationally possible.
Everyone should own a copy of Cosmos and watch it every few months.
I won't forget the Encyclopedia Galactica, but that is future speculation.
Top reviews from other countries
Last but not least, the series covers different enough subjects and scientists' lives vs the 2014 Cosmos that I see both as complementing each other rather well, with only maybe a 20-25% overlap.
Imperdible serie y tampoco se pueden perder las nuevas temporadas con Neil DeGrass Tyson
A must watch for everyone and you don't have to be scientific minded as Sagan's ability to explain science in original ways has made him a highly recognized popularizer of science. The mix of poetry and science makes this show enjoyable for everyone.