Congratulations, “Cosmos”

I just finished watching the first episode of the new “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey“, and I am thrilled to report that it is spectacular.

Of course I remember the original series by Carl Sagan which aired on PBS in 1980. I loved it then and I’ve seen it several times since. Carl Sagan was a giant in our time not only being on the cutting edge of science and exploration, but also for being able to communicate to others the wonder and beauty of science and exploration. If you haven’t seen it, do so, it’s available through the usual channels.

After a generation, Fox has brought the series back with Seth McFarlane , Ann Druyan, Brannon Braga, and others as Executive Producers. Neil deGrasse Tyson is the host and he is a worthy successor to Carl Sagan’s legacy.

The concepts in the first episode are mind-boggling, from the size of the universe, to the length of time that the universe has existed. We humans and our dust speck of a “pale, blue dot” are shown to be but the tiniest piece of that whole, yet also connected to it with the vast majority of our bodies and our world made of elements created in exploding stars. For me, this was always one of the biggest take-aways to the original show. (I knew it before the original show aired since I had gotten my physics degree in 1980, but few non-scientists really were aware of it.)

The target audience for this show is not people with a degree in physics. This isn’t a graduate program lecture or dissertation. It’s aimed at anyone who is curious about our universe and our existence and who is willing and able to be taken on a journey of exploration and explanation. In our increasingly technological and scientific-based society, it’s critical that the average person have a basic understanding of fundamental concepts that have been known for centuries. When over a quarter of Americans polled believe the Sun orbits the Earth, we’ve got a problem.

This episode also does a great job of tying Tyson’s personal story to Sagan’s. The segment at the end where Tyson talks about the time he, as a teenager, met Sagan, was exceptional.

If you didn’t get to see this premiere episode, it will be on the Discovery Channel Monday night. Internationally it will be on multiple channels all over the globe within the next few weeks. And it looks like you can watch full episodes at the website given above.

I urge you to watch “Cosmos” every Sunday, in part because it’s so well done, and in part because we need to show the networks and media mavens that a well-made, intelligent, science-based show can do well. If we don’t, they’ll just keep putting out more mind-numbing, reality television crap. (I’m looking at you, Kardashians!)

This week, Tyson managed to use Sagan’s catchphrase “star stuff” when talking about what makes all of the elements heavier than hydrogen or helium. Maybe next week he’ll say “billions and billions” for us!