Cosmos v2.0 Stats Tonight

**hutash** · 03-09-2014, 06:11 PM

I love Sagan's show back in the day, and look forward to Neil Degrasse Tyson's updated version that begins tonight.

I had already finished my undergrad degree in science when v1.0 came out, so there was nothing really new in it, but I still enjoyed watching.

In prep for the new show I have been watching several old episodes, and forgot just how much Sagan challenged people to think and not just accept what they were told. It really was a ground breaking series. Let's hope the new one lives up to reputation of the old, and challenges the ignorance that has become so common in America of late like the original series did.

**huckbucket** · 03-09-2014, 06:23 PM

T-minus 30. Can't wait.

**Powow** · 03-09-2014, 06:41 PM

Neil Degrasse Tyson is awesome. If you are bored, just searching youtube for videos of him speaking is a good thing to do.

Is there a stream of Cosmos anywhere?

**The AD** · 03-09-2014, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the heads up. I'll be watching. I was around ten when the Sagan version was on and I loved it.

**stalefish3169** · 03-09-2014, 07:18 PM

Search, Jong!

**Tippster** · 03-09-2014, 08:10 PM

Gonna be more traffic in the PR than in M, B, and M.

Good intro to the new series. I like NDT's narrative style, the writing wasn't awful (will likely polish itself over time, kinda like Sagan dropped the BILLLYONS and BILLYONS) but I have one very large quibble:

Too many fucking commercials.

In hindsight one of the strengths of the original show was that it was on PBS - no break in the flow of thought to sell more Samsung electronics or cheerful Boeing masturbation. Guess I'll be recording on Sunday nights and family Cosmos night will be Mondays after dinner just so we can skip the goddamn ads.

**Donkey Punch** · 03-09-2014, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by Powow

Neil Degrasse Tyson is awesome. If you are bored, just searching youtube for videos of him speaking is a good thing to do.

Is there a stream of Cosmos anywhere?

I have done that more then once, I really wonder what goes on in that guys head.

**BigDaddy** · 03-09-2014, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by Tippster

Guess I'll be recording on Sunday nights and family Cosmos night will be Mondays after dinner just so we can skip the goddamn ads.

Or do what we do... just start watching 15-20 minutes after it starts. You'll still miss the ads and come close to catching up.

Seemed a bit dumbed-down, but still nice to see something to stimulate the masses. Got chills at the end regarding his meeting Sagan at age 17 and the notes... very cool and look forward to more.

Nice 60 minutes piece on the ALMA Chilean radio telescope facility tonight, too.

**Tippster** · 03-09-2014, 08:28 PM

Originally Posted by BigDaddy

Or do what we do... just start watching 15-20 minutes after it starts. You'll still miss the ads and come close to catching up.

It's not on until 9:00. Waiting to start watching until 930 gets a little late for my wife & kids.

**liv2ski** · 03-09-2014, 08:32 PM

Missed it, but Direct TV will hook me up. I still have the original in pristine condition on VHS

**huckbucket** · 03-09-2014, 08:32 PM

Just blown away by the movie-quality animation. 13 episodes will mean OT for the CGI guys.

And Seth MacFarlane? I've clearly gotta learn more about that guy.

**JoeStrummer** · 03-09-2014, 08:39 PM

They make the men who believe in Christ seem like evil cartoonish villains! All that was missing were the swastikas! I am outraged and have already written my Congresswoman. In English, which should be the only language permitted in America.

edited to add more sheer madness - now a black guy just told me, "we dont know how life actually began." Cant someone from the Gideons give Billy Dee Williams here a free copy of the Word?

How does this nonsense make it onto a network owned by Rupert Murdoch?

**the Cock** · 03-09-2014, 08:50 PM

When I grow up, I'm going to be a physician.

Hugh Conway · 03-09-2014, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by JoeStrummer

They make the men who believe in Christ seem like evil cartoonish villains! All that was missing were the swastikas! I am outraged and have already written my Congresswoman. In English, which should be the only language permitted in America.

edited to add more sheer madness - now a black guy just told me, "we dont know how life actually began." Cant someone from the Gideons give Billy Dee Williams here a free copy of the Word?

How does this nonsense make it onto a network owned by Rupert Murdoch?

Brilliant!

**huckbucket** · 03-09-2014, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by JoeStrummer

Cant someone from the Gideons give Billy Dee Williams here a free copy of the Word?

Are you confusing Billy Dee with LeVar Burton again?

Hugh Conway · 03-09-2014, 09:09 PM

Originally Posted by huckbucket

Are you confusing Billy Dee with LeVar Burton again?

doesa he make black snowboards for avantlink?

**hutash** · 03-09-2014, 09:47 PM

Originally Posted by liv2ski

Missed it, but Direct TV will hook me up. I still have the original in pristine condition on VHS

Frustratingly, those aren't the original. The box set is put out by Turner Broadcasting and are the edited versions. Or at least that is the best info I can find. The originals are all one hour long, while the TBS versions are 45 minutes (PBS hour show vs TBS with commercials). I have been searching all over the innertubes for the original episode 13, but can only find the edited version.

Mostly what I was looking for was the last monologue of Sagan were he says something to the effect of, "if you accept god has always existed to create the universe, why not save one step and just accept that the universe always existed," or something to that effect. I just remember hearing that in 1980 and being amazed that he got away with such an anti-religious statement. Which is exactly why PBS was so cool in its day. That last statement has been edited out, but if anybody has a source, let me know.

I haven't watched Neil's version yet, I screwed up the DVR and will have to wait for the 9 PM showing.

**mock1** · 03-09-2014, 09:48 PM

COSMOS: THE JOURNEY BEGINS TONIGHT. CARL SAGAN LIVES.
“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

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**LeeLau** · 03-09-2014, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by mock1

COSMOS: THE JOURNEY BEGINS TONIGHT. CARL SAGAN LIVES.
“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there-on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.

i wanted to be an astronomer. That was the only tv show mum and dad would let me stay up to watch

**hutash** · 03-10-2014, 07:47 AM

Great opening and typical Neil... "generations of searchers strictly adhering to a simple set of rules: test ideas by experiment and observation; build on those ideas that pass the test; reject the ones that fail; follow the evidence wherever it leads; and question everything." Put the religious nuts in their place from the start and use example after example of why they were/are a problem.

Over all about what expected except I thought Neil was toned down several notches. His enthusiasm is usually pegged at 11, but he seemed more at a 6 or 7. I was very unimpressed with the cartoons which were about the quality of Scooby Doo.

Most importantly in this day and age of bad TV it is nice to see a quality science program, and to have it well reviewed and well recieved. This country badly needs the science education. Now maybe Blurred will watch it and learn climate change is real.

**JimmyCarter** · 03-10-2014, 08:02 AM

Originally Posted by Donkey Punch

I have done that more then once, I really wonder what goes on in that guys head.

http://www.startalkradio.net/

Episodes with Eugene Mirman are usually pretty solid.

Or the Joe Rogan one (might be on Joe's podcast?), if you want to experience a multi-hour interaction between your "deep thinking stoner friend from college" and Neil Degrasse Tyson.

**JimmyCarter** · 03-10-2014, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

Brilliant!

Or maybe Murdoch is the brilliant one? Keep this on until the next election cycle ends - use it as evidence of "fair and balanced reporting" alongside clips of "Well my daddy aint a monkey neither!", then just dump it onto NatGeo afterwards.

SB · 03-10-2014, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by mock1

You are here.

FIFY1234

**nickwm21** · 03-10-2014, 08:50 AM

Neil needs to spend 8 hours with one of those presentation consultants to figure out what the fuck to do with his hands while he is talking. Almost ruined it for me.