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Update: Cosmos Available Online, Free
I’m reposting this article (originally from September 2007) because the entire Cosmos TV series is now streaming at Hulu for free. Enjoy! (Be sure to click the “Watch Hi-Res” button inside the player to get the best quality.)
This week’s feature is the classic Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan. This thirteen-part series was originally created for PBS in 1980, and is now available (with some updated graphics and sound) on DVD. The series covers a wide variety of topics related to science — Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, the history of astronomy, planetary evolution, SETI, the murder of Hypatia, you name it.
Sagan’s series seeks to instill a sense of wonder in the viewer — he’s profoundly concerned with the function of life on Earth, the ability of creatures to think and communicate, and ultimately the vastness of the Cosmos and our place in it. Across thirteen episodes, Sagan takes us on a journey through genuinely fascinating territory — and yeah, he says “billions” a lot too.
There’s something wonderfully late-Seventies about Cosmos — the Vangelis soundtrack and Sagan’s shaggy hairdo place the series firmly in an era where personal computers were just becoming available, and the notion of a worldwide web seemed distant, but ultimately within reach. There’s a sense of human progress in the series, as it places itself in the larger context of science history. There are many details that have changed (for example, our understanding of the human genome is more complete, and we have broadband) but that doesn’t invalidate any of what Sagan says. Watching Cosmos now, nearly thirty years after it originally aired, you can see how Sagan was out to show us his own journey through science — why it was important to him, and why we might value it as well. Cosmos stands the test of time.
My favorite episode is the eleventh, “The Persistence of Memory,” which starts with a discussion of whales and their communicative abilities, then proceeds to explain “genes, brains, and books” as the key evolutionary steps for humankind. (Update: watch this episode on Hulu!) The discussion concludes with information on the Voyager record, recently covered on this very blog! Here’s an extended clip from “The Persistence of Memory,” discussing whales:
This series may take a while to wade through (it comes on seven DVDs), but it’s worth it. I’d particularly recommend it for families, as this is the kind of material that can really inspire kids (okay, and adults too!). You can rent it from Netflix, rent it from Blockbuster, or if you have over $114.99 burning a hole in your pocket, buy it from Amazon. Thanks for reading, and please keep the suggestions coming — I’ve got a list of over 60 documentaries to watch based on your feedback!
Comments (6)
Comment
MY favorite subject! I own this dvd set “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage”. My favorite dvd in the pack is the 1st where he takes you on a tour of the universe. What they say is true, when you watch it, you are fascinated and practicaly in a trans. I’m into astronomy (16″ DOB modified/video/pentax lenses,etc…) and it is wonderful to see other galaxies, planets, nebulae, super nova, etc. We have a long way to go before we travel as Carl Sagan does in the video, after all, the voyager spacecraft that travels 1,000,000+ miles a day will take over 40,000 years to reach the next nearest star. Lets all hope the bee protien thing that might one day be able to extend life 10x, will happen! We might just see some of these things in a new perspective! Anyone want to discuss E=Mc2?
posted by John Brown on 9-15-2007 at 10:06 am
bravo!
i watched cosmos on it’s original run on pbs. and bought the dvd series for my kids years bak. we love it, they love it. if you dig sagan, a good short read… dragons of eden. :)
as far as i’m concerned, cosmos should be required viewing in schools. hmhmhm.. i can dream can’t i?
posted by kikz on 9-16-2007 at 5:08 am
Cosmos was great, but my all-time fave in this genre would have to be James Burke’s “Connections”.
An astronomer friend of mine had Dr. Sagan for a couple of lectures when she was doing her undergrad work. When asked about his speaking style, he replied that it was the only way people in the back rows of his intro classes could hear him.
Dr. Sagan is sorely missed. *sigh*
posted by Doc on 9-16-2007 at 10:40 am
I missed this when it originally aired (I was 10 and not a PBS watcher then), but I’ve been renting it through Netflix. I just finished episodes 2 and 3. So far it’s great — packed with information and told in interesting ways. I love the “cosmic calendar,” which breaks all cosmic time into one Earth year. Humans start appearing only at 23:59:50 on December 31.
posted by Poor Yorick's Almanack on 9-17-2007 at 10:08 am
Cool post. Our university library had a set of Dr. Sagan’s lectures on video – he could do the same thing for all sorts of topics that he did in Cosmos. Truly gifted.
posted by Roger on 9-18-2007 at 10:30 am
When Cosmos first aired, I videotaped each episode. When my school librarian found out I had the series, she begged for dubbed copies for the library.
My favorite parts where Sagan walking around in the model library of Alexandria and talking about Leonardo da Vinci.
About a year ago, I re-watched the series with my ten year old. It stood the passage of time quite well.
posted by Steven on 3-25-2009 at 3:32 pm