cosmos a spacetime odyssey neil degrasse tyson

The tour highlights the relative recency of human civilization in ecumenical fashion (“Moses was born seven seconds ago, Buddha six, Jesus five”), but it doesn’t highlight the fascinating rapidity of earlier events like the origin of life or the Cambrian explosion the way Sagan did. Tyson updates the famous “cosmic calendar,” compressing the standard 13-billion-year history of the universe into a single year. For the most part, though, Tyson simply focuses on uncovering truth no matter where it leads, and appreciating the wonders of the universe – even if it requires questioning accepted authorities – and there’s plenty here for discerning Christians to enjoy.ĭeep time content: Heavy. Tyson isn’t quite as enthusiastic as Sagan was about the possibility of extra-terrestrial life, but he takes a few more calculated broadsides against religion while sounding a little more religious about the “wonders” of science. Accompanied by animated sequences and visits to historical landmarks, Tyson skillfully tells many fascinating stories about scientists throughout the ages (including some underappreciated minds from the Orient and the Middle East), and how they discovered everything from the orbits of comets to the dangers of lead. The new series covers similar topics, but with improved special effects, updated science, stories of different historical figures, and an abundance of obvious commercial-break fade-outs. (This review covers only the first 11.)Īstronomer and science popularizer Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts a reboot of Carl Sagan’s captivating 1980 Cosmos series. Length: 13 episode of approximately 45 minutes each.

Cosmos a spacetime odyssey neil degrasse tyson