Next GWC arc: Cosmos

GWC GWC News and Feedback
#1

I hope you will all join us as we dive into our next arc - Carl Sagan’s Cosmos.

For those of you who don’t know or have never seen Cosmos before, you are about to embark on the most extraordinary journey that I have ever come across as a human being – the real life story of who we are and what the universe is.

I know, it sounds a bit grand but it’s absolutely true.

The entire twelve part series is available free on Hulu or if you have a Netflix account you can view it via instant watch or order the disks. Either way should you ever decide to go above and beyond the call and watch more content than normal, this is the time to do it. We’re not kidding, it’s worth your time.

The three casts we are doing will break the content up into rough chunks.

  • Discovery and the human struggle to understand our place in the Cosmos

  • Universe Mechanics and the Cosmos we live in

  • Life here and other worlds

I’ve included the list of the episodes and a brief description of each so you can see what you are getting into.

The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean

Acclaimed astronomer, author and series host Carl Sagan ponders Earth’s age and size in comparison to the universe. With the help of special effects, he explores deep space and later returns to terra firma to visit the ancient Library of Alexandria.
Play Length: 60 minutes

One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue

Through the theory of evolution, Carl Sagan explores the origins of life on Earth, from proteins in a prehistoric puddle of goo to 20th-century humans. Later, he contemplates the concept of intelligent design.
Play Length: 58 minutes

The Harmony of the Worlds

Carl Sagan pays tribute to great scientists light years ahead of their time such as Isaac Newton, Copernicus and Galileo. Sagan also looks at the life of modern astronomer Johannes Kepler, the world’s first science-fiction novelist.
Play Length: 61 minutes

Heaven and Hell

Carl Sagan speculates about the universe’s age. As a consultant on Voyager’s interplanetary exploration, Sagan likens the vessel’s missions and priceless discoveries to those of early Dutch adventurers who boldly sailed into parts unknown.
Play Length: 61 minutes

Blues for a Red Planet

Mars has fascinated humans ever since H.G. Wells’ sci-fi masterpiece The War of the Worlds was published in 1898. Host Carl Sagan treats viewers to photographs of Mars and imagines how we may someday colonize the red planet.
Play Length: 61 minutes

Travellers’ Tales

In 1632, Galileo’s scientific theories condemned him as a heretic. Centuries later, Carl Sagan points out Galileo’s major influence on modern science. Sagan also covers Voyager II and explains how the vessel transmitted images back to Earth.
Play Length: 58 minutes

The Backbone of Night

Carl Sagan explores history’s repression of science and how it once thrived in ancient Samos. Later, he “kicks it old school” when he returns to his public elementary school in Brooklyn, N.Y., and teaches kids about the universe.
Play Length: 61 minutes

Travels in Space and Time

Join host Carl Sagan for a look at how the spacecrafts of tomorrow may master light speed. Then, he ponders the prospects of time travel and the effects it could have on humanity’s past, present and future.
Play Length: 59 minutes

The Lives of the Stars

Carl Sagan crams a star’s multibillion-year lifespan into a single episode and proves there’s literally a star inside all of us. With the aid of special effects, a star’s birth, fiery evolution and destructive death are illustrated.
Play Length: 63 minutes

The Edge of Forever

Looking to Hindu cosmology for enlightenment regarding the big bang theory, Carl Sagan travels to India. Later, he enters a computer-generated black hole and materializes at New Mexico’s Very Large Array, where he hears the sounds of outer space.
Play Length: 58 minutes

The Persistence of Memory

Carl Sagan takes viewers on his most bizarre journey yet as he goes inside the human brain. You’ll tag along with a thought on its trip through our miraculous grey matter and see how careless human behavior affects other intelligent creatures.
Play Length: 60 minutes

Encyclopedia Galactica

If the truth about extraterrestrials is out there, Carl Sagan is determined to find it. He considers true believers’ ostensible evidence of alien life and looks at how communication with beings from another planet could occur.
Play Length: 62 minutes

Who Speaks for Earth?

In the documentary series’ finale, Carl Sagan reflects upon civilization’s greatest blunders and ponders how to avert human threats of planetary Armageddon and enjoy a prosperous, peaceful future across the cosmos.

#2

I remember as a child watching these with my dad. Saturday, we’d watch Star Trek. On Sunday we’d watch Sagan’s Cosmos. Both would spark so much conversation and build fond memories with my dad. It’s no doubt that Sagan was a genius since he could explain such complex concepts in a way anyone could understand.

#3

Do spend some time on the music.

#4

I am really looking forward to these casts. Like they did with Sean, Cosmos helped form my view of, well, everything. I hope people get the time to watch all the episodes before the casts.

#5

I first experienced Cosmos a few years ago during an Astronomy class in college. As odd as it sounds, I was more stoked about watching the next week’s episode of Cosmos in class than going out and doing practical observation (we had a lot of light pollution in town, and it was winter).

I am absolutely thrilled this is getting its own podcast arc, and I can’t wait to see where we go. Billions and billions of future GWCers will be grateful. :slight_smile:

#6

Totally. And I hope everyone with Netflix takes advantage of the fact that all the 'sodes are available in Instant Watch. I’ve already started and hope to be done by the end of the week.

#7

All,

I have clarified with the Right Rev Sean regarding which episodes fall into which categories and which of those episodes are the “required reading”

Of course, we want everyone to watch all of them, but if you are pinched for time, here is the general framework with the key episodes noted with an asterisk.

Podcast 1: Discovery and the human struggle to understand our place in the Cosmos

The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean *
Acclaimed astronomer, author and series host Carl Sagan ponders Earth’s age and size in comparison to the universe. With the help of special effects, he explores deep space and later returns to terra firma to visit the ancient Library of Alexandria.

One Voice in the Cosmic Fugue
Through the theory of evolution, Carl Sagan explores the origins of life on Earth, from proteins in a prehistoric puddle of goo to 20th-century humans. Later, he contemplates the concept of intelligent design.

The Harmony of the Worlds *
Carl Sagan pays tribute to great scientists light years ahead of their time such as Isaac Newton, Copernicus and Galileo. Sagan also looks at the life of modern astronomer Johannes Kepler, the world’s first science-fiction novelist.

The Backbone of Night
Carl Sagan explores history’s repression of science and how it once thrived in ancient Samos. Later, he “kicks it old school” when he returns to his public elementary school in Brooklyn, N.Y., and teaches kids about the universe.

Podcast 2: Universe Mechanics and the Cosmos we live in

Heaven and Hell
Carl Sagan speculates about the universe’s age. As a consultant on Voyager’s interplanetary exploration, Sagan likens the vessel’s missions and priceless discoveries to those of early Dutch adventurers who boldly sailed into parts unknown.

Blues for a Red Planet
Mars has fascinated humans ever since H.G. Wells’ sci-fi masterpiece The War of the Worlds was published in 1898. Host Carl Sagan treats viewers to photographs of Mars and imagines how we may someday colonize the red planet.

Travellers’ Tales *
In 1632, Galileo’s scientific theories condemned him as a heretic. Centuries later, Carl Sagan points out Galileo’s major influence on modern science. Sagan also covers Voyager II and explains how the vessel transmitted images back to Earth.

Travels in Space and Time *
Join host Carl Sagan for a look at how the spacecrafts of tomorrow may master light speed. Then, he ponders the prospects of time travel and the effects it could have on humanity’s past, present and future.

Podcast 3: Life here and other worlds
The Lives of the Stars *
Carl Sagan crams a star’s multibillion-year lifespan into a single episode and proves there’s literally a star inside all of us. With the aid of special effects, a star’s birth, fiery evolution and destructive death are illustrated.

The Edge of Forever
Looking to Hindu cosmology for enlightenment regarding the big bang theory, Carl Sagan travels to India. Later, he enters a computer-generated black hole and materializes at New Mexico’s Very Large Array, where he hears the sounds of outer space.

The Persistence of Memory
Carl Sagan takes viewers on his most bizarre journey yet as he goes inside the human brain. You’ll tag along with a thought on its trip through our miraculous grey matter and see how careless human behavior affects other intelligent creatures.

Encyclopedia Galactica *
If the truth about extraterrestrials is out there, Carl Sagan is determined to find it. He considers true believers’ ostensible evidence of alien life and looks at how communication with beings from another planet could occur.

Who Speaks for Earth?
In the documentary series’ finale, Carl Sagan reflects upon civilization’s greatest blunders and ponders how to avert human threats of planetary Armageddon and enjoy a prosperous, peaceful future across the cosmos.

#8

Thanks for getting me to watch these again. It is so much more informative through adult eyes. As a kid it was cool and entertaining, but is an entirely different thing now.

The one big take away I got from cosmos the first time around as Kid , was, you can’t have Science fiction, without the Science.

Thank you Carl Sagan, for introducing me to the Star ship Imagination.

And sometimes I do “wish to make an apple pie from Scratch”…

#9

I’ve never actually watched this show before. Iw as quite taken with the first episode once they got back to earth. The Library of Alexandria made me want to weep for the loss. Then again I always feel that way when I think about all the information lost in that fire so long ago. Where would we be today if we hadn’t lost it all? sigh

#10

//youtu.be/zSgiXGELjbc

#11

I’m enjoying watching again. I saw them on the original run on PBS. Did you catch the name Thrace mentioned when he was in the library?! I backed it up and did a re-do. :smiley: Thrace, Greece…Kara Thrace…BSG on the brain!

#12

How long is each episode? I’ve never watched before, but am very intrigued.

#13

An hour a pop Dawn. :slight_smile:

#14

Thanks Solai, that is pretty user-friendly.

#15

Very cool! IMHO, that’s a much better use of Autotune than rap music :slight_smile:

#16

Cosmos absolutely enthralled me whe I saw it as a youth. The presentation was very accessible without dumbing it down.

This series should be required viewing for everyone.

#17

Well Said, Adam. And Welcome! :slight_smile:

#18

My avatar demanded i post something here