Cosmos: Uma Odisseia do Espaço-Tempo

Being a long time lurker, I decided to register with the site in order to review Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey. As a man with an insatiable appetite for all things science (especially astronomy and anthropology), I can't begin to describe what a delight this program is. My jaw hit the floor when I realized that this is a FOX production, as balanced educational programming is not exactly the company's strong suit. Neil pulls off an eloquent narration of the astrophysical origins of our universe, the development of life as we know it and the countless leaps in science achieved by it's often overlooked contributors (especially the disenfranchised but tenacious females that refused to fold under patriarchal power schemes). The production value is through the roof and enlivens the imagination of viewers young and old alike. I wish that I was exposed to this program as a child in school. I may have paid more attention and become a little more intellectually curious. I agree with the other posters who noted that ALL human beings should give this a watch. There is very little bias towards any speculative theory and a rich appreciation of the historicity of scientific thought. The search for meaning through empirical analysis and the hypothetico-deductive method was contributed to by so many civilizations over a vast period of time. This is the story of humanity. Beautiful, reckless, inquisitive and triumphant. I do also like how typical creationist arguments (some of them straw men perhaps) are dispatched with so quickly, and hope that some of those who rely strictly on ancient textual interpretations of the world open their minds to the truly awesome nature of reality that leaves us with questions instead of answers. The questions are for the brave.

This was so much fun--and it is so amazing that Carl Sagan's wife, Seth McFarlane, and Tyson Degrasse from NOVA are all together on this! I love the idea of using animation to portray ancient people--it completely avoids the campy feel of actors in strange beards and so-so backgrounds. Genius, Family Guy guy. I love the perspective it gives you, by really squishing enormous concepts into feasible bits of knowledge. It's not so you'll impress your friends--its so that you watch, and understand why you are so amazed by the universe. The computer animation of some of one of the first creatures to walk on land looks pretty darn tootin' real, as well--something that I loved. No strange feelings that their feet were hovering above the sand as they were animated--this is high quality. Additionally, Tyson seems more personable, even more likable, and definitely watchable because of his knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. This is worth the watch, a wonderful surprise, and I am super excited for episode two. It's getting me to the gym to watch it on the treadmill. :)

Disclaimer: This review is based exclusively on the first episode.

First things first. Audience of the original by Carl Sagan may be disappointed by this remake. It's almost exactly the same as the original, word by word. But with cheaper production methods, brighter colors and crisper sound. Most importantly, it's without Carl Sagan and Vangelis' excellent music. Also, the stuff covered is not as amusing to the grown up audience who had the pleasure of enjoying the original. You already know this stuff.

However, the qualities Cosmos presented to us in 1980, are still the same. It's a very inspiring series well suited to kickstart a young mind into independent critical thinking, curiosity and appreciation of science. The pace and presentation have been changed to better suit todays young, and older audience may not appreciate this. The pace is however still comfortably relaxed compared to other TV material aimed towards the same audience, making me think they will have a very similar experience to the own we had all those years ago. But this series is for the young, and I'm sure it has all the qualities the original had needed when it comes to trigger their curiosity, fascination and generally change the way they see themselves and the world they live in. Personally I think Tyson does a great job walking in Sagans footsteps.

Adults with much knowledge about our world criticizing the series for being shallow and bring few new details to the original don't impress me at all. They have misunderstood the whole point of this series, which is all about creating enthusiasm for science among the younger. Not updating adult geeks on the very latest on string theory.

Adults may not learn a lot, but you will be entertained. For the younger, this has the potential to be the same amazing ride as it was for us 35 years ago.

Absolutely blown away by Neil deGrasse Tyson's hosting of Cosmos. You can tell he enjoys telling the story of the Cosmos. What makes the Cosmos remake most exciting to me is that new theories such as the 'Multiverse' theory and new findings are inevitably making its way to the front-line of grand-audience explanations of the universe. Also, now that graphics technology is more advanced than it was years ago during the first Cosmos series, the illustrations are much more telling and mesmerizing; this helps the viewer to visually break down some complexities that Neil alludes to in some of his narrative discussion.

I can't think of anyone better to narrate this story other than Neil. It's obvious he's passionate about this show. Neil's tribute to Carl was touching in explaining how Carl inspired 'just a 17 year old kid from the Bronx' to become one of the most influential scientists of our modern generation.

I'm extremely excited for the rest of the series to evolve and use the previous Cosmos series formula as a sort of foundation to continue captivating and inspiring the audience. After viewing the first episode, it's evident that future episodes will not disappoint.

Neil really takes the baton from Carl and does a fine job with the show. With Ann co-producing and Seth also involved, I can't wait for the rest of the episodes. All in all, 10/10 for the show. Bringing astronomy and science to everyone, Neil was the most apt person to do this. Tip: watch in 720p or higher only because the visuals are brilliant. They tried to take some elements from the 1980 Cosmos, which is noticeable. Also Seth's influence is noticeable, with a few animations. The music at times was suiting the mood, and felt modern. Seth said in an interview that he wanted to make a difference, and with this, he surely is.