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[OdanUrr]

If I watched TV and was American...

 

Actually, Cosmos is being broadcast in multiple countries around the world.

[Sigma Tauri]

"Some of the Things That Molecules Do" has aired. Thoughts?

 

That was my first Cosmos episode I watched, and I thought it was a shiny presentation on the assertion that the theory of evolution is fact. Neil deGrasse Tyson chose a medium that I thought taught biology 101 well. The language wasn't overly technical, and the presentation of biological concepts was enhanced by high-definition graphics of DNA molecules. Seth MacFarlane should be respected for his attempt at bringing science to an audience that may not want a cerebral exercise the night before the start of the work week. But, if he's trying to bring a shift at a time when Americans know even less about science and doubt its principles, maybe he's overestimating his ability to be a cultural force?

[NekkidNones]

Somewhat relevant to the discussion.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Interview - Late Night with S…:

Planet Pluto - Late Night with Seth Meyers:

As for the second episode. I really like the perspective of wolves domesticating humans so they can scavenge off them. Gotta say, it is kind of how I feel when I'm doing things for my cat. Wondering who's really the boss here, it's not like my cat ever makes me breakfast ;
 
I've pretty much lost interest in this show now. I'll keep them to play for children. Was hoping for a little more depth, so it would be of more interest to middle schoolers and high schoolers. But it is still a good thing to introduce people that are unfamiliar with science (almost entirely), to the fundamental basics.

[OdanUrr]

I found this video a bit too late but still wanted to share it. It's a pre-screening with Q&A that went live on the 8th.

 

[OdanUrr]

Watched episodes 2 and 3. I thought 2 was a bit slow to get going but I still enjoyed it, particularly the bit about the eye. However, episode 3 was probably the best one so far due to the subject matter.

[Aarch_Aangel]

I've watched all so far and find it quite interesting. I really enjoy the musical score as well, it stirs up one's inner desire to explore and obtain knowledge about the universe. 

[OdanUrr]

Did anyone watch the episode about chlorophyll? Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that solar panels already are more efficient in terms of converting solar energy into power?

[Loerwyn]

Did anyone watch the episode about chlorophyll? Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that solar panels already are more efficient in terms of converting solar energy into power?

I'm not sure about that - I think it was more Prof. Tyson saying human-created photosynthesis like plants use (i.e. using the same chemicals, etc.) is not as efficient as the plants themselves, but I could be wrong.

 

To be honest, I've been watching this new version and I'm really struggling with it. I covered a lot of this in my education (admittedly that ended five or so years ago), but I'm finding it really badly explained and the skittish nature of the show (focus on topic, talk about it, cut to next topic, go back to original topic, etc.) really isn't helping. I'm also kinda going "ehhhh" every time Prof. Tyson mentions Isaac Newton or even Carl Sagan - whilst his belief in the latter is wholly justified, it comes across as name-dropping in his case and in the former I just never really thought that much of Newton, and I've got it in my mind from my own education that Newton wasn't all he was cracked up to be. I also think it could benefit from showing the names of the people, places, particles, etc. it shows to facilitate researching outside of the subject.

 

It just seems to me that the show is more interested in being flashy and a visual feast rather than educating you as patiently and as well as Carl Sagan did all those decades ago. It also does that brilliant thing where it contradicts itself with respect to light - Light can never go less than the speed of light, i.e. that speed is constant, yet saying it slows down when it passes through a different material. It doesn't make it clear that light travels at a constant speed through each medium and those speeds are only minutely different, with the constant 'the speed of light' being the speed of light through a vacuum. The flashiness also failed during the aforementioned chlorophyll section, where the quality was utterly terrible (it looked like a HD re-render of an '80s educational video) and the literalisation of a plant cell's mechanisms just looked bizarre.

 

I am loving the OSTs, though, and there are times where it's fascinating. I enjoyed that section a week or two ago about Ibn al-Haytham, for example. But... no, this won't be going down as one of my favourite documentaries.

[Aarch_Aangel]

Did anyone watch the episode about chlorophyll? Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that solar panels already are more efficient in terms of converting solar energy into power?

I'm not sure about individual panels themselves, but as for the system as whole? Then no. It is very difficult to convert from DC (what the panels convert light into) to AC and the converters themselves eat up energy. In that aspect, the efficiency isnt quite there yet. 

[OdanUrr]

In case you're interested (and I sincerely hope you are), Amazon is having a 60% discount on Cosmos, both the DVD and Blu-ray releases. That means you can buy the complete series (or first season; I don't know if there'll be a second one) for $23 instead of $60 (Blu-ray) or $20 instead of $50 (DVD). This offer expires in 17 hours.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey [Blu-ray]

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey [DVD]

[Obadiah]

Christmas gift - bought.