Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey

You first hear it in his voice. Then you notice the glimmer in his eyes. Then you see the way his hands awkwardly gesticulate with enthusiasm—and you know. Neil deGrasse Tyson is in love… with the cosmos. His enthusiasm as a science communicator matched with his brilliance as an astrophysicist, made him the logical successor to the unforgettable Carl Sagan—an astronomer from Cornell University who influenced a generation of young people, myself included, to dream that we could reach the stars—not merely as a civilization, but as individuals too.

That was done with his original role as host of the first Cosmos series. The updated and hyper-stylized new Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey is just as inspiring—its host, just as fascinating. That being said, I will certainly admit that there is no replacing Carl Sagan. On the other hand, since his passing there has been very little attempt to do so. The scientific illiteracy of the general public—at least in the United States—is quite appalling.

The current series consists of 13 episodes, each of which addresses a different scientific topic: spacetime, light, the greenhouse effect and so on. Tyson first explores the history of the issue at hand. He then proceeds to the present and then discusses the potential consequences and often dangers for the future of the universe, the earth, and humanity.

My favorite of all of the episodes was number 12 “The World Set Free,” which concerned the greenhouse effect. This episode explains the greenhouse effect and describes its discovery by Joseph Fourier and Svante Arrhenius. Dr. Tyson then explained how scientific investigation has provided ample evidence that the global average temperature is increasing, and this is causing earth’s climate to change. Furthermore, scientists’ studies have consistently demonstrated that much of this change is due to human activity, particularly carbon dioxide emissions. Almost as a warning, he explains how a runaway greenhouse effect engulfed the planet Venus making the surface of the planet so hot that the oceans permanently evaporated.

Much of the release of carbon dioxide is due to humanity’s increasing reliance on fossil fuels to generate energy to power our vehicles, homes, and essentially run our contemporary society. Tyson next discussed the history of solar power and how its use has been ignored in the past largely because of the cheapness and wide availability of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil. However, today’s circumstances indicate the need to increase our use of solar and wind energy and decrease or eliminate our reliance on fossil fuels.

One of the reasons that the 12^th episode is my favorite is the clear explanations given by Dr. Tyson: For example, he uses a pet dog’s path along the beach to explain the difference between the concepts of “weather” and “climate” Another reason that the episode excels, in my opinion, is that this topic seemed to be one in which Dr. Tyson’s enthusiasm for the subject matter shone through the brightest. Rather than discuss the politics of climate change (an erroneous perspective, in my opinion), he addresses the science behind climate change and keeps that as his focus. In citing this episode, however, I do not mean to say that Dr. Tyson's presentations in the other twelve are not equally strong--I simply mean to emphasize how this particular episode affected me and contributed to my assessment of the series. It is better that I present a representative sample than to rehash the entire series!

Throughout Cosmos, scientists—some household names, some obscure—are the heroes of the episodes. These are individuals who had the courage of their convictions. Some were ostracized from the scientific community, some from the public at large, and many did not live to see their work vindicated. In almost every instance, their work was inspired and intended to improve the world and its inhabitants. It’s rare to see scientists get their due in this manner. More often it is simply through a footnote in research papers. This unique platform will hopefully inspire young boys and girls to pursue science, technology, math, and engineering.

It took many years and the work, sweat, and money of many passionate individuals to bring this Cosmos “sequel” to the public. It aired on both the Fox Network and The National Geographic Channel. I found the production to be excellent. The special effects were “top-notch” and the animated segments were brilliant and inspired. I found that the series renewed my enthusiasm for scientific inquiry. My hope is that the millions of viewers that the show reached will inspired many, many others through its broadcast, repeat on cable, and current showing on Netflix. If you haven’t had the chance to explore the cosmos through Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey I would highly recommend it. All you need is an open mind—the series will give you plenty to contemplate!

As always, happy learning!