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!

Oculus Rift

The June issues of both WIRED and Popular Mechanics magazines (to which I subscribe) both feature the face of one guy, one lucky guy: Palmer Luckey to be specific. Luckey is 21 years old. Since his early teens he’s had one, huge overriding dream: to build the perfect virtual-reality headset. By age 19, he had developed the prototype for it, creating the first affordable virtual reality headset.

The “Oculus Rift” is billed by 3D filmmaker D.J. Roller as “the most immersive medium on the planet” replacing 5-story IMAX screens. The inventor’s original vision for the headset was to augment their gaming experience. But as the technology prepares for public roll-out the applications are extraordinarily wide-ranging: training for military pilots and soldiers, pretty much imagine the experience and it has some application to virtual reality.

Of course something this revolutionary requires funding to bring to market. The first backers were from a Kickstarter campaign that gave investors their own DIY kit and raised $2.4 million for the startup company. Recently, Facebook came calling with a bag of cash and stock worth $2 billion. Consumers can expect early versions of the headset sometime in 2015.

Given the coverage, the players, and the money involved, the Oculus Rift promises to be quite revolutionary. The only part of the story that annoys me is the details about Luckey: How he goes barefoot all of the time, wears only shirts and t-shirts. It just gets profoundly annoying to hear these quirks about tech “geniuses” trotted around. Like Mark Zuckerberg’s famous “hoodie” uniform. I can’t really put my finger on it, but something about such stories are very abrasive to me. It’s not that I care what he wears or how eccentric it may seem to the populace at large, it’s that I don’t care and I don’t believe for one moment that these eccentricities have any bearing on the individual’s ability to do his or her work.

Well, no matter what you or I may feel about the immersive technology of virtual reality headsets, they are most definitely coming. I think that the concept will re-define the way in which the individual experiences entertainment and education. I certainly would look forward to the day that I might be able to plug into Google Maps with my Oculus Rift on and walk the streets of Paris or Rome from the comfort of my own living room. Or vicariously storm Omaha beach from the safety of my couch.

Yes, the Oculus Rift and future generations of VR tech will most certainly become ubiquitous in our lives in a short time, much like the cell phone revolutionized communications. The real questions are: What will we feel like when we take the headset off and stroll down the Paris streets for real? Will everyone have a headset on for most of the day the way they can’t go for ten minutes without checking their smart phone for missed calls, text messages, social media updates, and the latest trending news story?

Oh well, there is no need to mourn reality. It has been dying a long, slow, painful death for at least a generation. It’s already on life-support, lying silent in a persistent vegetative state. I know, I just checked it’s Facebook status.

Michael Faraday: Father of Electronics by Charles Ludwig

I recently finished a biography entitled Michael Faraday: Father of Electronics by Charles Ludwig. This is one of those books that you buy (or in this case someone gave to me) to read but somehow end up using as “bookshelf filler.” If you read very much, I’m sure you understand. If you have an obsession with buying physical copies of books (rather than electronic) I am certain that you know exactly what I mean.

To digress for just a moment: I am obsessed with buying books and have been for many years. However, I do not simply pull up the New York Times “Bestseller” lists and choose from these like a catalog. I do not pay very much attention to Amazon.com’s suggestions, lists, or e-mail campaigns. Nor do I get most of my books from the “Bargain Bins” at major retailers. No, I typically find my treasures at yard sales, junk stores, estate sales, and often at friends’ houses. Simply put, most of the things I like to read (non-fiction, textbooks, etc.) are things that most people are forced to buy in the first place and then get rid of when they have served their useful purpose.

The Faraday book wasn’t mine; it was my wife’s from her senior year of high school. When she moved in with me she commented that she thought I would like it. Fourteen years later, I found out she was right. Faraday was someone I find fascinating for numerous reasons.

First, a little biographical information: Michael Faraday was born September 22, 1791 in a village just outside of (and now within) London, England. He had almost no formal education. He left elementary school due to a dispute with a hard-nosed school teacher because of his inability to overcome a speech impediment in which he could not pronounce the letter “r.” (Michael later overcame this through his own hard work and the application of his brilliant intellect.) After leaving school, Michael apprenticed for seven years with a bookbinder.

Much of Michael’s “education” came by being able to seize the opportunity to learn whenever and wherever it presented itself. Apprenticing to a bookbinder allowed him to become an excellent reader, to fill himself with the knowledge (often copying and taking notes) from the volumes with which he worked, and to come into contact with many of London’s more educated citizens. He quickly developed a fascination—an obsession even—with chemistry. Michael consumed any material about science and chemistry that he could get his hands on. He even attended lectures at the Royal Institution given by Humphry Davy.

Upon completing his apprenticeship in bookbinding, Michael determined that he would be a chemist or die trying. He was fortunate to become a temporary assistant (treated more like a servant) to Davy himself; later Faraday became Humphry’s lab assistant at the Royal Institution. Finally, Michael’s brilliance began to shine through. He first made contributions to Davy’s work. Then, he began to outshine even this mentor.

Michael Faraday would go on to be called the father of the electric motor, the transformer, and the generator. He discovered benzene, improved steel alloys, and was the first person to turn chlorine into a liquid form. He took over Davy’s public lectures at the Royal Institution where he was even more popular with London society, including the Royal family. The University of Oxford granted Faraday a Doctor of Civil Law degree (honorary). Michael was quite a humble person and rejected a knighthood and also refused the presidency of the Royal Society.

What is most fascinating to me about Michael Faraday is that he was able to accomplish so much with so little. He was born into hopeless poverty. He lacked the means to obtain an education that would allow him to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge. Yet because of an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and a dogged determination to understand the principles of nature, Michael Faraday did more than most of his contemporaries who graduated from England’s finest universities.

The biological maxim from Jurassic Park (I think) was “life finds a way.” I believe a suitable analogue would likewise be, “curiosity finds a way.” Einstein, Feynman, John Wheeler—almost any scientist one could name would have one characteristic that overshadowed everything else about their life and personality—curiosity. Michael Faraday had that quality and seized whatever opportunity he could find to satisfy it.

I find that truly inspirational. Happy learning!