Neil deGrasse Tyson reboots Carl Sagan's "Cosmos"

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Newell Steamer

Newell Steamer

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2014
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There were quite a few allusions and beggining trails to quantum and meta physics.

I really enjoy the series and hope it continues and further elaborates on what all of it means,.. or rather, what we think it means.
 
Jimzz

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
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BoomerD said:
While I applaud the attempt to bring some science to kids and the uninformed, the show seems TOO aimed at kids...with not enough "OMG!" moments for the adults who might actually know SOME stuff...
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You're... you're joking right?
I was going to say they should slow down sometimes for many people watching. Me and my wife thought it was good and every now and then even my 5 year old would look up from the phone. But many people I have worked for and had as customers would be totally lost or say its for those snotty educated people. I had one person tell me "books don't know everything" when I proved him wrong on some basic science that should have been public school.

I think you over estimate the average intelligence of the public.
 
gorcorps

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,741
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BoomerD said:
While I applaud the attempt to bring some science to kids and the uninformed, the show seems TOO aimed at kids...with not enough "OMG!" moments for the adults who might actually know SOME stuff...
Click to expand...

Jimzz said:
You're... you're joking right?
I was going to say they should slow down sometimes for many people watching. Me and my wife thought it was good and every now and then even my 5 year old would look up from the phone. But many people I have worked for and had as customers would be totally lost or say its for those snotty educated people. I had one person tell me "books don't know everything" when I proved him wrong on some basic science that should have been public school.

I think you over estimate the average intelligence of the public.
Click to expand...

Pretty much

It's slow for those of us who already know a lot of it, but a lot of people don't think about it and never learned it in the first place. Older folks who went to schools who were very much against evolutionary talks back then, for instance.

In this last episode they went through the concept of lightyear so fast that I'm sure my mom and people like her wouldn't have caught it, and would have been lost for the rest of the episode because of it. Most people don't know lightyear is a distance measurement, and they explained that VERY quickly... too quick for the people that really need it to have caught it (IMO).
 
zinfamous

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,983
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Jimzz said:
You're... you're joking right?
I was going to say they should slow down sometimes for many people watching. Me and my wife thought it was good and every now and then even my 5 year old would look up from the phone. But many people I have worked for and had as customers would be totally lost or say its for those snotty educated people. I had one person tell me "books don't know everything" when I proved him wrong on some basic science that should have been public school.

I think you over estimate the average intelligence of the public.
Click to expand...

yep. this forum is quite a small, selected community. It really is staggering the amount of so-called adults out there that would look at this show and still call it "magic crazy box thinking!" or some such.

I think the pace is great for kids, and the adults that remain no more educated about the world around them than those kids.

And even so, particularly capable, hard-working adults that simply weren't exposed to this stuff can gain an appreciation for it without dismissal.
 
Pheran

Pheran

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2001
5,740
35
91
gorcorps said:
In this last episode they went through the concept of lightyear so fast that I'm sure my mom and people like her wouldn't have caught it, and would have been lost for the rest of the episode because of it. Most people don't know lightyear is a distance measurement, and they explained that VERY quickly... too quick for the people that really need it to have caught it (IMO).
Click to expand...

I don't agree with this, there was a whole spiel about light-seconds, minutes and years explaining this, giving examples of each distance inside and outside or solar system. I thought it was perfectly well done.
 
Jimzz

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
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Pheran said:
I don't agree with this, there was a whole spiel about light-seconds, minutes and years explaining this, giving examples of each distance inside and outside or solar system. I thought it was perfectly well done.
Click to expand...


Did you know what it meant before though? Learning something and going over something you may have some knowledge of is very different.

I'm teaching my son to do basic math right now, he just turned 5. For me its very basic, like I said, but for him just grasping you can hold 1 number in your head and then add the other with you hand/object is easier than using two hands or objects is hard for him, let alone doing both in your head.
 
Pheran

Pheran

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2001
5,740
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91
Jimzz said:
Did you know what it meant before though? Learning something and going over something you may have some knowledge of is very different.
Click to expand...

I am aware of that, and yes I knew what it meant already, but I still thought they did a pretty good job of explaining it.
 
ViRGE

ViRGE

Elite Member, Moderator Emeritus
Oct 9, 1999
31,516
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Damn you Cosmos! Did you have to go get Sir Patrick Stewart to voice a character, in an episode chock-full of all sorts of cool timey-wimey stuff and good background music, in an episode directed by Brannon Braga?

Now I'm badly jonesing for a new Star Trek series. That episode was incredibly cruel.:p
 
zinfamous

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,983
31,539
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God damn it! Why didn't you nerds remind me about this over the weekend? Were all you nerds watching Game of Thrones or something?

:colbert:
 
RPD

RPD

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2009
5,109
600
126
zinfamous said:
God damn it! Why didn't you nerds remind me about this over the weekend? Were all you nerds watching Game of Thrones or something?

:colbert:
Click to expand...
You haven't programmed your DVR for series recording? I don't watch much TV, anything I do watch gets instantly series recorded.
 
zinfamous

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,983
31,539
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Just watched it. the Fox stream for this is pretty solid.

great episode. I definitely got lost with the electron spin/light absorption/energy stuff. I always hated that part of general chemistry. :D
 
Pheran

Pheran

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2001
5,740
35
91
zinfamous said:
Just watched it. the Fox stream for this is pretty solid.

great episode. I definitely got lost with the electron spin/light absorption/energy stuff. I always hated that part of general chemistry. :D
Click to expand...

I figured the spectroscopy parts of the last show would cause trouble for people, I think it's the most complicated thing they've covered so far.
 
R

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
2
76
gorcorps said:
In this last episode they went through the concept of lightyear so fast that I'm sure my mom and people like her wouldn't have caught it, and would have been lost for the rest of the episode because of it.
Click to expand...

Seriously? Light year isn't a difficult concept to grasp at all. It's a unit of distance. Specifically, the distance light travels in a single year. That's it. If a person can't understand something that basic, then I don't know what to say.
 
gorcorps

gorcorps

aka Brandon
Jul 18, 2004
30,741
456
126
Rudee said:
Seriously? Light year isn't a difficult concept to grasp at all. It's a unit of distance. Specifically, the distance light travels in a single year. That's it. If a person can't understand something that basic, then I don't know what to say.
Click to expand...

Well, that's kind of the point isn't it? A lot of the show isn't paced for those of us who grasp things like this easily. It's more for the average joe, and the average joe has a lot of trouble grasping basic science concepts if you haven't noticed.
 
CZroe

CZroe

Lifer
Jun 24, 2001
24,195
857
126
gorcorps said:
Well, that's kind of the point isn't it? A lot of the show isn't paced for those of us who grasp things like this easily. It's more for the average joe, and the average joe has a lot of trouble grasping basic science concepts if you haven't noticed.
Click to expand...

They already explained it to the average Joe in an earlier episode.

Cue some dialog from The Big Lebowski where Walter rants about Donnie wandering in like a child with no frame of reference.
 
P

Pocatello

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
9,754
2
76
Pheran said:
Another good episode this week. If you want to read a fascinating article about one of the nasty side effects of pervasive lead poisoning, check out America's Real Criminal Element: Lead. It's scary how much damage we did to ourselves.
Click to expand...

And people think it's a good idea to let big corporations to regulate themselves when it comes to pollution and public health and safety. Special interest groups are still doing the same shit. Just hire a bunch of so-called scientists and politicians to muddle the facts, and keep on delaying regulations which might cut into their profit.
 
MongGrel

MongGrel

Lifer
Dec 3, 2013
38,466
3,067
121
Some comments in here explain a lot why i look at people in public saying some things in general and my jaw drops I guess.

Pretty good show and I'll have to catch up on it. I watched the first three, then slacked off. but ya most things are pretty basic science.
 
bigi

bigi

Platinum Member
Aug 8, 2001
2,490
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Neil deGrasse Tyson is just great as presenter of this show. He's just very natural and easygoing kind but leads the series very well.

Excellent, excellent choice!
 
Ns1

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
htf do you guys watch this shit?

tried to watch the first 15 minutes of last night's EP (based on this thread) and was bored to tears.
 
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