Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" is nothing short of wonderful. If you have not already read the book, I highly recommend it. It covers the same material as the DVD's, but in a different manner. As for the DVD's, they are based upon Carl Sagan's television series of the same name, but with a number of updates added since the shows were first aired. Carl Sagan has a unique and brilliant way of breaking down some of the most complex concepts of science in a way that is understandable even to children. He also has a sincere fondness for all areas of science and the history of scientific study, and it is this enthusiasm and wonder that most impress and enlighten. His enthusiasm is contagious and you will find yourself glued to the screen as Mr. Sagan unlocks the wonders of the universe for you. Though the Cosmos series (and book) is most well known for its exploration of space and astronomy, it also delves into the wonders of the human body, our planet, and the scientists of our distant past as it traces the evolution of scientific understanding down through the ages. It is a shame that Mr. Sagan has since passed away, but we can take solace in the knowledge that his contributions will live on, enlightening generations to come. The DVD's, though somewhat dated in their level of special effects and general presentation, are highly recommended for both adults and children. There is no objectionable material that I can think of, but there is a great deal of knowledge and wonder to be gained. My wife and I both have science degrees, but we still found much to learn and enjoy with repeated viewings. These DVD's will bring hours upon hours of enjoyment for the whole family. **On an interesting side note, see if you don't agree that Mr. Sagan's voice was the inspiration for the Agent Smith character in "The Matrix" films. Hugo Weaving (the actor who played Agent Smith) certainly seems to be channeling Carl Sagan in his voice inflection and mannerisms...it's almost uncanny!Read full review
Well done NTSC DVD set! I also have the PAL DVD and VHS boxed set. Not sure why I bought the VHS boxing set both at the same time I purchased this NTSC DVD set, since VHS tapes are the antiquated gold standard in obsolete communication technologies. I guess, because of this, there are just some things in this universe that can't be explained. Be warned though, if you want to watch all thirteen episodes non stop, back to back, it will take approximately thirteen hours in real time, since all thirteen episodes are roughly one hour in length when belched back at the speed necessary to play back a one hour episode in a sixty minute time frame for best audio and picture quality. In other words kids, don't try cutting corners when viewing Cosmos by fast forwarding the DVDees to the end and then rewinding it back to the start, because the audio and picture quality just isn't there. I KNOW THIS because I TRIED THAT, and didn't learn anything that I didn't know before. Cosmos really makes me think hard about how we, the Earth, ever came into and continue to exist when completely surrounded by such a powerful, unforgiving, hostile environment that can pulverize us into nothingness when deadly gravitational load crush pressures, beyond that of human Sasquatch comprehension, can get out of hand. Highly Recommended!!!!!!Read full review
Cosmos (the series) is fundamentally about how us humans have sought to understand the workings of the universe. It does not overload the viewer with details, but rather describes "the big picture." This DVD set is a true classic for young and old. Great for all ages, children and adults. It has won numerous awards: three Emmy's, a Hugo, a Peabody --- and was the most watched PBS special on TV for about 10 years. The DVD set offers all 13 episodes with music and visuals, that takes the viewer on a journey of space and time. Each episode is fresh and readily understandable. Completely packed with historical re-enactments, facts and theories complete with on location commentaries, the series helps contextualize science and people who made the great discoveries. Some of it ( quite honestly) is kind of dated, but most of the core science facts really hasn't changed. I must admitt the "spaceship of imagination" is kind of a bit corny though. I still remember seeing Carl Sagan on TV in the early 1980's. His unique vision to make science understandable and exciting, is still with me today. And again in 1993, when I met him after a lecture that he gave, I had brief conversation (yes I was floating). He was a professor with an extraordinary gift for teaching and inspiration. Eloquent,entertaining, informative,charismatic and intelligent.Although many have painted a darker side of this gifted man since his death, I still think he was a natural communicator,brilliant writer as well as a tremendous astronomer. Carl Sagan, both in DVD or in book, had the ability to mix history and science through different locations in the world. He had the ability to capture the brilliant beauty that surrounds us. This series could definately be the best general science series ever broadcast on TV.An if the episodes seem a bit took long, well there is always scene selection !Read full review
The content of the series needs very few updates. The series encompasses many historical figures and promotes the scientific method. Carl Sagan does a great job of popularizing science without condemning or insulting. The series is a little dated in the fact that the camera quality is not the best, it's definitely not HD, but if you can get by that this series is very thought provoking, entertaining and educational. I strongly recommend this series to everyone and I'm very grateful for having seen this as a kid. It made more sense to me then most anything else, it's a resource of knowledge and it teaches the scientific approach to life in general, truly an enriching experience.
I have read some of the reviews for this series. I am certainly glad not everyone is trying to explain science to society. Carl Sagan could. I watched this series as a teen in the 70's. I had only 4 channels of TV to watch and on Sunday nights, I would watch Cosmos. Carl Sagan had a voice and intellect that would draw me in and make his topics so interesting. I see science shows today and realize that Cosmos certanily help them attain their status. Carl Sagan set the standards in general and also opened many people's minds to science which led them to science careers. He simply connected the dots for those of us who could not at the time. I would recommend this series to anyone interested in opening their minds to possiblities.
This is the best series I have ever seen, a real masterpiece. If you think you may find it interesting, don't hesitate for a moment and buy these DVDs now. No intellectually curious person could conceivably be disappointed by this piece of work. Are you interested in our origins and those of our fellow living beings, our planet and our Universe? and in the origins of our knowledge and intelligence? want to know about our place in the Universe and whether we could have some neighbors out there in the stars? and what about our future and that of our planet, solar system and Universe? You will have a hard time finding better answers to these questions than those given by Carl Sagan in Cosmos. And it is remarkable how almost everything remains as true today as it was more than 20 years ago when Cosmos first appeared. Images are often spectacular and music sublime. I recommend that you view these DVDs with the lights off and in a quiet environment. This is the best way for you to let Dr. Sagan guide you on this grand voyage of the imagination, which, among other places, will take you to the planets, stars and galaxies, the early Universe, to ancient Greece and Egypt, to the Great Library of Alexandria or to India and eighteenth century Holland. Many of the 13 chapters have updates at the end. The updates were added in the 1990s, but there is, as far as I can tell, only one instance where even the update is outdated: small anisotropies were finally found in the cosmic microwave background radiation in the late nineties (Sagan died 1996), thus solving the mystery of how galaxies could have formed from a Universe that was initially very homogeneous. In any case, as I said, Sagan's words are, with very few exceptions, as valid today as they were 20 years ago. Enjoy!Read full review
The Cosmos series by Carl Sagan is wonderful to say the least. A scientist and humanitarian, Carl takes you on a cosmic journey through time and space revealing the mysteries of the cosmos in terms anyone can understand. The filming is good quality and the scripted segments are genuine, sometimes you can see Sagan moving his eyes while reading the cue cards. This only adds character to a man who wanted to open up science to everyone, not just men with white coats in laboratories. He wanted to open up the imagination of space beyond the science fiction movies, and he draws from our past to tie it all together. Even though it was made over 30 years ago, the information is general and relevant enough today to still hold a large educational value (there are updated segments at the end of every episode that were done only 15 years ago). Sit back and let his unique voice and authentic delivery invoke a new love for science and spark your interest to look toward the stars. If I'm ever restless, I'll put one of these discs on as a bedtime story, soothes my mind every time. Thank you Carl Sagan.Read full review
I enthusiastically watched most of this series when it was first broadcast. Watching the complete series on the DVD in the order of their broadcast dates was even more enjoyable than waiting for and watching each episode on TV. This program is what sparked my interest in cosmology. Fortunately, they included on the DVDs updated info over what the broadcasts stated. Considering how much knowledge has been gained since their broadcasts, and how our understanding of cosmic events has improved over the years, they weren't off by much when this was made. This is a series that I expect to watch and enjoy again periodically now that i have this set of disks.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
I've always loved Sagan for his childlike joy of science. He demonstrates that there is no conflict between disciplined thought and study, and the joy and fun that is best associated with it. As I learn from him, I get more than the science, I get something warmer and fleshy, an emotional connection, something like love. I've read many of his books, but Cosmos is to my knowledge the most easily absorbed and entertaining of his work. Learning at its deepest is not a purely intellectual process, but a very emotional one as well, even spiritual, setting the knowledge deeply and permanently into our minds. Sagan has therefore not only taught me science, but changes my awareness, struck me with awe. Who needs God when we have nature as this wonderful man unveils it.
Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", originally released in 1989, is now well over 20-year-old material, and astronomy has moved on a long way since the eighties. Based on the television series of the same name, Cosmos' scope and focus is good, although the graphics are now unfortunately dated. Thus the series can best be recommended as a sort of historical astronomy primer: it is definitely not cutting edge. Sagan does have a captivating way of presenting the complex concepts of astronomy, and his enthusiasm is contagious. That's the best part. He got a lot of folks interested in science rather than skateboards. Now, I know I'm in the minority, but, on the other hand, I find the heavy mixture of his religious ideas into the material annoying. The repetitive "We have all evolved from goo yet are now on our way to becoming gods who control the universe!" paradigm is hidden religious content presented without the presence of any contrary position. Such assumptions as alien evolution, human space & time travel, and 'what-if' human evolution are other wild leaps that I have difficulty stomaching in what is billed as educational/scientific material. Such speculation is actually new-age propaganda that's being transmitted under the radar. So far, there just isn't any science behind these ideas, just the assumption that since we're here, we must be evolving into gods! Let's just stick to the facts of science for now: When science can explain why Polonium-218 halos exist in granite, why no supernovas have yet sterilized earth, why both the helium and carbon-14 contents of the atmosphere are still increasing, why the director of the largest fossil collection in the world says he is not aware of ANY transitional fossils, why the salt content of the oceans is so low despite the continual yearly increase, why human DNA continues to rapidly unravel at the ends (at a rate that will kill us after 100,000 years, yet we're alive), why it would take 600 beneficial mutations per generation to go from chimp to man in two million years (then find a mate with the same 240M mutations), why the sedimentary layers have so few micrometeorites despite the present high rate of deposition, why the sun continues to shrink yet was 'perfectly safe' 3 billion years ago, why the mathematics of evolution are absolutely totally mind boggling (an exponent of SIX digits!!!) - only then will I believe the assumptions behind Carl's religion.Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on DVDs & Blu-ray Discs
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
