The universe is brimming with the biggest mysteries. Many of which we have
yet to discover. Even today new discoveries about our every own planet earth are
made all the time. That is just earth, imagine what will be discovered in the vast and
almost seemingly endless universe. Over thirty years ago Carl Sagan, an astronomer,
astrophysicist, and cosmologist, created Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. Carl Sagan was
a brilliant scientist who, during the first forty years of the Space Age played a pivotal
role in all the major space expeditions, and achieved many scientific discoveries
such as being the first finding methane lakes on Titan, Saturn’s giant moon,
discovering that the early earth had high levels of greenhouse gases, and the first to
understand that windblown dust was the cause of seasonal changes on Mars.
His creation, Cosmos, inspired many youths three decades ago, among them was Neil
deGrasse Tyson. Tyson soon continued to present Sagan’s work to another
generation. Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, a television series hosted by Neil
deGrasse Tyson, captured the riveting universe and us. Cosmos was one of the most
exciting, informative, eye capturing, and imagination-inspiring shows I have ever
seen. The criteria I will use to evaluate the show will be the content used in the
show, such as facts, dates, and historical figures, visual effects, and the host himself.
Tyson’s remake won eight Primetime Emmy Awards including: the Emmy for
outstanding main title design, outstanding documentary or non-fiction series,
outstanding special visual effects, outstanding cinematography for nonfiction
programming, outstanding achievement in nonfiction programming: picture editing,
outstanding achievement in nonfiction programming: sound mixing, outstanding
directing: nonfiction programming, and outstanding art direction for variety and
nonfiction programming. Cosmos more than lived up to the reputation of its
predecessor. Anyone that watches the show will see why it is so highly acclaimed.
This show is not just about the universe itself, in this journey through time
and space. Tyson also takes us on the journey that humans went through in order to
achieve some of the greatest discoveries our known universe. He takes aboard his
Ship of the Imagination to explore the cosmos on the grandest scale and the
molecules that make us up at the smallest possible scale. You are taken to explore
the lives of the greatest minds that ever lived. Many of who risked life and limb to
help further our understanding of the universe around us and help further advance
as a civilization--people like Copernicus, Giordano Bruno, Darwin, Einstein, Newton
and many more. Their story is told through a dramatic cartoon style drawing that at
times can seem very gloomy. Their lives marked pivotal points in time when our
world was slowly but surely being taken out of the darkness and into the light. A
darkness that many fell victim to in a lost world with no insight of what really lied
right above their heads, what lied on the ground they walked on, and even of what
lied within them.
The most recognizable aspect that has changed in Tyson’s version from
Sagan’s version is definitely the visual graphics. Sagan’s version, when we compare
graphics and visual effects, lies in comparison to the spectacular visual spectacle of
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. New and improved technology is utilized extremely
well in this masterpiece. For a new generation that is used to so much technology in
their daily life something has to be really jaw dropping in order to catch their
attention. Cosmos does just that. With stunning new visual effects we are taken
further into the universe to gaze at planets, stars, asteroids, comets, quasars,
nebulas, galaxies, supernovae, black holes, and many more spectacles of the
universe. Watch the show and you will see just what I am talking about. The visual
effects displayed in this show are unmatched by any other show.
There is no better host than Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson met Carl Sagan, one
of the creators of the original Cosmos when he was a kid a generation ago. Sagan
impacted his life in a positive way and helped him realized what kind of person he
wanted to be when he grew up. There is now better way to repay Sagan’s legacy
than with this remake using new technology to reach a new audience. The use of top
of the line technology only enhances the cutting edge science that was portrayed in
Sagan’s version. Tyson not only brings Sagan’s work to a new generation he also
brings the science, research, and discoveries, and achievements made in the three
decades that passed since the airing of the original Cosmos. Tyson is always positive
about the future that is in store for us. He believes that the universe we live in is vast
and filled with more wonders than we could ever imagine. The language he uses
always seems to maintain a positive outlook for what we will discover in the future
and what science has in store for us. The way that he maintains his view on science
and the universe helps young viewers develop a positive view of their own. Just like
Sagan did for him years ago. There is no better host that can relate to the message
and views of the original Cosmos.
Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey showed us that there is still a big universe out
there waiting to be discovered. It captures our journey, as humans, as we marched
from a bleak existence to a driving force capable of achieving so much in only a mere
few centuries. We discovered science, mathematics, literacy, astronomy, agriculture,
and much more that helped shed light on the world around us. We then used that
knowledge to build cities, to cross-oceans, climb the highest mountains, and reach
new worlds. Cosmos is not just the story of the universe it is the story of us.
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