Reading Carl Sagan's Cosmos

**MonwarH** · 03-05-2007, 09:55

The sense of wonderment and exhilaration that one gets from this book is just awesome! It does tend to put things into perspective about our place in the universe. One part which I was going through recently was theorizing on the Big Crunch or multiple Big Bangs, and it just made me say WOW at how little I understand. It's really amazing how little we understand of our universe!

Sagan makes science sexy! The writing style, and the way he communicates rather dense information even, is great and awe-inspiring. Yes, he's opinionated, but you can not be passionate without being opinionated.

Heartily recommended.

**InsaneApache** · 03-05-2007, 12:46

I saw his TV series Cosmos in the early 80s and even now I remember it fondly. A very good informative program.

Have this one on me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMHNnhAEDN4

**Beirut** · 03-05-2007, 12:54

I saw Cosmos on TV, "billions and billions...", and Sagan is great, but when it comes to outer space, Arthur C. Clarke is ma man.

(Edit)

MonwarH,

Just noticed you were from Bangladesh, you might be our first Frontroom member from there. Welcome aboard.

**MonwarH** · 03-06-2007, 04:32

Bon jour, Quebecois (hope I got that right!).

I have not seen the TV show, but the book allows me to take in the content in my own sweet time, and ponder the concepts more. And has Sagan not packed in content in that book, man!

**Gregoshi** · 03-06-2007, 14:39

I have the book but haven't read it yet. I did watch the TV series and have all but one episode on VHS tape. It is excellent stuff.

When the show first aired, I was an astronomy major at Penn State. I recall most of the astronomy professors kind of scoffed at Sagan and were bothered by his generalizations. What they failed to realize, however, is that though Sagan generalized some of the science, 1) it was to help understand the overall concepts without bogging down in the details, and 2) Sagan was able to fire the imagination and get people excited about science. His method of relating science in everyday terms was enthralling - he was able to get and then hold your attention. He often had you wondering how science was going to relate to the story he was unfolding before you. One of my favourites was the segment on the Heiki crab.

Of course, coupled with Sagan's ability to weave a fascinating tale of scientific concepts was his distinctive voice. Twenty-five years after Cosmos, you still hear people, like Beirut above, saying "BILLions and BILLions" in the same manner that Sagan did.

I had the honour of seeing Sagan in person when he came to Penn State to deliver a lecture/talk one evening. He was just as fascinating to listen to without all the special effects and visuals as he was on Cosmos.

Ah Carl, I do miss you.

**InsaneApache** · 03-06-2007, 19:19

Amen to that brother Greg.

Like you, I was awed by the space program of the 60's. I too loved astronomy. Patrick Moore was my god when I was 11 years old.

Did you really meet Sagan?

You lucky bugger!

**Gregoshi** · 03-06-2007, 19:35

Alas, I didn't get a chance to shake his hand and talk to him, but I was in the same auditorium. That's about as close as I ever get to famous people.

**Tachikaze** · 03-06-2007, 19:50

One of my college teachers had dinner with him. At that time, Sagan was either between marriages or had just married Ann Druyan. My teacher said they were all lovey-dovey saccarine.

My chance to meet him was at the Nevada nuclear test site protest. But I didn't get arrested with him.

Sagan's series and book were very influential in my life. The music was as important to me as the concepts he presented. I have the soundtrack on cassette and CD. He used music very effectively and seemed to have as much enthusiasm for music as for science. Through him, I discovered Vangelis, Tomita's "Sea of Solaris", and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Russian Easter Festival Overture".

"Send more Chuck Berry".

**Agent Miles** · 03-14-2007, 16:18

I believe that the single most difficult thing for most people to understand is that most people will eventually understand every single thing. We ask our children to learn the most useless information, when the origin of species, quantum mechanics and Einstein’s theories of relativity are what we should teach everyone. Brane theory, a derivative of string theory, may even tell us what “banged” to create our universe. One suspects that some people don’t want to trade in their favorite myth for a little knowledge. I remember reading a lecture by a great physicist that described Sagan as “the well-known atheist”. The truth...is out there.