Cosmos: a spacetime odyssey (DVD)

Cosmos: a spacetime odyssey (DVD)

Summary: Cosmos: a spacetime odyssey continues the exploration of the remarkable mysteries of the cosmos and our place within it. Hosted by renowned astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, this thrilling, 13-part adventure will transport you across the universe of space and time, bringing to life never-before-told stories of the heroic quest for knowledge and a deeper understanding of nature. With an updated Cosmic calendar, dazzling visual effects, and the wondrous ship of the imagination, prepare to take an unforgettable journey to new worlds and across the universe for a vision of the cosmos on the grandest -and smallest - scale.

Video Librarian Reviews

More than 30 years after the airing of the original Cosmos—created by Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan—which went on to become the most influential science program ever shown on American TV, astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson (one of the many scientists who were inspired by Sagan) joined Druyan to offer an update and continue the exploration in this new 13-part series. Cosmos employs state-of-the-art special effects to engage the next generation as it details advances in our scientific understanding of the universe and the evolution of our solar system, reaching back in history to trace the roots of that knowledge. The series puts the scientific method front and center as it charts the continuum of research, experimentation, and discoveries that have led to what we know about everything from the Big Bang to black holes. Tyson is an authoritative and inspiring host and his use of the "ship of the imagination" to visualize scientific concepts provides an engaging way to explore the ideas outlined in each episode. Although it was attacked in some quarters for a) acknowledging the church's persecution of scientists who contradicted religious beliefs over the centuries, and b) refusing to acknowledge faith-based ideas about evolution, the only truly quasi-controversial aspect here is the show's aggressive confrontation of climate change denial. Extras include an episode commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and an interactive cosmic calendar. Sure to be popular, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Axmaker) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2014.


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Cosmos (DVD) - Carl Sagan

Cosmos (DVD)- Sagan, Carl

Summary: The Cosmos: Carl Sagan DVD set remains as fresh as in 1980, when it first aired. The 13-hour series explores some of man's greatest questions, including how simple microbes evolve into the space travelers. The cosmos videos grab viewers with a riveting look at science and religion from the learned and unique perspective of Carl Sagan DVDs.

In the Cosmos: Carl Sagan DVD set, the late scientist goes beyond a guided tour through billions of stars and galaxies. After 20-plus years, Cosmos remains one of the most profound statements in exploration, crossing boundaries between science and religion.

In the cosmos videos, each fascinating segments attempts to deepen our understanding of how we got from there to here. Sagan guides us to the farthest reaches of space and takes us back into the history of scientific inquiry. The Carl Sagan DVDs shift from the ancient library of Alexandria to the NASA probes of our neighboring planets.

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Why does the world exist - Jim Holt

Why does the world exist?: an existential detective story - Holt, Jim

Summary: Expands the search for the origins of the universe beyond God and the Big Bang theory, exploring more possibilities inspired by physicists, theologians, mathematicians, and even novelists.


Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Aesthetically, wrote Wittgenstein, the miracle is that the world exists. In his lifelong quest to penetrate this miracle and, so, to explain why there is something rather than nothing, Holt has entertained deep thoughts. Here he invites readers to join him in the intellectual explorations that sustain such thoughts. Readers share in Holt's reflections on how the universe originated, pondering the cosmogonies found in Greek philosophy and Norse mythology and interrogating the theology of creation expounded by Anselm and Aquinas. Though Enlightenment thinkers such as Hume and Kant dismissed the entire question of cosmic origins as an irrelevance, Holt realizes that the modern theory of the big bang has pushed that question inescapably back into view. To cope with the difficulties inherent in modern explanations of cosmic beginnings, Holt seeks out living authorities, such as historian Adolf Grünbaum and physicist Steven Weinberg, probing their views with relentless curiosity. But Holt embeds these animated interviews in a profoundly personal narrative punctuated by insistent life events, such as the abrupt death of his mother. Winding its way to no reassuringly tidy conclusion, this narrative ultimately humanizes the huge metaphysical questions Holt confronts, endowing them with real-life significance. A potent synthesis of philosophy and autobiography. Copyright 2012 Booklist Reviews.

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