"The cosmos is everything that exists, existed or will exist." These were the first words uttered by Carl Sagan in the first episode of the unavoidable science communication series “Cosmos: A Personal Journey”, which marked the history of world scientific communication. The series was then conceived by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan (Sagan's third and last wife), and astrophysicist Steven Soter.
“Cosmos” debuted in 1980 and has since been seen by around 750 million people around the world. In the United States, it was, for decades, the most watched series ever. In fact, it continues to be seen in a classroom environment at school, or on the internet through Youtube, where it is available in a subtitled version in Portuguese.
It should be said, by the way, that the series gave rise to the book “Cosmos”, written by Carl Sagan, and published among us with number 8 in Gradiva's “Ciência Aberta” collection.
Today, March 10, more than three decades later, current generations will be able to hear those words again, in a new series based on the original, but designed with up-to-date scientific knowledge and the best technology.
The protagonist, our guide, this time, is Neil deGrasse Tyson, famous American astrophysicist and science evangelist, who will be on the screen in place of Carl Sagan (died in 1996 aged 62).
Ann Druyan is also the author of this new series, along with Neil deGrasse Tyson. Seth MacFarlane, author of series like Family Guy, American Dad or The Cleveland Show, is the executive producer.
The series, fully titled “Cosmos: Space Odyssey,” and which premiered yesterday in the United States, will have an impressive world-scale release: 120 FOX International Channels in 125 countries, and 90 National Geographic channels Channel spread across 180 countries.
These numbers alone make this new debut the biggest international release ever made in television history. Producers estimate that 400 million homes can see the premiere outside the United States!
Between us, the first episode of “Cosmos: Space Odyssey”, with the subtitle “Traveling the Milky Way”, premieres at 23:00 today, Monday, simultaneously on National Geographic, FOX, FOX Life, FOX Crime channels and FOX Movies. The remaining 12 episodes will continue to air on the following Mondays, but only on the National Geographic channel. At least this is what is advertised.
It should be noted that there is great expectation around this new series. It is expected that it will allow a great diffusion of scientific knowledge, and therefore of human culture, on a large scale, with the same captivating rigor of the pioneer.
In July 2013, when this new Cosmos series was presented at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego, USA, Neil deGrasse Tyson said of the goal: “We don't want to wait more than a generation to tell the story of who again. we are and where we want to go in this Universe.” The journey resumes tomorrow.
Author Antonio Piedade
Science in the Regional Press – Ciência Viva
Comments