Neil DeGrasse Tyson

[BikerDude]

Cool guy.
Talks about knowing Carl Sagan and his new version of the show Cosmos. (not new anymore)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WhNmzhhPBE

[meekon5]

I wasn't as impressed by the new Cosmos, but I think that's probably because I was a starry eyed youth when I was watching Sagan's version.

I have told this story before, I spent ages looking for the Cosmos DVD. Eventually found it after years of searching.

Then one afternoon I was wondering round the shop here at the museum (buying tat for someone who was leaving) only to find sitting on the shelves of the museum I worked in (and have for years) a copy of the DVD for sale.

I liked the new one but still love the old one, Sagan still raises a feeling of awe in me.

The trailer to the new one where they showed Sagan releasing the dandelion seed actually brought a tear to my eye.

Nice find by the way BikerDude.

[The Daryl]

There's totally room for both versions in my head. One for youth and that special formative place, and the other for a ... I don't know a sense of renewed excitement that knowledge could matter again.

Neil is a pretty awesome dude. So was Carl.

[GypsyMan]

Excellent Topic, and I watched Carl Sagan as a kid.
I always love updated graphics for Cosmology! Neil did a GREAT job of explaining the time, and distance involved with the Universe, or our galaxy!
The fact tat if the earth was only 6k years old we would only see a very small portion of our galaxy was the best demonstration I have seen!

Thanks for posting this topic for discussion!

[existentialone]

What Gypsy Man said:  Thanks for posting this discussion.  Cool thoughts in every reply.

[DigitalBuddha]

Been catching it on Neflix (while driving), for some odd reason, the series keeps reminding me of Epcot at Disneyworld (must be the beer). Great show, very interesting to watch, even in traffic jams!

[meekon5]

Been catching it on Neflix (while driving), for some odd reason, the series keeps reminding me of Epcot at Disneyworld (must be the beer). Great show, very interesting to watch, even in traffic jams!

DB hope you have one of those Google self drive cars "Been catching it on Neflix (while driving)...(must be the beer)" Dude otherwise you may just be a hazard to other drivers (watching Netflix and drinking beer whilst driving).

[amogorilla77]

It was a little cheesy. I think they tried way to hard or maybe it is just the way Carl Sagan spoke. The way he spoke could really draw you in. To me it is reminiscent of Alan Watts. I listen to that man talk and even though I am conscious of the time hours pass by in a blink.
 

[The Daryl]

Not about the show, but about the man. Couple of very thought provoking quotes from Neil:

"For me, I am driven by two main philosophies: know more today about the world than I knew yesterday and lessen the suffering of others. You'd be surprised how far that gets you."

"We are all connected; To each other, biologically. To the earth, chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically."

Cool anecdotes about things like jury duty, etc, too. Pretty fucking interesting.

[DigitalBuddha]

Been catching it on Neflix (while driving), for some odd reason, the series keeps reminding me of Epcot at Disneyworld (must be the beer). Great show, very interesting to watch, even in traffic jams!

DB hope you have one of those Google self drive cars "Been catching it on Neflix (while driving)...(must be the beer)" Dude otherwise you may just be a hazard to other drivers (watching Netflix and drinking beer whilst driving).

Interesting that you should say that, M dude; it use to be legal (believe it or not) to watch a movie in your car in California while driving. They outlawed it a few years ago, and now all car DVD players in the front seat have to be rigged so that they can't play when the engine is running. I was "watching" Cosmos via my cell phone with Netflix and more or less just listening to the sound track with an occasional glance at the screen. Weird thing about the law is that it is illegal to watch a movie, but legal to use Skype on a Skype video call.

Actually, I don't do it often, and really only listen as I drive.

Funniest shit I have seen was a dude watching a porn flick on the San Diego freeway in a traffic jam as few years. You could see his screen easily through his window! That is when it was legal and car stereo/DVD players were all the rage.

[The Daryl]

So places are trying to outlaw texting while driving as distraction (and enforcing hands free for use of phones for calls) and in California you can Skype and watch tv on your phone? What a wonderfully on the same page country we have.... 

[DigitalBuddha]

So places are trying to outlaw texting while driving as distraction (and enforcing hands free for use of phones for calls) and in California you can Skype and watch tv on your phone? What a wonderfully on the same page country we have.... 

Already illegal in California.

[jgiffin]

Talented dude, that Neil. Apparently he can rap, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yis7GzlXNM

FF to the 1:30 mark for his segment. There's also a very, very, short cameo in the background by Carl Sagan at the 1:00 mark.

[Klaus Korters]

Funniest shit I have seen was a dude watching a porn flick on the San Diego freeway in a traffic jam as few years. You could see his screen easily through his window! That is when it was legal and car stereo/DVD players were all the rage.

I see the advantage driving automatic cars as changing gear in a manual would put you off your stroke.