"Creationists demand equal airtime on Neil deGrasse Tyson’s ‘Cosmos’ to provide ‘balance’"

[Kilgore Trout]

Agree. There are several series that go a lot more dramatic and large with the "scare".

I suspect the goal with this new series was to show more of the beautiful and amazing side of the universe and not just another "oh, dang, there's another meteor that's going to destroy Earth unless the solar storms get us first!"

Indeed. I suspect the new incarnation is meant to continue the same message and feel of the original series, which was meant to provide people with a perspective on science and the universe which is filled with wonder, awe, and beauty - a commendable counterpoint to negativity and pessimism regarding science, intellectualism, and secular humanism. I think anyone complaining about the tone of the show probably doesn't understand what the purpose of the show is supposed to be.

 

[Sunstone]

I still can't see why "Cosmos" can't be a little darker in tone. I am getting sick of all the magical space ship crap.

Show me giant meteors hurling towards earth, show solar storms that can scorch all life off the face of the earth, give me a little gore! The universe is not all sunshine, rainbows and lollipops like Tyson is trying to make it look like.

Solution: Don't watch it.

 

[Ouroboros]

Well big giant world killing meteors hurling toward us are real. The universe is a brutal, hostile and chaotic monstrosity not some namby-pamby cosmic playground where lemon drops grow on trees and clouds are made out of orange sherbet.

So meteors destroying us is always and only real and true, but beautiful nebulas aren't?

I think you're exaggerating.

Cosmos is not portraying the universe as it is, and that is wrong. If Cosmos does not portray the universe as the brutal, hostile and chaotic monstrosity that it is. It has no right to call itself a science show if it does not give us the whole truth about the universe.

So the only true and factual programs on TV are the ones about death and destruction and never anything nice. If a program talks about roses smelling nice, they're factually wrong. But if a program talks about people dying a horrible and painful death, then it's is factually right.

That's a very horrific way of judging TV shows...

 

[Ouroboros]

Indeed. I suspect the new incarnation is meant to continue the same message and feel of the original series, which was meant to provide people with a perspective on science and the universe which is filled with wonder, awe, and beauty - a commendable counterpoint to negativity and pessimism regarding science, intellectualism, and secular humanism. I think anyone complaining about the tone of the show probably doesn't understand what the purpose of the show is supposed to be.

Exactly.

The old Cosmos series was also focused more on the attractive and cozy parts of the universe. It was more of a "sit in front of the tv with a bowl of popcorn and the fire place going" show.

Sometimes it's good to have a show with cute kittens and not just insane murderous wildcats.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

Or in this case a show where the ferocious wild cat is acting like a kitten.

 

[Ouroboros]

Or in this case a show where the ferocious wild cat is acting like a kitten.

I'm sure the ferocious wild cat has a kitten side to it, somewhere under the fur.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

So meteors destroying us is always and only real and true, but beautiful nebulas aren't?

I think you're exaggerating.


So the only true and factual programs on TV are the ones about death and destruction and never anything nice. If a program talks about roses smelling nice, they're factually wrong. But if a program talks about people dying a horrible and painful death, then it's is factually right.

That's a very horrific way of judging TV shows...

The program isn't about roses, the program is supposed to be about the universe...a hostile environment were random destruction is the norm.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Or in this case a show where the ferocious wild cat is acting like a kitten.

More like it's trying to portray Godzilla as a lil' kitty cat.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

More like it's trying to portray Godzilla as a lil' kitty cat.

Even Godzilla would help humanity from time to time.

This is just another aspect of the universe, I think science has sort of made us think of te universe as this giant unforgiving horrible place, and while this show sure has camp it reveals that the universe is just indifferent. Beauty can be found even in that star going nova bombarding a nearby planet with cosmic rays that strip it of any semblance of an atmosphere.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Beauty can be found even in that star going nova bombarding a nearby planet with cosmic rays that strip it of any semblance of an atmosphere.

That's my complaint, so far they haven't shown anything like that in the episodes I've seen! When I watch NatGeo shows about predators like lions I don't want them to portray lions like playful kitty cats who are merely chasing gazelles because they are being playful, I want them to portray lions as lions are, ferocious predators living a hardscrabble life in the Serengeti.

Cosmos is a dumbing down of what the universe is actually like.

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

That's my complaint, so far they haven't shown anything like that in the episodes I've seen! When I watch NatGeo shows about predators like lions I don't want them to portray lions like playful kitty cats who are merely chasing gazelles because they are being playful, I want them to portray lions as lions are, ferocious predators living a hardscrabble life in the Serengeti.

Cosmos is a dumbing down of what the universe is actually like.

But being playful is part of a lions nature too. It's kinda the humanizing factor. In regards to animal shows tht depict that it's to show you that animals aren't just automatons.

 

[Ouroboros]

Maybe Cosmos is the Sunday school version of the Universe? God is always so cuddly in Sunday school.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Solution: Don't watch it.

This isn't a very good solution when your goal is to complain about something completely ridiculous.

 

[freethinker44]

God is always so cuddly in Sunday school.

That's because they leave out the good parts.

 

[Ouroboros]

That's because they leave out the good parts.

And thinking about it, usually God is all lovey-dovey cutsie-putsie in the regular church sermons too. Not very often you hear about God's angry and jealous side.

Imagine a sermon about how great God is because he kills people he hates.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

And thinking about it, usually God is all lovey-dovey cutsie-putsie in the regular church sermons too. Not very often you hear about God's angry and jealous side.

Imagine a sermon about how great God is because he kills people he hates.

So what? Science is suppose to be about the truth not the soft cuddly side of the universe. The universe has no soft cuddly side.

 

[nazz]

And thinking about it, usually God is all lovey-dovey cutsie-putsie in the regular church sermons too. Not very often you hear about God's angry and jealous side.

Imagine a sermon about how great God is because he kills people he hates.

I've heard it

 

[fantome profane]

Well big giant world killing meteors hurling toward us are real. The universe is a brutal, hostile and chaotic monstrosity not some namby-pamby cosmic playground where lemon drops grow on trees and clouds are made out of orange sherbet.

Cosmos is not portraying the universe as it is, and that is wrong. If Cosmos does not portray the universe as the brutal, hostile and chaotic monstrosity that it is. It has no right to call itself a science show if it does not give us the whole truth about the universe.

Have you ever been in love?

People in love are often unable to see any flaws.

Some people are in love with the universe. It is particularly common to astrophysicists.

Actually the tone set by Neil deGrasse Tyson is a pretty close match to the tone set by Carl Sagan in the original. He was also in love.

 

[Ouroboros]

So what? Science is suppose to be about the truth not the soft cuddly side of the universe. The universe has no soft cuddly side.

My dogs are part of the universe.

My dogs are very cuddly.

So the universe does have soft and cuddly sides. You just have to find them.

 

[Ouroboros]

I've heard it

Yeah. I've heard it at times too. That's why I said "not very often" and not "never".

But the point here is that we have messages that are cuddly and messages that are not. The harsh, hard, scary, ugly messages are more rare than the cute ones.

You need both. So why not for a series about Cosmos to show the more happy side of it?