Cosmos: Carl Sagan

CLASSIC SCIENCE EDUCATION AT HOME! No one makes the Universe as accessible to the public like Carl Sagan! Just an awesome series! Thought provoking and entertaining! Thank you, Carl! We miss you!

I did a review on this series for the VHS set sometime ago. Recently I bought the DVD set and could not be pleased more. The DVD set has incorporated newer images of stars and galaxies from more recent pictures taken by the Hubble telescope and earthbound observatories. Also the graphics in some sequences have been improved. The visuals are clean and sharp and I have had no problems playing these DVD in my player. Producer, Ann Druyan, Carl Sagan's widow, opens the first episode and talks a little about when Cosmos was made and what's happened since. She also talks about what were Dr. Sagan's thoughts and how they transpired into what's currently known in science. I found more on the production company for these programs at: carlsagan.com Also, most of the episodes end with a "Cosmos Update" that was filmed 10 years after Cosmos was made. In the updates, Carl Sagan discusses and sometimes demonstrates anything new that's been learned on the material just viewed. The DVD's come in a handsome case with a breif synopsis of each episode printed on it. In the series, Carl Sagan masterfully guides one through the wonders of our Universe and lets us see just who we are in it. From stars to micro-organisms, to trees and whales, to Johannes Kepler and the little-known, woman scientist named Hypatia from ancient Alexandria, to warnings of the perils of human aggression and foolishness of the past and perhaps future, and mostly of our striving, never-ending need to explore and understand through science; Sagan takes us on this journey. This is not just some science documentary, but rather, an experience that gives one a spirit, an appreciation, and a zest for science and understanding, and mostly, for being alive in this marvelous Universe. The photography is lovely. The music is full of wonderment. Sagan explains complex subjects to easy understanding (his greatest talent). They are great for everyone! The best purchase I ever made.

Who speaks for Earth? Where did life originate from? Where is the human civilization going? What is out there waiting to be discovered? This series sets out to answer these questions as truthfully and as eloquently as it can. Carl Sagan was one of the most brilliant men to have existed in his time and still influences us today. The series puts the known facts of the universe so simply that even a child could understand them. The episodes within this series are inspiring and utterly beautiful. The majority of the information held within this DVD set is still true today, and regardless of whether or not you already know this information, it is still truly something inspiring and charismatic to watch and to have. The series is filled with history, philosophy, imagination, and an absolute respect for the facts, it is a series that challenges any documentary series today and has enhanced my life. I have long been aspiring to go into the professional field of science, specifically in biology, and this series has further pushed my desires to accomplish my goals. We all inhabit this pathetic little speck of a planet in our small corner of the galaxy, which resides among billions more; the fact that we know so much about it and can even summarize a variety of it into 7 DVDs is remarkable. "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself", this phrase continues to inspire me, along with several other Sagan quotes, something that every person should experience, simply because it is our birthright to know everything there is to know of the universe and beyond. This series is something I will forever treasure and share with posterity in the hopes that it will educate, entertain, and inspire them as it has for myself and several others.

Very pleased to see the series again. Carl Sagan is an inspiration.

Yep, it's a DVD set, and yes it's November 2025 as I write this. Is it worth the purchase price... my goodness yes! Carl Sagan is so impressive, video quality doesn't matter to me, the knowlege and passion over 13 one hour episodes is simply staggering. I am so satisfied with my purchase. It is one of those series you will revisit every couple years, 98% of the facts are still spot on today... science is science, the cosmos is the cosmos. Dare I say, a series that gives us hope. Outstanding.

As a teenager I was captivated by the "Cosmos" series when it first aired on PBS back in the 1980s. Carl Sagan was a great scientist as well as an exemplar television personality whose obvious love and passion for physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, environmental science and other related disciplines brings forth a wonderful program that is not only informative but also quite artful in it's use of cinematography, special effects and musical accompaniment. Indeed, not only did "Cosmos" tap into my sense of enthusiasm for outer space (that was first set in motion by the original "Star Wars" trilogy"), but it also helped lead me to a life-long love of classical music. Along this line, "Cosmos" makes use of musical excerpts by the likes of classical composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Mahler, Holst, Rimsky-Korsakov, Stravinsky, Shostakovich and Alan Hovhaness. Indeed, the LP I once owned of the "Cosmos" soundtrack served me well as a starting point for purchasing complete recordings of the afore mentioned. Then, of course, is also the soothing music by the New-Age Vangelis who recorded the title track. As the march of science and space exploration quickly debunks and challenges previous notions, the original "Cosmos" series is somewhat dated even despite the 10 year "updates". Even so, there is so much here that is still relevant to our understanding of space and our place in it. Sagan's passionate appeal to the situation of global warming is especially prophetic. As some reviewers have mentioned, the transfer is sub-par, with a sometimes grainy image. Even so, I'm quite satisfied with this item. I paid about $50 for it new not including tax and shipping fees.

Very good, remembering this series was made in the late 70s, and the original set is quite grainy considering what quality you get these days, but watchable. As a collector, the package is perfect.

Mixes theory with facts. Theology with wisdom.

This was the most fulfilling purchase I have ever experienced.

約40年前リアルタイムで見てました。どうしても見たく購入しました。以外とドラマパートが多く「こんなんだったけ？」と言う感想でした。 もちろん番組を見れた感動はかわりません。

Si nos enseñaran de esta forma en la escuela todos querríamos ser científicos. Imperdible serie y tampoco se pueden perder las nuevas temporadas con Neil DeGrass Tyson

Spedizione velocissima! Prodotto in perfette condizioni. Non potevo chiedere di meglio. Un documentario scientifico che ha fatto storia e ognuno dovrebbe aver visto.

Yes it is old, yes the image is far from HDTV but the content is the most interesting thing I've seen on tv in two decades, before they decided that we were too dumb and that tv had to be about celebrities... A must watch for everyone and you don't have to be scientific minded as Sagan's ability to explain science in original ways has made him a highly recognized popularizer of science. The mix of poetry and science makes this show enjoyable for everyone.