Most everyone knows that I absolutely love Carl Sagan. A brilliant human being, I celebrate him as one of those people that give you hope in humanity regardless of the rest of the world. Of course, he has been dead for quite a while. His ever so well spoken words live on today, shining as bright as the stars in the sky. Science has come a long way since his book (and subsequent TV series) Cosmos, but even now the information and philosophical commentary are pertinent to today's pale blue dot inhabitants.
I discovered Carl Sagan late in life, having only one encounter with something resulting from his writing: the movie Contact. To me, Contact was a thrilling, compelling movie. True, today I still love this movie, but I am a bit more capable of giving it an accurate rating. At the time, I didn't know who Carl Sagan was. I had no idea that later in my life, his words would be as powerful as Richard Dawkin's in swaying my beliefs from theism to science. In a way, I feel like Cosmos was the Mister Rogers Neighborhood I never had after Mister Rogers had become less interesting due to age.
I don't remember if I ever learned anything from good ol' Fred Rogers. I didn't have to learn anything from him to adore the TV show he hosted, he was a distant friend that would talk kindly, show videos of things being made, and let me join him in visiting his puppet friends. Now that I think about it, it was a nutty show, although not nearly as nutty as Lamb Chop. It stimulated an area of my brain that remains active to this day. Whatever part of the brain that produces that amazing brain chemical called "wonder." That and an ever present reminder to feed the fish. I don't have fish.
Even with dated information, I feel that Cosmos will be the upgrade for my kids. Carl Sagan may not have had a train set, or a strict routine for when he enters his quaint home after returning from what had to be a sweater convention. He may not even have a strange puppet land full of moral stories. What Carl Sagan did bring to TV was that same sense of wonder, just a little more matured. And he definitely rocked a sweater more than once. Most importantly, he has the ability to make you believe in the amazing intricacies of the scientific world in which we all live. He had that ability to describe intense scientific theory in a way that was not only powerful mental stimulation, but very easy to swallow.
Yeah, from Sesame Street to Mr. Roger's to Cosmos. My kids are going to rule.
