Cosmos: a space time Odyssey

[lightsout]

This week's episode is probably the worst of the series. It can all be summed up by saying "Lead is bad Mmkay".

I'd argue it's one of the better episodes.

-Covered how layers of sediment work.

-Covered how dating works (roughly, anyway)

-Covered how the Earth was dated (loved it)

-Covered the role of lead through history (great part. Also, ready to hear Christian backlash online)

-Covered how lead was applied to American society (informative and interesting, IMO. Also highlights how big money and propaganda ads run poo)

-Covered how lead exposure effected society and how it was fought and eventually won

That last part was great for a couple of reasons. One being, it was arguably the best of the animated segments of the entire show so far. Also, it basically parallels to climate change denial (almost exactly, really).

I thought the episode was great. I'm starting to see that skepticism and constantly seeking to understand things a little bit further is what the show is pushing for, more than anything. And they apply this past science, with social examples of how this can and should be applied (with religion, with economic drivers like lead-based products, etc). That's why they're constantly showing the historical things. They often deal with not only using a scientific mind for scientific purposes, but also for everyday life/social purposes, and how this is advantageous to society.

That's my take on it, anyway.

[Matthias]

The thing about the climate change issue, I don't understand what they want people to do.  Our lives are still very dependent on gasoline and fuel sources that are emitting these green house gas effects.  It's one thing to point out an issue, it's even better having a plan to solve it.  Of course with the lead thing, we easily could have stopped that production, and we did.  Our lives didn't revolve around lead material, it was just cheaper to make them while bringing in a big profit for all those greedy companies.  Yet our lives currently revolve around using gasoline and other chemicals that would be causing climate change.  Where are the inventions that will make alternative fuel beneficial?  C'mon scientists and engineers!  If you're going to alert me to a problem, give me a better solution while you're at it.  I guess the way I see it, the only solution would be to stop living in a sense.  Is that what we should do? (By the why, I hope to get involved in alternative energy.  Most people vote for a president based solely on how they look, are they likable.  Yet when Obama first ran for office back in '08, he talked a lot about alternative energy production.  I would have voted for him based on that one issue.  Unfortunately his plans concerning it haven't gone anywhere, and it looks like he abandoned it altogether.  That's why when it comes to change, I believe that change will come more from informed and active people who wants to better their society, than voting one guy in to do all the work for us.)

 

 

All that said, it was a good show.  DeGrasse gave us creationists our airtime in mentioning James Ussher lol!  Yet again I'm still waiting for the mention of a black scientist who has contributed something to the world.  Of course when it comes to science, all the major discoveries of old will be attributed to western society.  Not that other places in the world didn't do anything, and there's plenty of mention coming from the middle east part of Asia with the development of math.  It's just that the scientific method was primarily developed in the western world of Europe.  I would like to know of a name I didn't know before, of a contribution from a scientist of african descent.

[lightsout]

Lowering emission levels, electronic cars/hybrids, etc. are all attempts at reducing green house gases created by our typically gas powered transportation.

Is it fixing the issue? Not really, because they're simply outnumbered and it hasn't been long enough to measure the effects of the small percentage of those environmentally safe options in any real sense.

This is why NDT and Bill Nye both constantly implore young people to be scientists, to be engineers, because engineers come up with these types of solutions. We just don't have enough of them at the moment. 

[Matthias]

I want to be apart of that, building effective and cost friendly clean energy technology.  I always said one invention can wipe away all of America's problems.  National debt?  With mass production of effective clean energy, we can boost the economy and sell our product to other nations.  So I agree, we need more scientists and engineers.

[CarolinaCoolin]

I want to be apart of that, building effective and cost friendly clean energy technology. I always said one invention can wipe away all of America's problems. National debt? With mass production of effective clean energy, we can boost the economy and sell our product to other nations. So I agree, we need more scientists and engineers.

Oil companies won't let free energy exist

[PandaPancake]

Oil companies won't let free energy exist

 

Were not worried about it. There will always be demand for oil.

 

Also free energy? What's the highest level science you've had? Because I have this perpetual motion machine I could sell you.

[CarolinaCoolin]

Were not worried about it. There will always be demand for oil.

Also free energy? What's the highest level science you've had? Because I have this perpetual motion machine I could sell you.

2nd grade science, and golly gee mister ya mean it?!

[Panthro]

http://imgur.com/gallery/c5kxweD

 

I do love me some NDT

[Cat]

Playing catch up. Just watched the episode on light. I needed that one. I've always been perplexed when it comes to light and never really tried to understand it. I think I finally got a decent grasp. A couple things they did made it click. I love learning something new!

[Jangler]

[cookinwithgas]

stealing that

[KillerKat]

Wow this was the episode I have been waiting for. The best one of the series.

[lightsout]

Really good episode.

[Zinub]

Thought it was a great episode yet again. NDT had some big shoes to fill when it came to doing cosmos.

So far I think he's doing a great job. Part of me wants to see them have a special episode and bring someone like Bill Nye, or Michio Kaku.