Neil deGrasse Tyson, the main character of the series, is undoubtedly one of the coolest, not to mention smartest, astrophysicists out there. His extensive knowledge about the cosmos, space, time, gravity, etc., is unparalleled. Tyson exudes confidence but not cockiness; on the show, he talks about DNA or the Tree of Life extensively but in a way so us “not science-y” people can understand. Off screen he is funny, calm, poised and knowledgeable. I also like how unapologetic he is when debating someone on an issue like his thoughts and decision on why not to refer to Pluto as the ninth planet, especially when he uses cold hard facts to reinforce his statements.
The creators and graphic designers of "Cosmos" did an incredible job of depicting space, planets, black holes, Earth, stars and even the myriad of stories told throughout the series. Much of the time while watching, you are in awe between the visual pictures to the script Tyson is narrating. Without the help of the beautiful images, "Cosmos" definitely would not be the same. It partly makes the series. I am always watching in such fascination and wonder. Bright colors just flash across your screen, especially during depictions of the Big Bang Theory or gas emissions from stars.
While this series has won multiple awards for educational content, including the Peabody award, it deserves so much more recognition than it has gotten. Whether you believe in evolution or not, everyone should take the time to watch it. You can learn basic scientific facts from the show or even gain a new educated perspective on things. I have learned so much from this series, and it gives me a new love and understanding of the cosmos above. Tyson does an incredible job, partly due to the writers, in explaining and showing us what time and gravity is all about. Topics like the Milky Way, Big Bang Theory, the speed of light, meteors and stars are talked about including how they came to be, and this is not even half of the topics discussed!
In the end, what I have gotten out of the show is not just what it is about, but also that there is so much to explore out there. Earth is just a small insignificant planet in billions of galaxies and solar systems out there. We do not know where and if space ends, and I think that is amazing. Space is beautiful and vast, and more people should be genuinely interested in learning about what is around us. There is so much more that we have to explore, and we may never get all the answers. There may be other life forms out there, and personally, I believe there has to be. I mean, it is crazy to think we are all alone in this sea of stars and universes.
