Brian Cox on Carl Sagan

zooterkin

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zooterkin
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Sorry for the late notice, I've been away. :)

In the latest episode of the BBC Radio series, Great Lives, Brian Cox chooses Carl Sagan as his subject. The programme is downloadable as a podcast for those outside the UK for the next couple of days (it will also be on BBC iplayer for those in the UK).

I haven't had a chance to listen yet myself, but the programme is usually interesting. From the write-up:
Physicist Brian Cox tells Matthew Parris how Carl Sagan's Cosmos tv show changed his life. As a young boy of 13, Brian Cox stared at his television screen every Wednesday evening, as Carl Sagan took him on a journey across the Cosmos. The programme was a ground-breaking piece of television by a brilliant young scientist who could be inspiring and infuriating in equal measure. Sagan was a complex character. Driven to succeed, he came from a relatively poor background to become a millionaire, and one of the most influential scientists of his era. His popularity left him open to both criticism and jealousy amongst his colleagues, and whilst he was passionate about the need to educate the populace, he could also be arrogant and dismissive of his fellow scientists. So just how good a scientist was he, and what is his legacy?
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Neil de Grasse Tyson gave a speech at the American Museum of Natural History (where he directs the Hayden planetarium) about his Pluto files. At the end, a questioner asked him about Sagan's influence on his life. He spent ten minutes relating the story about how, nearing completion of high school in the Bronx, he sent out letters to colleges, and along with all the form letters he received a hand-written letter from The Carl Sagan, inviting him to come to Cornell in upstate New York to see their facilities. His parent's packed him off on the Greyhound to Ithaca in a snowstorm. He made it to the university, and Sagan personally led him on a tour of the Cornell facility. When they were done they sat in his office; Sagan pulled down a copy of his latest book off the shelf and inscribed it to Neil. He then took Neil to the bus station for his trip back. As the weather was worsening, he handed Neil a piece of paper with his home phone number on it, and told him that if there was any difficulty getting home, he was to call Carl and he'd come to pick him up and put him up until he could safely get home. Neil still has the note. Though he didn't go to Cornell, he said that that episode impressed him so much that today, if anyone should write and ask him a question about education in astronomy, or about astronomy in general, he will drop all else he is doing and make sure the request is satisfied as his topmost priority.

I've searched for that speech on the net, and have not been able to find it since. If anyone knows where it might be, I'd really appreciate a link to it. It was a nine-part serial video done semi-professionally.
 
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I bought my copy through the iTunes Music Store. It still inspires me.

Michael
 
Question: There are at least two versions of Cosmos "out there." One is the original series, with updates by Sagan at the end of most episodes; the other is the one with newer graphics (and, I've heard, some deleted dialogue). The first is the one I have on DVD; has the second version been released on DVD?

Alternatively, are there any rumors about a BluRay release?
 
shadron said:
Neil de Grasse Tyson gave a speech at the American Museum of Natural History (where he directs the Hayden planetarium) about his Pluto files. At the end, a questioner asked him about Sagan's influence on his life. ....

I've searched for that speech on the net, and have not been able to find it since. If anyone knows where it might be, I'd really appreciate a link to it. It was a nine-part serial video done semi-professionally.
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I heard that story when I was catching up on the "Are We Alone?" archives. I think this is the one:
http://radio.seti.org/episodes/Astronomy_Superstar_Neil_Tyson

When I was a college freshman I went to see a talk by Sagan at the university with my brand new boyfriend. Fortunately it was free for us poverty stricken students. I remember Sagan was engaging and enthusiastic, and was a wonderful talk. (aside, last weekend I celebrated my 30th wedding anniversary to the guy I went with!)
 
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