Tag Archives: Neil deGrasse Tyson

November 12, 2014 · 1:00 pm

“A Level of Connectivity”

the carina nebula

The Carina Nebula

Those of you who’ve been visiting for a while likely remember my passion for Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and its predecessor from 1980.

Lately, I’ve had a hankering to watch the episodes again. Not sure if it’s the cooler weather, or just the way Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson spin tales of science and history in such assuring, calm voices.

Maybe it something to do with humankind landing on a comet. Whaaaaaaaaaaat?!?

I was reminded of all this the other day when a friend shared a brief statement from NDT – puts a few things back into perspective, and makes me feel connected to the planet, the universe, and you.

Cosmos is on Netflix now. I highly recommend it for group or solitary viewing on those long winter nights, when we simply can’t be outside staring at the stars ourselves. How incredible that we have such information and imagery available to us.

Also, today would have been my dad’s 69th birthday. I’m certain he would have been a big fan of the new Cosmos, and in that thought I have a whole new level of connectivity.

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March 26, 2014 · 1:00 pm

Required Watching

Cosmos eye in the sky logo opening

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me once again mention the new Cosmos, Neil deGrasse Tyson and an amazing opportunity for free, entertaining education.

Three episodes have now aired, and are available to you, without commercials, online 24/7. Adults and children alike are experiencing the beautiful and fascinating presentation of science and humanity that is Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Happily, so much more is to come. Like, 10 more episodes to come.

I’ve enjoyed all of it immensely, even those times that I tried to watch late at night and ended up falling asleep. NDT has a very soothing voice… it’s like the universe’s best bedtime story. The visual, audio and content are just beyond words. This stuff is epic – and real.

Further, I feel I owe it to myself, my daughter and my society to participate in this happening. Although the subject matter is literally, in part, light years away, numerous aspects of it take place within our atmosphere, and within our bodies. The work that people like Tyson are doing enlivens the past, clarifies the present and, hopefully, guides our future. Maybe a grade-school viewer will be inspired to help us one day breathe cleaner air. Maybe a high school babysitter will share some of what she’s learned with wide-eyed charges. Maybe someone who’s never heard the real, undeniable facts of evolution will encounter a new, fuller kind of spiritual experience. Cosmos provides the opportunity, and we have the choice to seize it.

All you have to do is watch.

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March 10, 2014 · 1:00 pm

Lakes of Ice Beneath Blankets of Stars

Holland State Park Lake Michigan

Just a note to say we had a great weekend full of ice and stars.

On Saturday we got together with my sister and her husband, who live relatively close to the shoreline of Lake Michigan. If you’re not from the area, you might not know that the Great Lakes have come close to freezing solid this winter (not the norm; thank you, polar vortex). The result is a landscape vastly different from the familiar sand and water of the summer.

In the picture above, most of the people you see are walking on the lake. Not on the beach. On the lake. The hills and ridges are waves, and the green and white tower is the end of a pier. It was very surreal. From atop those waves, we could see moving water… way out on the horizon.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Martian Sunrise Sunday was a day my husband and I have anticipated for literally years. The new ‘Cosmos’ with Neil deGrasse Tyson premiered on network television, and it was so cool. We weren’t able to concentrate as fully as we’d have liked (because, toddler), but it was still fantastic to be a part of this thing. We even made NDT’s own astronomy themed cocktail: The Martian Sunrise. Can’t wait to see what comes next.

To your week!

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July 24, 2013 · 1:00 pm

Prepare – NDT and Cosmos Cometh

The new Cosmos is coming. Few things are as mind blowing, and potentially perception changing, as this series. It’s science, history, humanity and the future, all wrapped into a presentation by the greatest minds of our time.

For NDT nerds, I expect this to be an especially monumental event. The trailer is thrilling, and almost makes one emotional with the anticipation of the knowledge it will share.

If you never saw the Carl Sagan original:

Get ready.

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