Product Description

Today, most scientists and philosophers claim that Earth is an ordinary speck of dust adrift, without purpose or significance, in a vast cosmic sea. This idea (popularized by the late astronomer, Carl Sagan) is an outgrowth of the naturalistic philosophy that has dominated science for the past 150 years. Yet, remarkable evidence--unveiled by contemporary astronomy and physics-may now tell a very different story. Building upon the overwhelming success of Unlocking the Mystery of Life (widely acclaimed as the most effective refutation of Darwinian theory, ever produced), Illustra Media presents The Privileged Planet. This hour-long documentary explores the scientific evidence for intelligent design and purpose in the universe. In the process, Earth is revealed as far more than the product of time, chance, and random natural processes. We now know that a rare and finely tuned array of factors makes Earth suitable for complex life. We depend on our planet's oxygen-rich atmosphere, its large moon, its planetary neighbors, and its precise location within the solar system and Milky Way galaxy. But the story does not end here. For, the same factors that make a planet like Earth hospitable to life also provide the best conditions for scientific discovery. Is this correlation merely a coincidence? Or does it point to a deeper truth about the purpose of the cosmos and the reality of a transcendent designer? The answer could dramatically affect 21st century science. Through stunning computer animation, interviews with leading scientists, and spectacular images of Earth and the cosmos, The Privileged Planet explores a startling connection between our capacity to survive and our ability to observe and understand the universe. A connection that points directly to the work of a creative mind and plan. This extraordinary documentary will be a focal point in the escalating debate between evolution and design.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4753 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 58 minutes

Review
Outstanding computer animations. Some of the best Ive ever seen. I am a cell biologist and I want to congratulate you. --Marvin J. Fritzler, Ph.D., M.D., Professor of Molecular Biology, University of Calgary

Review
It's as good as anything Ive seen on NOVA. The program is a delightful presentation that will be of interest to scientists and laymen alike. --Edward T. Peltzer III, Ph.D., Ocean Chemist

Review
It is tremendous! I really enjoyed it. --Bijan Nemati, Ph.D., Senior Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA

Customer Reviews

DANGEROUS!!! We can't have dissent!
From the folks at Illustra Media comes their latest nail in the coffin of exhausted theories on the evolutionary process.

Its a pretty big nail too.

This is the first well produced video that I've seen on the concept of the Anthropic Principle, the observation that our habitable earth...is just a little too perfect for life to exist when compared to the rest of the known Universe.

I'm pleased to see Dr. VanMeurs doctoral dissertation of a review on a video he's apparently never seen.

So for everybody else...here's a review by someone who HAS watched the video.

Very well produced and digitally filmed. The graphic presentations are excellent and near the level of the first edition in this series.

The scientists interviewed are very articulate and not out to bash you with the concept of "God" but to point out that the concept of our Universe actually teeming with life... is something that seems to fly in the face of the known facts.

FOR EXAMPLE: If we just took the space between Alpha Centauri and the star we call our Sun (about 4.3 light years) there seems to be only about a 2 mile layer of atmosphere that is known to be habitable by humans, without the aid of some sort of equipment.

Most of the video spends its time on the major points of the Anthropic Principle...right kind of sun, location in the solar system, location in the galaxy, atmosphere, presence of water...etc.

I wish there had been more video of the earth's landscapes used...simply because our earth is beautiful...and the respect this video gives it is breathtaking.

I found myself being in awe of the minuscule proportion of my existence as compared to the rest of the universe, yet somehow trying to figure out in all that space...why so little of it is accessible to a human being and why are we concsious of this fact?

The video should be an excellent starting point to start any discussion on the eternal question... "Why?"

Its been said that the Intelligent Design movement is dangerous. Dangerous to who? Those who have the most to lose in a debate I guess. Those who have no answer to the "Why?"

One technical flaw...on the bonus features, one of the pages on the Q & A section has no picture...but still works.

People on both sides are missing the point
I'm absolutely baffled at how many reviewers bring up the subject of "evolution" in their reviews of this DVD. Be they for it, or against it, they seem to base their opinion on it based on how they feel about "evolution". However, this DVD actually does not really take on that topic at all! What it does cover is something along the lines of Peter Ward's "Rare Earth". The uniqueness of earth in its ability to foster life.

Yes, it does have more of an Intelligent Design slant, which isn't suprising considering who made it, but there is nothing actually against the theory of evolution in this video at all. If you decided to love or hate this DVD, don't base your opinion of it on your opinion of Darwinism (be it for or against). That's really not the substance of the video, and anyone who thinks it is is completely missing out on the focus of the video.

This video is really well done, and features narration by John Rhyes Davies. If you're interested more in this subject, I'd definitely recommend the book "Rare Earth", or the DVD "If We Had No Moon" (narrated by Patrick Stewart).

Science and the Big Questions.
A thoughtful gaze cast beyond our atmosphere begs questions as to the how and why of time, exsistence, and purpose; questions which no sane person can, or should, ignore. In acknowleging the metaphysical dimension inherent to physics and cosmology, Gonzales and Richards join company with Kepler, Einstien, Hawking, Davies, and common folk like you and me. The
Privledged Planet film is a an excellent introduction to the more detailed book of the same name. It's a provocative guide through current evidences in physics and cosmology, which challenge the Copernican Principle and its cousin, the Principle of Mediocrity. Stimulating analysis such as this is what energizes science to move forward in the pursuit of truth, in this case looking not just at what the cosmos is, but to what it says.
If the tone of vulgar, sophmoric derision found in some of the negative reviews sounds eerily familiar, one should hardly be surprised. Defenders of orthodoxy never welcome dissent, or open inquiry for that matter, and visceral reactions are predicatable when such people sense a heretic in their church. The Privleged Planet has committed no sin against the empirical enterprise known as science; it merely refuses to genuflect before the doctrine of philosophical materialism. Gonzalez and Richards
have laid out a persuasive, testable argument and set a good example. Science, understanding, and the pursuit of truth will be better for it.
B. Woodall, M.D.