Product Description

The complete landmark TV series - 13 one-hour episodes, including:

I: The Shores Of the Cosmos
II: One Voice In the Cosmic Fugue
III: The Harmony Of the Worlds
IV: Heaven and Hell
V: Blues For A Red Planet
VI: Travellers' Tales
VII: The Backbone of Night
VIII: Travels In Space and Time
IX: The Lives Of the Stars
X: The Edge Of Forever
XI: The Persistence Of Memory
XII: Encyclopedia Galactica
XIII: Who Speaks For Earth?

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2414 in DVD
• Brand: Cosmos
• Released on: 2002-10-22
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Box set, Collector's Edition, Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
• Number of discs: 7
• Dimensions: 1.25 pounds
• Running time: 780 minutes

Amazon.com
When Cosmos was first broadcast in 1980, our world--and the context of Carl Sagan's eloquent "personal journey"--was a different place. The late Dr. Sagan would be pleased to witness the cooling of the Cold War, the continued exploration of space, and ongoing efforts to curb our destructive dependence on fossil fuels. For Sagan's series is far more than a guided tour through "billions and billions" of stars and galaxies. It remains a profound plea for the unity of humankind, for the recognition that "we are a way for the universe to know itself," with an obligation to know our origin, our place in the universe, and our future potential.

In the course of 13 fascinating hours, Cosmos spans its own galaxy of topics to serve Sagan's theme, each segment deepening our understanding of how we got from there (simple microbes in the primordial mud) to here (space-faring civilization in the 21st century). In his "ship of the imagination," Sagan guides us to the farthest reaches of space and takes us back into the history of scientific inquiry, from the ancient library of Alexandria to the NASA probes of our neighboring planets. Upon this vast canvas Sagan presents the "cosmic calendar," placing the 15-billion-year history of the universe into an accessible one-year framework, then filling it with a stunning chronology of events, both interstellar and earthbound.

From the lives of the stars to creation theories, functions of the human brain, and the ongoing search for extraterrestrial intelligence, Cosmos asks big questions. When appropriate, Sagan offers big answers, or asks still bigger--and yes, even spiritual--questions at the boundaries of science and religion. What's most remarkable about Cosmos is that it remains almost entirely fresh, with few updates needed to the science that Sagan so passionately celebrates. It is no exaggeration to say that Cosmos--for all the debate it may continue to provoke--is a vital document for humanity at a pivotal crossroads of our history. --Jeff Shannon

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Customer Reviews

Hooray for Cosmos on DVD!
This set is one of the main reasons why I got a DVD player. My VHS taps had actually broken from too many viewings of "Cosmos." This box-set is one of the all-around coolest DVDs I own. The packaging is as innovative as the series, allowing for quite a few disks to take up very little shelf space. (It is about the size of three DVD cases.) The disks average 2 episodes per disk. The digital sound and picture is perfect, and a great boon to this exceptional series. As an extra feature, the "updates" option fills in any scientific gaps.

As to "Cosmos" itself, like many people I could offer my testimony to it's quality. As a child (I think I was about 7 when I first saw it) "Cosmos" opened my mind to the possibilities of the Universe. I am glad that the information is still relevant today, and that the only thing dated about the production is Carl Sagan's turtlenecks.

Should I ever have children, "Cosmos" is the sort of thing I would like to share with them.

One of the best things ever on television
The "Cosmos" series, along with Carl Sagan's books, prompted me to go back to school when my son was 9 to get a physics degree, to become a science writer and essayist, and to write two science books for children, the latest "How Come? Planet Earth" (Workman). I watched it with my son every week, and he was mesmerized. He later met Dr. Sagan in Ithaca, who called on this 10-year-old, his hand frantically waving, FIRST at a seminar of very distinguished adults.

"Cosmos" was sheer inspiration as well as brilliant education, the perfect antidote to a bad day, the ultimate escapist television. As each episode closed and the poignant theme music played, it would inevitably bring me to tears. I was lucky enough to purchase the entire set before it went out of production. It was the first thing my son, now 28, wanted to borrow when he came home for a visit recently. I miss Carl Sagan's presence in the world more than I can say, ....

Simply the Best!
I was fortunate to purchase all 13 episodes a few years ago before they became unavailable, and believe me it was difficult then to get them. I have learned the following from the Carl Sagan Productions website: The COSMOS series has recently been fully acquired by Carl Sagan Productions but it cannot be sold until the music rights have been re-cleared. We are planning to re-issue it on DVD and VHS after the legal work is complete. We will also be reissuing the album, Music of Cosmos, on CD. I am sorry none of these items is available at this time. --So hopefully it won't be much longer for these extraordinary programs to be available for purchase. In the series, Carl Sagan masterfully guides one through the wonders of our Universe and lets us see just who we are in it. From stars to micro-organisms, to trees and whales, to Johannes Kepler and the little-known, woman scientist named Hypatia from ancient Alexandria, to warnings of the perils of human aggression and foolishness of the past and perhaps future, and mostly of our striving, never-ending need to explore and understand through science; Sagan takes us on this journey. This is not just some science documentary, but rather, an experience that gives one a spirit, an appreciation, and a zest for science and understanding and mostly for being alive in this marvelous Universe. The photography is lovely. The music is full of wonderment. Sagan explains complex subjects to easy understanding (his greatest talent). When the videos become available again, I will be purchasing them again for fear of wearing the old ones out. They are great for everyone! The best purchase I ever made.