Sagan’s ‘Cosmos’ Coming Back

At a time when we’re stilling debating creationism vs. evolution, it’s critical for science to be brought into people’s homes through a world-class TV show. Carl Sagan’s hit series “Cosmos” is being passed down to Neil deGrasse Tyson. Incredibly, there’s a long history between the two great and charming minds. 

From the New York Times: 

Sitting by a rock by the Pacific, Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of the show and director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City, pulls out an old desk calendar that had belonged to Carl Sagan, the Cornell astronomer and author. On a date in 1975 he finds his own name. The most famous astronomer in the land had invited young Neil, then a high school student in the Bronx with a passion for astronomy, to spend a day in Ithaca.  

Dr. Sagan kindly offered to put him up for the night if his bus didn’t come. As Dr. Tyson told the story, he already knew he wanted to be an astronomer, but that day, he said, “I learned from Carl the kind of person I wanted to be.”

“Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” is a 13-part series that takes viewers on a tour of the universe. The first episode airs Sunday on FOX and on the National Geographic Channel. To learn more about the rebooting of Sagan’s renowned show head over to the Times.

For inspiration from Dr. Tyson, watch this exclusive Big Think interview on his advice for next generations of “Cosmos” hosts. 

Image credit: Greyhawk68/Flickr