This year’s Comic-Con International: San Diego brought with it loads of exciting news and trailers, magnificent costumes and a whopping crowd of more than 130,000.
Although we could talk about the exciting news that Batman and Superman may soon have a movie together or stir up the debate about the upcoming “Ender’s Game” movie and author Orson Scott Card’s homophobic views, we will instead turn our attention to matters of a more cosmic significance.
Science fans in San Diego and all over the globe went bonkers as Fox revealed a trailer for the new “Cosmos” series at the convention. The series is a reboot of the 33-year-old series written and hosted by Carl Sagan. The new series will be hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, who spoke at UF in the Spring.
The series, called “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey,” is being produced, among others, by Seth MacFarlane of “Family Guy” fame and Sagan’s widow Ann Druyan, who helped Sagan write the original series.
The trailer promises an epic voyage to the stars and beyond — and also through our own history.
Despite the trailer’s epic feel, we hope the original spirit of “Cosmos” is retained. The first series, titled “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage,” emphasized the importance of maintaining the cosmic perspective.
What is the cosmic perspective? It’s a way of viewing the world that is sure to change your life. In Sagan’s own famous words, we are made of “star-stuff.” Every atom in our body was at some point dwelling within the nuclear furnace of a star billions of years ago. We are star-stuff contemplating the stars: the cosmos studying itself.
Sagan emphasized the view of humanity as a single species and the planet as a single unit. Sagan said, “Our loyalties are to the species and the planet. We speak for Earth. Our obligation to survive is owed not just to ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient and vast, from which we spring.”
Such views were bold for their time. “Cosmos” was released when the United States and the Soviet Union, in Druyan’s words, “held the whole planet in a perpetual hostage crisis.” “Cosmos” made an effort to provide insight into the histories and beliefs of many cultures, exposing the elegance and beauty behind them.
In a way, he taught us that science isn’t cold. The history and revelations of science are just as human as we are.
Some may be doubtful of how the series will turn out because Fox is the main channel carrying the series. But given how hard Druyan has worked in protecting Sagan’s image, we doubt the integrity of “Cosmos” will be an issue.
Besides, maybe “Cosmos” is exactly the kind of thing Fox viewers need to see.
