When I was a child everyone wanted to be an astronaut. It could be said that one of the main reasons was “Cosmos”: the amazing television show hosted by Carl Sagan, a scientist who was the synonymous of science during the eighties. Through “Cosmos”, Sagan sparked in an entire generation a deep interest in science. Sagan’s influence extended for more than two decades until now, when a remake of “Cosmos” was released by National Geographic Channel. All that I know about space when I was a child, I learned watching “Cosmos”. However, how did Sagan do that?
Journalist Joel Achenbach rehearsing a response in his article “Why Carl Sagan is Truly Irreplaceable” published in march issue of Smithsonian Magazine. According to Achenbach, nobody did explained space with such passion as Sagan. I clearly remember his explanation of billions of years of the evolution of our specie in only a few seconds. Really unforgettable.
Nevertheless, Sagan´s ability to make the complex easy was the result of his intense but also brief existence. Sagan had multiple careers. He was an astronomy professor at Cornell, wrote a lot of books, worked on NASA robotic missions, edited scientific magazines before working on television. Achenbach tells us about all these aspects and more.
After reading the Achenbach´s article, I could not avoid finding the old episodes of “Cosmos” in YouTube. With joy I saw that “Cosmos” has not aged, is still as relevant today as then. “Cosmos” is a great way to learn science. Using clear explanations, attractive graphics, animations and an inmersive soundtrack, everyone can learn about our universe and, why not, recover the intense desire of children to learn permanently. There is no doubt that this is the most important legacy of Sagan, an authentic storyteller.