There was a time when Doordarshan wasn't as heavily desi as it is today. Quality programs were regularly aired, one of them being the legendary series COSMOS by Carl Sagan. This 13-episode series was shown on DD on Sunday morns from 9 to 10. Though my interest in the heavens was gradually growing, I was too young to take in the heavy intellectualism of Dr.Sagan. I would have much rather preferred some science fiction (like Projective UFO which was replaced by COSMOS) to science facts. Dad, though, would watch it in rapt attention. I would try hard to take interest in the heavy dose of scientific facts being delved into before running out of patience.I went on to rue those moments of infantile ignorance. Sagan became my hero and I framed his photo for inspiration. Dad bought me his book by the same name. It was sheer serendipity that brought me to the doorstep of this wonder series yet again today.
Since bandwidth is a rare commodity, I've been able to watch only the first 13 mins of Episode 9. Two things came to the fore.
- Sagan inadvertently spoke about the history behind the name of a search engine that was yet to come into existence then. Ironically, it was through this search engine that I managed to rediscover the series.
- A score from Handel's Water Music was being played in the background while Sagan explained the nature of matter sitting in a banquet hall in Cambridge University. I used to listen to this score very often during my Pune days.
Comments
sky watching even with a telescope and all, since dey have strated space tourism
would u like 2 be a space passenger ? .
might become possible in ur lifetime ,
just if d costs come down r u become richer and more technology is developed ,
and our govt can afford it ,
possibilities look slim , but den dere is .