I just caught up on some of my RSS feeds and I was delighted to see that Hulu has posted all 13 episodes of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos online. Cosmos was a key factor in my interest of all things science. Rural Iowa was not the easiest place to cultivate a passion for science, but my father did quite well.
Growing up in the 70s and 80s in rural Iowa meant no cable TV, a satellite dish was something you planted in your back yard and any calls out of town were long distance. We still managed to stay informed through a handful of science and computer magazine subscriptions, the local library, and PBS.
Of all these factors, PBS was without a doubt the most instrumental in pointing me down the path to geekdom. Shows like NOVA and Cosmos stimulated my interest in science. Monty Python, Are You Being Served and Benny Hill built my appreciation for British comedy and Masterpiece Theater and Austin City Limits gave me an appreciation of the arts. Many of these shows still air on PBS today. NOVA is in it’s 36th Season, ACL is working on its 33rd season and Masterpiece Theatre is still going strong after 38 years. Many of the comedies are still finding air time on local PBS affiliates around the country, and Monty Python now has it’s own YouTube channel.
So if you haven’t given much thought to PBS in recent years, consider checking out NOVA and Cosmos on Hulu. I think your geeklets will enjoy the the relaxed documentary style of these shows and at the very least they will learn a new way to say "billions and billions". I thank my own GeekDad for encouraging me to watch these shows and I hope that my kids will thank me for the same.
Via Bad Astronomy, and GeekDad.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.
Wikipedia has a lot more info on NOVA, Cosmos and Carl Sagan.
Just in case Hulu "expires" Cosmos you can still get the DVDs of the series on Amazon.
