'Cosmos' 2nd episode: Neil deGrasse Tyson condescends toward doubters of evolution

March 17, 2014

[EveningStar]

Last night, I watched the second episode of "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey" (the reboot of the 1980 series). It was entitled, "Some of the Things That Molecules Do."

One of the things Tyson dealt with in this episode was evolution.

Now, I myself do subscribe to the theory of evolution, but I found Tyson's treatment to be offensive, condescending, and smarmy.

I thought it was an in-your-face chip-on-the-shoulder response against skeptics of evolution.

I thought this was supposed to be a science show, not a political show.

But this is just my opinion. What is your opinion?

If you missed the episode and wish to see it, it will replay on the National Geographic Channel. You can also watch it online at Fox and Hulu.

[DungeonMaster]

Carl Sagan would be proud.

[luvie]

.....and he’s a Texan! He must have seen Wendy Davis and it turned his brain to mush!

[Secret Agent Man]

Tyson’s a smug a$$hole. his smug cloud rivals clooney’s.

[Old Sarge]

THY SELF-IMMOLATION CAME NOT WITH HONOR, AND
THUS DO I TURN MY BACK UNTO THEE, NEVER TO MEET AGAIN -
UNLESS OF COURSE, THOU DOST RETREAD...

[TheOldLady]

“Since 2008-06-25” so, 5-1/2 years. Not exactly in at the onset, but that is still a good amount of time.

[Blueflag]

BTW, it’s MEYER and Collins, not Singer. We regret the error.

Language of God for Dr. Collins

Signature in the Cell for Meyer.

Essentially REALLY bright, well-educated life scientists make the rational case for the evidence, role and reality of the Supernatural.

Meyer and Collins have both made Dawkins look childish in debates. Much like Lord Monckton would if Gore would ever debate him.

[Blueflag]

True, but they also exist in a molecular state.

Splitting hairs, or is it atoms?

[minnesota_bound]

Comment at tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com

Libs-are-fuktards • 41 minutes ago
The only reason BathhouseBarry appeared
was they told him there was a segment
about Uranus.

[TheOldLady]

Lovely pic of Ursula, Sarge. Very nice.

[ifinnegan]

“I thought it was an in-your-face chip-on-the-shoulder response against skeptics of evolution.”

Good way to describe this sort of thing.

[Jane Long]

Too much green beer?

[EveningStar]

I thought most of Tyson's presentation was just fine. However, he made several out of place comments during the evolution part of the program. I agreed with him in substance, but I felt those comments were not in keeping with a science program.

[ifinnegan]

Yes. It is not an alternative religious view, but science. It should be presented.

[skinkinthegrass]

*snicker!* ..touche'.

[skinkinthegrass]

serves him right; drinking from a bar, while Freeping..

[GGpaX4DumpedTea]

Ping for later...

[itsahoot]

ALL TV IS POLITICIZED NOW.

Sad but very true. Take a reputable historical book and make a movie of it. make it into a movie changing the meaning entirely. Show the movie then have group read the book, ask them which is true.

Movies are powerful tools for tyrants.

[papertyger]

BTW, it’s MEYER and Collins, not Singer. We regret the error.

Thanks! Google only yielded Singers, Judy and Phil Collins ;)

[papertyger]

Yes. It is not an alternative religious view, but science. It should be presented.

But it should NOT be presented the way historians make THEIR presentations. Giving the supporting data, to be reviewed, along with the conclusions would be science. This is not science.

This is "history" in another field of study. And given what IS widely known about the history of science, such presentations are the pedagogical equivalent of using "hot girls" to sell beer.

Defending such presentations differs from defending such advertising only in that the latter is shameless while the former is supercilious.