“Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” came to a bittersweet conclusion last night. The episode was beautiful and inspiring, but its absence from Sunday night’s TV lineup will certainly be felt. (If you missed it, you can watch the whole episode here.) And if you’re looking to fill the void of stimulating science programming, here are some shows and documentaries — both old and new — to check out.
1) “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage”
In the last 10 minutes of “Cosmos,” we heard the iconic voice of a different scientist and educator: Carl Sagan’s famous quote from his book “Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space.” Sagan created the first “Cosmos” series, “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.” The original series inspired countless young kids to become scientists, including Bill Nye the Science Guy. If you have not yet caught the original series, the entire thing can be watched on YouTube, and it is certainly well worth it.
2) “Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman”
Over on the Science Channel there are a number of programs to fill the “Cosmos” void, including “Through the Wormhole With Morgan Freeman.” The show, which airs at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesdays, explores a host of seemingly unanswerable questions, from “nature versus nurture” to the mysteries of space and beyond. It is now in its fifth season, so there’s plenty to catch up on. Check out this clip of Morgan Freeman inhaling helium below:
3) “The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries”
If it’s Neil deGrasse Tyson in particular that you’re going to miss, fear not. Tyson is involved in a number of other programs readily available for your perusal. You can check out StarTalk radio, or catch up on the NOVA ScienceNOW episodes he produced and hosted, or you can grab Tyson’s “Great Courses” DVD series, “The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries.” No, there’s no Ship of Imagination, but there are historical lessons, and an abundance of Tyson’s contagious passion for science.
4) “NOVA”
“NOVA” is probably one of the best-known science programs around. The PBS show covers the history of ancient civilizations; biology and health; math, physics and so much more. It airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
5) YouTube Science Channels
It is probably no surprise that there is a ton of really cool science programming on the Internet. And if you don’t have an hour to sit through a full-length TV episode or documentary, these quick and creative videos can give you a small — yet informative — dose of science.
AsapSCIENCE:
It’s OK to Be Smart:
Periodic Table of Videos:
Bill Nye the Science Guy:
And for longer documentaries, there is HD Universe Channel: