'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.

[apillar]

Tyson is the “Obama” of science. That is to say he is a mediocre astronomer/scientist with no real discoveries to his credit, but because of his decent speaking ability and polished TV persona (not to mention shameless self-promotion),he has been turned into a “science superstar” by a liberal media desiourous of having a minority Carl Sagan.

[EveningStar]

I disagree completely with your comment.

[G Larry]

Pretty clear with the “Wild wolf to domestic dog” meme, they sought to conflate adaptation WITHIN a species, with Evolution from one species to another.

[HiTech RedNeck]

This looks almost like it’s sidling up on some kind of philosophy of distributed consciousness and purpose without actually saying so — a cosmos-is-God worldview.

People who have studied live species know they are much more likely to respond to environmental pressure by approaching extinction than by evolving. Live observations of evolution of a new species are few if any. The best we can see is the way that microbes acquire new characteristics to weather man’s attempts to battle them with antibiotics, and yet we don’t see a staph germ turning into something that isn’t a staph germ.

All this is well known. Ultimately these people are busy dodging God. Classic preachers would warn them of hell, but it becomes obvious that they are crafting their own hells on earth even before leaving it. Because with ignoring God comes the rejection of the benefits of the personal favor of God, the benefits of truth, reason, love, longsuffering, hope, patience, etc.

[HiTech RedNeck]

And who did that... not the dogs. The people!

[Tenacious 1]

I think that evolution creeps along over time. I just think there was some intelligent design in creating humans.

I think evolution is God's tool/equipment. My wife uses an oven to create cup cakes. God uses evolution for his creation. I wonder when the timer will go off in this petri dish.

[GeronL]

Bump

I watch very little TV and this did not even budge my interest meter even though I like science and sci-fi

I just knew somehow it would be craftacular

[GeronL]

Bump

I watch very little TV and this did not even budge my interest meter even though I like science and sci-fi

I just knew somehow it would be craptacular

[HiTech RedNeck]

A combination of frank miracle and natural process is going on in this mortal coil.

A narrow field of study (like the physical sciences as we know them) will never be able to tell you about what goes on beyond its boundaries.

[Tenacious 1]

Well, when you can ‘breed’ one that will fly, let me know.

LOL

Here is my plan for that. We'll force evolution to introduce flying dogs. For the next 1,000 years we breed dogs in abundance and throw them from the roof of a 5 story building as fast as they mature. Eventually, they will learn to fly or become extinct. Right?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I watched the first twenty minutes of the first episode. I could not finish, I was getting ill. Offensive, condescending, and smarmy would have been a huge improvement. It was stoopid, confusing, unfocused, hokey, superficial, transcendently glib, juvenilely simplistic, inane and disappointing. I WAITED FORTY YEARS FOR THIS POS!!!!! We have learned SO MUCH MORE about the Cosmos in the last forty years, communications technology and media have advanced so far, and all we get is this stale dog vomit.

A total, complete and utter failure, a disgrace.

[papertyger]

Pretty clear with the “Wild wolf to domestic dog” meme, they sought to conflate adaptation WITHIN a species, with Evolution from one species to another.

Has anyone ever managed to breed a dog that can't successfully mate with other dogs?

[fatima]

We watched it last week and found it insulting so we decided to skip watching the show.

[Tenacious 1]

Waterhill,

I see a ZOT in your future. What gives?

[Tenacious 1]

I think someone is Zoticidal. Yikes.