Customer Reviews

Wonders of the Solar System

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I have just finished watching the UK DVD. Superb, I loved it. Prof. Brian Cox is great (winsome actually), his explanations were very good, his explanation about the conservation of angular momentum in star formation and tornadoes was superb. His explanation of the retrograde motion of Mars was also very good, it was the first time I understood it. He calculated the total energy output of the sun, using a can of water, an umbrella and a thermometer. Maybe he will encourage more people to study physics (he is a particle physicist). My degree is in Physics. so I enjoy this stuff.

As it was written in 2009, it takes into account all the probes that we have sent into the Solar System (over the last 30+ years). What was of particular interest, to me, is all the moons in the Solar System, all 145+ of them, Saturn alone has 61 moons. Titan has liquid methane lakes instead of water and it has an atmosphere, Enceladus has geyser like events. With Jupiter's 63 moons, IO has active volcanoes, and Europa is an Ice moon with some evidence of water below the surface. With Mars there is evidence of water and an atmosphere in the distant past, and there is methane on Mars now. He goes into some detail about Saturn's rings, which was fascinating, to me as a physicist. The only problem I have is it is only 5 episodes and I wanted more, the next series will be on Wonders of the Universe. It is fascinating stuff. The SFX were good too.

The series is a good example of the Anthropic principle, Cox calls it the Goldilocks principle, "everything was just right" to produce life (on Earth). It is the correct mass, distance from the sun, it has an atmosphere so that the Earth can support liquid water, without which there would be no life. The magnetic field deflects the solar wind so the atmosphere is not stripped off, the atmosphere helps to regulate the climate, protects us from the sun's rays and helps to protect from meteorites.

Episodes: (Adapted from Wiki.)

1. "Empire of the Sun"
The first episode illustrates how the formation and behaviour of the Sun affects each planet in the Solar System. Includes solar wind, Aurora Borealis, plus aurora on Jupiter and Saturn.

2. "Order Out of Chaos"
The second instalment focuses on the Rings of Saturn, and the geysers of Enceladus. Plus the formation of the solar system. Here he introduces the conservation of angular momentum, as my degree is in physics, I loved it.

3. "The Thin Blue Line"
The third episode looks at the atmosphere of Earth and that of Saturn's moon Titan. Plus Enceladus's geyser like events.

4. "Dead or Alive"
The fourth episode looks at the size of planets, volcanoes, and the Jovian moon Io. Plus dead Mars and hot Venus, Earth being the Goldilocks planet.

5. "Aliens"
The final installment covers life surviving in extreme environments, and how the search for life on other worlds follows the search for water, focusing on Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa.

NB. The next series is on Wonders of the Universe [Blu-ray] release date August 30th 2011.

As the title says, this is by far the best Astrophysics series, in my opinion, since Sagan's legendary Cosmos.

Professor Cox injects a measure of genuine excitement into this series that is seldom seen. He is truly marveled at all these wonders as he explains them, and it is extremely contagious. The topics feel close at hand, and it does a great job transporting you to these places that are 'just around the corner'. Not having to deal with the great distances and unknowns of the universe, but instead focusing on our solar system, the series goes into great detail about our cosmic neighborhood. You will have gained knowledge as never before by the time you're done.

I can't wait for the bluray release to experience this in the best quality possible with my family. Needless to say, i am now a fan of professor Cox' work and can't wait for his follow-up (which is already being filmed!!).

My only complaint is that 5 episodes is not nearly enough, I could have watched another 20!

My wife and I were able to catch this program on TV while overseas. It is the most fascinating, inspiring, and entertaining science program I've ever seen. Can't wait for the DVD release. The host, Brian Cox, is a physicist, and his delight and wonder regarding the topics in the show are infectious. I can't recommend this enough!

This 3-disk DVD set is definitely worth every penny. The knowledge contained in these disks is not only fascinating, but oftentimes entertaining and awe-inspiring. I challenge anyone to get through this series without an "ooh" an "ah" or a "WOW". The footage is gorgeously shot and the special effects beautifully rendered, and though some bits repeat a few times (I believe the animation of the big bang is shown at least once in every episode), none of it really detracts. In fact, it often gives a bit of breathing room, where you can sit and absorb the new things you've just been shown. Both the presenter and the professionals he speaks to on the show have a lot of knowledge to offer, and I doubt there are many people who will watch this program without learning at least one thing.

Professor Brian Cox is an excellent presenter. As many have said before me, he puts everything in language that's easy to understand, without being the least bit condescending. He's genuinely, contagiously excited about the material he's presenting, almost always with a nearly childlike grin plastered onto his face. On top of this, he's charismatic, and often quite funny. This makes the program feel less like a classroom than it does a journey of discovery.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the third disk contains Prof. Cox's two HORIZON specials, "What on Earth is Wrong With Gravity?" and "Do You Know What Time It Is?" Though there are no other special features on the disks (No behind-the scenes or deleted footage to be found), these specials bring the amount of material on the disks to about 7 hours. I'm definitely not complaining, as this is quite a bit of footage for the price. (Edit: I had miscalculated, originally. The specials were marked into 4 scenes each, and as this was not in a separate scene selection menu, I thought the specials were each 4 episodes. However, each special is about an hour long, and the menu is for the different scenes.)

Put all of this together, and you have a series that's not only valuable in the amount of material in comparison with the price, but in the value of the material itself.

I really enjoy these types of DVD's, but there is usually some disheveled, old scientist hosting. Not this time - Brian Cox does a great job. It's easy to see that he is genuinely excited and interested in conveying the knowledge of the cosmos to everyone watching at home. The pictures from other planets were really breathtaking, such as sunsets on Mars and even the northern lights on Saturn. The way the tell the information makes it easy to understand, too. There are several excellent diagrams and computer-generated models, but Brian also does some very simple demonstrations with household objects that everyone can easily understand. Also, the settings are incredible as Brian travels to India, Norway, and many other destinations to give viewers a true sense of wonder as he explores jungles, deserts, and icy waters.
Only two very small negatives (in my opinion) of this DVD: 1. They started to lose me in the "doomsday meteor" portion on disc 2. It was bordering on ridiculous when the music begins to pick up and play this very percussion-heavy theme. Luckily, they don't dwell on it and the video moves on. 2. The cameraman/producer gets carried away with the shot "Brian's face - Brian's face moves - direct sunlight into the camera! - Brian's face blocks sun again - Repeat."

Those very small drawbacks are not nearly enough to drop this review even one star. This Blu-Ray is already in my top favorites along with Planet Earth, as the scenery is breathtaking, the information is relevant and easy to understand, and I think suitable for even grade school kids wanting to learn about the solar system. Overall and OUTSTANDING edition to my collection, and I'm already watching it for the second time!

Bottom-line up front--a breathtaking series, both from a visual perspective and from a learning perspective.

First shown on BBC in mid-2010, this series is available on "regular" DVD and Blu-Ray. If you've got a Blu-Ray player, spend the extra for the HD edition; it's worth it. The presenter, Brian Cox, is the antithesis of the "science geek" as portrayed by people like "The Science Guy"; however, he has real credentials (a PhD in astrophysics and works on the Large Hadron Collider). This series blends telescope and space probe photography seamlessly with computer graphics to help you see and understand the solar system and how it works, and the amazing places that populate our neighborhood. In addition, Cox's enthusiasm shines through the series, and he has a knack for explaining complicated items in a manner that makes them intuitively obvious. For example, his explanation of why the planets appear to move in a retrograde motion in the sky is simple, elegant, and made the non-science types in the family say "now I understand what you've been saying".

Pay no attention to the couple of one-star reviews that complain that they wanted pretty pictures and instead got education. With this series, you get both--plenty of pretty pictures, and lots of education presented beautifully. I look forward to the coming series "Wonders of the Universe".

Although I enjoyed it mostly (Brian Cox is certainly pleasant to look at and I appreciated his low-key/non-hype manner) I really kept asking, too, "what about the solar system?" Even though I'm almost a complete dunce on the subject, I learned surprisingly little for the length of this program. Perhaps this program could be edited to take out all the superfluous shots of Cox and instead answer some of those questions posed in the film. I really wanted more information, more depth and more visuals of the solar system.

Life...It can't be ignored. This miniseries looks at the solar system through the eyes of our many robotic cameras sent forth as human surrogates to understand our place in the solar system, indeed in the universe. It does tend to focus on the search for extraterrestrial life and the solar system's most likely candidates that could support life now, or have supported life in the past. Just as our ancestors put down the church-supported belief of a heliocentric universe, scientists today are hellbent to put down the belief that Earth is the only island in the universe that harbors life. This series does not delve into the hornet's nest of theology or philosophy, it simply puts forward the candidates for the office of extraterrestrial life. The photography and the hi-def CG animations are beautifully done and serve to put you out there as an observer of the alien worlds beyond ours. The video looks at the variety of life forms found on Earth and focusses on Earth's life that lives in the most "unearthly" conditions, than looks out into space for equally "unearthly" environments that match. A major focus of today's search for ET, is looking for Goldilocks Zones around other stars, What this video shows is that nothing is written in stone, and indeed, habitable environments are possible outside of that narrow zone just in our own solar system. What that serves to do is increase the chances life could flourish in many more places. The elements for life are common everywhere. The building blocks of life are being found in space. The spark of life has only been proven on Earth. We have a lot of work and exploration to do.

I cannot fully articulate how good this series is. It is fabulous. The graphics are amazing and Professor Cox makes the complex seem simple. He runs the same thread through every episode which is that the ecosystem on Earth is only part of a much larger ecosystem and that the same natural forces that created and developed our planet are operating everywhere in the solar system with such different and varied results. My view of nature will never be the same. My horizons are so greatly expanded.

This is quite a series. Totally unique. The overview of the solar system has been done many times, but none with the unique approachable style of Prof. Brian Cox. It is easy to get put off by the great voices and giant stature of the presenters normally used on such programs. Bryan Cox is more a guy you know who knows more than anyone you are likely to know about his subject. And the graphics are simply the best as are the little side trips he takes along the way. And the blu-ray can't be beat. Bravo Brian!