#MALCosmos Live-Tweet Recap

Last night, a modern reboot of Carl Sagan’s classic TV show Cosmos, hosted by the very worthy Neil deGrasse Tyson, premiered on like eleventy billion channels. No word yet on how many tuned in, but I like to think that it was more than the Superbowl.

Did you catch it last night? Waiting until it’s available online? Gonna watch when you have more time? If so, you missed Mad Art Lab’s live-tweet session during the big event. But never fear! Just read along with this recap and it’ll feel like you were right there with us.

Before it started, announcements had to be made, food had to be prepared, and beer had to be opened.

The Mad Art Labbers have decided to partake in a live-tweet event of the reboot of The Cosmos! Watch this hash tag: #MALcosmos

— Chicago Skeptics (@ChicagoSkeptics) March 9, 2014

Wait. Did I say that we are rebooting The Cosmos? I meant the TV show. The rest of the universe will probably not change much. #MALcosmos

— Chicago Skeptics (@ChicagoSkeptics) March 9, 2014

Dip is in the oven. Beer in hand. 30 minutes to #Cosmos. Can’t wait! #MALCosmos

— Courtney Caldwell (@CultOfCourtney) March 10, 2014

I’ve got Chinese takeout and I’m ready to devour it all, as I watch Unicron devour whole planets in this reboot. #MALCosmos

— Brian George (@brianggeorge) March 10, 2014

Our first glimpse of the show’s slick, ultramodern feel: an updated Ship of the Imagination, which shows off the production’s 3D prowess with a preliminary trip through the solar system (my favorite part was when it flew through the grainy, black and white photograph of the surface of Mars). It reached all the way out to the Oort Cloud, but not before stopping for a glimpse of the Voyager 2 spacecraft, complete with the Golden Record.

Nice spaceship (and production values!) #MALCosmos

— Anne Sauer (@aynsavoy) March 10, 2014

Their budget must be OUT OF CONTROL to build this space ship. #Cosmos #MALCosmos

— Courtney Caldwell (@CultOfCourtney) March 10, 2014

10 minutes in and I’m already lost in it. The effects are gorgeous. #MALCosmos

— Brian George (@brianggeorge) March 10, 2014

Way to pronounce “Uranus” so that no one can make those tired jokes. #MALCosmos

— Anne Sauer (@aynsavoy) March 10, 2014

12 minutes in and #Cosmos already made me tear up. Voyager does it every time.

— Ashley Hamer (@smashleyhamer) March 10, 2014

Don’t forget where we parked! #MALCosmos

— Chicago Skeptics (@ChicagoSkeptics) March 10, 2014

Commercial breaks were a good time to contemplate the number of people who were watching this at the same time and contemplate the wisdom of companies who decided to place ads during the show.

I just teared up at the thought of how many millions of people are watching this, in prime time. #MALCosmos

— Brian George (@brianggeorge) March 10, 2014

Somehow, putting the commercials against the background of the wonders of the universe makes me a little disappointed in myself. #MALCosmos

— Chicago Skeptics (@ChicagoSkeptics) March 10, 2014

Ok, ChristianMingle. Interesting place to put a commercial. #cosmos

— Ashley Hamer (@smashleyhamer) March 10, 2014

The next segment told the story of Giordano Bruno and the reaction of the church to his cosmological theories. I think we were all surprised at how the show didn’t pull punches when it came to religion’s role in suppressing scientific discoveries and discourse.

Man, I have newfound respect for Bruno Mars #waitwhat #MALCosmos

— Anne Sauer (@aynsavoy) March 10, 2014

Wow, not really holding back on the religion stuff. I’m somewhat surprised. #MALCosmos

— Brian George (@brianggeorge) March 10, 2014

Woohoo, shoutout to the separation of church & state from Neil DeGrasse Tyson! Love it. #Cosmos #MALCosmos

— Courtney Caldwell (@CultOfCourtney) March 10, 2014

The real shout-out to Carl Sagan happened when Tyson used the “cosmic calendar” metaphor — shrinking all of time down into one calendar year, where life on Earth only shows up on December 31st. He also got into another Sagan staple, explaining how we are all “star stuff,” made up of elements that were created in the hearts of stars. A few MAL contributors even have tattoos based on this concept.

The cosmic calendar was one of my favorite parts of the original. #MALCosmos

— Brian George (@brianggeorge) March 10, 2014

I really want them to have Neil ride a dinosaur. #MALCosmos

— Lauren Lane (@LaurenPants) March 10, 2014

#MALCosmos Neil totally mentioned art first about our ancestors.

— Lauren Lane (@LaurenPants) March 10, 2014

STAR STUFF!!!! #cosmos

— Ashley Hamer (@smashleyhamer) March 10, 2014

#Cosmos drinking game: Every time NDT paraphrases Sagan, squee. And drink, I guess. I’m not your mom.

— Ashley Hamer (@smashleyhamer) March 10, 2014

Finally, Neil deGrasse Tyson took a moment to make a dedication to Carl Sagan. He even told the story of how Sagan invited him to tour Ithaca when he was an 17-year-old aspiring astronomer, going so far as to drive him to the bus stop afterward in a snowstorm and giving him his home phone number in case the bus didn’t come. Neil even had the calendar Sagan had used to pencil in the meeting. Of every segment of the show, this was the real tear-jerker, in my opinion.

So glad they told that story about NDT meeting Sagan. One of my favorites! #Cosmos #MALCosmos

— Ashley Hamer (@smashleyhamer) March 10, 2014

I teared up. RT @smashleyhamer: So glad they told that story about NDT meeting Sagan. One of my favorites! #Cosmos #MALCosmos

— Courtney Caldwell (@CultOfCourtney) March 10, 2014

Okay. This is killing me, Carl's calendar. #MALCosmos

— Brian George (@brianggeorge) March 10, 2014

"We are all descended from astronomers" #Cosmos #MALCosmos

— Anne Sauer (@aynsavoy) March 10, 2014

https://twitter.com/CultOfCourtney/statuses/442842644201234432

We plan on live tweeting for every Sunday episode, so come back next week for more!