ABSTRACT
A Carl Sagan who kibitzes with Johnny Carson represents the scientist as entertainer, subject to charges of sophistry. Viewers of public television awaited Carl Sagan's 13-part "Cosmos" with skeptical anticipation. While "Cosmos" succeeds where other programs have failed or bored, Sagan's own ambitions exceed those of the conventional teacher of science, the conveyor of facts and method. Sagan seeks to make science not only understandable, but also popular. A substantial portion of the series is devoted to distinguishing the methodology and findings of real science from magic, religion, and other forms of speculation. Sagan skillfully presents the mysteries of the universe and shows science's ability to explain them. Sagan's dramatizations, his use of stunning visuals and historical skits, are not without substantive components. Sagan devotes a considerable amount of time to intellectual and biographical sketches of some of the key figures in the history of science.
