 | | |
| The Universe - The Complete Season Two (History) (Steelbook) | 
 enlarge | Director: Douglas Cohen (ii)
Actor: History Channel
Studio: A&E Home Video (New REleaset)
Category: DVD
List Price: $44.95
Buy New: $22.29
You Save: $22.66 (50%)
Buy New/Used from $18.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  (10 reviews)
Sales Rank: 564
Format: Box Set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 846 minutes
Number Of Items: 5
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.4 x 5.4 x 0.5
MPN: 109470
UPC: 733961109474
EAN: 0733961109474
ASIN: B0016OKQOO
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
We once considered ourselves to be at the center of the universe now we know that we are just a small spec in a giant cosmos. This season, HISTORY ventures outsides of our solar system in another epic exploration of the universe and its mysteries. With strikingly realistic computer re-creations, you ll feel like you ve traveled to the edge of the unknown: visit strange and unfamiliar worlds in Exoplanets, prepare for the worst in Cosmic Collisions, and uncover the secrets of our own galaxy, the Milky Way. And that s just the beginning... learn exactly what Dark Matter is and how it takes up 95% of the universe; take a front-row seat for the ultimate light show with Supernovas; and while most people have heard of black holes (which swallow all matter that they come in contact with), find out more about White Holes which actually create matter.
Episodes Include:
Alien Planets
Cosmic Holes
Mysteries of the Moon
The Milky Way
Alien Moons
Dark Matter
Astrobiology
Space Travel
Supernovas
Constellations
Unexplained Mysteries
Cosmic Collisions
Colonizing Space
Amazon.com
With the DVD release (on five discs) of this, the complete second season of The Universe, the History Channel has now devoted a combined total of more than 25 hours, not including bonus material, to its documentary study of that combination of time, space, and matter that we call our universe. That?s a lot. But then you consider the mind-boggling age and size of the universe itself: 13.7 billion years old, and big beyond our comprehension; infinite, in fact, and expanding rapidly. By those measures, it?s apparent that this fascinating series could probably air for longer than The Simpsons and Gunsmoke (the two longest running shows in TV history) put together and still not run out of things to talk about. The 18 episodes from Season Two cover an appropriately wide range of topics, from "Cosmic Holes" to "Cosmic Collisions," from supernovas to gravity. There are episodes about the weather in space, the largest objects in space (hint: they?re really, really big, like the so-called "cosmic web" of galaxies, which is a hundred million billion times bigger than Earth), and traveling to and colonizing space. The amount of information and data provided is enormous. Jargon abounds, including terms like "lunar transient phenomena," "pulsar planets," "hot Jupiters," "dark matter" and "dark energy," "collisional families," the "heavy bombardment period," and many, many more. And the numbers are mind-boggling: for instance, it?s estimated that the impact of the asteroid that landed on the Yucatan Peninsula some 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs, was equal to that of dropping a Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every second for 140 years! Still, some may find the episodes that involve informed speculation more interesting than those that deal in facts. We know that the Moon affects ocean tides, but does it also have an effect on human behavior? If the Big Bang was the beginning of the universe, what came before it? Instead of using rockets to go to space, can scientists actually build a "space elevator" that will reach from an orbiting satellite some 60 thousand miles down to Earth? All of this is delivered by way of very convincing computer-generated imagery and other effects, along with dozens of interviews with astronomers and other experts, photos, film footage, and so on. Best of all, while it can get a bit dense, technically speaking, by and large The Universe will be readily accessible to most viewers. --Sam Graham
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 In depth November 23, 2008
If you liked the first season, you will enjoy this one also. It breaks the various chapters down quite well without too much repetition which you would expect in a lecture mode. This documentary draws enough analogies to relate to the layman. sometimes the Jazzed up music detracts somewhat from the seriousness of the material. For that any BBC production wins hands down. I would also like the History Channel production to be more broadminded and global in their coverage. Too much coverage on discoveries and talks from inside the USA. Is there no groundbreaking astronomy conducted anywhere else on the globe?
Complete perfectly season 1 November 23, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The season two of the History Channel serie completes perfectly the season one. The only regret, for me as a non English speaking viewer, is that there is no subtitles, even closed captioned as written by mistake on the Amazon.com website. But the whole pictures and special effects are wonderful, and the scientists speeches are perfectly understandable by foreigners. For all those interested by astronomy, it's a must to buy, like the season one.
No words can describe! November 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Just when you think they can't top season one... My partner and I can't stop watching this show. Once it's done we just put disc one back in and re-watch it!
Better than season one. November 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Season two offers more innovative topics than season one. The chapter devoted to nebulae integrates with the amateur astronomy community, showing comprehensively how astrophotography works. I would love to see more and more astronomy documentaries recognizing the efforts of amateurs and their activities.
The metal case is great. The 5 disks were included in a very narrow space.
Great series! November 5, 2008
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I ordered this series with the thought 'what more can they do?' I seen it all in season one, it cannot top that. Was I wrong!
It was even better.
To realize that the universe is about 13.7 billion years old, and so vast, that it's totally beyond our comprehension and still expanding. A truly unimaginable thought, that.
There are so many amazing episodes, one of which shows the largest objects in space. They are seriously big, like the so-called "cosmic web" of galaxies, which is a hundred million billion times bigger than Earth. Then there's the fascinating Lunar transient phenomena, the pulsar planets, the hot Jupiters, the weather in space, dark matter, dark energy, and much more. Really mind-boggling stuff, this!
For instance it's estimated that the impact of the asteroid that landed on the Yucatan Peninsula about 65 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs, this was equal to that of dropping a Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every second for 140 years!
And another mind-boggling thought, where did we really come from... (hmmn..., still, I'd like to go to heaven eventually:)
This series had me riveted to my screen. The computer-generated imagery and other effects is so realistic. It makes one feel as if one is truly there experiencing this phenomenal aspects. And it's explained so simply that anyone can understand it.
My favourite episodes are:
Alien Planets, Dark Matter, Astrobiology
Space Travel,Unexplained Mysteries &
Colonizing Space.
A truly awesome series! Enjoyed every bit of it.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |