Evolution Boxed Set
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DVD details
Actor: Liam Neeson (narrator)Brand: Evolution
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); Spanish (Published)
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 480 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-11-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: WGBH Boston
DVD Reviews of Evolution Boxed Set
DVD Review: Outstanding and inspirational set
Summary: 5 Stars
Although I'm moderately sophisticated in my understanding of evolution, I still found plenty of things to hold my interest in this intellectually exciting and well-crafted series. The set covers most of the basic ideas, in addition to a nice treatment of Darwin's life. Liam Neeson was also the perfect choice as narrator.
The only thing I didn't like so much was the section on the conflict with faith. I think the pro-science community, including the producers of this series, give up way too much ground to the "established" religions (in this case Christianity) and their absurd, anti-intellectual views. Most people in the science community don't privately accord believers nearly this much respect for the simple reason that they haven't earned it and continue to undermine science with their faith-based ramblings. On the other hand, when you see Ken Ham try to refute scientific fact, there's really only one conclusion you can draw. So perhaps the producers did the right thing by letting this speak for itself. In any case, this set should be required viewing in our public schools. I think it would go a long way to solving the ignorance problem that continues to plague this country. Paul Gehrman, Author, Kaleidoscope
DVD Review: Not so bad. Not much better than that either.
Summary: 3 Stars
This documentary has good production values, mostly addresses interesting issues, sometimes in a pertinent and informative way, but also sometimes in a simplistic and superficial way.
Episode 1 is far on the (low budget) movie side, and highly anecdotal.
Ep2 mostly good. A good first part about evolution, then a very good reminder about what is DNA, which hints at going where and why life began... and then it jumps billions of years ahead, to humans, which doesn't make any real sense in this context.
Other episodes have the same kind of highs and lows, and too often jump from one subject area to another with no real sense of purpose or direction.
Finally, the last episode is about empathizing with people who want to put religion in science classes. Really?
In conclusion, some episodes have their moments, most of us will get some knowledge and entertainment out of it, but it's not extraordinary either.
For a documentary that will challenges and feed your thoughts on evolution a little more, try "The Shape of Life."
DVD Review: Great documentary
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an excellent overview of evolution. What sets it apart are the diverse topics addressed. The dramatic reenactments of Charles Darwin in the Galapagos Islands and at home were very well done.
There is plenty here so one can return to it repeatedly without tiring of it.
Some may disagree but I thought the episode about religion vs. evolution was handled perfectly. While it's thorough and clear about which side has all the evidence, I don't think the documentary goes so far that it would offend or turn off most religious viewers who are negative towards evolution. While they might not go away convinced, I can't imagine them becoming so upset they would turn away in horror or anything like that. Those who have a problem with evolution should make the effort to watch this, if only to think a little more deeply about the subject.
I highly recommend this work.
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--Guy P. Harrison, author of
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and
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
-
DVD Review: Essential for Students
Summary: 4 Stars
This documentary series is excellent, if a little inconsistent. The narration is great, the scholarship is generally high, and the cinematography is nice.
Each volume teaches the very basics of a piece of evolutionary thought and its meaning in the modern world. Includes some speculation, especially when discussing the evolution of the human mind and the question of God. However, most of the speculation is labelled as such.
Overall, I would say that anyone who wondered what evolutionary theory was all about and why it was so important to real life issues would not be dissapointed. Those who have a greater knowledge of this material may find it a bit pedestrian.
Especially great is the volume that discusses sexual selection. This vital piece of evolutionary theory is often forgotten or ignored by those who relish in the idea of 'nature red in tooth and claw.' Sexual selection is vital for understanding human behavior, even if some protagonists- Geoffrey Miller- take it a bit far.
Very watchable.
DVD Review: very good but...
Summary: 3 Stars
I thought most of the programs were very good. the information was presented very well. Where things took a turn for the worst was the last program that brought religion - mostly, Christianity - into play.
The program bent over backwards to accomdate and massage the fears of bible thumpers. At no time did they interview popular atheists for the subject. Which is odd because Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett and Steven Pinker were in the documentary at other places!!! It was clear that the last hour was less about the facts of evolution and more about catering to dogmatic theists with no desire to learn about the process of speciation. I would show everything but the last program in a school setting.
Description of Evolution Boxed Set
Evolution offers a groundbreaking and definitive view of the extraordinary impact the evolutionary process has had on our understanding of the world around us. Beginning with Darwin s revolutionary theory, this seven-part series explores all facets of evolution the changes that spawned the tree of life, the power of sex, how evolution continues to affect us every day, and the perceived conflict between science and religion. Includes:Darwin s Dangerous Idea: Interweaving key moments of drama in Darwin's life with current research, Darwin s Dangerous Idea explores why his theory of evolution might matter even more today than it did in his own time.
Great Transformations: From the development of the four-limbed body plan, the journey of animal life from water to land, and the emergence of humans, Great Transformations focuses on the important evolutionary changes that triggered the earth s incredible diversity.
Extinction!: Some 99.9 percent of all species that have ever lived on earth are now extinct. Extinction! explores why, then confronts a frightening notion: Are humans causing the next mass extinction the sixth in the history of life on earth?
The Evolutionary Arms Race: Survival of the fittest: Is it raw competition, a level of cooperation indispensable to life, or both? Explore our own spiraling arms race with microorganisms the only real threat to our existence and trace the alarming spread of resistance among pathogens that cause disease.
Why Sex?: Investigate the endless variety of sexual expression and the powerful hold sex exerts over almost all living things. And discover why, in evolutionary terms, sex is more important than life itself.
The Mind s Big Bang: Between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago, something happened that triggered a creative, technological, and social explosion, allowing humans to dominate the planet. What forces may have contributed to the emergence of the modern human mind?
What About God?: Of all the species on earth, only humans try to explain who they are and how they came to be. Encounter real human stories of people struggling to find a balance between religion and science, realms that play very different roles in assigning order to the universe and a purpose to life.
The long, long story of evolution is told very well in this extensive eight-hour series originally shown on PBS. The production begins with a dramatization of the struggles of Charles Darwin in a two-hour film aptly titled "Darwin's Dangerous Idea." Scenes of actors portraying Darwin and his contemporaries are supplemented by interviews with experts such as Stephen Jay Gould. In further installments, various topics related to evolution, such as major transformations of species, the intellectual development of humans, the phenomenon of animal extinction, and even the organized opposition to evolutionary theory by religious fundamentalists, are discussed with considerable depth. Interview segments with scholars (and their opponents) are accompanied by extraordinary visuals, including some computer-generated sequences (such as one illustrating how whales left land and evolved in the oceans) that are dazzling. This series, which is narrated by actor Liam Neeson, is a remarkably intelligent and entertaining approach to a fascinating topic. --Robert J. McNamara
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