re: So Cosmos is more atheistic rant than actual cosmos?

quote:

---

Yes he did. So why spend so much time on a guy who had a dream instead Copernicus or Galileo both of which used scientific methods to draw their conclusions. Both of them were persecuted. Too bad they were 't burned at the stake. Maybe we would have learned more about their discoveries than ex-monks that have precognitive dreams.

---

I've wondered about this also. Having watched it a couple of times now and having seen a lot of discussions on it, here's my take:

I think the point was how it is dangerous and self defeating to persecute people because they have an opinion that is different than yours. In many cases that opinion may be based on science. But in some (like Bruno) it may be based on a different religious take on things. I think that is a valuable lesson in any day and age - going around burning people at the stake (or other forms of execution) for having a different opinion than yours and expressing that opinion may not be a great idea.

Heck, I think that execution is still an accepted punishment for "heresy" - ie: having the gall to give another opinion. And I think these parts of the world tend to be less advanced because of this type of suppression of ideas.