The Search for Exoplanets: What Astronomers Know

Designed for everyone from armchair explorers to serious skywatchers, The Search for Exoplanets follows the numerous twists and turns in the hunt for exoplanets-the false starts, the sudden breakthroughs, and the extraordinary discoveries.

Reviews

Loved it.
The series is very informative. It is, however, not a “drama” about science like a PBS or BBC work on astronomy might be; it’s more like a lecture or classroom. If you’ve viewed others in the Great Courses series, you’ll recognize the format. The information regarding planetary discovery and it’s methods and interpretations–as well as the pitfalls, which is important and often overlooked in more vaunted series on science–is very up to date, given how quickly technology and science, let alone the politics of it, are changing. It requires some basic understanding of physics but not terribly complicated physics. The instructor limits his discussion of the more esoteric aspects of the science to what a novice will understand with a few popular similes to clarify the subject. Unlike some of the lecturers in these courses, who often seem affected and sometimes flamboyant in front of the camera, Dr. Winn seems more natural in front of it, engaging with it as he would a student. He’s charming, approachable, humble, and knowledgeable without irritating affectations, which makes it easier for the viewer to focus on what he’s saying rather than on what he’s doing. I learned a lot.

Genres: Special Interest, Documentary
Subtitles: English [CC]
Audio languages: English