I did not know that the Cosmos miniseries—in which the late, great Carl Sagan explains a number of scientific subjects ranging from astrophysics to cellular biology—had a samurai battle in it.
“Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those who pretend to nonexistent knowledge and envision a Cosmos centered on human beings will prefer the fleeting comforts of superstition. They avoid rather than confront the world. But those with the courage to explore the weave and structure of the Cosmos, even where it differs profoundly from their wishes and prejudices, will penetrate its deepest mysteries.” —Carl Sagan, Cosmos
In junior high, the school library had a hardcover edition of the book version of Cosmos, which was intended to accompany the TV miniseries. I must have checked that book out over nine th a hundred times. I had always been interested in sciency stuff like this, but rather than have my appetite sated in the many science classes I took, I was cursed with an endless succession of lousy teachers, who believed that “science” meant “answers to questions they will give you on that standardized test at the end of the year that you have to do good on so we keep get a raise” (and I actually recall one of my teachers stating that rather bluntly one day, dattebayo).
