The Fabric of the Cosmos-Summative Evaluation Report

“The Fabric of the Cosmos” is a special four-hour NOVA series that takes viewers to the frontiers of physics to see how scientists are piecing together the most complete picture we have ever had of space, time, and the universe. Based on the book of the same title by Columbia University physicist and author Brian Greene, "The Fabric of the Cosmos" explores a world just beneath the surface of our everyday experience that we would hardly recognize a startling world far stranger and more wondrous than anyone expected. Interweaving provocative theories, experiments, and stories with clear explanations and imaginative metaphors like those that defined the groundbreaking and highly acclaimed series "The Elegant Universe", "The Fabric of the Cosmo"s provides the most comprehensive, compelling, and highly visual picture of modern physics ever seen on television. The series premiered on PBS over four consecutive weeks in November 2011. The broadcast series is at the center of a multimedia project that includes a range of dynamic web content, outreach activities centered around Cosmic Cafes a series of themed science cafes, and associated promotion and station relations. The project goals are: 1) To enhance public interest in and knowledge of physics by exploring concepts of space, time, quantum mechanics and multiple universes; 2) to find innovative ways to use animation and graphics to bring these complex concepts to life; and 3) to work collaboratively with the American Institute of Physics' university branch, the Society of Physics Students (SPS), to maximize the impact of the project. Multimedia Research conducted formative evaluation and Inverness Research Associates conducted summative evaluation.