BBC - Prof Brian Cox: Wonders Of The Universe

[ghandi]

Apparently, according to Cox himself, this isn't too far removed from the truth

'There you can see a black dwarf. Now I know what you're thinking; that's racist but actually, it's not, it's just cosmic vocab.'

Hadn't seen this one.

[kay]

Finally watched the first episode, slightly underwhelmed as the first half of the show was more of a travel documentary than a science documentary. It got better when he actually started talking about time and describing stuff. The entropy bit was brilliant.

[HamCrescendo]

[64hz]

Apparently, according to Cox himself, this isn't too far removed from the truth

'There you can see a black dwarf. Now I know what you're thinking; that's racist but actually, it's not, it's just cosmic vocab.'

Hadn't seen this one.

fucking awesome

[kay]

Second episode was much much much better!

[apmje]

Love this show! Best thing thats been on television in awhile.

[firky]

Did anyone think the one on Gravity was pony? This series has been weaker than the last but this episode was really bad. If anyone watching needs the basic principles of gravity taught to them, then why are they even watching the show or up at 9pm?

[mVI]

I dunno. I think it did what it was trying to do pretty well. A lot of people who are watching the show haven't studied, or probably even thought about, basic physics since they were in high school. And even then most people probably didn't give two shits about what they were taught and forgot it immediately after their exams.

I think this sort of thing is an important part of science. If you know this stuff already, then it can be a nice, pretty little recap of basics, as well as show some beautiful applications of it. But a program on at a peak time on one of the most popular channels can't aim it's sights too deep otherwise it'll only reach a minority audience. What the program's doing is giving people a simple insight into science and also providing them with the wonder and attraction that Brian obviously has for the universe and hopefully making the public want to learn more about physics.

Even though you'd think most people would know half of the stuff these programs talk about, you'd probably be surprised. My own mother actually said several times during the episode about time that she doesn't understand a lot of the more complicated stuff Brian was talking about. For people with only a passing interest in science, shows like this are important for arming people with more knowledge about the world we all live in.

You watch Carl Sagan's Cosmos, probably the definitive science documentary series, and you see that it doesn't go into all that much detail. It gives you the basics in an appealing way. It draws you in and asks you to question and learn.

That said, I'd love to see Brian doing a more in depth look at some things. But that's not something really feasible for a 9 on a sunday BBC slot.

[64hz]

9pm aint exactly late, theres gonna be alot of people watchin tv, most people pass science off as dreary and uninteresting, hopefully Brian Cox can inject a bit of interest and wonder into their perspective.
look in a book if you want complex shit, you aint gonna find it on the entertainment device that is a televesion.

[laurent__duval]

Did anyone think the one on Gravity was pony? This series has been weaker than the last but this episode was really bad. If anyone watching needs the basic principles of gravity taught to them, then why are they even watching the show or up at 9pm?

i didnt think it was too bad. you just like to criticise and think people are stupid/inferior to you


i understood the basics of gravity but not in the same detail he explained it in. never knew about the gravity on pulsars and that.

[noam]

Did anyone think the one on Gravity was pony? This series has been weaker than the last but this episode was really bad. If anyone watching needs the basic principles of gravity taught to them, then why are they even watching the show or up at 9pm?

i agree about 10%... the other 90% says its a TV program aiming at connoting some of the most complex and mind bending idea's to families at 9pm on a Sunday night and if you want lectures on cosmology and physics go to university and learn it...

then try explaining it to families at 9pm on a Sunday night...

its a fact-based entertatinment program and i think its pretty good.

i actually think he does a very good job of describing a vast array of very complicated things, from the most basic of material i.e. he sets up a bit of basic science, and with very fundamental principles he expands them to cover topics at the heart of cosmology and quantum mechanics, i agree some of it is very basic but im nowhere near the point of being able to criticise the level of science in the program.

[wubstep]

What noam said, but basically I wish it was a bit more complex so I'd be more inclined to watch it, last series was spot on. Not sure if I can be arsed with the Gravity one hearing that.

[noam]

haha ghandi, thats good, this ones awesome too:

this is the best one, so good

[Resolve]

I actually love WOTSS and WOTU

[firky]

Did anyone think the one on Gravity was pony? This series has been weaker than the last but this episode was really bad. If anyone watching needs the basic principles of gravity taught to them, then why are they even watching the show or up at 9pm?

i agree about 10%... the other 90% says its a TV program aiming at connoting some of the most complex and mind bending idea's to families at 9pm on a Sunday night and if you want lectures on cosmology and physics go to university and learn it...

then try explaining it to families at 9pm on a Sunday night...

its a fact-based entertatinment program and i think its pretty good.

i actually think he does a very good job of describing a vast array of very complicated things, from the most basic of material i.e. he sets up a bit of basic science, and with very fundamental principles he expands them to cover topics at the heart of cosmology and quantum mechanics, i agree some of it is very basic but im nowhere near the point of being able to criticise the level of science in the program.

Television never used to be dumbed down to this extent, indeed the last series of WOT wasn't as dumbed down as this series. So why the sudden shift? I know you have to have a pretty level playing field and I am not saying go into the kind of depth you'd need if you were writing a PHd. I just think if you're up at 9pm at night and already watching this show then you have some understanding of the basics, I mean was it really necessary to explain the orbit of the sun in relation to our day, or why one side of the earth is in darkness whilst the other is bathed in sunlight?

Nah, it's far more dumbed down than the last series that was just aired a year ago and TV On a whole is getting dumber and with it so are people and their expectations.

Perhaps it's just the way I am, but I like being challenged and love learning, I love having to make my brain really work and sadly the BBC no longer cater for that. They used to but not any more.

It's this dumbing down that has left me very disinterested with this new series of WOT, I watched the first three hoping it would return to it's earlier form but alas no... so I can take it or leave it now. If I could be arsed I'd leave feedback with the BBC but I'd much rather whinge here:D

[noam]

i dont think he explained the 'orbit of the sun'... maybe you should have listened to that bit better... the sun doesn't orbit anything in our solar system

but seriously, i do get why you're a bit underwhelmed by it

i think my point still stands - i've watched the first two of WOTSS and didnt think they really went into massive detail either...

not compared to this

[laurent__duval]

this ^^ is really interesting, shame the OHP isn't easier to see!

[firky]

i dont think he explained the 'orbit of the sun'... maybe you should have listened to that bit better... the sun doesn't orbit anything in our solar system

Joke failed

but seriously, i do get why you're a bit underwhelmed by it

i think my point still stands - i've watched the first two of WOTSS and didnt think they really went into massive detail either...

not compared to this

I don't expect them to be massively deep, thought I already saaid that. You can't deny that many people, including myself, on this board at least are of a similar opinion: That it could be a little deeper and this series is the dumber brother of the two. The last series was a perfect happy medium for me and I loved watching them all. This series, meh, I'll watch it if I have time or remember it is on but I won't go out of my way to make viewing for it

Can't watch that video right now, rushing between living room, kitchen and 'erb garden cooking an epic curry

[christophera]

quit trying to learn science from bbc programs dudes.

[firky]

There is a certain degree of truth in that, aye, but BBC 4 can hold it's own and up until fairly recently BBC 2 used to have good docs; such as Adam Curtis' stuff.