Brian Cox Effect

[Reggie]

Indeed, got to agree with his mockery, I think it's perfectly valid, also mentioning the mayan calendar last night, which is an example of people just believing in 'something' with zero basis in fact to back it up.

Prof. Brian is allowed an opinion just like everyone else.

[Reggie]

Have you noticed in general it's someone else that mentions the 'hokey' sciences to him? Do you think people are just trying to get a rise from him?

[mindburner]

There's a difference between giving an opinion and mocking.

Prof Cox often hits the nail on the head and is not afraid to challenge pseudo science

personally I feel astrology mockery is well deserved. It is completely at odds with astronomy and damaging to critical thinking process. If folk take it as a bit of laugh that's fine, but if it is take seriously, then it should be open to every critique going. If astrology, basically the idea that events in the heavens have direct relation with humans, has credible, testable evidence then it should be widely available, it is not. Until then it should be treaded as noting more than a superstition.

[Ant]

personally I feel astrology mockery is well deserved. It is completely at odds with astronomy and damaging to critical thinking process. If folk take it as a bit of laugh that's fine, but if it is take seriously, then it should be open to every critique going. If astrology, basically the idea that events in the heavens have direct relation with humans, has credible, testable evidence then it should be widely available, it is not. Until then it should be treaded as noting more than a superstition.

Agree with that completely.

Prof Cox is very funny on twitter sometimes... especially when something (like the mayan thing) gets under his skin!!

Ant

[Nosivad]

Prof Cox often hits the nail on the head and is not afraid to challenge pseudo science

personally I feel astrology mockery is well deserved. It is completely at odds with astronomy and damaging to critical thinking process. If folk take it as a bit of laugh that's fine, but if it is take seriously, then it should be open to every critique going. If astrology, basically the idea that events in the heavens have direct relation with humans, has credible, testable evidence then it should be widely available, it is not. Until then it should be treaded as noting more than a superstition.

Hear, hear!

[StuW]

Forget I spoke. The point I was making was not the subject of his mockery, but the fact that he does it incessantly.

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[jnc71106]

Forget I spoke. The point I was making was not the subject of his mockery, but the fact that he does it incessantly.

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That's an easy fix move your thumb on the remote and he's gone if you don't like it. Nuff said

[foundaplanet]

Lets hope he can start a little bit of something with the light pollution problem...

[Parus major]

Lets hope he can start a little bit of something with the light pollution problem...

According to the show rundown they're switching off every light in a town at some point.

[StuW]

That's an easy fix move your thumb on the remote and he's gone if you don't like it. Nuff said

Sorry for expressing an opinion, please don't mock me

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[Nexus 6]

plenty of us must be fans...the viewing figures for last night were 3.8 million

[Macavity]

That's an easy fix move your thumb on the remote and he's gone if you don't like it. Nuff said

In a sense though, he does "represent" science. So we ALL have an *allowed* interest. But even as an ex-particle physicist, before accepting Brian's "philosophical advice", I'd check if he can pack his own CERN-bound suitcase for himself! Something of a litmus test, among the (my own) ilk, I've found. [i am mostly joking]

[lulu57]

How do you know that all the extra hits aren't down to the Dara O'Briain effect?

I can think of worse blokes to get stuck on a boat with (although, with both of us on it, it could well sink...). Very clever and moves things along smoothly.

Brian is excellent for astronomy, whatever you think of his manner/dress sense/twitter habits.

Jim Al Khalili isn't bad for it, either.

Nice......

[R2-ditt0]

he was right to mock.....in the same way that he took a swipe at the 2012 rubbish.....it has no place in any sensible scientific discussion.....very generous to call it psuedo science...even though modern astronomy owes a little to it....its still b'';/.,##

[George Jones]

When senior examiners announced in August a dramatic rise in the number of students taking A-level physics (up 19.6 per cent over five years), maths (up more than 40 per cent) and chemistry (up 19.4 per cent), they had little doubt that Professor Cox had played an important role in putting the hard sciences at the centre of popular youth culture. "It could be the Brian Cox effect. It could be as simple as that," said Ziggy Liaquat, managing director of Edexcel, the exam authority.

From

Ten people who changed the world: Brian Cox, the man who turned science into a sexy subject - Science - News - The Independent

[Skybrowser]

Remember it was entertainment last night and he obviously has an issue with people who believe something which isn't reality so he voices his personal opinion. However, the new stuff the scientists are finding right now is amazing and challenges the long held beliefs of many other others. Some are even distancing themselves from the big bang now (me too, could never handle how someone could even try and explain nad justify (because they are highly qualified) how something with nothing in it could suddenly explode.....). Maybe he'll start mocking them, but I doubt it...

I'm a big fan of Brian Cox and doubt very much he'll take over TSAN when dear ol SPM finally packs in in. Chris Lintott wil get that gig I think.

As for the mockery, he gets mocked personally by John Culshaw and loves it. He is right to mock astrologers, although perhaps not publicly but I for one will continue watch all his stuff and enjoy his passion and knowledge.

One thing is for sure, we will start to see new threads about which scope and which eyepiece and which mount but if more and more new people take up the hobby and get the bug that's great.

[Beulah]

I was a sceptic, thinking that the BBC were 'sexing up' and 'selling out' on science to get more people interested. SPM isn't exactly eye candy, but he was able to inspire many of us youngsters in the 1970s and 80s through his effacious enthusiasm.

Watched the first episode of the second series of SGLive and was surpised at Brian's excellent presenting skills.

I'm not a skeptic any more.

He's doing some good stuff for physics, totty or no.

[Matt 82]

I wouldn't criticise Brian Cox or anyone else for mocking Astrology. I mock astrology every time the subject comes up tbf. Cox can come across like he has an axe to grind at times though. Whether it's pseudo-science, Mayans or the cancellation of the Apollo program, if the chance comes up to give it a mention, you can bet he mentions it. I'm guessing he's sick to death of getting questions about the end of the world mind you so I don't really blame him.

[mindburner]

Remember it was entertainment last night and he obviously has an issue with people who believe something which isn't reality so he voices his personal opinion. However, the new stuff the scientists are finding right now is amazing and challenges the long held beliefs of many other others. Some are even distancing themselves from the big bang now (me too, could never handle how someone could even try and explain nad justify (because they are highly qualified) how something with nothing in it could suddenly explode.....). Maybe he'll start mocking them, but I doubt it....

sure science always needs to challenge accepted theories and accept new evidence. That is the essence of science . Discoveries like that of the Higgs (or lack thereof) will be very exciting and possibly game changing. But Mars being in the house of Cancer, changing someone love life, that's not in the same league.

If the big bang is challenged, it's by other theories, with very similar outcomes, which need to get some serious evidence behind them to shoot down stuff like the CMBR. People like the perimeter institute take the lead here. There has been little/no evidence for any of the radical alternatives thus far, although this one is very interesting

[cptdavep]

He's like a lightweight shiny version of Carl Sagan (clearly who he's modelling himself on).

Another measure the Cox effect is on the iPad app store where "the night sky" has shot up to number 2 and "star walk" has gone up to number 7. Mind you the Catchphrase app is number 1 so maybe I shouldn't read too much into it.

[Skybrowser]

I have watched the Carl Sagan series Cosmos again recently (I am old enough to remember the original showing of it and being blown away). It was great at the time - almost 40 years ago, but all that sailing through space bit with Sagan pressing false buttons on his version of the Enterprise was a bit naff. By today's standards it's awful now but Sagan was fantastic when he presented the programme and for its time it was groundbreaking. Don't buy the DVDs or you may be disappointed. I was.

The same applies to SPM - he got me into this hobby when I was a kid, but things move on and Cox is doing a great job. Sir Patrick looks very frail now but he'll carry on regardless and I feel the others in his house show him such respect and admiration that the programme leans towards becoming about him and not the subject matter. Time for a change.

As for the new theories, it's time the scientists stopped stating a lot of them as fact when they still say, Cox included..."for reasons we don't know about". Stephen Hawking is one of the finest brains the world has seen but some of his stuff gets a "do me a favour mate" response from me.

Cox though demonstrates known stuff really well with his drawings on the beach or using rocks as planets!

[Celeste]

I must admit, the scene where they went to the Cotswolds has made me so excited for Kelling in Sept....I have never seen a decent dark sky yet....and looks like I am in for a real treat

[foundaplanet]

To quote Brian " If you think this is a UFO you should have already have turned over to celebrity big brother" ....

Priceless....

[teh_feckerer]

I've typed the line "I recommend the Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian" into my computer's clipboard.

I laughed far too much at this!

[kuro]

I like him, he comes across as a nice guy. Wonders of the universe was a great show.