New 'Universe' Series on BBC2 Tonight

[DaveS]

Probably not aimed at us, but at a general non-scientific audience.

Jim Al-Khalili does more deeper science on the box, or else Dr Becky or Sabine Hossenfelder on YT. There are also PBS America "shorts" on astro / astrophysics.

[Macavity]

3 hours ago, Droogie 2001 said:

Nit picking but the Guardian reviewer can't even get the number of episodes right.

If Journalists could distinguish between Astro Physicists & Particle Physicists maybe? lol.
A SMALL point, probably, but might lend more credibility to the *critical* "Arts Type"! 😅
That said, we should all listen to our critics...  The opposing viewpoint / lay perspective...

To me, it's BC's personal quest for "Meaning"... the Pale Blue Dot "philosopy/worldview"?
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Sagan  OK(!) - But it's good to question ALL things? 🤔
I'd still feel more comfortable if these ideas were not presented as "integral to science".

Science has a lot to going for it! Notably collaboration... Also transcending the more
mundane squabbles etc. But you can still "LOVE Science"...  "Be nice to one another"... 😎
 

Edited October 28, 2021 by Macavity

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

3 hours ago, Cjg said:

If I was cynical, I'd wonder if it's just a "warm up" for his forthcoming tour?

Hopefully his tour dates are announced soon cos someone still has the £100 I stumped up for the tour that didnt tour... ☹️

 

[Chris]

2 hours ago, DaveS said:

Probably not aimed at us, but at a general non-scientific audience.

Jim Al-Khalili does more deeper science on the box, or else Dr Becky or Sabine Hossenfelder on YT. There are also PBS America "shorts" on astro / astrophysics.

This! I can't recommend the above enough  

There are some very good Astronomy podcast also like the Supermassive podcast (again with Dr Becky), and Naked Astronomy but I can't remember who presents that one? 

 

[UKDiver]

3 hours ago, DaveS said:

Probably not aimed at us, but at a general non-scientific audience.

Jim Al-Khalili does more deeper science on the box, or else Dr Becky or Sabine Hossenfelder on YT. There are also PBS America "shorts" on astro / astrophysics.

Jim Al-Khalili's delivery approach is much more to my liking. Have you listened to Life Scientific? Ideal for radio. I just can't stand how Brian Cox speaks, let alone the content. I've not watched anything from him for sometime. I've been put off from Dr Becky just because of her 'react' theme. Just too many of those on YT - has it really taken her this long to see the first episode of StarTrek:TNG?

[JamesF]

1 minute ago, UKDiver said:

I just can't stand how Brian Cox speaks

He can't help being from Oldham

2 minutes ago, UKDiver said:

has it really taken her this long to see the first episode of StarTrek:TNG?

Errrm.  I've never seen any episode of ST:TNG.

James

[UKDiver]

22 minutes ago, JamesF said:

He can't help being from Oldham

Errrm.  I've never seen any episode of ST:TNG.

James

It's not his accent.

I just release my inner child, easy locks . I'm not so nerdy as to have seen every episode, nor the series that came after. I was well into Babylon 5 though, just re-watched that.

Edited October 28, 2021 by UKDiver

[Stickey]

17 hours ago, tomato said:

Comes with a free poster, do you get one of those with Strictly Come Dancing on Ice?

I've ordered one 😳.

I'm fascinated by concepts in cosmology,  but I do think this series is aimed more at the general public than the likes of us on this forum. At least, I hope so. The graphics were beautiful, if sometimes unlikely and the language was quite poetic, if that's to your liking. 

As others have said,  Jim Al-Khalili uses more scientific language and less CGI.

Having said that, the 'Universe' series might help more people become interested in some pretty esoteric stuff. 

Just my 2 pennywort.

 

 

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

15 minutes ago, Stickey said:

 

Having said that, the 'Universe' series might help more people become interested in some pretty esoteric stuff. 

Just my 2 pennywort.

 

 

To fair to 'Brain' Cox, I think that is the whole point of his programmes. Televised outreach. The more kids and adults he gets interested in Cosmology Lite© and everything else, the better.

I've no issues with his presenting style. Ponderous but fun to take the mickey out of. 😁

(...and I just ordered a free poster ta 👍)

Edited October 28, 2021 by ScouseSpaceCadet

[UKDiver]

29 minutes ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

To fair to 'Brain' Cox, I think that is the whole point of his programmes. Televised outreach. The more kids and adults he gets interested in Cosmology Lite© and everything else, the better.

I've no issues with his presenting style. Ponderous but fun to take the mickey out of. 😁

(...and I just ordered a free poster ta 👍)

Oh yes, billions and billions of times. Plus once more.

[saac]

The Guardian article is , well a Guardian article.   Lucy Mangan (arts graduate) pours scorn on the lyrical delivery "age of starlight"  .  Had she been bothered to do a little  research she would have realised it is a reference to a recognised epoch in the evolution timeline of the universe !!  Likewise " Everyone we love, everything we value ....."   it is clear to anyone with a passing interest in cosmology that Cox is paying homage to Sagan's Pale Blue Dot speech.    As for the critical use of CGI from Lucy and others - what are they expecting  - real time footage of the big bang, the flip side of a black hole or  red supergiant close up. Maybe she is disappointed the film crew were not on location to shoot the supernova from 1km out.  I knew I should have stopped reading when she introduced herself as Lucy Green arts graduate.  "Must do better" on Guardian's report card . 

Jim 

"This time round, we have reams of riffs on “the age of starlight”. “Everyone we love, everything we value, our supreme accomplishments as a civilisation were created and crafted by stars.” And Earth “is an arcadia where a star could breathe life into dust”. In an hour filled with drone footage of shorelines, endless CGI of cosmic webs and musical crescendos, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for the stuff that should actually be inspiring us with awe."

[saac]

I think there are a lot f folk here fooling themselves that they would rather have watched an open university broadcast from an undergrad course on cosmology    While I would agree that in some places a bit slow all round I thought it was excellent .  Brian's delivery is deliberately philosophical in style, he is challenging us to face the wonder and complexity of our universe . The CGI renders visible what is, in all probability, forever beyond our sight  and it was spectacular. For those who hanker after our sainted Patrick More's Sky At Night - just remember what the production values were actually like back in the day - remember the one about the aliens       Just saying !

10/10 BBC and Mr Cox well done  - keep it coming , can't wait for next week's episode (resisting binge watch).  First episode has already been downloaded and will be getting used in class next week as we look at the Big Bang Theory .  To "inform educate and entertain "   box well and truly ticked .

 

Yes I am a self professed fan boy of Brian Cox  

Jim 

[Jiggy 67]

I am a fan of Coxy, I really am, but each successive series appears to be a mission to stand him on top of more and more exotic mountains!

[Tiny Clanger]

1 hour ago, UKDiver said:

It's not his accent.

I just release my inner child, easy locks . I'm not so nerdy as to have seen every episode, nor the series that came after. I was well into Babylon 5 though, just re-watched that.

B5, the best.

[Dave scutt]

It must of been bad I fell asleep 😴 15 minutes into it

[Zermelo]

I admit I don't watch much of Cox's stuff, but the few that I have seen did try to include some content from more recent research that kept my attention. The first episode of the new season didn't do much for me, I'm afraid. Perhaps it was because it was an overview intro, and it might get into more detail next time.

Does anyone else here find themself in the role of adjudicating for the household on whether each graphic is "real" / "CGI' / "Well, it's kind of based on real stuff, but they've jazzed it up a bit"? I think they could perhaps be a bit more upfront about that.

And then there's the usual conundrum about the best level to pitch at. I haven't liked the way the BBC science output has been going for years now, but I don't think they're going to change. The repeats on BBC4 are their best stuff.  

[Alien 13]

Thing I like about these programs is there ability to suddenly ignite a thought, for instance its often thought that the "let there be light" moment was when the first star was formed but surely any matter that had a temperature above absolute zero would have been first.

Alan

[saac]

7 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

Thing I like about these programs is there ability to suddenly ignite a thought, for instance its often thought that the "let there be light" moment was when the first star was formed but surely any matter that had a temperature above absolute zero would have been first.

Alan

Not sure  Alan, wouldn't it have to have enough energy to generate visible light first.  So if a lump of matter was above absolute zero but not enough it would first throw off infra red. Only  if the temperature was high enough (higher overall energy)  would it then radiate in the visible part of the spectrum ?  Think of a piece of metal being heated in a blacksmiths fire , it will radiate heat long before it starts to give off visible light . I might be wrong    

I agree with your sentiment that there are little gems dotted throughout, as you say "let there be light" . In other associated programmes and books I have seen the moment referred to as "cosmic dawn"  - the point in the evolution where it went from being opaque to transparent allowing the photons of light to flood through the universe . And yes it is poetic , and why should it not be  - I mean if this stuff is not wonderous , if it does not fire the imagination then what will    I talk about this very point often, asking the kids at school to think about the moment the first ever star switched on  - imagine holding off in and imaginary space/time  ship  and seeing the first tentative flicker then, "woosh" -  light flooding through the void.  The stuff of dreams  

 

Jim 

[Chris-h]

I don't think anyone is saying that it's not educational. It is. But if you compare this to Wonders of the Universe, then I think they dropped the ball a bit here.

[Astro_Dad]

Lots of mention of the OU posters - I hadn’t clocked they were available but now ordered -  My kids are too young but I think my space mad nephew would love it! 😀

[saac]

Has anyone managed to get the soundtrack off BBC Sounds?  I checked yesterday but could not find it .

Jim

[Paul M]

2 hours ago, saac said:

I think there are a lot f folk here fooling themselves that they would rather have watched an open university broadcast from an undergrad course on cosmology

I used to love that stuff. Big beards and flip charts and rubber sheets. There was even a time when I think I understood it. Those brain cells atrophied decades ago but I can see rubber sheets returning to my life though..😄

I don't watch TV now and am trying, without hope, to talk the MD into stop paying the TV license.

I only ever turn it off, never on.

[bomberbaz]

I have to admit I found this first episode a rehash of previous stuff and at times I was thinking, " get on with it".

However I also think it is not aimed at people like astronomers and others with an established interest in the cosmos.  

[Stephenstargazer]

Well at least they gave the last word to Sandy Denny........................so that's OK by me🙂

[JamesF]

I've just watched the first couple of episodes of the "Earthshot" series.  In terms of style I found the photography to be very similar to Brian Cox's programmes, even down to having someone standing on a rock outcrop staring meaningfully into the distance whilst the camera pans around them as the shot widens.

Perhaps it's just an affliction of modern television programme directors/producers.

James