Stupid comments and uninformed questions.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

As an Astronomer, what stupid comments or uninformed questions peeve you off the most?
I'm not in any way putting people down who ask so they can be informed, that is GOOD. But there are times when you know certain people are leading you on so they can discuss the latest conspiracy theory.

[iceman (Mike)]

ROFL nice one, all of the above?

[spacezebra (Petra)]

As an Amateur Astrononmer this is the question that we get alot via Outreach:

"Where are the telescopes that see through clouds?" or "why cant your telescopes see through clouds?"

Cheers Petra d.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

One of my pet peeves is gender related.
I hate it when people ask to talk to my husband/boyfriend about my rig when I'm right there standing next to it.

[spacezebra (Petra)]

I ditto your peeve - even when I have co built the scope.. but things are changing

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

One of my pet peeves is gender related.
I hate it when people ask to talk to my husband/boyfriend about my rig when I'm right there standing next to it.

Cheers Petra d.

[Ric]

Hi JJJ, I'm over the Mars/Moon thing. Probably over the years they have all popped up to annoy us.

Come to think of it, seeing as it's August the Mars/Moon emails must be due to start doing their rounds.

[asimov (John)]

One of mine would be gender related too actually. All the people I know (in the physical world ) think that astronomy & photographing objects in the night sky is a 'mans hobby' - And then I show them examples of your work JJJ..

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

As an Astronomer, what stupid comments or uninformed questions peeve you off the most?

Those coming from fellow Astronomers who presuppose that non-Astronomers will never be physically capable of understanding what they do.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Originally Posted by CraigS

Those coming from fellow Astronomers who presuppose that non-Astronomers will never be physically capable of understanding what they do.

Yep yep yep, I'm sorry to say that I have to agree with you there.
We need to nurture any spark of interest that people show.

[Rick Petrie]

Yep,agree with all the above, and there is another!!
When people find out that your hobby is astronomy and they say to you.
I didn't know that you were into 'Astrology'??

[thunderchildobs]

Trying to explain that the "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy " is not real.

"In the beginning the universe was created.
... people of Viltvodle VI believe that the
entire Universe was in fact sneezed out of the nose of a being
called the Great Green Arkleseizure. "

[thunderchildobs]

When people ask me about astrology.
I say the following "I predict that you are in for a bad day as Uranus passes the Moon. That will be $20 Thanks".

[The_bluester (Paul)]

The one I have hated the most was recent. On a horse/pony forum I frequent (I am a pony breeder, well my mother is anyway so if the stud is to continue when she stops I will have to be up to speed) there was vast oozing expanses of rubbish about how the queensland floods and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions etc are all to do with the moon, specifically the "Super full moon" and the even more frightening "Extreme super full moon" with them trying to tie it back to flooding back through history. No amount of argument on my part would convince them that the difference between the closest perigee and furthest apogee at full moon was dead set insignificant and that the water would not leap up out of the oceans to flood us all over again nor the volcanos erupt or mass earthquakes occur.

I am just thankful that nothing significant happened on that particular full moon or they would have carped on about it forever. As it is they did not admit or see that they had maybe been talking such hot air, they just shut up about it. I suppose that is nearly as good an outcome.

[casstony]

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

One of my pet peeves is gender related.
I hate it when people ask to talk to my husband/boyfriend about my rig when I'm right there standing next to it.

. We get the same regarding computers; I do the mechanical alterations ('cos everyone knows girls can't do that stuff) and the wife does all the software, but all computer related questions come to me only to be redirected to my wife.

Regarding the poll, I can tolerate everything except the inane Uranus jokes . Bottom jokes should be finished by about age 8 I reckon.

[Robh (Rob)]

Actually, it's the lack of questions that annoy me most.
Generally, I can carry on a conversation about a variety of subjects and will take an interest in any past-time a person is into.
I find it frustrating when you start talking about astronomy with one's usually exuberant enthusiasm and the "listener" will not take the slightest interest in what you do. Talk politics, sport or entertainment but not science!

Regards, Rob.

[mishku]

You.... what??? I joined IIS for the express purpose of finding someone who could show me the vogsphere through a scope

Originally Posted by thunderchildobs

Trying to explain that the "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy " is not real.

"In the beginning the universe was created.
... people of Viltvodle VI believe that the
entire Universe was in fact sneezed out of the nose of a being
called the Great Green Arkleseizure. "

[Filby (Phil)]

C'mon- theyre funny.
I ESPECIALLY like Uranus jokes!
Have you heard the one about Klingons....

[OzRob (Rob)]

What's wrong with Uranus jokes??....lol

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Originally Posted by spacezebra

I ditto your peeve - even when I have co built the scope.. but things are changing
Cheers Petra d.

Changing.... you reckon? I suppose so, albeit slowly.

[jjjnettie (Jeanette)]

Originally Posted by thunderchildobs

Trying to explain that the "Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy " is not real.

Brendan, Everyone knows it was a series of documentaries.

It was the x-files that was fiction.