Appalling purported Science/Astronomy journalism

[ngcles]

Hi All,

If this wasn't so seriously awful, you'd think it a joke. Make sure you have a handful of stematil on hand when you read it. Can't imagine Brad Carter is too impressed having his name associated with such drivel. They even managed to get a mention for 2012 in there.

http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/tatooines-twin-suns-coming-to-a-planet-near-you-just-as-soon-as-betelgeuse-explodes/story-fn5fsgyc-1225991009247

The comparison with Tatooine's "twin-suns" is mind-blowingly bad. Little wonder the level of scientific literacy among the general population is so poor considering they have to read this rot.

"Betelgeuse ... the second biggest star in the Universe". Gosh !

"Yet it's not just a figment of George Lucas's imagination - twin suns are real. And here's the big news - they could be coming to Earth." You're kidding right?

Will someone please take the "author" of this crapology out-back and hit her very hard (and repeatedly) over the back of the head with a cricket bat until she promises to stop.

Rant over ... for now! Really, quite cranky ...



Best,

Les D

[renormalised]

Nothing new under the Sun, unfortunately, Les. Oh boy!!!! :)

Poor Ford Prefect. Looks like the cargo hold of that Vogon Starcruiser is going to be his permanent home!!!! :) :P

[that_guy]

I facepalmed so hard I created a new sun....

[Tandum]

Seems like a standard FOX report to me. You don't really expect reporters to understand what they are writing do ya?

[Octane]

1 part truth, 3 parts know-how. Stir, thoroughly.

H

[jjjnettie]

"The interwebs is being flooded with doomsday theories saying the impending supernova confirms the Mayan calendar’s prediction of the Armageddon in 2012."

She's off with the fairies this one.

[mswhin63]

I think the writer has done what she has intended, got people to read it and consequently look at the adverts. Her boss will be happy.

Thats how they get paid.

[kitsuna]

Now there's a neat party trick. :rofl:

[Nortilus]

I dont know if i was amused or offended at the level of her stupidity...or obviously her boss said...do a story on this...while the science reporter was doing a story on something he/she knew nothing about.

[Shano592]

I was definitely offended, and wrote a big rant. Named a bunch of other stars bigger than Betelgeuse.

Wow, won't it be great next year when we have 2 suns?

I didn't think astronomers had catalogued all of the stars in the universe. I was sure that there was at least another 3 months' worth of work there...

[wasyoungonce]

Hey it was "News.com.au"... which is a trashy as they get.

Pity its not print media...at least you could use it to line the Budgie cave to catch the rest of the Cr&p".

[Moon]

Les
Two wrongs don't make a right. Your comment about the cricket bat isn't too flash either.
James

[ngcles]

Hi James & All,



You are perfectly correct that two wrongs do not make a right. I apologise to you if that comment caused you personally any offence.

However, the comment was intended as rhetoric (and thus far appears to have been interpreted by everyone else in that way) in the form of hyperbole.

Hyperbole –noun Rhetoric. Pron [hahy-pur-buh-lee]

1. obvious and intentional exaggeration.
2. an extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended to be taken literally, as “to wait an eternity.”


Basil Fawlty used it very occasionally ...

(Whoops ... I did it again !)


Best,

Les D

[ballaratdragons]

and since when has Betelgeuse been in the Orion Nebula? :lol:

"The infamous red super-giant star in Orion’s nebula - Betelgeuse - . . ." :screwy:

[Moon]

No worries Les, that was clear and I wasn't offended. :)
But you were having a go at her writing style (which was a fair call by the way). I just recon you could have done a better job with yours, that's all. Taken out of context, it doesn't look too good.
James

[OzRob]

I thought that was due to a planet that none of us knows about that will collide with the Earth...or was it the rare alignment of the Earth, the Sun and the centre of the galaxy that would do it..mmmm, I'm confused now....lol

[pgc hunter]

wow, the title already made me dry heave :mad2:

I like this bit:

"The infamous red super-giant star in Orion’s nebula - Betelgeuse - is predicted to go gangbusters and the impending super-nova may reach Earth before 2012, and when it does, all of our wildest Star Wars dreams will come true."


And then we have idiots like this that somehow made it through the gene pool teaching at universities , apparently...

"When that happens, we'll get our second sun, according to Dr Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland."

Is this supposed Physics Lecturer for real?

Can't help but laugh my head off and be disgusted at the same time

[mswhin63]

More than likely as usual the media interpreted the information provided by the Prof and came to the wrong conclusion. Really it is the media that have done this. I wouldn't be judgemental to the lecturer until we get his side of the story.

[OICURMT]

w00t! more global warming!

[mithrandir]

It's managed to get an apology added at the bottom:

but a complete retraction would be better.

Of course it will be recorded for all time by the wayback machine. :lol:

Current comment count: 266

[ngcles]

Hi All,



Agree. It is manifestly unlikely to have been the Brad Carter's fault.

You will notice it says:

When that happens, we'll get our second sun, according to Dr Brad Carter, Senior Lecturer of Physics at the University of Southern Queensland.

and clearly isn't in quotation marks but instead says "according to". This is journalist-speak for "This is my potted summary of what I believe he meant after I'd subtracted the waffle".

Always read carefully between the lines !

Earlier, in my original post I wrote some hyperbole: "Will someone please take the "author" of this crapology out-back and hit her very hard (and repeatedly) over the back of the head with a cricket bat until she promises to stop."

that some thought a bit strong. If you (or the mods) feel the same way please feel free to substitute the following:

Claire, please retreat to your office, (1) take your degree in journalism down off the cubicle wall, (2) remove from frame, (3) turn over and write 500 times on the blank rear-side:

"I peaked when I was doing the gossip column".



Best,

Les D

[Robh]

On the addendum at the end of the article ...

"Addendum: NEWS.com.au would like to apologise for their error - as we all know, Betelgeuse is the second biggest star in the Orion constellation, not the universe."

If they mean by diameter, what star is bigger in Orion?
It is the second brightest star in the constellation.
By mass, Alnilam and theta Orionis C are more massive and more luminous.

The article illustrates much ignorance in interpretation of whatever facts were available.

Regards, Rob.

[ngcles]

Hi Rob & All,




Spot on.

There are no larger (by volume) naked-eye stars in Orion.

Alnitak, Alnilam, Mintaka and Theta 1C all have larger masses and higher luminosity (after bolomentric correction) than Betelgeuse. Rigel is line-ball – probably larger.

Betelgeuse is however ordinarily 2nd brightest in visual (apparent) magnitude (after Rigel).

The addendum at the bottom now reads:

" would like to apologise for their error - as we all know, Betelgeuse is the second biggest star in the Orion constellation, not the universe." (sic)

A few hours ago it said: "... second biggest star in the Orion nebula"

Original piece -- wrong.

Correction -- wrong.

Second Correction -- wrong.

Don't think for a moment that I have never made (nor purport never to have made) mistakes of fact in my writing or never been guilty of poor English. Far from it -- we're human beings for goodness sake and we all make mistakes!

But, I'm being forced to think very hard and long to remember another article that in such a short space made as many factual errors, used misleading imagery, contextually misrepresented correct facts, contained poor grammar and construction all rolled into one -- and then the two "corrections" are both wrong.

Could well end up finishing as 11,897,001,654 th runner-up in the 2011 pull-it-surprise ( errr ... Pulitzer Prize that is) competition.


Best,

Les D

[pgc hunter]

"Crapology" - lol good one Les :lol:

[ngcles]

Hi Steve,




How could I possibly top that ... :thumbsup:

... I won't even try!

Congratulations -- you get my first ever ... rofl :rofl:



Best,

Les D

[Blue Skies]

Well, that's blown my cover as the "mysterious woman that controls the order of the universe." :P :rofl:riiiight

I'd better get cracking on the tin food storage.

[TheDecepticon]

I really don't see what the problem is. I quite liked the article. I found it humorous. I think it should be circulated every year with the Mars email!!:P:lol:

[mswhin63]

Les, your comments are classic :lol:

[jjjnettie]

Here is the latest incarnation of the article, somewhat tidied up.
http://io9.com/5738542/earth-may-soon-have-a-second-sun

[mswhin63]

Nice article, statement below, I wondered who started it - Claire Connelly - I wonder?

[FlashDrive]

For Starters , this is incorrect :The star is located in the Orion Nebula, about 640 light-years away from Earth......absolute rubbish .... get it right people

Someone should tell them Betelgeuse is part of the Orion Constellation ... not the Nebula .... and that the distance has been readily accepted as somewhere between 1000 to 1500 light years away.

Like to know where they get their info from.....Go back to school people and this time '' pay attention " in the class room......:lol:

[renormalised]

Actually, Colin, the distance to Betelgeuse is around 640-650 light years, you'll find....and it was also a member of the Orion OB1 association which was (and partly still is) in the vicinity of the present Orion Neb'. Betelgeuse was flung out of the association not long after it formed, around 8-10 million years ago. It's a runaway star. It's traveled about 600-700 light years in that time.

[allan gould]

How about the paper just fires the bimbo and her set of crayons.
Obviously she didn't check any of her facts or run the story back past her scientist source, the paper's librarian or the editor. Just bad writing by a person that has very little knowledge of what she is writing about.

[FlashDrive]

Ooops...!!! :eyepop: I'd better do a refresher course myself.....my info is outdated.
I stand corrected.....Thanks Carl.

[Robh]

Carl,

To clarify your point ...
It may be a runaway star from the Orion OB1 Association but the article is still incorrect in stating that Betelgeuse is in the Orion Nebula (M42).

Regards, Rob

[renormalised]

Of course....but you wouldn't expect the reporter to know that :)

All she was interested in was writing up some sensationalist diatribe.

[ngcles]

Hi All,

Seems like one of Rupert's minions has been listening ...

http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/betelgeuse-not-likely-to-explode-in-2012/story-fn5fsgyc-1225992757166

I did a 15 minute radio interview on 2GB at about 10.30pm last night to explode this myth.

Probably many others have done so too, but I also sent the article on to Phil Plait (Bad Astronomer) and it seems it is a subject of his blog in the next day or so.

Edit: here it is ...

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/

Dare I say it ... the truth is now out there.


Best,

Les D

[astromark]

Across the major television network tonight in New Zealand 'they' reported with tongue clearly in cheek..
The impending doom of humanity from a Biblical prediction... Some old coot from Oakland California telling the whole of humanity to prepare for a Catastrophic event at 6pm on the 21 st of May... this Saturday...
That the network treated it with such humour was pleasing.. and they even asked him if he felt embarrassed to be associated with such a lunatic of a idea..
He said we would all die and must not think this is a joke... At which point the interview was cut and the news team smiled knowingly.. Why did they even bother ?
Not a great deal of news in NZ tonight a ?... while looking at a fab Moon rise tonight.
You know of this old coot ?

[AstroJunk]

My local curry house better not be shut!

[astromark]

Harold Camping is the ' Old coot ' He does have a following of some numbers...
I must try the double down before 6 pm. What wine would go well with it ?

[Zaps]

It's kind of a shame they paid him any attention at all. And unfortunately TV people have been known to give the same smug and disrespectful treatment to people who aren't cranks. Television: just say no.