Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter Ward
Agreed, then some. Cox is doing a great job in getting Science to the Hoi Poli
As a society, Australia has lost the plot, obsessed with sport and trivia.
People that make real differences to our quality of life (medical researchers, engineers, scientists) have few opportunities are are often paid poorly, yet we
pay someone who can barely construct a sentence $ millions to run with a ball across a field. 
If Cox is a media tart..(frankly that's just rude).....they what does that make the likes of Eddie McGuire? |
Unfortunately the sad reality is that sports 'stars' create the pool of cash they are paid from, because people willingly hand over their hard earned cash for a glimpse of them, or to buy merchandise.
On the other hand a PhD candidate in medical research needs to convince the grant committee that even if they don't find a cure for cancer, the department will at least get three peer reviewed publications out of their research. Then they will get their 30K per year stipend to get started on their career.
Alternatively, if an engineer or scientist can find an industrial application to create shareholder value - no problem, there is much money to be made, although more for the executives.
Until we can make science a spectator sport, we will not be able to tap the public purse like sportspeople, since we do not generate retail sales like they do. But at the end of the day, we, the consumer, define our culture through our own spending habits. Professor Cox is at least bringing some of that awareness back to the mainstream, and hopefully influences people to think a bit deeper.
Personally I thought initially that the show was a bit light on, cringed at Space Gandalf and declared that their selection of images was purely random. Until they showed mine. Then I decided it towered over the original Cosmos series...