ToV - Ignorance is alive and well in Townsville

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

This made me laugh, without the brilliant scientists that came before us, this woman could well have been just another syphilitic fish-wife who would die during child birth in her early twenties.

Maybe working for the Townsville Bulletin is the modern equivalent

Standing on the shoulders of giants...

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

Well ... ... sorta funny isn't it .... only a male would understand the ' need ' to watch a ' small black dot ' go across a large ' yellow dot '

It's a ' male ' thing ... that's what she needs to be told.

' Secret Men's Business "

Flash

[Shark Bait (Stu)]

Sounds like she has spent too much time staring at her navel.

Time to crawl back under her rock.

[Omaroo (Chris Malikoff)]

As interested in all things space and astonomy as I am, it bored the heck out of me too. I was working indoors throughout the entire transit, but I didn't really feel like making the time in my day to go outside and have a look. Deep space objects? Beautiful. One body crossing in front of another....zzzzzzzzz. Sorry, there are aspects of astronomy that I don't have much interest in. Having said that, I can't wait for the total solar eclipse in November, as the corona will be photographically spectacular.

[Octane (Humayun)]

lol, I can see where she's coming from.

We make a big deal of it because we love the heavens and understand the rarity (once in a lifetime, and, so on) of seeing a body cross in front of another.

H

[casstony]

She's either a dope or she's being intentionally controversial - any publicity is better than no publicity. Best ignored.

[Lee]

Kathleen Skene?.... I've never heard of her.... and I doubt I ever will again....

[naskies (Dave)]

Originally Posted by casstony

She's either a dope or she's being intentionally controversial - any publicity is better than no publicity.

That's my bet.

Best ignored.

Agreed!

[multiweb (Marc)]

Regardless of anything else it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and that is what made it special.

[Nico13 (Ken)]

Ah yes I guess it depends on which world you live in as to the level of importance placed on this particular event and a couple of things that cracked me up, one on the day and one the following day at work.

A former work colleague "Engineer" who lives down the road from me saw me as he went past my place around 2/3rd transit and so pulled in the driveway to say gday and asked what I was up to with the telescopes out.
After explaining I was watching the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun he replied,
"Can you see that in the daytime"
Now I almost LOL when he said that but I held my composure and reiterated, "ah it's the Sun"

And then to go to work the next day and having put a very nice shot that I'd got as my computer screen background up and then showing a current work colleague "Engineer" I proudly said that I'd taken the shot of the Venus transit and with the picture of the Sun right in front of him I again heard those immortal words,
"Can you see that in the daytime"

So if she finds following bald headed men around a more interesting way to get her jollies then so be it.

[stephenb (Stephen)]

I've seen this type of "contributor" before in many regional rags. Wannabe journalists who try to be funny and think they are going to go places in the industry. Someone like her will always be writing crap for B and C grade rags all their life. Not worth wiping your backside on most of these publications.

[LyraMoonstarer (Diane)]

What a dozy cow! Well, it does take all sorts to make the world.

I loved the transit (as I did the previous one) and will enjoy the next transit on our list, aka the big one in November ;-)

Diane

[astronut (John)]

She's probably the type that would think that "Being Lara Bingle" is a cinematic treasure!!

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Hell no !!! , better she never finds out that sort of secret .
Men's stuff..
Brian.

Originally Posted by FlashDrive

Well ... ... sorta funny isn't it .... only a male would understand the ' need ' to watch a ' small black dot ' go across a large ' yellow dot '

It's a ' male ' thing ... that's what she needs to be told.

' Secret Men's Business "

Flash

[FlashDrive (Poppy)]

I think she should start smoking something ... !!

Flash

[Lee]

Gee.... what would they say about Mercury transits!

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

I recon her Anzac day write up will be something like "Stupid old duffers should just get over it".

Shock Jock drivel.

[Liz]

Yes, just read that ... oh well, each to their own, but there was a huge amount of interest up here.

[GeoffMc (Geoff)]

In my opinion the journalist is mindless and consequently unimaginative. Sadly the mass media is quite well-endowed with such people. They are not restricted to regional newspapers and TV stations. In fact it's probably the reverse trend to what's been proposed: the more accurate reporters are usually sidelined in the mass media. Sensational and controversial sells papers; level headed reporting does not. Incidentally, the absolute best response to this and similar journalists is complete and utter silence. Being ignored in the mass media is fatal.

Here in Canberra I set up a scope at my school and, with the help of a couple of student volunteers, showed an estimated 480 students, staff and visitors the transit. We further estimate around 1% had the same reaction as the Townsville journalist: "Oh, is that all it is?" The vast majority --- remember these are teenagers raised on iPhones with net access --- thought it was the coolist thing they'd seen in ages. Several were astonished to learn they were seeing a planet the size of Earth passing in silhouette against the Sun. The H alpha telescope tipped the scales for most and made it a memorable occasion. According to several independent reports, the corridors were buzzing with conversations about what the students had seen. In an age of movies like Avatar this is a really positive result.

My hypothesis is people appreciate seeing natural phenomena with their own eyes rather than web casts or similar. Watching the transit on a screen is the equivalent of taking a virtual tour of a rainforest (or whatever): people want to see for themselves. (I really pity that correspondent who couldn't be bothered walking out to see the transit for himself.) Most of us have had similar experiences showing the public Uranus or Neptune: visually dull; conceptually astounding.

[troypiggo (Troy)]

She's a journalist? That read more like a FaceBook post than a newspaper article!