Wonders of the Solar System

[sjastro]

Originally Posted by renormalised

Steven, that is a beauty and typical of the so called "free thinkers" from over yonder. Yes, it's true, they are "free thinkers"...it takes a lot of time, stress and a considerable amount of money to get an education where you are able to understand what you're doing and talking about.

It's quite easy and eminently free to learn nothing of consequence and fill your mind up with garbage.

Carl,

Note it's the self professed free thinker that turns out to being the most ignorant.
Our free thinking friend is blissfully unaware that Cox is a particle physicist not an astronomer or cosmologist regurgitating "many years of perpetual indoctrination....."

(BTW how can something perpetual be described in years?)

Regards

Steven

[renormalised (Carl)]

Originally Posted by sjastro

Carl,

Note it's the self professed free thinker that turns out to being the most ignorant.
Our free thinking friend is blissfully unaware that Cox is a particle physicist not an astronomer or cosmologist regurgitating "many years of perpetual indoctrination....."

(BTW how can something perpetual be described in years?)

Regards

Steven

It's always the way...the fool that believes he is the most open minded is normally the one with the most closed mind...and the most ignorant.

He'd still say the same about Cox even if he knew what he was. I doubt that would change at all, for any branch of science they'd care to comment about.

You could probably try and point that out to him but I doubt he'd get it even if you spelt it out in simple terms. They can't grasp simple things, so trying to grasp the infinite would be way beyond their capacity for thought.

[orestis]

Heads up for tonight don't forget.
very informative documentaries.

Cheers Orestis

[CraigS]

Well, watched the second episode: Order out of Chaos.

I now see how they are tying Physics into the 'Earth-centric' references alluded to in the first episode. The Laws of Physics operate everywhere, so what we observe on Earth, is applicable elsewhere in the Universe. This is called the 'Cosmological Principle', and is the first basic concept of Cosmology. Interestingly, there maybe shades of grey in this, however. (There are continual probing questions/research into the Cosmo Principle 'ins and outs'.. eg: the Fine Structure Constant). On the whole though, and for the general population, gravity clearly operates anywhere where concentrated mass exists. Fair enough.

So, the entire last half of this episode focussed on the Rings of Saturn (with a smattering of the moons thrown in, for good measure). To me, this is because of the extraordinary photography returned by Cassini. They could've chosen some other examples to illustrate the coalescing gas model, but I think using Saturn's Rings, is a great example. Good to see them trying to explain gravitational resonance and the role it plays in proto-planetary environments as well .. never seen that before !

I liked the sequence on geysers and Enceladus .. my favourite moon, I think.

Kepler's laws were wrapped in there too, but I heard no references to any of those who did the original research/theory development. Still, this would have only inflamed certain 'ranters' .. but who really cares what these types have to say, anyway ?

Got to see Carolyn Porco again, too. She's another credible personality in the scientific community. (Probably put in there to prop-up Cox's flagging credibility… ).

Ever noticed that Cox puts a 'k' at the end of words that end in a 'g' ? Like 'think' instead of 'thing' ? (Another hit-point against him as a front-man).
I don't think he changed his T-shirt during any of the Atlas Mountains sequences, which bridged nights and days ! He also wore the same attire during the entire North American sequences too I think .. I'll have to check again to confirm … (Suzy ??). Oh yes .. his hair still looked grubby throughout the whole episode, too .. yuk !



Cheers

[CraigS]

.. And just this morning, news about the heat source behind Enceladus' plumes/geysers:

Cassini finds Enceladus is a powerhouse

Heat output from the south polar region of Saturn's moon Enceladus is much greater than was previously thought possible, according to a new analysis of data collected by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. The study was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research on March 4.
..
A possible explanation of the high heat flow observed is that Enceladus' orbital relationship to Saturn and Dione changes with time, allowing periods of more intensive tidal heating, separated by more quiescent periods. This means Cassini might be lucky enough to be seeing Enceladus when it's unusually active.
The new, higher heat flow determination makes it even more likely that liquid water exists below Enceladus' surface, Howett noted.
..
"The possibility of liquid water, a tidal energy source and the observation of organic (carbon-rich) chemicals in the plume of Enceladus make the satellite a site of strong astrobiological interest".

Anyone up for a trip to Enceladus ?

Cassini has produced some truly outstanding science data. I remember the protests when it was launched, which could have put the whole mission in serious jeopardy. Thank goodness mass paranoia didn't win that battle !

Cheers

[renormalised (Carl)]

Originally Posted by CraigS

.. And just this morning, news about the heat source behind Enceladus' plumes/geysers:

Cassini finds Enceladus is a powerhouse



Anyone up for a trip to Enceladus ?

Cassini has produced some truly outstanding science data. I remember the protests when it was launched, which could have put the whole mission in serious jeopardy. Thank goodness mass paranoia didn't win that battle !

Cheers

I was reading about that the day before yesterday. Might have been in Astronomy magazine or New Scientist, not quite sure, but it was an interesting article.

Yes...protests about its nuclear power supply. Sometimes these fools who just like to hear themselves speak should just keep quiet and do some research for a change. They're usually the people who protest about every little thing that goes on and usually know nothing of the circumstances behind the events.

[Liz]

Enjoyed last nights episode too, and some great info on Saturn, its rings and couple of the moons. Very informative.

I think dearest Brian has had a haircut since last episode, and, hmmm, didnt notice him putting K on the end of words Craik.

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by Liz

didnt notice him putting K on the end of words Craik.

Where the cheeky emoticon when you need it ??

.. this'll have to do …



Cheers
PS: Its more like .. "Craigk". I don't think I could even come near to replicating it…
in Brian's defence, it maybe an accent thingky …

[Suzy]

Craik, you do the bestest doco summaries ever!!!

I'll be watching this episode tonight, looks good from what you'll say. So Craig, do I take it that you like the Earth based physics so we can learn/understand better? IMO it makes this show different from the others.
I think he doesn't mind Brian now But he's a guy, so he'll never admit that
Look forward to seeing Caroline Pocco- I like her.

I was seriously considering trying to get Brian Cox to join us on this thread (I have ways to find him, whether he'll respond is another matter). The fact that I know his movements helps - I'm not stalking honestly I'm not ). I just was a bit unsure because there is a bit of negativity on this thread, but then again I guess that's to be expected with a public figure and goes with the territory ). What do you'll think? Should we invite him for an on-line discussion? I have a message ready to go to him, I just need your thoughts? Crikey, you should see his facebook page, full of young, hot, women wanting to throw themselves at him, I even saw a marriage proposal. Oh well, at least they are learning about the universe .

The replies and views on this thread are incredible . Perhaps the highest for this section? Simple recipe really.. take one hot bloke that doesn't wash his clothes and get him to talk about the universe on tv, and youtube and twitter and facebook and his webpage ..and ..and... (nope still doesn't classify as stalking.) I only stalk LesD.

[CraigS]

Suzy;
How long have you been looking for Travolta, hmm ???
So how long are we going to have to wait for Cox, hmmm ??

… well .. we're waiting !! .. Bring it on, I say !!

I have never had any problem with Physics !!
They didn't explain what they meant in the first episode. With the exception of the temperature measurement in the desert, his 'experiments' made pretty weak points. They could've written some better stuff and stuck that into his script. Their point is much clearer in this episode.

Originally Posted by Suzy

Crikey, you should see his facebook page, full of young, hot, women wanting to throw themselves at him, I even saw a marriage proposal. Oh well, at least they are learning about the universe

… err … not !!

Originally Posted by Suzy

The replies and views on this thread are incredible . Perhaps the highest for this section?

What is this fascination some folk have around here with counting views, posts, etc ? It means zip to me ! Content and clarity rules, (for me).

Originally Posted by Suzy

I only stalk LesD

??? LesD ???
What about Travolta etc, etc, etc ???


Cheers

[shelltree (Shelley)]

It would be interesting to see if Brian would join in with this thread and what he has to say. Especially about the boys making fun of his hair and shirt choices or lack thereof

Urghh, Suzy I see those posts every time something new pops up that Brian has said on facebook and it just astounds me the amount of people falling all over him saying they are learning about the Universe but really, do you think they care about the content as much as how Brian looks and sounds? Hmm, just a thought although I could be wrong and I hope for their sakes that they are actually very interested in the content.

So what do you intend on sending to him Suzy? I would absolutely love to see what he has to say and contribute, I think it would be very interesting and enlightening. Whether he will actually reply is another thing all together but we can only hope and dream

I'm not keeping up-to-date with the episodes on TV, I prefer to watch them without interruption or silly ad breaks. I have watched the first episode and absolutely loved it, really felt engrossed in the entire program from start to finish. And it was calming and awe inspiring, which is how I would describe Carl Sagan's Cosmos so I definitely think there is something very right and unique about this series. I cannot wait to see Wonders of the Universe too!

P.S On an unrelated note, Victoria Coastline is amazing!

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by CraigS

Suzy;
How long have you been looking for Travolta, hmm ???
So how long are we going to have to wait for Cox, hmmm ??

… well .. we're waiting !! .. Bring it on, I say !!

I have never had any problem with Physics !!
They didn't explain what they meant in the first episode. With the exception of the temperature measurement in the desert, his 'experiments' made pretty weak points. They could've written some better stuff and stuck that into his script. Their point is much clearer in this episode.



… err … not !!


What is this fascination some folk have around here with counting views, posts, etc ? It means zip to me ! Content and clarity rules, (for me).



??? LesD ???
What about Travolta etc, etc, etc ???


Cheers

Ya had fun with that post of mine didn't ya
Why, it's almost like I broke it down into specific paragraphs so it can come back and bite me . Lucky for me I enjoy a laugh.

Travolta? *clear throat* Ahemm, you had to bring that up too didn't ya . But.. but.. but.. Brian is on-line active, where as Travolta is Hollywood royalty and not so much within reach. So maybe I might have a better chance.

What do you think of this post on his facebook wall:

Brian, your show is a hot topic of discussion at the moment on "Ice in Space" - the largest amateur astronomy forum in the southern hemisphere. Are you able to spare some time and join us for an on-line chat session sometime soon?

Maybe I'll ask some astronomy people as well on how to contact him.


I watched the second episode tonight and loved it. Enjoyed it even more than the first one. Some really basic things that I should have known (not saying what they are either , I learned tonight. Very interesting his demonstration on how Saturn's rings shine so brilliantly, (by travelling to the arctic it looked like?) and breaking off a piece of ice and holding it up to the sunlight, wow and then he said that they keep on shining because the ice rocks in the rings keep on colliding with each other so they never lose their luminosity.
I love all the travelling he does in this series. It's like Leyland Bros meets the Universe .

And one thing I realised tonight why I'm learning so much from this show- he talks slow and pauses plenty (whilst playing with dessert sand or jumping through giza's or drawing planetary orbits in the ground around a camp fire), so it allows me time to digest the information. Shelley has a point (when she said "calming"), It is very relaxing watching all that beautiful scenery while he slowly and gently talks.

Also, really enjoyed segment on the star, Polaris. While sitting under the Milky Way, he shows us exactly where it is and explains its significance alongside the importance of the Earth's axis tilt. This is the first time I've seen Polaris in the night sky amongst the other stars, it was quite awesome for me.

[Suzy]

Originally Posted by CraigS

I have never had any problem with Physics !!
They didn't explain what they meant in the first episode. With the exception of the temperature measurement in the desert, his 'experiments' made pretty weak points. They could've written some better stuff and stuck that into his script. Their point is much clearer in this episode.

Okay, perhaps I was easier to please (physics wise) because I'm not as smart as you in that department. Or you probably may have been too busy looking for stains on his shirt rather than what he was talking about. I'm kidding! Seems he has only one t-shirt per episode tho..

Forgot to mention, Craigkkk, I have a bone to pick with you Unfortunately I read your post straight before watching the chaos episode. And the whoooooole way thru I got stuck on his accent "thingky" and I couldn't shake it out of my ears, then it was like a mozzie... just waiting and he does it again, over and over.

And who cut his hair??? It's sooo short and there's no cute wispy bits anymore Bad hairdresser, very bad. Perhaps they want him to look more serious for the show

Originally Posted by CraigS

??? LesD ???
What about Travolta etc, etc, etc ???


Cheers

He's easier to track, responds to my fan mail and tells me that (as a stalker) I will make him look good. LesD is a wonderful and kind person and I have a huge respect for him. Les, if you are reading this you now owe me a favour so go find Brian Cox because I just made you look better!

[CraigS]

Suzy;
You're a loose cannon !
Don't you dare post that to his web page !!


I'll construct a more appropriate letter, shortly.

In short, I'll be recommending that Cox should fall on his sword and nominate a replacement for himself .. someone who's a man's man … y'know.. let me think … hmm … I know !!

How about Bear Grylls ??
He's a pretty boy but at least he manages to tone it down by his 'actions'.



More later.

Cheers

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by Suzy

I learned tonight. Very interesting his demonstration on how Saturn's rings shine so brilliantly, (by travelling to the arctic it looked like?) and breaking off a piece of ice and holding it up to the sunlight, wow and then he said that they keep on shining because the ice rocks in the rings keep on colliding with each other so they never lose their luminosity.

I nearly fell of the chair laughing when he talked about the purity of the ice ...
... and then proceeded to hold up a chunk of the dirtiest looking ice he could find.

.. I guess that’s to be expected from someone who seems to be completely oblivious to dirt ! .



On a more serious note however, the statements about the brightness of the rings, are not at all intuitive.

I double checked. His words are:

.. and the reason the rings shine so brightly is that, like the icebergs, the rings are constantly changing

He then talks of them “collecting into giant clusters that are endlessly forming and breaking apart”.

He goes on to say that the rings harbour collisions, which shatter the ice into smaller particles, thereby creating more surfaces to reflect more light.

And the final statement is that this is why they are “as bright and shiny as when they were formed”

Hmm ... maybe. The statement about the collisions, would suggest that brightness would increase over time. The reforming of ice aggregates may then reduce the apparent brightness and, if the respective rates balance out, then an equilibrium in brightness over time, may result.

This is one of the current theories floating around, and it may be correct, as a second or third order effect. I think I’d prefer to think that first and foremost, the key reason for the apparent brightness, is that the rings are composed of chunks of 99% water ice in the first place. They may have always been, and may continue to be that way.

Even this last statement isn’t entirely theoretically accurate, as they are still theorising about why the ice is as pure as it appears to be. It may have started out contaminated with dust, which has since diminished due to other hypothesised processes. So, the original rings may not have been “as bright and shiny as when they were formed”

Cheers
PS: They also say that the rings have an atmosphere .. primarily oxygen … there's an interesting snippet !

[shelltree (Shelley)]

Thought you boys might find this amusing http://yfrog.com/h33oizzj He is selling it as part of a charity fund raiser for Red Nose Day as well as the Professor himself following you for 90 days on twitter and reposting one of your posts. And only up to 255 pounds! Bargain But really, good on him for doing this for a good cause

So lads, no more orange shirt in supposedly every sequence

Thinking about tracking down a copy of Wonders of the Solar System when I'm shopping in Melbourne too so I can watch it all when I get home

[CraigS]

Originally Posted by shelltree

Thought you boys might find this amusing http://yfrog.com/h33oizzj He is selling it as part of a charity fund raiser for Red Nose Day as well as the Professor himself following you for 90 days on twitter and reposting one of your posts. And only up to 255 pounds! Bargain But really, good on him for doing this for a good cause

So lads, no more orange shirt in supposedly every sequence

Thinking about tracking down a copy of Wonders of the Solar System when I'm shopping in Melbourne too so I can watch it all when I get home

Shelley, Shelley, Shelley …

I'm simply speechless .. we're at post #136 and the boyz have posted countless pearls of wisdom and then … well .. you come up with this ..

Prof. Brian Cox has a brain the size of a planet

?? … achem …. (throat clearing) ...

and knows everything.

… achem, achem …

He presents cool programmes that teach you stuff and so is instantly elevated to Person We’d Most Like To Be Stuck In A Lift With.

… phewwwy !!! .. Not with this little black duck !!

The ‘Super-Follow’ means that Brian will do ALL of these things...
1. Follow you on Twitter for 90 days
2. Retweet one of your tweets
3. Send out a tweet including your Twitter @username
And if that weren't enough,

.. paying him to stalk you ?? You've gotta be kidding !!

4. You know that red shirt the Prof wore on Eclipse night on Wonders of the Solar System? Well,

he's still wearing it !!

it's yours.

for incineration ...

And IS signed by the Prof himself

.. in crayons ...

SO BID NOW!!! Prof. Brian Cox will become your twitter best friend, Comic Relief will spend ALL the money you bid on life-changing projects, and the sun will shine. (That last bit about the sun might not be true).

Shelley, Shelley, Shelley … I'm simply lost for words … isn't there something he's said which remains ?

Cheers

[sjastro]

He presents cool programmes that teach you stuff and so is instantly elevated to Person We’d Most Like To Be Stuck In A Lift With.

I don't think so if he is wearing the same unwashed shirt.

Steven

[renormalised (Carl)]

Person We’d Most Like To Be Stuck In A Lift With...

Whilst wearing a gas mask and hazmat gear

[sjastro]

Originally Posted by renormalised

Whilst wearing a gas mask and hazmat gear

And high density goggles for the reflections off those glistening white teeth.

Steven