Julia Zemiro to co-host Stargazing Live with Brian Cox

[dylan_odonnell (Dylan)]

Thanks guys was a trip to see Cox in front of my photo! They probably could have explained the narrowband thing huh? Oh well.. if people will believe there is an alien hotspot at a trailer park in the northern territory maybe they can believe in green stars too.

[The_bluester (Paul)]

Originally Posted by glend

I see Dylan's lurid Rosetta made this last episode. Congratulation Dylan. Whoever was responsible for those screen images should turn down the saturation. Did they explain narrowband false colour images to the audience?

And Alex, can we see your astronomy tattoo? I don't know if i will live long enough to get my hair that Gandalf long. The world needs more ecentrics.

No, they did not explain NB imaging, IMO that was the right call. The young girl featured from fed square who explained a solar image and the wavelength of HA light was great, but imagine trying to explain firstly about the concept of integration of data (There is most of the audience with glazed eyes, except perhaps some math students) and then explain that we use a selective filters to pick out multiple images of each wavelength, and that this wavelength of light that we are imaging is emitted by "X" element (Red, call it HA) and call that red for the image, then this wavelength (Also visually perceived as red, just a different one) and call it blue, and then this wavelength of light (Perceived again as a slightly different red) and call it green. Then process these three integrated stacks of variants of red to make a multi coloured image!

I reckon the suggestion also on this page of a series to explain and teach this stuff would be the better go, but I suspect it would never get off the ground except as a podcast with a very niche audience. Particularly once the cost of the gear to do it was laid out.

[AussieTrooper (Ben)]

Originally Posted by vaztr

What we need is a 'Southern' The Sky At Night, surely that's doable with all the digital channels showing repeats all the time!!!

I was about to post that after reading the first couple of lines of Alex's post.
Not sure of the likelihood though, after what happened to Starstuff.
The best bet might be for something on C31.

[dylan_odonnell (Dylan)]

Originally Posted by AussieTrooper

I was about to post that after reading the first couple of lines of Alex's post.
Not sure of the likelihood though, after what happened to Starstuff.
The best bet might be for something on C31.

I've been thinking about this a lot this year as I've been organising the Byron Bay event (not related to the podcast star stuff). Astronomy at a slightly more involved level is a niche, but it's not tiny. Several active vendors in this country are testament to that.

But looking at USA, I reckon their interest per-capita is huge compared to AU. Their star parties are like music festivals. And look at NEAF.

I think their intrinsic relationship with space via their space program bouys their level of interest and participation and while we have a thirsty audience here for general astro / science content it would be good to see it bumped to USA levels .. hopefully these sorts of shows and podcasts and events are the pathway to this.

d

[graham.hobart (Graham stevens)]

Will catch up with this this weekend I hope.
Cannot comment on the quality yet but I have had a succession of people come up to me these last few weeks and ask me about it- (I have astro pics all over my office) so the public awareness has been heightened by it at least. Had 3 people already this am talk about it!
Anything that gets science into the public eye and not another moronic reality show is great in my opinion. I am reading the Demon haunted world by Sagan currently and there is a chapter or two about the public's perception of scientists and how it can come across as elitist and arrogant.
It was written in the mid 90's I think but still very pertinent now- maybe more so with a couple of more decades of dumbing down since!, especially on the TV.

[julianh72 (Julian)]

Well, whatever people here on IIS might think about the level at which the show was "pitched", and the lack of "deep" content for experienced amateur observers, I reckon the results of the "citizen science" part of the show make it an absolute winner!

90 planets discovered by ABC viewers in just a couple of days, including a new 4-planet system!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-0...system/8423142

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by casstony

It's fair enough to say you don't like someone, but the 'just a media tart' comment seems unjustified. Why be mean when there's no need, especially to someone promoting astronomy and science?

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?

[glend (Glen)]

And Alex, can we see your astronomy tattoo? I don't know if i will live long enough to get my hair that Gandalf long. The world needs more ecentrics.[/QUOTE]

I dont have one.. yet.
My hair is down to my nipples and my beard is longer but I am not rich enough to be called ecentric.. yet.
I was thinking a tat of Orion would be great but I bet everyone has one of those.
Maybe a gallaxy.. I dont know.. Any suggestions.
Alex[/QUOTE]

The Helix nebula, nice and colourful, maybe in the middle of your forehead.

[Orionskies (Julian)]

I think overall this show was positive experience for television and a step in the right direction.

Hopefully the stupid commercial channels noticed less cooking, sports and reality TV garbage.

Well done ABC.

Julian

[alocky (Andrew lockwood)]

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...

[dylan_odonnell (Dylan)]

Originally Posted by alocky

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...

Actually laughed out loud!

[Osirisra (Ken)]

Originally Posted by dylan_odonnell

Actually laughed out loud!

Ditto, I had a good chuckle.

[sjastro]

I think the problem goes far deeper than a preference for sports or trivia over Science.
There is a general blacklash against Science which is not only manifested in the usual subjects such a climate change denial or anti vaccination, but on a more personal level where one is subject to a torrent of abuse in Internet forums simply for disclosing one's occupation as being a scientist or mathematician.

What I found particularly endearing about the series was that Brain Cox and co came across as normal individuals (maybe this Space Gandalf character being the exception) without being overly intellectual.

Sure the target audience was heavily slanted towards beginners and some of the subject matter was more personal opinion than actual Science such as intelligent extra terrestrial life but it served its purpose as a valuable PR exercise for Science.

Steven

[bojan]

Backlash agaist science is nothing new..... I remember I was sometimes subject to jokes in school (>50 years ago) and even in my own family because of my interests in astronomy and science in general (it didn't last long, and I was not an easy target).
These days the problem is only more visible due to exposure via social media.

That is why programs like this one are important and very welcome - they present the scientists as normal people, "one of us"..

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by bojan

Backlash agaist science is nothing new..... I remember I was sometimes subject to jokes in school (>50 years ago) and even in my own family because of my interests in astronomy and science in general (it didn't last long, and I was not an easy target).
These days the problem is only more visible due to exposure via social media.

That is why programs like this one are important and very welcome - they present the scientists as normal people, "one of us"..

I recall being laughed at when only 10 because I had a chemistry set and purchased a microscope.
The mob can not handle different, even just a little different, probably has roots in our distant tribal past.
Apart from pleasing my daughter I am happy to sport a beard and long hair just to remind the mob I reject tribalism. I blame religion and the us and them mentality demanded by same. Certainly religion leads the anti science brigade.
The slavish following of fashion gets to me again reflects mob demand to conform.

[Sconesbie (Scott)]

This is coming from some one (me) who used to work for a television network in a sales role and looking from the outside in.

Commercial TV networks are belting out absolute rubbish. There are no real drama or other shows worth watching now. Reality TV has taken over. It's becoming more and more prevalent and not easing up soon. We will see more of it before we see less. It's cheap to produce and scripted to suit the station and audience (yes, they are scripted as well as heavily produced to get a desired effect). They are getting very tiresome and need some serious reinventing. It's all about ratings. Seriously, how many wedding, cooking, marriage, dating, housewife, game show type things can we have? Anyway, I digress. Sorry.

That said, my take on the three part series:

I have only been into Astronomy for the last few years. Started out a novice, knowing nothing. Not even what the names of stars are.

So for me, three years later, that show was great for me to sit and watch. I personally found Brian Cox spoke and explained things in plain English and was very engaging in his descriptions and thoughts. So were the others (and I enjoyed the bloke with the beard and laser pointer).

The explanations of the gadgets in the observatory were very interesting as were the half hour discussions on ABC 2.

There seemed to be people on the panel from all sources of experience. All appeared to be very smart and knowledgeable and they would have some interesting dinner table conversations but still good to listen to. I didn't think anyone tried to dazzle us with brilliance or baffle us with bull**** (Oops).

My dad called me through the first one and asked if I was watching it. I told him I was and that I would call him back after it had finished. Rude bugger. He also enjoyed it.

The fact that we now have four other planets in another solar system found within just 24 hours is also pretty cool. I can't wait to read and hear more about that as time goes on.

All said, for me, I enjoyed all three episodes. Enjoyed the presentations, the examples and props used, the presenters and the overall themes over the three nights.

[sjastro]

Originally Posted by bojan

Backlash agaist science is nothing new..... I remember I was sometimes subject to jokes in school (>50 years ago) and even in my own family because of my interests in astronomy and science in general (it didn't last long, and I was not an easy target).
These days the problem is only more visible due to exposure via social media.

That is why programs like this one are important and very welcome - they present the scientists as normal people, "one of us"..

When I was growing up one had to hide in the closet for fear of being exposed as a Science Nerd.
These days the connotation isn't as bad, at least things have improved from that perspective.
Where things have dramatically changed over the years is that historically anti and pro science was equally a province of the left, centre, and right of politics.
These days there is a distinct polarization according to one's political persuasion. Its not just on climate change but science in general as exemplified when Tony "Climate Change is Crap" Abbott decided in not including a Science Minister in his cabinet.
Since anti science is now part of political ideology, it's not surprising that the conservative press will spread misinformation about science that reaches out to a large percentage of the population.

No wonder science has an uphill battle these days............

Steven

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by Orionskies

I think overall this show was positive experience for television and a step in the right direction.

Hopefully the stupid commercial channels noticed less cooking, sports and reality TV garbage.

Well done ABC.

Julian

Well said. The basic truth here is that this was a public broadcast about astronomy and that was really an excellent outcome. The fact that the Kepler data came up trumps was another win. Get peoples attention on the subject and you raise its profile and that can form a feedback loop really fast.

As for the political guff, well, it seems the populous is starting to acknowledge that our so call "leaders" are a bunch of incompetent, self absorbed twats and they are being by-passed more an more.

Social media is a powerful tool in this regard. This is being pointedly demonstrated in Tasmania at the moment. The dogma driven box-heads in power here are about to pass legislation to open up 300,000+ hectares of reserved forest but no company will touch it because of the threat of public backlash.

One logging company stuck up its hand a few weeks back; they supply Bummings with hardwood. Yesterday, Bummings went public declaring they will not accept timber from that source. Social media pressure I would suspect.

There may be hope for us yet The pollies can shove their heads in the sand and say, "It just isn't so", but they can't fool everybody, or deny the Science.

[alpal]

Originally Posted by Orionskies

I think overall this show was positive experience for television and a step in the right direction.

Hopefully the stupid commercial channels noticed less cooking, sports and reality TV garbage.

Well done ABC.

Julian

Hi Julian,
I like science documentaries so I mostly watch YouTube videos.
To be honest the ABC show was not technical enough for me
& I suspect most viewers thought the same.
At least if it can take the general public away from watching
the usual mindless trash on TV then it was worth it.

cheers
Allan

[DJT (David)]

Originally Posted by alpal

Hi Julian,
I like science documentaries so I mostly watch YouTube videos.
To be honest the ABC show was not technical enough for me
& I suspect most viewers thought the same.
At least if it can take the general public away from watching
the usual mindless trash on TV then it was worth it.

cheers
Allan

Hi Allan, without reaching for the sofa smilie..define "most viewers"..