Wonders of the Universe

[goldenapples]

So, there would be no rush to get outside.

Yes, hello, sorry to barge into the thread late. It was badly edited at the supernova point. I think he meant 15 seconds Betelguese time, but as observed from Earth that would be a lot longer, as we're watching a slowly exploding red giant anyway. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I started to worry that it might never by night again on Earth if Betelguese goes which would save on light bulbs, but then I remembered we're rotating, so that's okay

 

[Dave]

During most of the Winter in the Northern Hemisphere Orion is right in the middle of the night sky, so yes, there would be no night here. In the Summer it is up during the day and I'm not altogether sure about the Southern Hemisphere.

This reminds me of the Larry Niven short story "Inconstant Moon" (it was made into an Outer Limits episode.) When people see a much brighter moon, they don't realise that our Sun has gone nova. The day side of the Earth has already been destroyed, and this is the last night of their lives.

 

[Tillane]

saw a weird thing two nights ago. Stationary, very bright, fluctuating in colour.

Well...up until you said it was fluctuating in colour, I had it down as me.

On a more serious point, I've now seen both programmes of this series and I'm a tad disappointed. There's very little, if anything, in here that I haven't heard/seen a few times before either on Horizon or whatever channel 4 is now calling its science series. There are only so many times you can hear about the death of stars and think "wow", and I reached it a while back.

 

[Interference]

This reminds me of the Larry Niven short story "Inconstant Moon" (it was made into an Outer Limits episode.) When people see a much brighter moon, they don't realise that our Sun has gone nova. The day side of the Earth has already been destroyed, and this is the last night of their lives.

It's getting rarer, now, that I read something and think, "I wish I'd thought of that!", but that's one of them.

Lovely concept.

 

[No One]

I like to think that once he's off camera, Brian Cox has a smoke in one hand, a bottle in the other, with every other word out of his mouth starting with an F.

Brian's enthusiasm and passion for the field is admirable, but no matter the presenter or how it's all dressed up I still feel like I've seen the same documentary for more than a decade now.

 

[alchemist]

I thought tonight's episode was the best so far, with more information packed in than the others.

Want to do the zero-g flight? Only about 5000 USD per person.
Zero G Corporation

 

[Dave]

I thought tonight's episode was the best so far, with more information packed in than the others.

Yes, it was meatier with less filling. I also like the music! He didn't look at all well at 5g though.

 

[mr kite]

Re: Wonders Of The Universe.

This is once again an absolute brilliant series from the man from Mancunia
Brian Cox.

I reckon if he discribed his Breakfast I would want to by the DVD .

 

[Dave]

I've merged two threads, don't know how the original thread was missed by everyone. I hadn't realised there were only four parts to this series, so the last one this week! On the subject of 'Light'.

 

[mosaix]

There's an advertisement in this weeks New Scientist. Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre, Simon Singh and Robin Ince are going on tour.

Billed as The Uncaged Monkey's - A night celebrating the science of life, the Universe and the African Orchid Beetle (Time Permitting).

There's one venue in April - Glasgow on the 3rd, all the others in May. The one that interests me is Birmingham on the 5th.

According to New Scientist, Cambridge, Bristol and Basingstoke (11th, 12th, 13th) are already sold out.

New Humanist (Rationalist Association) - discussing humanism, rationalism, atheism and free thought

Edit: I'm going to start a new thread covering this.

 

[Dave]

I don't find the music intrusive, but the choices are strange. Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination?