Hi All
There's got to be a place for things like Braniac in science
communication, because there's plenty of playfulness goes on in
science and plenty of daft stuff gets done on the quiet by
scientists. For example, the now widespread 'electric gherkin'
demonstration which you'll find being done in science centres the
length and breadth of the country was created, or at least
popularised, by some American (physics?) post-grads in the mid 1990s.
And this country now boasts its own equivalent of the well
established 'journal of irreproducible research' in the shape of
'Null Hypothesis' (www.null-hypothesis.co.uk), which provides monthly
doses of scientific entertainment, albeit of slightly uneven quality.
The latest 'Null' contains a splendid article on crazy things to do
with a microwave oven. Some of these demonstrations are quite
spectacular, and as well as being great fun to do (in someone else's
microwave, obviously!) illustrate some interesting and quite advanced
physics when you move on from 'wow that's spectacular' to 'what's
happening here?'
Incedentally, I have no connection with 'Null Hypothesis' beyond
being a subscriber, but if the publishers want to get in touch I'm
open to offers...
Cheers
Hope this helps
Richard Ellam.
L M Interactive
On 16 Sep 2005, at 11:52, Regan Forrest wrote:
> Interesting you mention "proper" science. How do we define "proper"
> science? Does our definition mean that we are automatically excluding
> anything outside the Broadsheet/Radio 4 mould?
>
> I confess that I actually quite enjoy Brainiac, the Sky One "science"
> show which is definitely at the "FHM" end of the spectrum. Many things
> that are in the show could only very loosely define themselves as
> "science", and a lot of it could be justifiably described as just
> Jackass (the MTV prank show) pretending to be science.
>
> But the question is - to what extent does this matter? Does science
> always need to take itself seriously or is there a place for this kind
> of show on the sci-com menu?
>
> Cheers,
>
>
> Ms Regan Forrest
> Senior Consultant (Interpretation)
> Haley Sharpe Design
> Leicester, UK
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: psci-com: on public engagement with science
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Christina G
> Sent: 16 September 2005 11:31
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [PSCI-COM] Quality Newspapers and Popular Newspapers
>
> I agree completely... I dream of getting some 'proper' science into
> the
> tabloids, FHM and so on....
>
>
> Christina
>
> **********************************************************************
>
> 1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,
> send an email to [log in to unmask] with the following message:
>
> set psci-com nomail
>
> 2. To resume email from the list, send the following message:
>
> set psci-com mail
>
> 3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with
> the message:
>
> leave psci-com
>
> 4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list,
> including list archive,
> can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/
> psci-com.html
>
> 5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science
> communication and science
> and society can be found at http://psci-com.org.uk
> **********************************************************************
>
**********************************************************************
1. To suspend yourself from the list, whilst on leave, for example,
send an email to [log in to unmask] with the following message:
set psci-com nomail
2. To resume email from the list, send the following message:
set psci-com mail
3. To leave psci-com, send an email to [log in to unmask] with the message:
leave psci-com
4. Further information about the psci-com discussion list, including list archive,
can be found at the list web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/psci-com.html
5. The psci-com gateway to internet resources on science communication and science
and society can be found at http://psci-com.org.uk
**********************************************************************
|