Natural history/Attenborough fans - new series, "AFRICA"

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by i_got_a_mohawk

I don't think Cox will take Attenborough's place, maybe more apt to take the place of the late great Moore (heck, they both have/had music talents too).

Don't misunderstand mate, I am not suggesting for one minute that Cox will 'replace' Attenborough as such. How could such a legendary figure ever be replaced? What I mean is, as a figurehead for a new era in bringing Science into people's living rooms, Cox is a natural successor.

As for his musical talents, see if you can spot the be-mulleted Brian on keyboards in this little nugget from 1989....pre D:Ream

http://youtu.be/Hm24ZizeK70

[bassybill]

That vid looks more early 80s than late 80s.

Titus - memory thing again - did I tell you I went to see Cox with Ben Goldacre and the rest of the "Infinite Monkeycage" crowd here in Brum a while back?

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by Tituscrow

Don't misunderstand mate, I am not suggesting for one minute that Cox will 'replace' Attenborough as such. How could such a legendary figure ever be replaced? What I mean is, as a figurehead for a new era in bringing Science into people's living rooms, Cox is a natural successor.

As for his musical talents, see if you can spot the be-mulleted Brian on keyboards in this little nugget from 1989....pre D:Ream

http://youtu.be/Hm24ZizeK70

Certainly wasn't meaning replace in that sense.

Though I think Cox will be a better advocate for the physics side of things, would certainly be nice to see a bio-based presenter to carry on Attenborough's vein of work

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by bassybill

That vid looks more early 80s than late 80s.

Titus - memory thing again - did I tell you I went to see Cox with Ben Goldacre and the rest of the "Infinite Monkeycage" crowd here in Brum a while back?

With Robin Ince too? I saw that show at the Apollo in Manchester. Great stuff.

Re Ben Goldacre.....his 'Bad Science' book is always high up the list of 'you must read this' recommendations to my students. The chapter on Gillian McKeith alone is worth the cover price.

And no, that's Dare in 1989. I actually saw them about fourth on the bill at mini festival in North Wales (in the days when a festival was one day, one stage!). Had no idea Cox was on keys at the time, though I must stress I was NOT a fan

[bassybill]

At one point during the "Infinite Monkeys Unleashed" show, Cox was responding to a question from the audience and started talking about treating viruses with antibiotics. Goldacre politely stopped him and pointed out that antibiotics don't work with viruses, which got a good laugh from the audience. Cox looked sheepish for a few seconds and then said to the whole audience "Please don't tweet that."

I love the fact that Goldacre has a "PhD" for his dead cat on his toilet wall, purchased from the same "university" that "Doctor" McKeith bought hers from. It's good that we have people like Goldacre to expose charlatans like McKeith. But people still believe what makes them feel comfortable anyway. Humans have an amazing capacity for belief. They'll believe pretty much anything if it suits them. C'est la vie.

Just watched episode 3 of WoL- very good documentary, although there was less new material for me personally in there than there was in the second one. Nice to see him acknowledging the profound nature of biological understanding at the end and putting it on the same level as his own discipline in terms of universal principles.

[Tituscrow]

Originally Posted by bassybill

At one point during the "Infinite Monkeys Unleashed" show, Cox was responding to a question from the audience and started talking about treating viruses with antibiotics. Goldacre politely stopped him and pointed out that antibiotics don't work with viruses, which got a good laugh from the audience. Cox looked sheepish for a few seconds and then said to the whole audience "Please don't tweet that."

I love the fact that Goldacre has a "PhD" for his dead cat on his toilet wall, purchased from the same "university" that "Doctor" McKeith bought hers from. It's good that we have people like Goldacre to expose charlatans like McKeith. But people still believe what makes them feel comfortable anyway. Humans have an amazing capacity for belief. They'll believe pretty much anything if it suits them. C'est la vie.

Just watched episode 3 of WoL- very good documentary, although there was less new material for me personally in there than there was in the second one. Nice to see him acknowledging the profound nature of biological understanding at the end and putting it on the same level as his own discipline in terms of universal principles.

Goldacre is a brilliant writer. Love his Guardian column.

I don't think Cox has ever been anything less than appreciative of the magnitude of the workings of biological sciences, but I agree that his 'physics-head' often seems to be the most prominent, understandably so. I think it's his attempt to see the workings of nature at the most fundamental level that sometimes leave people a bit cold.

[Tituscrow]

Just out of interest? Anyone else here seen the penguins program on BBC2? Beautiful stuff.