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I love Nova

supercorgi

Dog Everlasting
supercorgi
Joined
Aug 3, 2004
Messages
2,528
Currently watching a show on the Earth's magnetic field - very interesting. I think Nova is probably one of the few shows that demonstrates and explains real science and also reinforces the benefits that we get from exploring pure science just for knowledge's sake.
 
I agree. Nova is great. Nova is one of only two pbs sponsored programs I like. The other is Frontline.
 
supercorgi said:
Currently watching a show on the Earth's magnetic field - very interesting. I think Nova is probably one of the few shows that demonstrates and explains real science and also reinforces the benefits that we get from exploring pure science just for knowledge's sake.
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May I take this opportunity, then, to shamelessly plug the upcoming episode (Monster of the Milky Way, Oct 31, 8:00 PM EST) which I supplied a big chunk of animation for? I'm proud to be associated with what I consider to be the gold standard in science programming.

Everybody watch! It'll be a great episode!
 
Buckaroo said:
May I take this opportunity, then, to shamelessly plug the upcoming episode (Monster of the Milky Way, Oct 31, 8:00 PM EST) which I supplied a big chunk of animation for? I'm proud to be associated with what I consider to be the gold standard in science programming.

Everybody watch! It'll be a great episode!
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Yes, you may. Good job, man.

AS
 
My geology professor plays episodes of Nova on certain lab days, since the class can't have extensive field trips, and lacks the means to do many experiments (example: examining Earth's magnetic field). These also seem to be the most productive lab days. :D
 
Whatever happened to "Scientific American Frontiers"?
Did that one get cancelled? Or is it just on infrequently now?
 
kellyb said:
Whatever happened to "Scientific American Frontiers"?
Did that one get cancelled? Or is it just on infrequently now?
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Good question. I don't know. I loved Alan Alda in that. His personality meshed very well with the scientists he interviewed, and he was always genuinely fascinated by the subject matter. He made it fun for the viewers too, and always kept the show's pace moving at a comfortable speed.

AS
 
kellyb said:
Whatever happened to "Scientific American Frontiers"?
Did that one get cancelled? Or is it just on infrequently now?
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It's still around, but you're right, it's hard to find. By the time my (tenuous) association with it ended, budget and shedule constraints had forced the producers to recycle a considerable amount of material, and that may have affected its attractiveness to the PBS affiliates. In the DC area now, it's only on WETA's digital broadcast. In its own neck of the woods (Massachusetts), WGBH has relegated it to gawdawful times (1:00 am!)

It's too bad, because it's a great show. Along with Cosmos (which I see has its own thread) it was the inspiration for my current career.
 
Very cool career, Buckaroo.

Good to know SAF is still around. Luckily I have DVR, so I can record all that stuff and watch it whenever.

"Understanding" on the Science Channel is good, too, although a bit dry at times compared to the PBS ones. But still quite good. I never quite groked the relationship between the photon and time until I saw Understanding's program "Time".
 
supercorgi said:
Currently watching a show on the Earth's magnetic field - very interesting. I think Nova is probably one of the few shows that demonstrates and explains real science and also reinforces the benefits that we get from exploring pure science just for knowledge's sake.
Click to expand...

I actually had a problem with this particular episode. The first half-hour gives scarey data about the decline of the Earth's magnetic field and how Mars is a vast wasteland for not having one. Were all going to fry!!

And then the second half says that it has happened many times before and life on Earth has survived.

Knowing about the historical magnetic reversals made the first half very difficult to watch.
 
Gord_in_Toronto said:
Knowing about the historical magnetic reversals made the first half very difficult to watch.
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It's also a terrible blow against Creationism, but I'm sure they have some apologetics explanation for the reversals.

The more I learn about cataclysmic events in our earth's history, and the ones that are certain to occur some time in the future of our planet, the sillier our widely held beliefs about mankind's eventual colonization of planets or moons within or without our solar system seem. They sound like pipe dreams.

My predicition is that either mankind will make the earth inhospitable for human life long before meaningful colonization can occur, or that some natually occurring catastrophe will happen that will extinguish humans, or at least severely curtail our numbers. We're just temporary tenants here. We're not the final end products of evolution with a special place in the unniverse.

AS
 
AmateurScientist said:
My predicition is that either mankind will make the earth inhospitable for human life long before meaningful colonization can occur, or that some natually occurring catastrophe will happen that will extinguish humans, or at least severely curtail our numbers. We're just temporary tenants here. We're not the final end products of evolution with a special place in the unniverse.
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Well said and interesting thoughts. Too bad we won't be around to find out if you're right.
 
Discover did a recent article on the problems of space travel and cosmic rays. Without the shielding we get from the atmosphere and magnetic field, any extended space travel is very dangerous and the prospects for manned interstellar travel, even using the concept of multi-generational ships is unlikely without some major breakthrough.

CT
 
Nova has always been great. I love to catch it whenever possible.

Q
 
Is there any room left on this bandwagon?

*scrunches in*

SuperCorgi – I love Nova too. It is one of the better quality science shows on TV. My favorite as mentioned earlier is Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda. His enthusiasm is so infectious. Sometimes I get more joy watching his exuberance than the actual content of the show. His book, Never have your dog stuffed: And Other Things I’ve Learned looks interesting, too.


Some videos relating to the Op
Enjoy!





AmateurScientist said:
The more I learn about cataclysmic events in our earth's history, and the ones that are certain to occur some time in the future of our planet, the sillier our widely held beliefs about mankind's eventual colonization of planets or moons within or without our solar system seem. They sound like pipe dreams.

My predicition is that either mankind will make the earth inhospitable for human life long before meaningful colonization can occur, or that some natually occurring catastrophe will happen that will extinguish humans, or at least severely curtail our numbers. We're just temporary tenants here. We're not the final end products of evolution with a special place in the unniverse.
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Have you visited the Lifeboat Foundation? They are working on this problem. I hope you’re wrong and that we successfuly takeover the evolutionary reigns; transforming the fabric of space into some really cool designs. :)
 
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Serenity said:
My favorite as mentioned earlier is Scientific American Frontiers with Alan Alda. His enthusiasm is so infectious. Sometimes I get more joy watching his exuberance than the actual content of the show.
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I love that show so much it hurts. Alda was so genuine, engaged, and curious about everything, I always came away from his show feeling like I'd really learned something new.

Welcome aboard the bandwagon, Serenity!
 
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