Steven Hawkin's Universe

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downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
This has been a must watch for me over the past few weeks. Saddened to see it finish in a way, but it yet again highlights for me how very much we need to encourage and support science, maths and intellect.

I think these people are seen as "odd" in far worse a way by modern society than we cyclists could ever be. If we're accused of being "arrogant" they are accused of "playing god" and there is no greater insult and compliment rolled into one.

So why aren't we doing more to encourage the development of the human race? I wonder if its due to fear more than money. Many great scientific discoveries came from poor financial backing if at all. Serendipity plays its part ofcourse.

Anyway, it go me thinking not just about our development but how we will lose a great mind, Hawkin's, to disease. I really hope someone finds a cure oneday. Will he go mad from not being able to exclaim all that he used to, and being eventually completely and utterly trapped in his own body?
 

Bman

Guru
Location
Herts.
IT was a good series, and gave me alot to think and talk about ;)

I like the idea that time is not a constant, and slows down to prevent the speed of light being broken. Facinating, if not mind blowing stuff.
 

Mark_Robson

Senior Member
I'm reading Brian Cox's book Why does E=MC2 ATM and it's a great read.

I am always overawed when I think about Hawking's genius. I found A brief History Of Time heavy going but I have found this series very interesting and easily digested. I particularly liked the way that he explained nuclear fusion in a star by using the onion analogy.
 
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downfader

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
Mark_Robson said:
I'm reading Brian Cox's book Why does E=MC2 ATM and it's a great read.

I am always overawed when I think about Hawking's genius. I found A brief History Of Time heavy going but I have found this series very interesting and easily digested. I particularly liked the way that he explained nuclear fusion in a star by using the onion analogy.

When I was at college I would often talk to the Physics lecturers. Nice blokes. I asked one day "is it worth me reading a Brief History if I dont understand physics..?"

The lecturer said to me "just read it, you'll never understand everything, or anything, unless you do." I never got the chance though to as my brother stole it and I havent seen it since. :wacko:

I have met people with that level of intellect. Amazing people. Scary clever but usually completely loverly people with driving ambition.:smile:
 

Shorinjidude

Über Member
What I really enjoyed about the book was here you have a theoretical physicist talking about the cool stuff, so many people just dismiss the possibilities.
 

ASC1951

Guru
Location
Yorkshire
downfader said:
Anyway, it go me thinking not just about our development but how we will lose a great mind, Hawkin's, to disease.
Hardly. Stephen Hawking is already 68 i.e 15 years older than most great minds lived until the last couple of centuries; and 30 years past the age when most mathematicians and physicists do their best work.

If you want a tragic waste of a rather greater mind, how about Galois? Killed in a duel at 20. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Évariste_Galois

Anyway, these programmes present scientific discoveries in a very misleading way. Very often people are working on the same problem all over the world and it is pot luck who finds the answer first - and being scientific principles, the answer is always there, so at some stage it is going to be brought to light.

That's what makes artistic endeavour different from science. The poet Sappho was famous all over the ancient world but only a couple of hundred lines of her work survive out of several thousand. No-one is ever going to write them again.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
downfader said:
I found the series a little... basic.. if you get me. They could have gone into a little more detail on the light sabre for one. :smile:

Kaku has plenty of other books. He regularly gets roped into BBC products the last few years too. If you want more difficult, he does more difficult.
 
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downfader

downfader

extimus uero philosophus
Location
'ampsheeeer
marinyork said:
Kaku has plenty of other books. He regularly gets roped into BBC products the last few years too. If you want more difficult, he does more difficult.

He's been brilliant on Horizon imo. A program I never miss.:rolleyes:
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
downfader said:
He's been brilliant on Horizon imo. A program I never miss.:rolleyes:

I find it somewhat irritating these days but he has been one of the reasons why it has improved of late including other massive names.

Sadly I've actually remarked to libraries that some of the books they've stopped stocking are among other authors that were popular in the late 90s - Kaku.
 
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