Inaccuracy in reporting astronomy and science Options

[As old as Voyage...]

I have just watched the BBC's report on the newly created 3D map of dark matter using Hubble data; and it made my heart sink.

I applaud the BBC for giving airtime to such discoveries, but for such a respected organisation their research was awful.

It's no wonder the vast majority of people are either bewildered or disinterested the the universe as a whole when the facts they are given are completely wrong.

It's a shame that tonight 60 million or so people in the UK and many other people around the world were told Hubble shone a beam of light out into the depths of the universe and studied how it was bent by the gravity of dark matter billions of light years away!

And this was a report from the BBCs science correspondant!

I remain downhearted that perhaps the most important story of the week was reported in such a shoddy manner.

Does anyone else feel space is being let down by TV coverage?

[edstrick]

I keep hearing the news as the asteroid was RENAMED.. Uh.. I don't think it ever had a name... just a number.

"Who is Number 2?
"You are Number 7307."
"I am not a number, I am a free asteroid!"

It's not just the press...yesterday, driving home from work, a radio news item on the San Diego sinkhole/landslide detachment pit or whatever. A local government official "blamed it on gravity".

Well... duh!