Inaccuracy in reporting astronomy and science |
Inaccuracy in reporting astronomy and science |
Jan 8 2007, 07:15 PM
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Member Group: Members Posts: 117 Joined: 7-December 06 From: Sheffield UK Member No.: 1462 |
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? -------------------- It's a funny old world - A man's lucky if he gets out of it alive. - W.C. Fields.
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Apr 25 2008, 12:21 AM
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Merciless Robot Group: Admin Posts: 8789 Joined: 8-December 05 From: Los Angeles Member No.: 602 |
Why not? I'm certain that the IAU would put the money to far better use then the hucksters ever could. I like the idea of using it for scholarships & fellowships for space science grad students.
-------------------- A few will take this knowledge and use this power of a dream realized as a force for change, an impetus for further discovery to make less ancient dreams real.
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Apr 25 2008, 02:17 AM
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 4763 Joined: 15-March 05 From: Glendale, AZ Member No.: 197 |
I think it's a bad idea. Once you start bringing money into the picture you make the IAU controversial. People will argue and debate where the money should go, which nation's universities got more etc, etc. What happens if some really rich person decides to blow a whole bunch of money naming stars after their favorite politicians? Meanwhile you've given credibility to the whole silly notion and the hucksters will continue to ply their trade since there is no means of enforcement of the IAU designations anyway. I might start a company and say that I don't recognize IAU and half of my profits will go to feed starving children in Africa so register with me. There's really no end to where this could go once the concept is given some kind of serious sanction.
The best response is information. I would venture that civil remedies for fraud are even possible in the U.S. right now if enough people wanted to get together for a class action suit forcing a more clear disclosure by these companies that the "naming" has no real standing anywhere. -------------------- If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
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