Brian Cox & Making Britain the best place in the world to do science

[Craig]

Brian Cox was awarded the Michael Faraday Prize for popularising science in Great Britain and goes on give a lecture about making Great Britain the best place in the world to do science.

 

http://royalsociety.org/events/2013/brian-cox/

 

The lecture is very good and Brian thoroughly deserves the prize. Like him or not, he has had a tremendous impact on the popularity of science in Great Britain and I think it's great to see this recognised.

[Daz Type-R]

I agree.

 

He has done a fantastic job, whether it is on his wonders of .... programs or the stargazing live, I think he thoroughly deserves it!

[Tibbz2]

A lot of people I know (including me) were greatly influenced by his shows and books! 

 

Thoroughly deserves the prize!

[BAZ]

Anyone that can communicate sometimes very technical idea's to the masses, definitely deserves this award. He has been very motivational in getting people interested, and taking things further in Astronomy and Physics. He ain't SPM,but he's not far behind.

 

Good on ya Brain.

[Craig]

Anyone that can communicate sometimes very technical idea's to the masses, definitely deserves this award. He has been very motivational in getting people interested, and taking things further in Astronomy and Physics. He ain't SPM,but he's not far behind.

 

Good on ya Brain.

 

I could be controversial, but... I think he's better in some ways (and on the flip side, I think Patrick Moore was better than Brian Cox in others). They are (were, in the case of Patrick Moore) two very different people. Brian Cox has a way of explaining things that I haven't seen in a very long time, and people connect with what he's saying. Patrick Moore was an incredible icon and an inspiration to many. They both achieved the same things, in very different ways.

 

Science needs more of this. We need Brian Cox and we need another SPM, Carl Sagan... the list could go on.

[BAZ]

I agree Craig, and I would be happy for anyone who is able to spark any interest in people to do the job. Sir Patrick was old school, and (potentially Sir) Brian appeals to a younger audience. (Mostly Melissa  )

It's a big subject and there are some excellent presenters now. If they can get folks to look up, that's all that matters.

[Daz Type-R]

We just need some bugger to get the street lights turned off!

[BAZ]

Amen to that.

[Guest Steve]

He reminds me of Richard Feynmann. I was mesmerized by his ability to communicate complicated scientific concepts. Ah, for the good old days when Horizon was a science program rather than dumbed-down entertainment!

[Sheila]

i think Brian cox just suits fine

 

Sheila

[Tweedledee]

Can't get much better than a pop star/particle physicist to inspire people in science and astronomy.

 

I think he has more charisma than the rock guitarist/astrophysicist, who I also like.

 

He can carry the torch for the brilliant, eccentric SPM.

[Brantuk]

Now I know what he was up to in that Hadron Colider thing in Switzerland - discovering popadoms lol

[Tweedledee]

Popadoms?

 

Not sure where they will fit into the Standard Model.

[Brantuk]

Well - it might have been positrons or popalongs or something - they're what's left after a collision and meander out taking on the properties of the vacuum of space. He's gonna smash two of them together to get a god particle when they get the collider booted back up. The maths says it's gonna happen - it's the bit that gives us all mass apparently.

 

Smashing lecture - thanks Craig for putting it up

[Tweedledee]

LOL

 

They probably disappear the instant they are observed, and can only be detected due to a trail of smaller particles left behind.

[Brantuk]

Got to admit I've never seen one myself - and I've dropped no end of cups on the floor smashing them in all directions lol.

[Tweedledee]

You're doing it wrong Kim!!

 

Must try harder.

 

The cups need to be accelerated to nearly 186 thousand miles per second when they collide with the floor. 

[Brantuk]

I'll try and suck the air out of the kitchen too so I get a vacuum - I'll send the missus in to drop the cup lol.

[Teslar]

Popadoms are also bigger on the inside than on the outside

[Guest Steve]

Let's put this in context - my kids wet themselves when I showed them this...

 

[Craig]

Superb photo

 

He uses that in the lecture and gets a good laugh from the crowd.