How Michio Kaku, Alex Filippenko, Laura Danly, et al. earn their pay

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses the ways in which popular physicists like Michio Kaku, Alex Filippenko, and Laura Danly engage the public through sensational soundbites and statements. Participants share their favorite quotes and explore the implications of these statements on public understanding of physics and science communication.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that popular physicists use dramatic soundbites to capture audience attention, exemplified by phrases like "If it weren't for the electromagnetic force, the Sun and the Earth would simply BLOW apart!"
  • Others propose that such statements, while entertaining, may oversimplify complex scientific concepts, leading to misconceptions.
  • A participant mentions that the fine structure constant is so finely tuned that a slight change could have catastrophic consequences, illustrating the dramatic nature of popular science communication.
  • There are references to the role of television in shaping public perceptions of science, with some arguing that its primary purpose is to attract viewers for advertising.
  • Some contributions reflect on the nature of knowledge acquisition, questioning the necessity of formal education in becoming an intellectual.
  • A participant speculates on the implications of a universe with significantly less matter but the same physical laws, raising philosophical questions about existence and perception.
  • Several participants critique Michio Kaku's statements, suggesting he often makes exaggerated claims that may not align with scientific consensus, while others defend the value of popular science communication.
  • Quotes from other physicists, such as Sean Carroll, are shared, with mixed reactions regarding their validity and impact on public understanding.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the effectiveness and accuracy of popular science communication. While some appreciate the engagement it brings to the public, others criticize the potential for misunderstanding and oversimplification. No consensus is reached on the appropriateness of the soundbites or the overall impact of such communication.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the limitations of popular science communication, including the potential for misconceptions and the challenge of conveying complex ideas in an accessible manner. The discussion reflects a variety of perspectives on the balance between entertainment and scientific accuracy.

  • #91
I think a lot of these physics celebrities do more harm than good to the public understanding of science and physics in particular. I think it even goes as far as to encourage public distrust of science, I even had a PhD student in immunology who had seen a lot of Stephen Hawking ask me jokingly on the subject of the twin paradox and time dilation "but this doesn't REALLY happen right?". All this romanticizing of some specific consequences of relativity or QM taken to their extreme hypothetical regimes do a huge disservice, I think they're making it even easier for the public to drop support of fundamental physics research altogether, if it isn't in the gutter already.

Cosmos was as good as it gets. IMO the only reasonably faithful modern documentaries out there right now are Jim Al-Kalil's "Atom" (not any of his other ones, as far as I'm aware), but even that one stretches things a bit.
 
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  • #92
Lavabug said:
All this romanticizing of some specific consequences of relativity or QM taken to their extreme hypothetical regimes do a huge disservice, I think they're making it even easier for the public to drop support of fundamental physics research altogether, if it isn't in the gutter already.

That's a good point Lavabug. It really rubs me raw how the only thing you see on these popular shows is what? Wormholes, warp drive through bending space, and teleportation through quantum entanglement. These things take up 85% of the programming time, and are technologies that will NEVER come to fruition. At least never in the lifetime of the current viewing populace or even their grandkids. It's almost as if a fraud is being put over on the public, and when people find out that these things aren't going to happen, it might compromise the science budget.

The sad thing is that the things that science is actually making possible today and in the near future is wondrous and fascinating, but not necessarily "sizzling" like quantum teleportation, so you never hear of them on popular TV.
 
  • #93
Julio R said:
How about Morgan Freeman? He's not even a physicist yet he narrates a show that is as bad as Kaku's pop sci talks. He can be excused though because he does not know better he's only an actor yet the other guys know about physics yet they blab cheesy lines.

They ain't too different. Kaku's just milking his screen time.



Lavabug said:
I think a lot of these physics celebrities do more harm than good to the public understanding of science and physics in particular. I think it even goes as far as to encourage public distrust of science, I even had a PhD student in immunology who had seen a lot of Stephen Hawking ask me jokingly on the subject of the twin paradox and time dilation "but this doesn't REALLY happen right?". All this romanticizing of some specific consequences of relativity or QM taken to their extreme hypothetical regimes do a huge disservice, I think they're making it even easier for the public to drop support of fundamental physics research altogether, if it isn't in the gutter already.

Cosmos was as good as it gets. IMO the only reasonably faithful modern documentaries out there right now are Jim Al-Kalil's "Atom" (not any of his other ones, as far as I'm aware), but even that one stretches things a bit.
I miss the good ol' days of Nat Geo. They actually produced some pretty good engineering documentaries.

But TV producers think the masses will find this boring, so they opt for fanciful entertainment.


Kalili does a lot of hosting for BBC Horizon. That series looks awesome cinematically, but it is actually a major waste of time. They stretch 10 mins worth of content into one hour.
 
  • #94
epenguin said:
Of course outside the popularisation area, within strict science, there is nothing remotely reminiscent of sleb cult is there? o:)

Hopefully not :-p
 
  • #95
Six posts in a row, Tade. Not bad, not bad at all :smile:
 
  • #96
  • #97
Neil deGrasse Tyson is amazing. I love his analogies. His analogies are logical and truthful, where you will learn an idea and never forget it.
 
  • #98
collinsmark said:
Speaking of Neil deGrasse Tyson and quotes,
If you removed all the arteries, veins, & capillaries from a person's body, and tied them end-to-end...the person will die.
-- Neil deGrasse Tyson​
[Source: https://twitter.com/neiltyson/status/73426843239333888]

:smile:


If Thor's hammer is made of neutron-star matter, implied by legend, then it weighs as much as a herd of 300-billion elephants.
-- Neil deGrasse Tyson​
 
  • #99
bp_psy said:
If Thor's hammer is made of neutron-star matter, implied by legend, then it weighs as much as a herd of 300-billion elephants.
-- Neil deGrasse Tyson​

No wonder the Hulk could not lift it in The Avengers :eek:
 
  • #100
bp_psy said:
If Thor's hammer is made of neutron-star matter, implied by legend, then it weighs as much as a herd of 300-billion elephants.
-- Neil deGrasse Tyson​


It seems to have been Marvel comics legend. Well, I guess their mythology is about as good as their science.
 
  • #101
AnTiFreeze3 said:
Six posts in a row, Tade. Not bad, not bad at all :smile:

Lol. I was reading and replying at the same time. I was too lazy to put everything in one post :smile:
 
  • #102
ImaLooser said:
It seems to have been Marvel comics legend. Well, I guess their mythology is about as good as their science.

There is "soft" science fiction and "hard" science fiction.

Unfortunately, most attempts at hard sci-fi are really cringe-worthy. :-p
 
  • #103
collinsmark said:
Speaking of Neil deGrasse Tyson and quotes, If you removed all the arteries, veins, & capillaries from a person's body, and tied them end-to-end...the person will die.
-- Neil deGrasse Tyson

:smile:

Whoa, watch out we've got some badass over there.
 
  • #104
mathsciguy said:
Whoa, watch out we've got some badass over there.

i wish i could "like" this post.
 

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