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Brian Cox programmes

(13 Posts)
MayBee70 Fri 15-Nov-24 22:38:03

I watch a lot of Brian Cox programmes ( he must spend his whole life travelling). But what worries me is this. He makes them in a way to make science and physics understandable and uses everyday objects to simplify complex things. However, much as I enjoy watching them, I don’t understand anything he’s trying to explain. And how do scientists and physicians know that a certain event happened x number of billion years ago. He was talking about bacteria tonight. And butterflies ( there was a link). Am I just very stupid. Do other people understand any of it?

growstuff Fri 15-Nov-24 23:05:31

We saw him live at the Royal Opera House in London this summer. His talk was combined with classical music and was amazing. I'm sure I sort of understood what he was talking about at the time, but I'd struggle now to repeat any of it. Brian Cox is a particle physicist, so will have done experiments to observe how minute particles behave, They still behave in the same way as they did billions of years ago, but have come together to be many times more complex than they were all those years ago.
PS. I don't understand their work either. My partner is a professor of physics and I don't understand what he's on about half the time.

tanith Sat 16-Nov-24 07:48:54

I’ve watched some of his programs and my brain just doesn’t retain most of what he’s explaining I think I’m getting it but then my brain gets overloaded and my concentration goes but I do enjoy his programs.

Greyduster Sat 16-Nov-24 08:18:43

I love Brian Cox’s programmes - never miss anything that comes on TV. In 2022 we went to see his live show, Horizons, at Sheffield Arena. It was sold out on every date and was absolutely mesmerising. Yes there was brain boggling maths and physics, and he has a very engaging way of explaining these things, but judging by the comments we heard on the way out, we weren’t the only ones who couldn’t get our heads around black holes and event horizons! He and his guest co-presenter were very funny though.

Auntieflo Sat 16-Nov-24 10:17:50

DH loves his programmes. His voice just sends me to sleep.

Allira Sat 16-Nov-24 10:58:05

Do other people understand any of it?

Yes. He explains everything very well indeed (well, mostly!).

His voice is soporific, though, Auntieflo and I do have to concentrate hard!

sassenach512 Sat 16-Nov-24 11:14:52

Thank god for the re-wind facility is all I can say, I have to keep going back over what he's said for it to sink in a bit better smile I do find it fascinating though

Caleo Sat 16-Nov-24 11:38:41

May Be, I think that popular science as per Brian Cox does not set out to explain but only to describe, which BC does rather well . To understand a proper scientific explanation one would have to be a proper scientist.

Greyduster Sat 16-Nov-24 12:17:51

I thought the recent series on the solar system was particularly good. I am dumbstruck with awe at how far these modern spacecraft can travel now before they run out of steam and the data they send back. What scientific riches todays children have available to them now!

Llamedos13 Sat 16-Nov-24 12:48:29

I don’t know who he is but lately he has been on Prime advertising Uber Eats.

Allira Sat 16-Nov-24 13:03:32

Llamedos13

I don’t know who he is but lately he has been on Prime advertising Uber Eats.

Wrong Brian Cox!

This is Professor Brian Cox, much younger than the actor.

Allira Sat 16-Nov-24 13:04:45

Llamedos13

I don’t know who he is but lately he has been on Prime advertising Uber Eats.

Ps the older one usually plays a baddie!

AreWeThereYet Sat 16-Nov-24 14:29:57

Greyduster

I thought the recent series on the solar system was particularly good. I am dumbstruck with awe at how far these modern spacecraft can travel now before they run out of steam and the data they send back. What scientific riches todays children have available to them now!

Me too.

Like some others I have to rewind to even partially understand. It's enough for me to get the gist of what he is saying, though, without understanding all the details. It helps that MrA is a mathematical engineer who also has a fascination for space and the solar system.