Stargazing Live

[TimberWolf]

Anyone been watching? I could make some critical remarks about the content and presentation, but what caught my eye was this:



The XMM Newton telescope.

I appreciate that homo sapiens are the animal that never grew up and that certain shapes are ideally suited to spacetravel, which by remarkable coincidence also happens to coincide with attribute 1, but haven't scientists gone a bit overboard with this space phallus? Is this a testament to the pinnacle of human achievement, to place the most willy shaped object in orbit about mother Earth under thinly disguised pretence at scientific endeavour? To boldly put the biggest most cock shaped thing in to Earth orbit as never designed before?

Also, why weren't the Pioneer spacecraft cock-shaped?

[RichardCranium]

Also, why weren't the Pioneer spacecraft cock-shaped?

Because they had a knob and boobies etched permanently onto them:

(She's got no pubes!)


Edit: Link to HUGE version: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...r10-plaque.jpg

[gingerjedi]

You can pretty much guarantee that whenever there's a celestial event viewable from the UK the sky turns 'cloudy' for the entire duration.

Good program though.

[Clippy]

Saw most of the first one on Monday and about half of yesterdays.

If the aim is to make Astronomy more accessible then, overall, I think it will work as the programme is enjoyable and informative.

However, for me, the presenting style as well as the overly casual dress of the presenters is a little off putting.

The Prof (Brian Cox) is pretty poor at presenting and clearly outside of his comfort zone.

He can't seem to stand still and needs to be strapped behind a desk and told to stick to the sciency bits.

[lightng]

To boldly put the biggest most cock shaped thing in to Earth orbit as never designed before?

Also, why weren't the Pioneer spacecraft cock-shaped?

This really is drawing a pair of hairy ones under the school desk taken to the nth. Wonder if the same engineers are looking at designing a mother ship.

It looks like a giant ...

[Churchill]

Anyone been watching? I could make some critical remarks about the content and presentation, but what caught my eye was this:



The XMM Newton telescope.

I appreciate that homo sapiens are the animal that never grew up and that certain shapes are ideally suited to spacetravel, which by remarkable coincidence also happens to coincide with attribute 1, but haven't scientists gone a bit overboard with this space phallus? Is this a testament to the pinnacle of human achievement, to place the most willy shaped object in orbit about mother Earth under thinly disguised pretence at scientific endeavour? To boldly put the biggest most cock shaped thing in to Earth orbit as never designed before?

Also, why weren't the Pioneer spacecraft cock-shaped?

It's a telescope. It has to be long to enable the correct focal lengths of its lenses to be exploited. Any other equipment is strapped to the sides. Would you suggest that an extra half a tonne of cladding and plastic padding be added to make it look like a reliant robin?

What shape would you suggest?

[RichardCranium]

It's a telescope. It has to be long to enable the correct focal lengths of its lenses to be exploited. Any other equipment is strapped to the sides. Would you suggest that an extra half a tonne of cladding and plastic padding be added to make it look like a reliant robin?

What shape would you suggest?

Little girl: "Reverend, why is there a metal chicken on the church roof?"

Vicar: "That is not a metal chicken. It is a weather cock. It shows which way the wind is blowing."

Little girl: "Why is it shaped like a cock?"

Vicar: "Because if it was shaped like a fanny, the wind would blow straight through it."

[TimberWolf]

It's a telescope. It has to be long to enable the correct focal lengths of its lenses to be exploited. Any other equipment is strapped to the sides. Would you suggest that an extra half a tonne of cladding and plastic padding be added to make it look like a reliant robin?

What shape would you suggest?

I'm waiting to see what the docking station will look like.

[TimberWolf]

That said, the babe in Hawaii seemed interesting.

The guy in the field knew his stuff - or dare I say it, was an expert in the field. Dara O'Briain was tulip.

[TimberWolf]

This really is drawing a pair of hairy ones under the school desk taken to the nth.[/URL]

It's small Space Programme syndrome.