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Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: A Nerd in Hell

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/20 … ter/]Click

*The Discovery Channel has pretty much gone this route as well, and before A & E.  Last night I clicked over to Discovery, only to see a motorcycle builder straddling a huge alligator and wondering if he'd get bitten. 

Hopefully A & E will keep "Cold Case Files" in its programming and I'm glad to read it's highly rated.  Forensics are always interesting.  I formerly worked for a forensic pathologist and the technology they employ to catch murderers -- even from decades-old cases -- is amazing.  New developments all the time, etc. 

I recently saw (briefly -- and hopefully not to be repeated) a popular astronomy/space exploration web site devoting a portion of its web space to singles ads.  Lonely hearts and the latest news regarding Seyfert galaxies?  Aren't there enough forums online for lonely people already? 

Then there's the issue of certain astronomy/space exploration web sites (whether related to news or merchandising, or both) pandering to the UFO crowd.  :-\  I dunno, I think we should keep fact separate from fantasy, but whatev.

Check out the last line in the article I linked to above.  The dumbing down of America continues (willingly).

We've got the greatest amount of science knowledge ever, in the history of mankind, rolling in -daily-...and most people aren't interested and/or don't care.  Including some folks apparently who used to be a little more interactive here.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)

GraemeSkinner

Member

From: Eden Hall, Cumbria

Registered: 2004-02-20

Posts: 563

Website

Re: A Nerd in Hell

http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/20 … ter/]Click
*The Discovery Channel has pretty much gone this route as well, and before A & E.  Last night I clicked over to Discovery, only to see a motorcycle builder straddling a huge alligator and wondering if he'd get bitten.

Was that one before or after the pheasant shoot, it will of course have included lots of shouting - which seems to be the norm these days for many Discovery Channel programmes.

I recently saw (briefly -- and hopefully not to be repeated) a popular astronomy/space exploration web site devoting a portion of its web space to singles ads.  Lonely hearts and the latest news regarding Seyfert galaxies?  Aren't there enough forums online for lonely people already? 
Then there's the issue of certain astronomy/space exploration web sites (whether related to news or merchandising, or both) pandering to the UFO crowd.  :-\  I dunno, I think we should keep fact separate from fantasy, but whatev.

I have to agree, one of the reasons I use moderated science type groups over unmoderated groups is due to the amount of pure dribble that can be generated by some people. One astronomy group I used to visit had so many threads started by the same person all along the same theme of 'man has not gone to the moon because...'
Now some of the once more serious websites have so much advertisements and popups that you have to spend a while sifting through the dribble.

We've got the greatest amount of science knowledge ever, in the history of mankind, rolling in -daily-...and most people aren't interested and/or don't care.  Including some folks apparently who used to be a little more interactive here.

I often visit the BBC's http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/spac … night/]Sky at Night website as it advertisement free. And its a rare event if I remember to set the video for the programme so I watch it online HERE]http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/space/spaceguide/skyatnight/proginfo.shtml]HERE"
The truth is much of TV is dumbed down these days, you've just got to rise above it 'cos there is little we can do about it (the herds want a nice easy programme to watch, thinking is something done by others).

Graeme

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There was a young lady named Bright.
Whose speed was far faster than light;
She set out one day
in a relative way
And returned on the previous night.
--Arthur Buller--

Trebuchet

Banned

From: Florida

Registered: 2004-04-26

Posts: 419

Re: A Nerd in Hell

Actually, I prefer mindless violence and madness on TV; serious thinking is to be done over books or with other people. On the other hand, I like my mindless violence to say exactly what it is, and not pretend to be 'educational' or in any way informative.

I understand Graeme's frustration with people who never shut up about their pet theory. I once drew up a little cartoon of a guy beating the tar out of a dead horse with a bat, with the caption "It's dead, you can stop now" to post on another forum once, simply because I was tired of the guy never shutting up. (It turned out some moderator got annoyed too and banned the guy, so the work was mostly wasted... but the picture is still floating around somewhere for me to use at the opportune moment.  )

Such people will never stop talking about their particular hobbyhorse. I can think of a few people like that we all know.  :laugh:

Palomar

Member

From: USA

Registered: 2002-05-30

Posts: 9,734

Re: A Nerd in Hell

*Hi Graeme.  Glad you're back.

Trebuchet:  Actually, I prefer mindless violence and madness on TV; serious thinking is to be done over books or with other people. On the other hand, I like my mindless violence to say exactly what it is, and not pretend to be 'educational' or in any way informative.

I read a lot more than I watch TV.  But 95% of TV is already "nonthinking."  Even "The History Channel" is going this route:  Recently they've aired a special about the history of some sort of car, which was a thin veneer for car
racing.  Not the history of car racing, but bits of history of that vehicle and its maker -- and lots of racing.   

There are forms of pure entertainment I too enjoy.  I also like potato chips and soda, but that doesn't mean I want the produce section of all grocery stores removed and restocked instead with more potato chips, nor the dairy section obliterated and its shelves stocked instead with more soda. 

Even TV Land is trying out for a hit "reality TV show."  They started out as devoted to classic television:  I Love Lucy, The Munsters, The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched...that sort of thing.  How they figured a reality TV show about Dick van Patten would fly is anyone's guess.    They may now have a hit with "Chasing Farrah."  Hopefully it'll end there.

The herd dominates, but it's never enough apparently.

--Cindy

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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...

--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)