BBC Wonders of the Solar System 07/03/10

[elster]

Wonders of the Solar System

I saw an advert this evening for a new short series by Brian Cox that starts 7th March.

I am a big Brian Cox "fanboy" so I am quite looking forward to this series.

[funkyrobot]

Looking forward to this too.

Calling Eric MC - will you be watching this?

[Eric Mc]

Saw the trailer on TV last night and shouted "Yesssss".

So I probably will be watching it

[funkyrobot]

Eric Mc said:

Saw the trailer on TV last night and shouted "Yesssss".

So I probably will be watching it

I must admit that I sort of did that too! How silly

Anyway, sorry to highjack this thread but, Eric, I finished Moonshot and have been looking at another book to move on to. Any recommendations? There is one called Moondust which looks good.

[Eric Mc]

Moondust is fine.

I've just been reading a biography of Werner Von Braun called "Dr Space". Very informative.

If anyone wants to know why the US manned space programme lost its way in the 1970s, read this book.

[elster]

I think there us just the 3 of us in on this one anyway.

My current reading is quantum physics for dummies, however it is a little slow going for me.

If anyone has any books to recommend on this or cosmology, then I am always interested.

[Gun]

Can I join in, I'm really looking forward to this as well. Prof Cox is very good at explaining complicated science so us mere mortal can undertand it, his Horizon show on gravity was great. I could happily watch programmes on astrophysics and the like all day long, fascinating subject.

[funkyrobot]

elster said:

I think there us just the 3 of us in on this one anyway.

My current reading is quantum physics for dummies, however it is a little slow going for me.

If anyone has any books to recommend on this or cosmology, then I am always interested.

Sort of halfway through 'Why Does E=MC2" by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw (sp?). Seems quite an interesting read but you do have to concentrate when reading it.

Also read 'Physics of the Impossible' by Michio Kaku (sp? again). This explains things like invisibility, plasma, speed of light etc and what can/can't be achieved in our life times.

Hope this help.

Yeah we have another thread contributor!

[funkyrobot]

Eric Mc said:

Moondust is fine.

I've just been reading a biography of Werner Von Braun called "Dr Space". Very informative.

If anyone wants to know why the US manned space programme lost its way in the 1970s, read this book.

Only 'fine'?

I'll be looking at that next and then will look at Dr Space. Sounds good!

[Eric Mc]

I'd also recommend "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. The best personal story to come out of the Shuttle era.

Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 3rd March 15:48

[Roo]

Hadn't really paid much attention to this, or about Brian Cox, until he was on Something for the weekend on Sunday. Very interesting guy who's obviously extremely enthusiastic about his subject.

[elster]

Roo said:

Hadn't really paid much attention to this, or about Brian Cox, until he was on Something for the weekend on Sunday. Very interesting guy who's obviously extremely enthusiastic about his subject.

I can recommend the programmes he has done on Horizon about gravity, time, CERN and the big bang.

Even if you have a spare 15 minutes check out the video of him on the TED website.

[Whitefly Swatter]

her is the link http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/brian_cox_on_cer...

[funkyrobot]

Listen to his commentary on the film 'Sunshine' (on the DVD extras). Quite interesting; and was in fact the first time I had heard of him.

[Frankeh]

Im stoked. So stoked i made another thread about this show by accident.
Brian Cox is the man.

[elster]

Indeed. I shall be going to see him at the Volatire Lecture next month.

[Lordbenny]

WHY WONT SERIES LINK EVER WORK!

[Frankeh]

I feel this link might benefit some people here:

http://ipb.quicksilverscreen.com/index.php?showtop...

I've been working through some of the more interesting ones.

[itsnotarace]

elster said:

I think there us just the 3 of us in on this one anyway.

My current reading is quantum physics for dummies, however it is a little slow going for me.

If anyone has any books to recommend on this or cosmology, then I am always interested.

Brian Green - Fabric of the Cosmos & The Elegant Universe < both excellent reads, great author
Michio Kaku - Parallel Worlds, Einstein's Cosmos, Hyperspace
Joao Magueijo - Faster than the speed of light < great read, interesting theory plus he did some TV stuff too http://science.discovery.com/tv/joao-magueijo/joao...
Christopher Potter - You are here
Paul Davies - The Goldilocks Enigma

Don't bother with:

Marcus Chown - The never ending days of being dead < starts off ok but he repeats himself several times even down to the same paragraphs, I suspect sloppy editing but I gave up

I also bought a copy of Hawking's Stubbornly Persistent Illusion but my schoolboy mathematics is hopelessly overwhelmed and it's pretty heavy going, I'll try and finish it one day.

Not specifically cosmology related but also worth a read:

Bill Bryson - A short history of nearly everything

If anyone has any further suggestions please post them

Edited by itsnotarace on Wednesday 3rd March 21:46

[elster]

itsnotarace said:

Brian Green - Fabric of the Cosmos & The Elegant Universe < both excellent reads, great author
Michio Kaku - Parallel Worlds, Einstein's Cosmos, Hyperspace
Joao Magueijo - Faster than the speed of light < great read, interesting theory plus he did some TV stuff too http://science.discovery.com/tv/joao-magueijo/joao...
Christopher Potter - You are here
Paul Davies - The Goldilocks Enigma

Don't bother with:

Marcus Chown - The never ending days of being dead < starts off ok but he repeats himself several times even down to the same paragraphs, I suspect sloppy editing but I gave up

I also bought a copy of Hawking's Stubbornly Persistent Illusion but my schoolboy mathematics is hopelessly overwhelmed and it's pretty heavy going, I'll try and finish it one day.

Not specifically cosmology related but also worth a read:

Bill Bryson - A short history of nearly everything

If anyone has any further suggestions please post them

Edited by itsnotarace on Wednesday 3rd March 21:46

Sounds good to me. I have ordered Brian Green and Michio Kako books recommended.

Thanks