Comments on: A few more Bad Universe reviews

By: Brian Lang

Brian Lang — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:06:43 +0000

Discovery Canada will be showing Bad Universe!

From their email to me in response to my query:

‘Phil Plait’s Bad Universe’ will premiere on Discovery Channel in Canada

Sunday, October 3rd at 9m ET.

By: Kurt_eh

Kurt_eh — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:48:01 +0000

Good news, everyone!

I just got an email from Discovery Canada:

Thank you for your email.

‘Phil Plait’s Bad Universe’ will premiere on Discovery Channel in Canada

Sunday, October 3rd at 9m ET.

Kindly check your local listings.

http://www.discoverychannel.ca/Schedule.aspx

Sincerely,

Discovery Programming

By: Crazy Old Woman

Crazy Old Woman — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:24:59 +0000

I enjoyed the show, although I found the Holy Holly-what-ever references a bit annoying after the first time. The focus, continuity of topic and energy levels were all perfect for the general population. It reminded me of Myth Busters + Astronomy, two topics that most people really enjoy. I have encouraged my college physics and astronomy students to watch the show. I will buy a copy of the series if it ever becomes available. Nice work, Phil.

By: Bunkie

Bunkie — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:18:18 +0000

The show was GREAT! When is the next one? I looked for a new episode this week but no luck.

By: Karl Hansen

Karl Hansen — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:42:34 +0000

Here’s my positive review: http://a2brute.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-of-bad-universe.html

Keep up the good, entertaining, informative work!

By: Richard S

Richard S — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 12:05:40 +0000

The problem was really that the supposed “nuclear weapons simulation” did not simulate a nuclear explosion, it was being shot, that is only kinetic impact, you would need to use a scale amount of explosives on a model comet or asteroid to really show what effect it would have, perhaps not on the surface as one would expect a bunker buster approach to delivering the nuke would supply a better effect than a mere surface attack.

In short, a gun = kinetic impactor, and kinetic impactor = kinetic impactor

Holy Haleakala is very annoying, being from Europe I also have no idea if it means anything either.

By: drow

drow — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:54:33 +0000

Holy Haleakala!

By: fred edison

fred edison — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:44:14 +0000

I thought the show was great. Phil’s TV practice on other shows has helped him become a supergiant star of this ‘Bad Universe.’ He did a wonderful job of explaining kinetic energy and how an extremely fast moving beach ball sized rock (or much bigger for added devastation) could wreck some real havoc if it hit the Earth. Far too many people don’t understand the basic concept of speed, mass, and energy.

Also, I must add that far too many people still buy into the ‘Armageddon’ nuke the shocked quartz out of that thingie. It’s generally not a good idea to use nuclear weapons, not only because it makes one asteroid into many asteroids, but it makes the fragments/rocks radioactive, as well. IOW, nuclear bombs are a last resort to use with extrme caution. That’s a primary reason for locating these babies, and is critical because the more time we have to do something about it the better off we’ll be to successfully prevent an impact. We don’t necessarily have to be wiped out like the dinosaurs were.

By: chris

chris — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:58:56 +0000

thanks, Bob. i was focusing primarily on the fact that the nukes are already sitting on top of rockets that are fueled and ready to go. i also wasn’t thinking that if you take the warheads out, that rocket is still a ready-to-launch crude KE impactor.

By: Blaze Morgan

Blaze Morgan — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:44:47 +0000

Big kudos for making basic level astronomy type material dynamic and entertaining. Hopefully it will get the average rube to pester their government representative into doing some “space stuff”.

I was flabbergasted that you’d spend all that time in New Mexico making fake craters but not make a quick trip just down the road to Meteor Crater in Arizona to see a REAL dent in the earth.

Using lasers and lenses against a comet is all fine and good, but last I heard, nuclear bombs generated a fair amount of heat energy. Not mentioning them, pro or con, seemed a glaring omission.

The minor “Haleakala” thing is doubly irritating because it sounds so pretentious. Humans caught up in shock/anger/surprise/amazement let loose with very few syllables. Sharp, focused exclamations. This is such a convoluted attempt not to cuss in a mundane fashion.