Comments on: Blastr: My favorite TV scientists

By: What a ‘Space: 1999′ lunar explosion would really be like | Preparedness News-wire Posts from the internet

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 13:23:13 +0000

[...] At least, that was the premise of the sci-fi classic Space: 1999, a British TV show from the 1970s. Let’s be clear right away: I loved that show. A lot. I was a kid when it hit the air, but the recent release of the first season on Blu-ray caused me to go back and rewatch it, and I have to say a several of the episodes were a lot of fun. And back in the day, that show helped inspire me to become a scientist. [...]

By: Aubri

Aubri — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:33:09 +0000

Thanks a lot, I heard this ENTIRE POST in Farnsworth’s voice.

By: Tommy

Tommy — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:17:53 +0000

Gaius Baltar in BSG would have been at the top of my list if it wasn’t for the religious spin in the last season(s). Great acting and a wonderfully complex character…

Instead my favorite is Walter Bishop/Walternet in Fringe. Two separate (but equaly great) portrayals by John Noble. The Mad Scientist at its best!

Honorable mention to Dr Bunsen Honeydew of The Muppet Show!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mggl7cC8iys

By: Wzrd1

Wzrd1 — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:31:46 +0000

Bert, there is a simple reason, too current political in some areas, too utopian overall, as we ALL expect far less of refined chimps and too militaristic in too many ways.
Christopher, saw that episode tonight, you’re correct.
As for scientists in the mass media, I’ve not found one I really like as more like REAL scientists. As I’ve known quite a few over the decades, that’s saying something.
The mass media tend all too often to make their scientist one that knows ALL fields.
On second thought, there IS one. Doctor Who, as he’s lived long enough to BECOME an expert in all fields.
Though I wonder WHO was the good man gone to war, the Doctor or Rory…
I have some suspicions for the upcoming season and I’m one that is infrequently surprised, either in fiction OR reality.

By: CR

CR — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:07:06 +0000

Hooray for Victor Bergman, my all-time fave, too! (For the same reasons you listed, by the way, and of course for Barry Morse’s portrayal.)

By: Christopher Shoup

Christopher Shoup — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:00:59 +0000

Er, TECHNICALLY it was Amy Wong, Ph.D. that saved the Earth but made it spin backwards, not Prof. Farnsworth. . .

By: Anders

Anders — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:11:02 +0000

Damnit, I was wrong, it seems he did invent it in the next season.. hmm I cant remember that episode..

By: Anders

Anders — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 12:05:15 +0000

Professor Farnsworth never actually invented the finglonger, he just wish he had, so he invented the What-if machine to see what would have happened if he had.

By: Bert Chadick

Bert Chadick — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 06:04:08 +0000

Dr. Phlox, the Denobulan MD should at least get an honorable mention. Enterprise doesn’t get much love in the SF community and I don’t know why.

By: Jack Hagerty

Jack Hagerty — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 00:45:09 +0000

12. mrboma Says: “I just can’t do TBBT. I tried, but it’s unwatchable. In fact, I can’t watch any show with a laugh track. It is an old crutch that needs to go the way of the dodo.”

I can’t speak for other shows, but TBBT is filmed in front of a live audience. Some of the special features on the DVD’s (my son has them all) show the audience and how they even use it to fine-tune the jokes. I believe when NGT was on the show a year or so ago he mentioned the audience as well.

Is there any other reason you find it unwatchable? Sheldon maybe? (he’s supposed to be that way)

- Jack

By: 7 TV Scientists « Sore Eyes

7 TV Scientists « Sore Eyes — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 22:58:08 +0000

[...] John ↓ Leave a comment7 TV scientists that even real scientists approve of, as chosen by Phil 'Bad Astronomer' Plait.Not a bad list at all, except that I would have dropped Rajesh Koothrappali in favour of his [...]

By: Sili

Sili — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 22:50:04 +0000

Raj was right; if dark matter is made of self-annihilating particles that generate gamma rays, sodium iodide detectors will see it—which is why NASA used them for the orbiting Fermi gamma-ray observatory!

Yes indeed. Iodide – which you’ll notice is right next to Xenon in the periodic table, but easier to work with.

Sodium, as a light element, would be a stupid stupid stupid choice for a DM detector.

By: Old Rockin' Dave

Old Rockin' Dave — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:19:11 +0000

I also think that Professor Roy Hinckley from “Gilligan’s Island” should have made the list, but there is a more glaring omission: Springfield’s own Professor Frink (“The Simpsons”).
And while “Star Cops” never lived past it’s ninth episode, Drs. Ana Shoun and Alexander Krivenko deserve at least an honorable mention each.

By: Gary Ansorge

Gary Ansorge — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:57:52 +0000

Good list. MY favorites were CArter and McKay.

,,,and while SOME engineers are scientists, we must recall that Roman engineers built roads and bridges by the “brute force” method, ie, if it falls down, double everything and build it again,,,which is why we STILL have Roman roads and bridges around. Not very cost effective but, hey, slaves were cheap in those days.

Gary 7

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 07:58:07 +0000

add Sandor the android scientist from ‘StarBlazers’ otherwise known as ‘SpaceBattlecruiser : Yamato’

Ack! Make that :

Spacebattleship : Yamato actually.

Oh and that’s supposed to read “Sandor~wise” too. Gosh-durned dang-nabbed typos!

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 05:34:07 +0000

Sandor Wise see :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SOKcn3cc3o

and for Hans Zarkov :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OepLtPZQTg

gives the introductory link.

Off topic, sorry, but this :

http://www.space.com/11955-face-gandhi-google-mars.html

may be of interest for you, BA. Gandhi’s face (or one of the Caesar’s?) found on Mars -pareidolia natch.

By: Messier Tidy Upper

Messier Tidy Upper — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 05:31:42 +0000

@11. jaranath : “I gotta cast a vote for Dr. Stephen Franklin, of B5 fame.”

I second that and strongly agree.

I’d also second the nominations for Hans Zarkov from‘Flash Gordon’ and would like to add Sandor the android scientist from ‘StarBlazers’ otherwise known as ‘SpaceBattlecruiser : Yamato’ – plus “Dr Elephant” (I think he was?) from ‘AstroBoy’ who created and was the father figure to the eponymous hero of that show. Ah, those early memories of childhood cartoons!

Plus I originally *was* going to say Dr Ellie Arroway from Contact which was shown on TV but I guess counts as a movie instead. Then there are the real scientists who have appeared on Tv from time to time on good doco’s such as Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Brian Cox and a certain Dr Phil .. whats-his-name .. started with P and ended in ‘t’ I think!

But then, I guess we’re talking fictional characters rather than real ones so they don’t count right?

By: Shawn

Shawn — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 05:05:31 +0000

Because of that picture and your opening line, I imagined Dr. Farnsworth narrating the entire post. I’ll have to do that more often, especially when I read science journals. Makes it much easier to concentrate for some reason.

Personally, my own list wouldn’t be complete without Dr. Forrester and Hans Zarkov, both already mentioned earlier.

By: VinceRN

VinceRN — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 04:23:07 +0000

Good pick for number one, that show sparked my interest in science as a kid. I like that you stressed the importance of “I don’t know” in science. I wish we heard the more from scientists that address the public through mass media. Too often we hear their opinion or their guess reported as fact. I prefer to hear that they don’t know but they have a theory, any why they think they are right.

Also, I have to point out that at times even the Doctor turns to brute force and cynicism. Not often, but it has happened from time to time over the decades. Especially the brute force part. You own avowed favorite had a “fighting hand” in his first appearance.

By: NAW

NAW — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 03:23:27 +0000

Well to throw a name into the “Movie list”, Doc Savage. If you have never seen the movie based off the first book, go watch it if you can find it. And of coarse Doc Brown from the Back to the Future movies.

Nice list, must be a little hard to clear through the many shows out there. May have done some different numbers and names due to different levels of liking of shows, though.

By: Jack Hagerty

Jack Hagerty — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 03:20:07 +0000

Just to pick a nit, only three of the main characters on TBBT are scientists. Howard in an engineer.

- Jack

By: MichaelL

MichaelL — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 02:44:02 +0000

Phil, we, your loyal peeps love you. BUT… Leaving Gauis Baltar off that list was nothing short of a criminal offence. Oh, sure, the old “And, oh yeah, having a life, too. So much TV to watch! But the weather’s nice in Boulder, and my bike gets so lonely…” may cause some loyal peeps to feel sympathy for the plight of Dr. Plait, but, we the true loyal core peeps expect more and better! Even if you overlooked Dr. Baltar, there was simply no excuse for overlooking “Galactica 1980″‘s iconic ‘Dr. Zee’.

By: mrboma

mrboma — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 01:11:39 +0000

I just can’t do TBBT. I tried, but it’s unwatchable. In fact, I can’t watch any show with a laugh track. It is an old crutch that needs to go the way of the dodo. The good news is: maybe it is. Only CBS still has shows with laugh tracks. The bad news: many of them get high ratings.

By: jaranath

jaranath — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:12:48 +0000

I gotta cast a vote for Dr. Stephen Franklin, of B5 fame.

Yeah, doctors aren’t necessarily qualified as scientists, but Franklin certainly was. I love him for his constant, fierce defense of his principles and the scientific method. And I love his tendency to push too far, to be a bit too harsh and arrogant. I found that believable, and I identify with it somewhat (and while I love Rodney McKay, he’s a bit over the top).

Best of all, when those traits get him into serious trouble, they also end up saving him. He learns a bit humility and is better for it, but only a bit; he doesn’t radically transform.

By: Dennis

Dennis — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 20:09:51 +0000

Your #1 could also be a contender for best TV sideburns of all time.