In a section on broacasting, he blames the BBC’s willingness to handle the more “advanced” subjects on the English class system, with its insidious doctrine that some people are more intelligent than others.

He warns any other Americans visiting the UK not become addicted to this form of broadcasting, or it might spoil their appreciation of the healthy, democratic American system of broadcasting, where every programme can be understood by the smallest child.

If someone wants more infos on Brian Cox

I do.

there is a nice 3-part Q&A with him on Universe Today.

But that’s not the kinda ‘info’ I want.

(Damn you, Gia. Damn you to heck.)

We’ve got many great science communicators, and we’ve also got a TV industry that’s prepared to give them a chance by letting them make the sort of programmes they want to make. If anything, Brian’s “Wonders of…” series are my least favourite, having the most Discovery-style completely gratuitous wizz-bang stuff chucked in. I’d take another series of Adam Hart-Davis’s “Local Heroes”, or anything by Marcus du Sautoy, over another “Wonders of…” – there’s only so much time you can spend watching Brian staring intently into the middle distance in an exotic location for no discernible reason. I’d rather watch Adam Hart-Davies make a 19th-century fax machine out of string and tin cans.

I appreciate that you like to big-up your mates, but there’s a lot of other people doing equally great work.

…?

I can only hope that his charm (and that of others like him) manage to strike a cord in the United States as well, and spike intrest here too. We need it, badly.

Fortunately just a few years ago these scores started to rise again. It might take another decade of continued improvement before they again reach the ’61′ level. Somehow, I think, the U.S. needs another big math-science push which I believe would more than pay for itself in the long run.

I wont say that i regret that decision now, as i do love what i do, but seeing as how i love reading and studying and learning stuff like this on my own now, not because i have to, but because i find it fun and fascinating, i can totally see picking a different career path all those years ago, if it was presented with as much enthusiasm for the field as Cox and Tyson have for it.

I’m a huge fan of his as well. Saw the last in the ‘Wonders of the Universe’ series which screened on ABC TV Oz recently. Most impressed. Plus by his ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ too.

Having him present something is the next best thing to having Carl Sagan or Isaac Asimov present it and there isn’t any higher praise than that from me.

Cripes, dude, how old are you? 12?

I’ve just graduated in a computer science course and I’m gutted I didn’t discover you guys a few more years back as I would certainly be doing an astronomy / physics degree now. How could you not after discovering such a wonder?!

PS. Also find the radio 4 podcast with Brian Cox talking about his inspirational man, Sagan

21, Sam, UK

(This is not, in any way, to downplay the good news of improved science interest, nor the positive influence of Mr. Cox.)

smallprint
(You need to know that in the Netherlands we tend to cut off everything/body which grows over the cornfield. i.e. cut off everything/body who stands out.)
/smallprint

Anyway: GO! Great news!!1!
Good teachers, inspiring people is what we need.
It all starts with a spark. And you never know which kid is getting the jolt…

PS I like him the way he says “big bank”

First it was Prof. Cox stuck on a mountain in Norway, then Neil Oliver roaming British hilltops in search of Stone/Bronze/Iron Age Brits.

What next…?
–

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAgvVxnMhuI

I mean you have to be good at maths, and science age 11 then you have to choose subjects at 13 or 14 (i.e. single science or triple science) then you have to pass your GCSEs and select you A-level subjects then 2 years later you have to apply to uni.

So that’s at least 4 years with able students.

@Madscientist
This is the last year were university applicants will be able to get their degrees at the old fee level I believe which may have led to an increase in applicants across the board.

As for the science news – where in the UK is that happening? With the latest disaster with university funding in England I would have expected the opposite.

In all seriousness though, he’s a great ambassador for science, and has a near Sagan-like ability to break down complicated or abstract concepts into something us plebs can understand. Kudos to the BBC for continuing to spend money on these sorts of documentary series.