Comments on: Death by Physics http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:40:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Brian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-72120 Brian Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:47:24 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-72120 Well, to be fair, that was a standard bit of exposition for the audience's sake (aka playing <a href="http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWatson" rel="nofollow">The Watson</a>). Pretty much every TV show with a science theme has random characters briefly turn ignorant so someone else can give the audience a quick lesson on basic physics, chemistry, biology or whatever. Well, to be fair, that was a standard bit of exposition for the audience’s sake (aka playing The Watson). Pretty much every TV show with a science theme has random characters briefly turn ignorant so someone else can give the audience a quick lesson on basic physics, chemistry, biology or whatever.

]]> By: F http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71917 F Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:13:38 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71917 I agree with E. I had never heard the term "daughter isotope" but I accurately guessed at the meaning based on an 8th grade science lesson. I agree with E. I had never heard the term “daughter isotope” but I accurately guessed at the meaning based on an 8th grade science lesson.

]]> By: Juan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71685 Juan Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:45:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71685 Former guest blogger claiming innocence here... only suggested a variation of one of the twenty different deaths inflicted. Man, that was vicious. Let's look at the bright side, it may serve as a cautionary tale for whimsical referees everywhere. Former guest blogger claiming innocence here… only suggested a variation of one of the twenty different deaths inflicted. Man, that was vicious. Let’s look at the bright side, it may serve as a cautionary tale for whimsical referees everywhere.

]]> By: Brian http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71451 Brian Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:01:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71451 I don't blame Sean. I doubt he knew ahead of time how bad it was going to be. Well, no more than anyone might have assumed, given the usual result of putting reality through the Hollywood meatgrinder. But I do wish I'd come back here and read the comments before deciding to watch it myself. UGH. I don’t blame Sean. I doubt he knew ahead of time how bad it was going to be. Well, no more than anyone might have assumed, given the usual result of putting reality through the Hollywood meatgrinder.

But I do wish I’d come back here and read the comments before deciding to watch it myself. UGH.

]]> By: E http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71328 E Sat, 11 Apr 2009 00:58:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71328 And the dialogue wasn't even self-consistent. How could Bones not know what a daughter isotope is? And the dialogue wasn’t even self-consistent. How could Bones not know what a daughter isotope is?

]]> By: coolstar http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71275 coolstar Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:26:16 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71275 Wow, I actually LIKE Bones, but not because of idiotic episodes like the one last night. Essentially everyone's comments have been spot on, except that no one has mentioned the INCREDIBLY BAD physics! Leukemia in two weeks from radiation poisoning? Bouncing frozen turkeys (try it, it'll go SPLAT). PLEEEZE, thanks for turning everyone off to what is usually a quite enjoyable show Sean. Wow, I actually LIKE Bones, but not because of idiotic episodes like the one last night.
Essentially everyone’s comments have been spot on, except that no one has mentioned the INCREDIBLY BAD physics! Leukemia in two weeks from radiation poisoning? Bouncing frozen turkeys (try it, it’ll go SPLAT). PLEEEZE, thanks for turning everyone off to what is usually a quite enjoyable show Sean.

]]> By: per http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71266 per Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:55:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71266 Physicists helping Fox network? Sell outs.... Physicists helping Fox network?

Sell outs….

]]> By: Eugene http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71264 Eugene Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:24:07 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71264 I guess after reading the comments about the casual sex among physicists, this episode must be a product of SEEx. I guess after reading the comments about the casual sex among physicists, this episode must be a product of SEEx.

]]> By: macho http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71261 macho Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:42:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71261 In the interest of self-preservation (since my office is only a few doors down from "previous guest blogger" I thought it might be wise to find out what kinds of death by physics he was helping to cook up...) I watched the show. I should have taken my chances with the guy down the hall -- would have been much less painful. TV at its worst, and the portrayal of physicists was awful -- without exception they were arrogant, rude and cold, unable and uninterested in concealing their disdain for anyone w/o a PhD in physics. Also not clear how they found time to teleport pondscum when they seemed to spend 90% of their time having sex with one another in every possible permutation (choose 2/5 at random) of the scientists working at the Collar Institute. (none of whom was over the much over the age of 30 --- seems to be a bit of an Eloi problem...) In the interest of self-preservation (since my office is only a few doors down from
“previous guest blogger” I thought it might be wise to find out what kinds of
death by physics he was helping to cook up…) I watched the show. I should have taken my chances with the guy down the hall — would have been much less painful. TV at its worst, and the portrayal of physicists was awful — without exception they were arrogant, rude and cold, unable and uninterested in concealing their disdain for anyone w/o a PhD in physics.
Also not clear how they found time to teleport pondscum when they seemed to spend 90% of their time having sex with one another in every possible permutation (choose 2/5 at random) of the scientists working at the Collar Institute. (none of whom was over the much over the age of 30 — seems to be a bit of an Eloi problem…)

]]> By: amphiox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71259 amphiox Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:24:52 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71259 Wait a sec here. . . . With the exception of poisoning, wouldn't you say that nearly all criminal related death, be it by bullet, bat, defenestration, or icepick, etc, would classify as death by physics? (Well, maybe we can include strangulation with poisoning as death by chemistry). Wait a sec here. . . . With the exception of poisoning, wouldn’t you say that nearly all criminal related death, be it by bullet, bat, defenestration, or icepick, etc, would classify as death by physics?

(Well, maybe we can include strangulation with poisoning as death by chemistry).

]]> By: Zeno http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71256 Zeno Fri, 10 Apr 2009 15:05:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71256 Did they run out of time while filming that episode? The culprit was fingered on the most slender evidence imaginable. Without the convenient tell-all confession during the final scenes, they wouldn't have had much of a case against the accused. Did they run out of time while filming that episode? The culprit was fingered on the most slender evidence imaginable. Without the convenient tell-all confession during the final scenes, they wouldn’t have had much of a case against the accused.

]]> By: TimG http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71253 TimG Fri, 10 Apr 2009 14:03:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71253 Perhaps this is a good time to mention that the LHC does not, in fact, have a 1 in 50,000,000 chance of creating a black hole that will destroy the solar system, despite what was claimed in the episode. The notion that scientists spend their free time engaging in numerous casual sexual encounters, perhaps we can let pass . . . Perhaps this is a good time to mention that the LHC does not, in fact, have a 1 in 50,000,000 chance of creating a black hole that will destroy the solar system, despite what was claimed in the episode.

The notion that scientists spend their free time engaging in numerous casual sexual encounters, perhaps we can let pass . . .

]]> By: Eugene http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71232 Eugene Fri, 10 Apr 2009 09:30:26 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71232 Cool. Is this the product, like (almost) everybody in the world, of SEEx? Eugene Cool. Is this the product, like (almost) everybody in the world, of SEEx?

Eugene

]]> By: James http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71227 James Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:57:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71227 I agree with Quasar about Hollywood. I also hate Brussels sprouts. I get around that problem by not eating them. I agree with Quasar about Hollywood. I also hate Brussels sprouts. I get around that problem by not eating them.

]]> By: Zeno http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71143 Zeno Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:48:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71143 My favorite example of death by physics is in <i>Revelation Space</i> by Alastair Reynolds, as I describe in a <a href="http://zenoferox.blogspot.com/2006/05/danny-dunn-pseudoscientist.html" rel="nofollow">post</a> on my blog. My favorite example of death by physics is in Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds, as I describe in a post on my blog.

]]> By: QUASAR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/comment-page-1/#comment-71113 QUASAR Thu, 09 Apr 2009 16:54:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2009/04/09/death-by-physics/#comment-71113 I absolutely hate Hollywood! It pollutes the media with antiscience and other trashy stuff! I absolutely hate Hollywood! It pollutes the media with antiscience and other trashy stuff!

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