'Time Machine' on Beeb 1

Tim Auton tim.auton@uton.[groupSexWithoutTheY] wrote:

Precession of the polar axis? That's about 20,000 years IIRC. It's
more like a gyroscope than a pendulum though.

That was my thought, but that has bugger all to do with our orbit - it's
an axial inclination thing, isn't it?

It is indeed. I wonder if there is a similar precession of the
ecliptic? Hmmm...

[quick search]

Perhaps he was talking about perihelion precession? That cycles every
21,000 years, apparently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/seasons_orbit.html

Could well be. Many thanks.

Jim
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DT wrote:

Sometimes I despair for my own country and its' education.

Denis

If this is a _it used to be marvellous but now it's all gone down the
tubes_ type remark, I'll dispute all the way. In which country or
countries are things like precession of the perihelion better known
among the general population?

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

DT wrote in message ...

Sometimes I despair for my own country and its' education.

Or its duration?

Couldn't someone sue the Beeb for breach of contract or something?
They are bound to educate the UK public by their charter. It's why
their presenters are supposedly more valuable than footballers! And
precisely why even the poor of the UK have to pay the bløødy license
fee.

I sometimes wonder what these BBC "megastars" (on their hundreds of
thousands a year & living in the lap of luxutry) think of the millions
of poor. With kids and no financial support except social security?
And *still* having to pay the Beeb's "elite" their obscene wages!

They think bugger all, I expect. Thinking is something the Beeb's
"elite" simply aren't paid to do! It doesn't even enter into the job
description!

Chris.B

Martin Frey wrote
If this is a _it used to be marvellous but now it's all gone down the
tubes_ type remark, I'll dispute all the way. In which country or
countries are things like precession of the perihelion better known
among the general population?

It's not rose-tinted specs, and I did mean only 'sometimes', but I do
feel that TV here has failed to retain the education/entertainment
balance it once seemed to have.
As far as formal education goes, I've met far more functionally
illiterate and innumerate people in the last 10 years than 30 years ago.
I just feel there's always room for improvement, particularly now.

Denis
--
DT
Replace nospam with the antithesis of hills

JRS: In article , seen in
news:uk.sci.astronomy, DT posted at Mon, 12
Jul 2004 12:59:54 :

Replace nospam with the antithesis of hills

Does much of your mail go to @dales.dcu ?

--
© John Stockton, Surrey, UK. Turnpike v4.00 MIME. ©
Web URL:http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.
Proper = 4-line sig. separator as above, a line exactly "-- " (SonOfRFC1036)
Do not Mail News to me. Before a reply, quote with "" or " " (SonOfRFC1036)

Dr John Stockton wrote
Does much of your mail go to @dales.dcu ?

The absence of complaints suggests not.
Should I re-sign?
;-)
Denis
--
DT
Replace nospam with the antithesis of hills

Andy Guthrie wrote

"DT" wrote in message
news
Sometimes I despair for my own country and its' education.
------------------------------------------------^^----------

Shuerly an ironic slip of the keyboard then ? ;o)


Well its like, you know, like english is dynamic yeah, know wot I mean,
yeah?
;-)
Denis
--
DT
Replace nospam with the antithesis of hills

"DT" wrote in message
news
Sometimes I despair for my own country and its' education.
------------------------------------------------^^----------

Shuerly an ironic slip of the keyboard then ? ;o)

DT wrote:

Jim wrote
Just watching this currently, and the presenter has just said that our
orbit shifts every 20,000 years, 'like a pendulum'.

What the furry heck is he talking about?

Jim

Pick any answer below;

a. A triumph of style over content.
b. It's the BBC arty types attempt at introducing more science content
to programming.
c. It's designed to appeal to the widest audience, i.e. dumbing down.
d. Graphics are hot in cinema and TV at the moment, so if it has lots it
must be good.

The bit about the Sphinx being a naturally sandblasted outcrop was
something I'd not come across before.

But yes, BBC "science" documentaries have been dumbed down beyond
belief. To get half decent documentaries, watch Channels 4 or 5.

Sometimes I despair for my own country and its' education.

http://www.apostrophe.fsnet.co.uk/

--

Peter

**** Post for FREE via your newsreader at post.usenet.com ****

Just watching this currently, and the presenter has just said that our
orbit shifts every 20,000 years, 'like a pendulum'.
What the furry heck is he talking about?

I was too shocked to hear that glaciers move to notice the rest of the
programme. Dumbed down science, low quality graphics, and only the other day
a thread was bashing Sky for crap science programmes.
I won't be too sad to miss the programme in future. I'm just looking forward
to early dark nights!

Graeme








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