OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

In article ,
Jim Lesurf writes:
What does bother me is that the programmes all tend to start from square
one, and assume the viewers are clueless about maths or the basics. We get
very little that assumes the viewers have got even to A-level in maths or
sciences.

But for 80 or 90% of the audience that is going to be true. We aren't
going to get any TV programmes that only those with A-level maths can
understand, as they would attract audiences measured in the hundreds of
thousands rather than the millions. (I suppose the exception is OU
programmes. I confess that I have never seen any of those.)

Isn't the publisher of Stephen Hawkings' "A Brief History of Time"
supposed to have told him that each equation that he included would
halve the book's sales? In the end, I believe he got it down to three
equations. That must have been 20 or 30 years ago, so it's nothing new.
--
John Hall

"Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong."
Oscar Wilde

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

On 10/12/2012 19:04, John Hall wrote:
Isn't the publisher of Stephen Hawkings' "A Brief History of Time"
supposed to have told him that each equation that he included would
halve the book's sales? In the end, I believe he got it down to three
equations. That must have been 20 or 30 years ago, so it's nothing new.

fx reaches up to bookshelf

Page vi: Acknowledgements
"Someone told me that each equation I included in the book would halve
the sales. I therefore resolved not to have any equations at all. In the
end, however, I /did/ put in one equation, Einstein's famous equation,
E=MC² I hope that this will not scare off half of my potential readers"
(1988 HBK edition)

Back to Sir Patrick: He seems to have got on all right with Einstein,
who of course was German born. (see up thread) Though this of course may
have been "My enemy's enemy..."

And on women - Heather Couper wrote to him as a child, and was told that
being a girl was no barrier. Not being any good at maths would be.
Perhaps it was only women as newsreaders?

An on TSAN - was it only my hummy that decided that the last episode but
one was the end of the series, so it wouldn't record any more? I've
just had to get_iplayer the last one.

Andy

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

In article ,
Andy Champ writes:
Back to Sir Patrick: He seems to have got on all right with
Einstein, who of course was German born. (see up thread) Though
this of course may have been "My enemy's enemy..."

Presumably Sir Patrick could hardly have felt that German Jews bore any
responsibility for WW2. (Though apparently he had no difficulty in
believing that Germans who weren't even born at that time should share
the blame!) According to Wikipedia, Einstein was visiting the US when
Hitler came to power and made the wise decision not to return to
Germany.
--
John Hall

"Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong."
Oscar Wilde

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

On Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:41:44 +0000, Graham.
wrote:

I nearly met Sir Patrick in the 80's, he was getting into the lift in
the Grand Hotel (a dump despite its name) in Manchester where I was
the visiting TV tech. I wish I had exchanged niceties with him.

I visited the old Edinburgh Observatory once and spotted a plaque on
the wall saying that the re-furbed building had been opened by one
P.Moore. I felt utterly humbled and awed to think I was standing in
the same spot as was once occupied by the world's baggiest suit.

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

On Sun, 9 Dec 2012 23:13:01 +0000, CD wrote:

The highlight of the month for me on TV, & here's to hoping TSAN carries on
in his memory with his supporting regulars.

Just watched his final show, must say I had a lump in the throat as he
signed off, telling us he'd be back to tell us how to get the best from
your new telescope that you may have got for christmas.

A broadcasting legend.

Paul Abel has just tweeted that the tribute programme is tomorrow 10:35PM.

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

"Andy Champ" wrote in message
. uk...

Back to Sir Patrick: He seems to have got on all right with Einstein, who
of course was German born. (see up thread)

Einstein voz not ein Deutschländer; he voz ein Jude! Sieg Heil!

--
Max Demian

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

On 10/12/2012 16:40, Roderick Stewart wrote:

Soviet-style rewriting of the past isn't good either. Like it or not,
popular culture is part of social history, and regardless of Savile's
extracurrucular activities he did play a significant part in it. We
shouldn't obliterate all references to something that happened in the past
just because we don't like it now. We should be concerned if we see any
sign of this happening, regardless of the subject matter.

I fully agree with you. It would be as ridiculous as destroying all
audio and film records of Hitler, no one should be airbrushed out of
history.


--
Mark
Please replace invalid and invalid with gmx and net to reply.

www.paras.org.uk

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

In message , Mark Carver
writes
On 10/12/2012 16:40, Roderick Stewart wrote:

Soviet-style rewriting of the past isn't good either. Like it or not,
popular culture is part of social history, and regardless of Savile's
extracurrucular activities he did play a significant part in it. We
shouldn't obliterate all references to something that happened in the past
just because we don't like it now. We should be concerned if we see any
sign of this happening, regardless of the subject matter.

I fully agree with you. It would be as ridiculous as destroying all
audio and film records of Hitler, no one should be airbrushed out of
history.


I'm sure there are a few of us on here who would find it difficult to
erase "Uncle Mac" from our personal history.

He is of course too dead to be charged.
--
Ian

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

Mark Carver wrote:
On 10/12/2012 16:40, Roderick Stewart wrote:

Soviet-style rewriting of the past isn't good either. Like it or not,
popular culture is part of social history, and regardless of Savile's
extracurrucular activities he did play a significant part in it. We
shouldn't obliterate all references to something that happened in the
past
just because we don't like it now. We should be concerned if we see any
sign of this happening, regardless of the subject matter.

I fully agree with you. It would be as ridiculous as destroying all
audio and film records of Hitler, no one should be airbrushed out of
history.


To take a broader and more theoretic stance, why should we assume that
our present morality is the best there's ever been? Mankind does not
always move forewords. The official morality of the German State moved
backwards, by our standards, as the early twentieth century progressed.
History has many similar examples. Many people feel that there are some
aspects of present day official morality that are deeply flawed, and
inferior to the morality of the 1950s. Please don't start quoting
specific contrary examples. Note that I said 'some aspects', not 'all
aspects'.
Once we accept that the moral journey is not entirely smooth and linear
we should be enlightened enough to respect the moralities of history.

Bill

OT - Patrick Moore RIP
 

In article ,
Mark Carver wrote:
On 10/12/2012 16:40, Roderick Stewart wrote:

Soviet-style rewriting of the past isn't good either. Like it or not,
popular culture is part of social history, and regardless of Savile's
extracurrucular activities he did play a significant part in it. We
shouldn't obliterate all references to something that happened in the
past just because we don't like it now. We should be concerned if we
see any sign of this happening, regardless of the subject matter.

I fully agree with you. It would be as ridiculous as destroying all
audio and film records of Hitler, no one should be airbrushed out of
history.

The Soviets tried that with Stalin, though. I had a school Russian
textbook which came to me second hand. The opening page had pictures of
Lenin & Stalin side by side. New copies only had Lenin.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18