Stuff to watch
In a perfect world Professor Brian Cox would be the worlds highest paid pin up and the Prime Minister would be Charlie Brooker. Both have incredible TV programs out right now in the form of Wonders of the Solar System from the poster boy of science Cox and series 2 of Newswipe from possibly the greatest living human on earth, Mr Charlie Brooker.
It’s not just that Wonders of the Solar System will reduce you to teary eyed pillow biting with its violins and gloriously happy rhetoric – it’s the fact there is such an obvious beauty to our local group that we cannot ignore. Prof Brian Cox is clearly overjoyed at what is out there and presents a beautifully made show with all the enthusiasm of a six year old on three bags of cola bottles.
His celebrity science status makes him perfect for the role and for all the criticisms that the intellectual elite might have of this form of “dumbed down science” documentary – it’s perfect sunday night viewing when you’ve drunk a little too much, especially when the only other choice is “Snog Marry Avoid” or ritual suicide. You can follow Cox on Twitter here – I just wish he was as fabulous on Twitter as he is on camera, but follow him all the same as he is a beautiful human being who I personally would forgive almost any crime.
Despite his immense knowledge and intellect Cox did not however write the series – that goes to a guy called Gideon Bradshaw who also directed the series and wrote the wonderful Are We Alone in the Universe. For true genius and brilliance we will all be forced to live in the eternal shadow of Charlie Brooker and his glorious masterpieces like the fabulous offering he has out now.
Episode 2 of Newswipe (series 2) is so good it I would poke my own mother in the eye to defend it. It should be put on the national curriculum and anyone in your family who hasn’t seen it deserve nothing more than a good hard whipping. Episode 2 is gloriously funny from the first second and if for some strange reason Brooker himself doesn’t whet your appetite then Adam Curtis joins in with a stroke of perfectly crafted documentary brilliance along with Doug Stanhope, who completes to an orgy of aggressively expert, left wing, dot-2-dot intellectual analysis that even the most rampant Daily Mail reader has to smirk at.
If there was Nobel Prize in common sense Brooker would have won it 12 times.
If you don’t enjoy this show you need to try again. Newswipe is being shown for the second time on iPlayer now. If you miss this then you may as well emigrate to Greenland or just shoot yourself. Much like how I felt when the series ended.
Tricks of the trade
We get a lot of emails asking how things are done, what to read, watch, wear and eat – and we’d love to reply to everyone but there simply isn’t the time at the moment.
A note to those who don’t know we have all the recommended stuff here or just click on the recommended links for a more extended list, ideal for the truly hardcore, hopefully the links haven’t died. Anyone who has got through that lot deserves a medal and some new shelves.
We will be updating and adding more stuff when we can – shouldn’t be too long.
Also a reminder that the art store now features ALL of Derren’s prints at every size. More updates coming soon with 2 new releases and it looks like certain sizes will sell out never to be released again.
Skeleton of conjoined twins
I must get one of these for DB for Xmas. Anyone know where I can get one?
The Big Libel – Buy Tickets Now!
“The Big Libel Gig on Sunday 14 March 2010 at the London’s Palace Theatre will raise funds to support the Coalition for Libel Reform. An eclectic line-up, including Dara Ó Briain, Tim Minchin, Marcus Brigstocke, Robin Ince, Ed Byrne, Shappi Khorsandi, Professor Brian Cox, Simon Singh, Professor Richard Wiseman, Dr Peter Wilmshurst and Dr Ben Goldacre, is supporting the campaign for a public interest defence to protect writers, bloggers, academics, human rights activists and performers.
The Big Libel Gig is the brainchild of comedian Robin Ince – whose previous successes include the annual Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People shows and who will be hosting the evening – and Simon Singh, the science author and broadcaster, who will be talking frankly about the impact of libel fears on scientific debate.
Simon Singh, who is currently being sued by the British Chiropractic Association, said: “Peter Wilmshurst, Ben Goldacre and I will talk about being sued for libel. Peter is being sued for raising concerns about a heart device. He faces bankruptcy by coming up against our draconian libel laws. We are all put at risk if doctors and scientists are scared to speak out because of English libel laws.”
Stars of the show will tell the audience that England’s unjust libel laws are preventing free speech and open criticism of big corporations and powerful institutions. They will call for others to support the campaign for a public interest defence and join them in signing the petition for libel reform at www.libelreform.org.”
Read more at LibelReform.org
Tickets here
Wonders of the Solar System with Brian Cox
Coming in March is a new series about the solar system from wonderful Professor Brian Cox. I’ll be watching.
Thanks Anthony
Brain development infographic winner
Click image to enlarge
This cartoon by Dwayne Godwin, a professor of neurobiology at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and Jorge Cham, the former researcher and cartoonist who created PhD Comics, has won first place in the informational graphics category of the 2009 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.
Via Neurophilosophy
Win Tickets to Enigma at the Torquay Princess
Yes you heard it – we’re giving away two free tickets to the fantastic Enigma 2010 show at the Princess Theatre in Torquay. Tickets are for Monday 15th of February and all you have to do to win them is the following:
Find someone to go with. Get THEM to email US with the best (true) reason as to why YOU should win. You can ask as many friends as you like to email us - but each friend can only email us once.
You have just a few days to win so get out there and ask someone if they would like to go with you to see Mr Brown and his incredible Enigma show.
ENIGMA nominated for second Olivier!
For those in the US, the Olivier Awards are the equivalent of the Tony’s – Theatreland’s highest accolade. In 2006, “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, written by Derren and his collaborator Andy Nyman (who also directs the shows) won an Olivier, and was the first time that any sort of magic show had won such an esteemed award. Now Enigma is shortlisted, the show that Derren is about to reprise on a 5 month sell-out tour, his longest yet due to huge demand. It kicks off in Swansea this week.
Details for tickets are available on this blog. We believe extra tickets have now been made available in Torquay for Valentine’s weekend. If you find your theatre is sold out, you can try for returns or, if you wish, keep an eye on eBay, where they sometimes appear for huge amounts.
Derren says, “Touring with the stage show is by far my favourite part of the year. I’m so excited to get it up and running again. This tour had to double in size to accomodate demand, which makes it doubly fun to do. Particularly this show, which is such a massive pleasure to perform.” On the subject of a possible second Olivier, he added, “It’s amazing to be nominated. And if the show does win, it has the advantage that means that if you come and don’t like it, then you’re wrong and I can prove it.”
There are whispers of Derren hitting Broadway with a show in 2011. Nothing has been confirmed, and no details are being offered.
Coops and Iain, two of the small crew that travels with Derren, are personally requesting this year that the more “generous and sexy” fans bring them packets of Roast Beef Monster Munch. “They can be left at stage door before the show. Leave your details and we’ll announce a prize for the person who leaves the most…”
They don’t know what they’re letting themselves in for.
Anyone attending the show is respectfully asked by Derren to keep its contents secret…
The Skeptic Code
“Many conspiracy theorists seem very keen on the idea of hidden messages or codes secretly embedded within ancient writings. Believers claim hidden prophecies of significant world events and disasters can be uncovered and deciphered by analysing the Bible. By simply selecting a random paragraph and taking out the punctuation and merely inserting the passage into a matrix a skeptic, if suitably motivated, and with the benefit of hindsight is easily able to uncover whatever it is they fancy. Believers see predictions of the assassination of President Kennedy and the 9/11 twin towers terrorist attack uncovered in the bible as irrefutable evidence of divine revelation even though rational thinkers can locate predictions of the death of Leon Trotsky and Princess Diana secreted within “Moby Dick”.” – [Science, Reason and Critical Thinking]
This is one of the many great posts from forgetomori – a great blog well worth following – please visit and enjoy.
UPDATE: I recently found out this was from Crispian Jago in reference to the Bible Code. You may remember Crispian for his wonderful set of Simpson’s Skeptics Top Trumps.
The Human Brain – How we decide
What happens in your brain when you make a decision? How can you make better ones from choosing a cereal to finding a flight path for safety? Science writer Jonah Lehrer tackles decision making small and large in his book How We Decide.
