The World’s Largest Coalition of Nontheists and Nontheist Communities!

Horizon: The President's Guide to Science

Full video here kindly posted by Evilgenious20.

Oh where to begin?

Shallow, vacuous, presumptuous, pretentious crap.

What the hell was the pitch for this?

"We want scientists talking that sciency stuff - but it's got to be sexy, dark, enigmatic. And forty minutes long even though we only have five minutes of material"

Horizon used to be a real science show - i.e. one that was about science rather than merely alluding to its existence - somewhere else.

This was little more than episode of C.S.I. Miami without a plot, cadaver or opening pun.

It wasted the audiences time and that of the illustrious interviewees who probably believed they were doing some good.

Instead we get ponderous artistic shots of walking, standing, sitting and some inexplicably mad head wobbling from Richard Dawkins.

And to think that I paid for this with my bloody license fee, perhaps that's why I take it so personally.

But what really had me gouging out my cochleas with a rusty chisel was the presenter continuously and relentlessly using the word nucular.

Nucular.

Nucular.

Nucular.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WOMAN - ITS NUCLEAR - WEREN'T YOU LISTENING TO THE PHYSICISTS IN YOUR OWN BLOODY DOCUMENTARY?

0 members like this

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by DeeVee on September 24, 2008 at 5:53pm

Hi, I've been confronting the "religious" in chat rooms for about 5 years now. They are truly insane and most often fit the Dx of paranoid schizophrenia with a comorbidity of a narcissistic personality disorder.

I have observed that once a person believes in their own imagination as a source of reality, and that imagination has been brainwashed and programmed to believe in religion, then all thoughts, wishes and cognition can be lateralized into some unreal and utopian world of onesr own delusions. Religion takes advantage of people with a propensity for fantasy and delusions, at our peril. Apparently, there is a genetic predisposition for "fantasy" and too many people with this genetic predisposition now vote...and are endangering our security and well being.

America: "One nation, sinking under god" is correct. Because, the delusional religious "believe" that god is on their side, and having faith precludes objective and rational thought and problem solving. The religious "believe that jesus or god is like some magic, lucky charm...and this deity will save them and all "god-fearing" people from the consequences of their behaviors.

I keep asking the religious for proof that a god or deity that has ever in all of known, geological, or cosmological history ever interrupted the laws of physics. To date, not a single person has come forth with any proof although I have offered a $10,000 reward. Why? Because there isn't any. My money is safe..but yet the religious demand that I believe in their delusions.

The problem is that trying to communicate with the religious is like talking to a 5 year old child who believe in Santa Claus, who is going to give them presents at Christmas time for being god. This childish delusion in grown men in women, in positions of power...is down right frightful, and has put this country in great peril.

I grew up as a Presbyterian. Presbyterians and other religious people believe that if they believe in god, then god will reward them with riches and security. The problem is that not only is this not a true statement, but the religious will not "test" to determine if this true. Religion and "beliefs" should be tested for credibility. The research I have found, is almost apologetic when they conclude that religion and other such magical beliefs do not work.

Religion is a belief in magic.

Three studies about the efficacy of "prayer" found that those who "know" they are being prayed for, died quicker after suffering a heart attack. Those who were not prayed for at all, lived the longest. I've seen other studies of "faith-based" programs in prison. The conclusion was that felons involved in "faith-based programs had a poorer adjustment to prison life, and upon release had a higher arrest or recidivism rate. Faith-based programs in prison not only do not work, they are harmful.

Therefore, from a scientific point of view, religion does not work, prayer does not work, rituals and holy mumblings do not work....and for the religious to promote a "belief" that god is going to save this country's economy or improve our security is pure garbage and delusional clap trap.

I've just joined, and I hope I didn't make this too long. But, I want to see more studies of the effects of religion on the human mind, cognition, emotions, government, science, education, political movements, and all aspects of society.

I would also like a discussion of trends. The religious claim that they are gaining ground and more people are believing in god. However, when I go on line, I see more evident of free thinking and atheism than at any time in history. What do you all think?

Hugs, DeeVee

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul on September 24, 2008 at 5:59pm

Oops - did you mean to post this here?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Paul on September 24, 2008 at 6:35pm

The science is missing...
And we...
Are going to find it...

YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH! DURR DE DUUURH!

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by DeeVee on September 25, 2008 at 8:12am

Good morning,
Yes, we must find the science and speak with one voice. There are actually areas that need a good science enema....religion and education. The most amazing thing is that the religious compartmentalize their beliefs from reality, in that when they buy a car, or choose a product they "do their research." But, when it comes to religion, they swallow the whole pig without thinking twice. I would not care what they do in private, they can flaggelate themselves silly like some 13th century monk, but they vote. And as voters, who are told to interject or force religion on the rest of us...then the gloves have to come off. Most of the scientists I know are quiet, thoughtful, socially conservative people who don't like to make waves. The problem is that the religious will gain an upper hand by default, because scientists did not step up to the front lines and begin peppering the religious with questions in order to lead them into either proving a god is real, or allowing them to discredit themselves. DeeVee

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by HailVectron on September 26, 2008 at 7:13am

I think thats one of my biggest annoyances in the world - people who can't say nuclear properly.... I mean, ffs, how hard is it to just switch around the first two letter of unclear... You don't say un-kiler... GRRRRRR... Then again, the leader of the free world can't say it either, so maybe I'm getting it wrong :)

A close second is draw-ring, but thats more a UK thing I think...

Oh, and I agree, Horizon was pretty pointless...

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Enlightened Observer on September 26, 2008 at 8:37am

This programme made a lot of people angry. I hope you all sent your complaints to the BBC. You can email them at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_complaint_step1n.shtml

I too remember the days when Horizon was about real science. Sadly, it now seems that any silly tosser with an arts or humanities degree can sell an idea to the Beeb where the management are just as ignorant about science as the producers of this appalling documentary.

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Evilgenius20 on September 26, 2008 at 9:29pm

I think what Horizon was attempting here was to make a science program that appeals to a broader audience, not just us aficionados.That would explain the dumbing down of the the science content, as well as the attempts to "sex it up".