Phil Plait is an astronomer, author, blogger, and skeptic. He writes the Bad Astronomy Blog, which was recently chosen by Time.com as one of the Best Blogs of 2009. Phil is also the author of two books: “Bad Astronomy” and the new “Death from the Skies!” about all the ways astronomical events can wipe out life on Earth.
Phil recently became President of the James Randi Educational Foundation, a critical thinking organization devoted to spreading reality to the public. You can follow Phil on Twitter and on Facebook.
And here’s a version with Spanish subtitles:
18 Comments
It was really very nice to hear Phil on why science is important ! He derived his point home in very convicing manner !
Great going Alom !
As usual, Phil hits the nail on the head.
Science is important because -YOU- are important. Science is a process whereby we learn about the universe around us and it is done by people just like you.
Great site, Alom!
Phil needs a TV show.
You know, with my wife's glasses on, I would swear you were Adam Savage.
Why would Phil be wearing your wife's glasses?
Just kidding.
I loved the video personally, but I hesitate to pass it along to my non-science-y friends. Which I will probably do anyway. But Phil asked for feedback at his blog ... so ...
I recommend dropping the run time a little. Maybe three minutes or three point five. Something like that.
I recommend a non-descript backdrop. Phil is a cool guy. Let his personality be what we watch. Not Stewie Griffin.
Please do this more and often. I dig it. And will watch it. And rewatch it.
The packaging of your noble message is more important than the message itself when you are trying to reach a broader audience. The best of luck to ya!
I freaking love that man. He's my hero.
A great video !! I like that you speak to me --- average Jane.
yeah Phil is right. Science is all about us. We are here in this world to live.... and we say we live our life..and if we want to live our life, i am sure we need to understand who we are..and what is around us. yeah that's it. Science is the natural way which explains who we are and why we are. where we are and so and so on. it's all about reasoning. i believe science is the knowledge.
Any ways Phil, your video is great. and i would love to see more from you.
Awesome talk Phil, very well said, as always.
I will agree with Jeremy and say that the Stewie poster was cool, but a little distracting.
You have great energy and passion in your delivery. You convinced me!
You are my new heroe, really, your speach was so inspiring, I've never hear anyone talking about science like that, I can't put words to describe it (maybe because english is my second lenguage, lol).
Best speach EVER
Genius!
Any chance of extracting the audio and releasing it as an MP3?
BTW, the photo of Phil with his telescope in the 2007 Skepdude calendar is one of the best pictures ever.
-- carl
Phil's monologue is nice, I can't find any major faults in his statements, but the totality of his comments only reinforce the fallacy that science and technology are identical. Worse, he omits the most fundamental aspect of the scientific method--that we experience a unified reality that we can obtain reliable, useful information about using our senses and intellect. Like most scientists, Phil has either spent too much time in the lab and has forgotten how to describe science to the public, or he really doesn't understand the philosophical basis for science. A recent poll reported in New Scientist a few weeks ago suggests that latter is very common among scientists.
Discussing the mechanisms behind Webcams and the like doesn't explain science. Giving a rough thumbnail sketch of the scientific method doesn't help anyone understand why science is so unique and valuable to humankind. As the New York Times recently reported, the vast majority of people have no qualms about using technologies they either don't understand or are based on principals they disagree with, e.g., pharmaceuticals developed using evolutionary theory; so, trying to explain the utility of science by describing the operation of some technology isn't very useful.
What makes science, i.e., the scientific method, so important is that it provides a mechanism for us to obtain reliable information about our existence using our senses. Yes, science "brings home the goods" for us through technology. But we're fooling ourselves and the public if we think that's all there is to the question. In a time when the global economy is on the verge of collapse from the misapplication of mathematical computer models and fraud, the intellectual discipline inherent in the scientific method is vital.
That's why science is important; the rest is just gravy.
Phil's monologue is nice, I can't find any major faults in his statements, but the totality of his comments only reinforce the fallacy that science and technology are identical. Worse, he omits the most fundamental aspect of the scientific method--that we experience a unified reality that we can obtain reliable, useful information about using our senses and intellect. Like most scientists, Phil has either spent too much time in the lab and has forgotten how to describe science to the public, or he really doesn't understand the philosophical basis for science. A recent poll reported in New Scientist a few weeks ago suggests that latter is very common among scientists.
Discussing the mechanisms behind Webcams and the like doesn't explain science. Giving a rough thumbnail sketch of the scientific method doesn't help anyone understand why science is so unique and valuable to humankind. As the New York Times recently reported, the vast majority of people have no qualms about using technologies they either don't understand or are based on principals they disagree with, e.g., pharmaceuticals developed using evolutionary theory; so, trying to explain the utility of science by describing the operation of some technology isn't very useful.
What makes science, i.e., the scientific method, so important is that it provides a mechanism for us to obtain reliable information about our existence using our senses. Yes, science "brings home the goods" for us through technology. But we're fooling ourselves and the public if we think that's all there is to the question. In a time when the global economy is on the verge of collapse from the misapplication of mathematical computer models and fraud, the intellectual discipline inherent in the scientific method is vital.
That's why science is important; the rest is just gravy.
To all the Spanish-speaker community, here is Phil Plait's video with Spanish subtitles, thanks to Julio Vanni.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tFkOXLcZyg
Para toda la comunidad hispano-parlante, aqui esta el video de Phil Plait con subtítulos en español, gracias a Julio Vanni.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tFkOXLcZyg
Wow! The video is here too! :)
Thank you Lourdes for your excellent work in making the transcription/translation!
Vaya! El video está también! :)
Gracias Lourdes por tu excelente trabajo en realiar la transcripción/traducción.