Cute and so true. I'm a bit of a Whovian and so I recorded all the Doctor Who TV shows in November celebrating the 50th Anniversary. The "Science of Doctor Who" episode put me to thinking. Not because of the science per se, but because of where popular English philosopher/physicist Brian Cox held the lecture and demonstration.
It was in the lecture hall of the Royal Institution in London where Michael Faraday gave his original lectures on the science of a candle and light.
Cox's lecture was very good, but what struck me was the smallness of the venue. It couldn't have been more that 50 feet in diameter and people were stacked 20 levels high to see and hear the lecturer. That was because there was no microphones, no television pictures at that first lecture and everything was just so intimate.
Of course Cox's lecture was recorded and the world got to see it on TV. But even the picture of this rapt audience gave us a sense of communication and intimacy. I was stuck by both what we've gained and what we've lost.
We've lost the personal intimacy but we've gained the more widespread knowledge of science.
Artemis
