Who is your favorite "bringer of science to the masses?"

[Valen]

My first thought when seeing the poll was Richard Feynman.
Going through the comments, I agree with adding Isaac Asimov.
Going back in history, consider Jethro Tull (the agronomist).
For introducing the popular music audience to relativity, Brian May.

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

Hey a necromancy topic.
...
Anyway, some years ago I saw the first in a miniseries called "Connections" with James Burke. Funny guy, too.

Connections (British TV series) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It's mostly about how people have made developments to seemingly mundane things into the bigger stuff as we know them today. And no one really knows where technology takes us.
I'm not a big science person, but the history of science interests me. I've always found it interesting that a lot of our great thinkers were mostly putzing around in their free time when they made some of the greatest discoveries.

 

[Birdjaguar]

My thoughts are the the poll should be updated. Who should be added?

 

[Moriarte]

Roger Penrose.

 

[EvaDK]

Most 'popular' would probably be DeGrasse Tyson, Cox and Attenborough. I reckon they have had the largest reach via television and YouTube.
Attenborough has been doing television programs for seven decades by now.

The finest achievement they can hope for, is to make people interested enough in the natural world and the cosmos to seek out more information on their own, after watching the shows or reading the books. That is the primary criteria of success.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Most 'popular' would probably be DeGrasse Tyson, Cox and Attenborough. I reckon they have had the largest reach via television and YouTube.
Attenborough has been doing television programs for seven decades by now.

The finest achievement they can hope for, is to make people interested enough in the natural world and the cosmos to seek out more information on their own, after watching the shows or reading the books. That is the primary criteria of success.

Tyson has his podcast, StarTalk Radio, and another podcast where he applies science to sports. I think Attenborough overwhelms the other two simply through Planet Earth. Even people who don't read pop sci books know him through that.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Hey a necromancy topic.
...
Anyway, some years ago I saw the first in a miniseries called "Connections" with James Burke. Funny guy, too.

Connections (British TV series) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

It's mostly about how people have made developments to seemingly mundane things into the bigger stuff as we know them today. And no one really knows where technology takes us.
I'm not a big science person, but the history of science interests me. I've always found it interesting that a lot of our great thinkers were mostly putzing around in their free time when they made some of the greatest discoveries.

I loved James Burke's series, both Connections and The Day the Universe Changed (this series had very nice theme music, as well; it's running through my mind as I type this). Once upon a time a few decades ago, when I had my handicraft business, I'd sit in front of the TV, stitching my wares and watching/listening to my collection of science documentaries on VHS. Connections and The Day the Universe Changed were among them. I also had one on astronomers, and of course Cosmos (the original, thankyouverymuch).

Most 'popular' would probably be DeGrasse Tyson, Cox and Attenborough. I reckon they have had the largest reach via television and YouTube.
Attenborough has been doing television programs for seven decades by now.

The finest achievement they can hope for, is to make people interested enough in the natural world and the cosmos to seek out more information on their own, after watching the shows or reading the books. That is the primary criteria of success.

I was subscribed to BBC Earth for awhile, and loved having a steady diet of Attenborough and Brian Cox documentaries. I remember a wonderful feeling of having a light bulb go off in my head when Cox explained the physics of waterfalls in such a way that I could understand it (physics is fascinating but I'm too math-challenged to understand it anywhere as much as I'd like).


NDT can go climb a tree. Some months ago I saw a video of him on YT, literally giggling at how stupid he thought Frank Herbert was when he wrote Dune. NDT kept carrying on that Frank Herbert "hadn't done his research" because sound doesn't travel through sand, and therefore the Fremen using thumpers to attract worms was stupid.

Re-read the book, twit. Sandworms don't respond to what they hear. They respond to what they feel. Vibrations travel through sand just fine. That's why the Fremen have to 'walk without rhythm' to safely cross the desert (something none of the movies have gotten right, btw).

 

[Broken_Erika]

I was subscribed to BBC Earth for awhile, and loved having a steady diet of Attenborough and Brian Cox documentaries. I remember a wonderful feeling of having a light bulb go off in my head when Cox explained the physics of waterfalls in such a way that I could understand it (physics is fascinating but I'm too math-challenged to understand it anywhere as much as I'd like).

Don't forget the other Attenborough, His brother
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Attenborough
Not for science but an awesome actor

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Huh. Turns out I have seen him in a few things:

The Great Escape
Elizabeth
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

I didn't really notice him much, in the sense of being somebody famous. To me he was just another actor playing a part.


I still prefer the David Attenborough documentaries, even when one of them shows a baby Emperor penguin falling into a crevasse and its mother can't save both herself and her chick so she abandons it. I was crying and yelling at the TV for the people filming this to save the chick, but of course they didn't. The chick kept crying for its mother, and she just kept climbing.

Rest in peace, baby.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

Problem is being popular is usually opposed to teaching anything at all, specially in physics. Roger Penrose books are my preferred ones, (Way to Reality is along Umberto Eco's Name of the Rose my main beside books) he will try to teach you the real stuff, but doing so the books become too advanced for the complete layman. I have a masters degree in chemistry and many times I have a pretty hard time understanding them.

 

[H4run]

For a celebrity scientist, my favorite is Rick Sanchez. The guy never thinks his inventions and gadgets are evidence that he's a master of philosophy or a theologian. Rick made a laser gun to vaporize his enemies, but I never heard him give lectures about the fundamental nature of energy, heck the guy seems even seems clueless about it. Rick presents his tech more as destructive devices or toys not as a beacon of hope, and it is as it is.

Morty will be more likely to explain the fundamental nature of energy, especially if Jessica is around, you know, he'll be extra philosophical and boring if she's around.

 

[EvaDK]

Tyson has his podcast, StarTalk Radio, and another podcast where he applies science to sports. I think Attenborough overwhelms the other two simply through Planet Earth. Even people who don't read pop sci books know him through that.

I think I agree. It's also to Attenboroughs great advantage, that he was communicating and educating us on something very relatable, like the animal kingdom and nature. I find the cosmos and certain aspects of physics interesting, but let's be honest; they're no competition for Planet Earth. A cheetah or baby kangaroo, are just much more relatable than what's going on inside a black hole a Million lightyears away.

 

[Ordnael]

Carl Sagan 4 life, great educator watched the original VHS of Cosmos back in the day so I obviously got the DVD versions when they came out with ending updates for some episodes from the man himself. Also that Vangelis score can't be underestimated.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

There are a lot of differences in the music between the original and the 1990 update. It's a shame, because some of the 1990 music is so bland.

 

[Ordnael]

The Vangelis music is still there, including some very early recordings from the obscure l'Apocalypse des Animaux soundtrack for a French nature series...trust me I know my Vangelis.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The Vangelis music is still there, including some very early recordings from the obscure l'Apocalypse des Animaux soundtrack for a French nature series...trust me I know my Vangelis.

I didn't say Vangelis isn't there. There's no way they'd have substituted that. I'm talking about other pieces.

Like the music for the "galaxy rise" in one episode - the original music was wondrous and inspiring. The replacement music was a disappointing snooze. It really deflated the "awe factor" of that part of the episode.

 

[Ordnael]

I can't recall but I might believe you, I won't compare to the VHS but next time a pop in a DVD I will try to find if I like that tune or not.

 

[Smellincoffee]

Carl Sagan 4 life, great educator watched the original VHS of Cosmos back in the day so I obviously got the DVD versions when they came out with ending updates for some episodes from the man himself. Also that Vangelis score can't be underestimated.

I like listening to it when I'm reading books on astronomy.

 

[Ordnael]

If you some pointers on the Vangelis albums used for Comos's score here's a little list.
Heaven and Hell (intro outro song which is So long ago, so clear)
l'Apocalypse des Animaux (already mentioned)
Albedo 0.39 (Cosmos plays Alpha a lot, which I love)
China (I recall listening to Himalaya while watching)
Antarctica (though I am not sure which song and I might be wrong on this one).