The Genius of Invention, BBC2&HD 9pm, 24 - 31 Jan, 7-14 Feb

12357

Comments

  • pinkyponk34pinkyponk34 Posts: 1,244
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I know they have to prioritise but no mention of the Pulse Jet Engine, the noisier and less powerful precursor to Whittle's turbine driven engine.

    Used in the German V1 rockets, Londoners looking to the sky when it's distinctive sound was heard, wondering when it was going to run out of fuel and where it would eventually crash.
  • johnanjohnan Posts: 3,368
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Enjoyed it, as a pofessional engineer of 40 years, I appreciate the remit of these programmes is to try to instil some sort of appreciation of science, engineering and invention into our "service industry" minded youngsters of today, and as such it was a good attempt.

    When I was much younger we had lots of shows to keep us interested like the early Tomorrow's World, but todays youngsters have nothing of the kind.
  • MR. MacavityMR. Macavity Posts: 3,876
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Enjoyed this programme.

    Don't know why but I always feel sad whenever Trevithick is shown - he's kind of forgotten about really and he died penniless, but his work was absolutely amazing. A true inventor and engineer.
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    johnan wrote: »
    Enjoyed it, as a professional engineer of 40 years, I appreciate the remit of these programmes is to try to instil some sort of appreciation of science, engineering and invention into our "service industry" minded youngsters of today, and as such it was a good attempt.

    When I was much younger we had lots of shows to keep us interested like the early Tomorrow's World, but today's youngsters have nothing of the kind.

    Is it?

    I don't think so, otherwise it would be scheduled at an earlier time.

    I think it's just the perception of some programme makers these days that the average viewer is a bit thick and needs juvenile "show and tell" type presentations to retain their interest.
  • EraserheadEraserhead Posts: 22,016
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I think it's just the perception of some programme makers these days that the average viewer is a bit thick and needs juvenile "show and tell" type presentations to retain their interest.

    Considering most TV viewers are happier watching crap like the X Factor I think it's probably aimed about right. I imagine there's a significant proportion of the population who didn't pay much attention in science classes in school and I think a "school age" pitch is fine.

    This sort of programming, while interesting, is not really aimed at an audience who already know this stuff, although it's always a good reminder.

    We must remember that publicly funded broadcasters like the BBC do have a remit to educate and that means adults as well as children.
  • gomezzgomezz Posts: 44,568
    Forum Member
    Don't know why but I always feel sad whenever Trevithick is shown - he's kind of forgotten about really and he died penniless, but his work was absolutely amazing. A true inventor and engineer.
    Came across as the Tim Berners-Lee of his age.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Enjoyed this programme.

    Don't know why but I always feel sad whenever Trevithick is shown - he's kind of forgotten about really and he died penniless, but his work was absolutely amazing. A true inventor and engineer.

    It is sad he is not better known, in another thread a few days ago someone put James Watt as the 'inventor' of the steam engine which is what most school children are taught or at least were when they were taught history! But Trevithick's contribution was far greater. It's rather similar to all the people who believe Baird 'invented' television and don't know the more important names. And the myth that Turing built Colossus and single-handed solved all the German codes without them having heard of Tutte, Flowers etc. But that is the nature of inventions and developments, one person often gets all the credit whether or not justified.
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Eraserhead wrote: »
    Considering most TV viewers are happier watching crap like the X Factor I think it's probably aimed about right. I imagine there's a significant proportion of the population who didn't pay much attention in science classes in school and I think a "school age" pitch is fine.

    This sort of programming, while interesting, is not really aimed at an audience who already know this stuff, although it's always a good reminder.

    We must remember that publicly funded broadcasters like the BBC do have a remit to educate and that means adults as well as children.


    What you say maybe true, I often some think programmes are targeting "the lowest common denominator."

    I believe we've moved away from an age where the majority of BBC2 viewers "knew their stuff" to the situation where it seems that for a couple of decades, at school, kids seem to learn naff all about history, geography and rudimentary science.
  • snoweyowlsnoweyowl Posts: 1,922
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Annoyed that they described Whittle as the inventor of the jet engine. A common often repeated British myth along with Watson Watt and radar.

    The use of the gas turbine as a power plant for aeroplanes was muted as early as WW1.

    Whittle was a pioneer no more, and not a very successful one at that. The Germans made the first jet engined flight years before Whittle and they also introduced the first operational jet aircraft. Such is the way of war the winner rewrites history. Even worse the Whittle aproach of using centrifugal components was quickly found wanting and in the postwar years the German axial turbine method gained supremacy which it has to this day.
  • TelevisionUserTelevisionUser Posts: 41,408
    Forum Member
    This demonstration of a jet engine is toe-curlingly awful. This sort of dumb shite should be on CBBC, not 9pm on BBC2:yawn:

    I understand where you're coming from and I listened to an excellent edition of In Our Time on Radio 4 about the War of !812 instead. That said, there is a place for this type of programme and I'm surprised it wasn't shown earlier on in the evening.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 87,224
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Bumped for tonight - Communication.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 87,224
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    That 5-needle telegraph is wonderful!
  • Ed R.MarleyEd R.Marley Posts: 9,132
    Forum Member
    This bird they've got presenting got no sense of fashion at all:rolleyes:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 87,224
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I didn't know that stuff about the first transatlantic cable failing.
  • Ed R.MarleyEd R.Marley Posts: 9,132
    Forum Member
    I don't like the format of this programme: A quick VT, followed by "And to explain further, Dr Blah Blah from the Institue of Blah Blah...". FOR THE WHOLE HOUR:rolleyes:
  • Ed R.MarleyEd R.Marley Posts: 9,132
    Forum Member
    Here we go, another VT:yawn:
  • Kolin KlingonKolin Klingon Posts: 4,296
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I call fix! As if he would be allowed to operate an (now illegal) spark gap transmitter in the heart of BT central.

    It would create havoc with the nearby electronics.

    The close up of the spark was added later.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,635
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    This bird they've got presenting got no sense of fashion at all:rolleyes:

    "That bird" is Dr Cassie Newland to you. Yes, she does have a rather "individual" style, but I like her.
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I didn't know that stuff about the first transatlantic cable failing.

    You can't escape him can you?
    Brunel's Great Eastern was instrumental in laying the new cable and later recovering an older one.

    I've not seen this yet, but much of the contents of these "whistle stop" programmes have been covered in greater depth in others, already shown by the BBC.
  • LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,635
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I've not seen this yet, but much of the contents of these "whistle stop" programmes have been covered in greater depth in others, already shown by the BBC.

    The whole point is that it's a very cursory overview. You cannot be expected to do a history of telecommunications in one hour. If it gets people thinking about the subject and interested in learning more then it's done its job.
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    LostFool wrote: »
    The whole point is that it's a very cursory overview. You cannot be expected to do a history of telecommunications in one hour. If it gets people thinking about the subject and interested in learning more then it's done its job.

    It's job?

    Fill a prime time schedule you mean, on BBC2 with something which should be shown on BBC1, "The dumbed down channel," either before or after "The One Show" slot, where it belongs.
    The sad thing is that many BBC2 viewers don't realise they're being "talked down to" now.
  • lundavralundavra Posts: 31,790
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    .. I've not seen this yet, but much of the contents of these "whistle stop" programmes have been covered in greater depth in others, already shown by the BBC.

    You can say the thing about most books so should no more books be published?
  • davidsevendavidseven Posts: 3,336
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    It's job?

    Fill a prime time schedule you mean, on BBC2 with something which should be shown on BBC1, "The dumbed down channel," either before or after "The One Show" slot, where it belongs.
    The sad thing is that many BBC2 viewers don't realise they're being "talked down to" now.
    My thoughts too. Its become the patronising slot for the sort of History and Science programs which wouldn't have been good enough for 'programmes for schools' broadcasts in the mornings. :(
  • Doghouse RileyDoghouse Riley Posts: 32,491
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    lundavra wrote: »
    You can say the thing about most books so should no more books be published?


    Don't give me "feast or famine" options, it doesn't work.

    We're talking about a prime time television programme, on what once was a channel which didn't need on occasions, to have the words "for dummies" after the channel ident.

    Books? There's thousands of 'em, so choose which you like.

    Channels? The BBC has only four adult ones, so only four "prime time" slots.
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Some of the comments on here surprise me. I learned a lot from the episode last night and thought it hit just about the right balance. I thought the presenters were okay and I certainly didn't think it was dumbed down. At least it didn't have Darrah O'Briain.
Sign In or Register to comment.