Neil Oliver lidless

[thirdcrank]

It's important for anybody in a position of power (knowledge = power) to understand the need for clear communication when dealing with somebody who is under stress. It's certainly not restricted to doctors but they are important actors here, and a history of using an intentionally arcane jargon doesn't help

[Maillot Rouge]

I'd always thought of him as an excellent television presenter on subjects about which he was well informed. Then I saw some lurid opinions about Scottish independence. And then, much to my surprise, he started spouting conspiracy theories about the COVID outbreak and some dangerous nonsense about vaccination. I haven't checked the details but I've also recently heard that he's up to the same sort of thing about the invasion of Ukraine.

Very disappointing.

Jonathan

Good to hear of someone on TV who actually says what they think instead of what they are supposed to say.
I have not heard of him until now but will have to find out who he is.

[Pebble]

I'd always thought of him as an excellent television presenter on subjects about which he was well informed. Then I saw some lurid opinions about Scottish independence. And then, much to my surprise, he started spouting conspiracy theories about the COVID outbreak and some dangerous nonsense about vaccination. I haven't checked the details but I've also recently heard that he's up to the same sort of thing about the invasion of Ukraine.

Very disappointing.

Jonathan

+1 he has some weird ideas

there we go, nutcase thinks not wearing a lid is a good idea

(I don't wear one in the summer either)

[reohn2]

I'd always thought of him as an excellent television presenter on subjects about which he was well informed. Then I saw some lurid opinions about Scottish independence. And then, much to my surprise, he started spouting conspiracy theories about the COVID outbreak and some dangerous nonsense about vaccination. I haven't checked the details but I've also recently heard that he's up to the same sort of thing about the invasion of Ukraine.

Very disappointing.

Jonathan

+1 he has some weird ideas

there we go, nutcase thinks not wearing a lid is a good idea

(I don't wear one in the summer either)

Never has been on a bicycle

[Stevek76]

I had thought it was not permitted to appear on a bike on television without one.
Good on him!

Chris Boardman appears quite often on TV sans helmet. It's not banned, people doing it just need to expect a mini social media furore from a weird mix of: anti cycling/car obsessives looking for any excuse to have a go; sports only cyclists who don't understand the concept of utility cycling or that their own much riskier riding styles aren't representative and, mildly hysterical people with a warped perception of the actual risks involved relative to, eg, walking, throwing accusations of irresponsibility or setting a bad example (to children usually).

If you're Patrick Harvie you'll also get Scottish unionists piling in too.

Oliver does appear to have jumped on the general 'alt rightish' conspiracy bandwagon of late though. Seems to think climate change is overstated because it's been a bit cool this weekend, obviously not looked over the channel at France etc.

[pjclinch]

Good to hear of someone on TV who actually says what they think instead of what they are supposed to say.
I have not heard of him until now but will have to find out who he is.

People who say what they think instead of what they're supposed to say is not an intrinsically good or bad thing, but depends on the context.

For example, Donald Trump saying what he thought but wasn't really kosher about the VP being able to overturn the US election was, I would argue, not a positive. In the other direction, the Russian TV news journalist who risked her life in the early days of the "special military operation" to say the country was being fed a lot of lies was admirable.

Neil Oliver has, IMHO, disappeared up his own back passage over the last couple of years. I draw quite a clear distinction between the presenter of Coast a decade back and the current version. Even if he does show everyday cycling as a normal thing not needing special PPE.

Pete.

[mattheus]

Communicating difficult subjects is very important to progress.

I'd be much more interested in a list who is thought to do this well rather than badly. And why.

Jonathan

Good idea. I nominate Brian Cox and Lucy Worsley, for starters.

The former covers subjects I know a lot about, but don't feel he talks down to me, and I usually learn something.
The latter covers subjects I am not interested in, but does it in an interesting way. Seems a good thing for telly, no?

Simon Reeve is brilliant too - although quite political (small p), so a different field ...

[mattheus]

... I was wondering what you thought about Prof. Fry's recent programme about her own experience of cancer?

"Making Sense of Cancer with Hannah Fry":
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0017wzq

Just watched it for the first time.

I had no strong views about her style beforehand.

Good:
Openness about her personal story. Showing what current care looks like. Adult discussion of reproductive organs (see the saddle threads in this forum). David Spiegelhalter. Margaret McCartney. The difficult statistics. The use of headcount diagrams.

Not so good:
Trying to get four stories into one programme: hers, the difficult statistics, screening programmes, the man who had decided he didn't want further interventions. Poor infographics. No discussion about how we decide which national screening programmes we should provide and which we shouldn't. No discussion of HPV vaccination.

Recommended.

Jonathan

I have little subject knowledge here, but that seems a fair review. And I was impressed by the programme overall.
Fry has totally impressed me as a presenter in a variety of styles (her radio science program with Rutherford is much more light-hearted - might annoy the "anti-personality" grinches on this thread )

Talking of cancer.... I couldn't watch all of the recent Julia Bradbury prog, as I needed something uplifting, but she impressed the hell out of me. Took massive guts to present her story as she did.
Whilst I find her very irritating when presenting her walks! Just show us the god-damn beautiful scenery, less yapping please!

[Psamathe]

Communicating difficult subjects is very important to progress.

I'd be much more interested in a list who is thought to do this well rather than badly. And why.

Jonathan

Good idea. I nominate Brian Cox and Lucy Worsley, for starters.
....

Even when Cox makes a mistake that means he is saying the Earth is flat! Classic error every schoolperson knows except Cox. I no longer trust anything he says that I don't already know from other sources.

Ian

[mattheus]

Communicating difficult subjects is very important to progress.

I'd be much more interested in a list who is thought to do this well rather than badly. And why.

Jonathan

Good idea. I nominate Brian Cox and Lucy Worsley, for starters.
....

Even when Cox makes a mistake that means he is saying the Earth is flat! Classic error every schoolperson knows except Cox. I no longer trust anything he says that I don't already know from other sources.

Ian

I ain't seen that program (I believe you said it was his first ever series). He is a competent expert, I very much doubt that you are more knowledgeable.
The quality of his programs is so high, and his errors so rare - i.e. I've watched at least a dozen hours error-free - that I can't be ar.. bothered with your sort of nit-picking.

" I no longer trust anything he says that I don't already know from other sources." Good luck with your approach.

Do some people only come on the internet to moan about small things and show off their superior intellect? Yes, I suspect they do!
(The old "anyone with schoolperson education would know better" line is a hackneyed red flag )

[mattheus]

Even when Cox makes a mistake that means he is saying the Earth is flat! Classic error every schoolperson knows except Cox. I no longer trust anything he says that I don't already know from other sources.

Ian

Ian I think I've found another one for you. You should write to the BBC. SIMPLE geography:

Did anyone else spot the error in Brian Cox's Human Universe last night?
As he was walking about Svalbard, talking about the longest day, he mentioned that he was located at

78 degrees north, halfway between the north of Norway and the Arctic Circle.

What he meant was, halfway between the north of Norway and the North pole.

The Arctic circle is quite far south of the north of Norway.

Every Norwegian would know this!

And I agree with the viewers, that Prof Cox is wrong about this:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12733793

...
This is DESPITE not yet finding your "flat earth" howler. I've opened a can of worms here ...

[rmurphy195]

I've always found neil Oliver to have a special talent - no matter how interesting the subject matter, he always sends me to sleep! Having said that, I've recently been reading "The Story Of The British Isles in 100 Places" and its a good read, very poetic in parts.

[rmurphy195]

Communicating difficult subjects is very important to progress.

I'd be much more interested in a list who is thought to do this well rather than badly. And why.

Jonathan

Good idea. I nominate Brian Cox and Lucy Worsley, for starters.

The former covers subjects I know a lot about, but don't feel he talks down to me, and I usually learn something.
The latter covers subjects I am not interested in, but does it in an interesting way. Seems a good thing for telly, no?

Simon Reeve is brilliant too - although quite political (small p), so a different field ...

+1 for Lucy Worsley, recent program about the Plague was very interesting, especially when she showed a map and explanations of how it spread

[Psamathe]

....
This is DESPITE not yet finding your "flat earth" howler. I've opened a can of worms here ...

I wasn't bothering to reply to you after your

... - that I can't be ar.. bothered with your sort of nit-picking.
....

Happy to discuss things but not with comments like that.

Ian

[Phileas]

When it comes to physics, I far prefer Jim Al Khalili to the other usual suspect (whom I find unwatchable).

Having said that, I find very few science programs on tv watchable anyway. It’s much easier to do history and not talk down to a well informed audience, even though they still often do.