Wednesday 17 March 2010

Hot Scientist (male): Dr Brian Cox


In praise of all the wonderful things Science has brought us: anaesthetics, contraception, antibiotics, the Hubble Telescope, t'internet ... and particle physicist Dr Brian Cox on TV weekly, telling us about the Wonders of the Solar System (you can download episodes here if have access to iPlayer).

The BBC has a simple formula for getting its plebian viewers switched on to science: special effects, impressive location shots and an attractive presenter. It works for me. So does a combination of joyous enthusiasm, floppy hair and an irrepressible smile that looks like he's just personally invented sex and he can't believe how awesome it is.


Another good thing from Science (and specifically, The Scientist): an overview of studies into the effects of the availability of porn upon rates of sex crime concludes:

Over the years, many scientists have investigated the link between pornography (considered legal under the First Amendment in the United States unless judged “obscene”) and sex crimes and attitudes towards women. And in every region investigated, researchers have found that as pornography has increased in availability, sex crimes have either decreased or not increased.

A major study of American prison populations comes up with some startling results:

Looking closer, Michael Goldstein and Harold Kant found that rapists were more likely than nonrapists in the prison population to have been punished for looking at pornography while a youngster, while other research has shown that incarcerated nonrapists had seen more pornography, and seen it at an earlier age, than rapists. What does correlate highly with sex offense is a strict, repressive religious upbringing. Richard Green too has reported that both rapists and child molesters use less pornography than a control group of “normal” males.

(Emphasis mine. How I laughed.)


You can read the whole article here.

A surreal footnote: Dr Brian Cox, when he was younger, was the keyboard player in a popular beat combo called D:ream, who had an annoyingly catchy hit single with a notorious afterlife:

9 comments:

Jo said...

Wasn't that used as a labour party song? Or something?

Interesting porn facts there. Good to know. The repressive religious bit is a no brainer though, I think we've all seen enough serial killer profiling entertainment to be down with that these days.

Jeremy Edwards said...

In Rock My Socks Off, I have a science show hosted by a superintelligent ex-supermodel woman who puts the ratings through the roof by glamorizing things like alloy composition. Maybe we can fix her up with Dr. Cox!

Janine Ashbless said...

Wasn't that used as a labour party song?

Oh yes. I can taste the betrayal every time I hear that tune. Just don't - DON'T - get me started on Tony-effing-lying-bastard-closet-Catholic-Blair, Jo. I'll probably have a stroke.

Janine Ashbless said...

The really funny thing is, Jeremy, I bet you wouldn't have stooped to calling a sexy male scientist "Dr Cox", lol!

And I have a super-intelligent sexy female scientist lined up for a later post!

Jeremy Edwards said...

The really funny thing is, Jeremy, I bet you wouldn't have stooped to calling a sexy male scientist "Dr Cox", lol!

Haha, I know! Wow, the stuff we couldn't get away with in fiction that reality gets away with all the effin' time ...

Where does the line form for meeting your sexy woman scientist?

Liz said...

Oooo, I saw this guy when he did the prog about the sun! I particularly loved him when he enthused "and that's why I love physics!" with a huge grin :D

Elfsinger said...

OMG - I have just started watching Dr Brian and have drooled happily over him too! He's not my usual type but it's that...smile! You're so right as usual :)

Janine Ashbless said...

He's not my usual type either! He just has magicsmile.

Cora Zane said...

Ooh! Will have to look for this online. I <3 science shows.