/sci/ - Science & Math

This guy is better.

I saw him a couple of times on discovery science. Kinda like him, the show "sci fi science" had some nice ideas.

He's incredibly awesome. He isn't like one of them science popularizers who actually suck at what they do and just talk nice, he's actually contributed immensely to theoretical physics, which makes him absolutely awesome.

Yes, he's my favorite scientist, fuck off.

This is the 5th thread about him on /sci/ that I personally witnessed and generally many people hate him for "spewing nonsense" or something. I think they just jelly

His show is pretty kickass.

most of /sci/ hates him because he created string theory

I dislike him solely because he is one of those guys who makes science romantic in a way that is dangerous to laymen.

When I think of popularized scientists I think of Carl Sagan and his analogies, which explain what we know in a way that is to the point but also beautiful. I also admire the likes of Richard Feynman and Albert Einstein in that they were creative and sensible to imagination (even if they didn't have a tv show or anything). But when I see Michio Kaku, I see he likes to speak about the most contemporary theories and in a way that says "reality is stranger than fiction". I understand he is intelligent, but I don't think he makes an effort to show how logical it is the path that leads to the conclusion (usually, the analogy). He doesn't make it clear that we work with models, that he is talking in the way he is so that the layman understands. It makes it look like being a physicist means sitting at a table and going on randomly about what the universe is all about and the most beautiful theory should win. Imagination is extremely important and it's good that people realize sitting down and thinking is just as part of the process as doing the math and realizing experiments, but it is the combination of the scientific process with the translation to terms we can conceive that creates understanding. People who don't know much about science but know him are filled with misconceptions and misunderstandings.

I don't like him.

>>4763989
I agree with this but it goes much further than Kaku. I don't think i've ever seen a science documentary which tried to convey the process and methods of science. I work in astronomy and here it's particularly bad, even Sagan's stuff missed the mark.

nobody gives a fucking toss about the processes or workings of science, they care about the processes and workings of the universe. it is better to teach someone a slightly flawed analogy that instils them with a sense of awe than to bore them to death with error plots and monte carlos.

not a huge fan. I guess it's because I'm a math major.

and there are no pop-math guys making pop-math shows because that would be "boring" right guys?

>>4763989
That's exactly why he's brilliant. He manages to get people who don't give a flying fuck about science to become interested in it. If you want hard science, read his papers. If you want concept-level explanations and demonstrations watch his shows.
His books are great as well. He explains many concepts well and always keeps it interesting by covering a huge range of subjects. Personally I have great fun reading his books.

>>4763989
You sound exactly like the kid that benefitted from social security and is now wanting to dissolve it.

I've seen Kaku around City College. His wardrobe is hilarious. He would have a neckbeard if he wasn't Asian.

>>4764024

To be honest, I agree with this. It's easier to tempt a bear with honey rather than vinegar (or however that expression goes). If you're trying to increase the public interest in science, surely you should only show them the romantic side of it.

If people are truly captured and motivated by the beautiful side, then they will put in the effort to work through the process behind it.

>>4763899

Machu Pichu decided to dumb down science to make it mainstream, nobody gets the real reality of science always blowing up shit with tori bellecci and grant imahara.

Always talkin shit about the future and whatnot. Selling books. Talking castaway trekkies into "the future of mankind". Im going back to the bathtub. so angry right now

>>4763968
>>4763968
>>4763968
>he invented string theory
>invented string theory
>string theory was made in the early 21st century

>>4764063

So fags that werent into science in the first place read a couple of books by him and then go to study Arts.

And potential scientists get a faggy sinfony of the cosmos idea of the universe and end up fixing air conditioners.

>>4764030
marcus du sautoy?

>>4764084
>And potential scientists get a faggy sinfony of the cosmos idea of the universe and end up fixing air conditioners.
Do you have any evidence popsci puts people off science?

He likes to talk about the future.

But he probably doesnt realize that when i was a student at MIT we all shared a computer, the computer on your cellphone is a times more smaller many times cheaper and w...

>>4763903
god no

>>4764256
rolling for this.

>>4764256

rolling, this thread is full of butthurt anyways

>>4764256
rollan for high numbers

>>4764256
>>4764268
>>4764278
>>4764290

Same it has only gone up so far, 99 get

>>4764077
lol funny guy, string theory has been in development for over 40 years

failed to do real science then went into pop sci money making

>>4764256
How is anyone going to get a low number rolling on a board this slow? You can practically pic your post #

>>4764444