And Galileo spins to the South in his Grave...

AKA, its not just the Americans who can be accused of bad science.  The Germans are at it as well!

No, seriously.  There's a German TV Channel called "Pro Sieben", (which I remember from my youth as the channel on the satellite that I'd watch Star Trek: The Next Generation on to improve my German listening skills, but anyway, I digress), who broadcast a popular science show entitled "Galileo", which is, supposedly, a show designed to introduce the general public to scientific concepts, including, for instance, why the Earth has a magnetic field.  I know the origin of the Earth's magnetic field isn't an easy question to answer, but most scientists are agreed that its probably some sort of geo-dynamo effect caused by the rotation of the Earth and the Earth's molten iron core.  See for example, here,  or here for instance. 

Not so the producers of Galileo at Pro Sieben, oh no.  Geodynamo?  What sort of crazy nonsense is that?!  Rather, they broadcast this little gem which, as the title suggests, probably has Galileo spinning in his grave!  For those who don't actually speak or read German, the interesting bit is the montage of 3 screen-shots halfway down the page, with captions that translate to:

1) This is our World.
2) At the North Pole there are enormous deposits of iron.
3) Magnets magically point here.  Needles too, if they are magnetic.

I don't know whether to laugh, cry or repeatedly bang my head against my desk.  Or maybe fly over to Germany and bang some heads together.

Science is indeed vital!

I've been in near-hiding the past couple of months, since I've just been plain overwhelmed with work and life.  I'm coming out of my blogging exile not just for the cause of procrastination (I have a grant proposal due to our Office of Sponsored Programs on Friday, though the actual deadline is the 13th!), but to support the Science is Vital movement.  I'm British.  I was born in Britain, grew up in Britain, did all of my education, including my PhD, in Britain.  But I've never worked as an astronomer in Britain.  My first job was in France.  Then I did a brief stint in India.  Then I moved to the USA.  And well, I'm not the only one. Funding for science in the UK is constantly being cut.  Politicians think that fundamental research like the sort I'm involved in is "useless" and an economic drain.   Yes, we're in an economic crisis, but I seriously don't think that cutting funding to science and engineering in a society that is increasingly meritocratic and knowledge-based is the way to rebuild confidence in the UK.  And its certainly not the way to encourage people like myself to come "home" and contribute to the system that made us who we are.  Why should we, when our own government doesn't value our knowledge and skills?