Geekend: New Year's Resolutions For Famous Geeks - InformationWeek

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Comments
Geekend: New Year's Resolutions For Famous Geeks
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asksqn
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asksqn,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/27/2014 | 4:50:04 PM
Addendum
I would add two more resolutions:  (1) For the US to stop regarding Bill Nye as any kind of "science" guy.  He is an actor who likes to pretend he is scientific.  Meanwhile, he has the same science credentials as Leonard Nimoy did. Zero. Ziltch. Nada. 

(2) Tyson lost all credibility the moment he came out to whore for Monsanto/GMO foods.  He is no longer "science" but Franken-science.  Stop treating him as if he is some kind of contemporary Carl Sagan.  Sagan can kick his a** all the way to Neptune and back, BTW. 

 

 
Gary_EL
50%
50%
Gary_EL,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/27/2014 | 5:16:31 PM
Re: Addendum
Yes, remember Sagan's Great book, Intelligent Life in the universe? He traced everything from clouds of hydrogen to development of mammals. No one will ever take his place!
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
12/29/2014 | 12:16:08 PM
Re: Addendum
@Gary_El- True, and I don't think Tyson is trying to as much as he's trying to keep Sagan's legacy alive given all that Sagan did for Tyson.
David Wagner
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50%
David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
12/29/2014 | 12:15:18 PM
Re: Addendum
@asksqn- Agree 100% on Bill Nye. He's just a weird guy who did experiments from a book on TV.

Gotta say Tyson is not quite the same. While I agree there are significantly better scientists out there he is very good at explaining science he actually understands to folks. It doesn't always happen that the best scientist in the world is also the best at explaining science to the world. Tyson, despite his flaws (he's snarky and sometims mean and he has his biases), is the best in the world right now at explaining very complicated things to the rest of us.
GAProgrammer
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50%
GAProgrammer,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/30/2014 | 3:36:26 PM
Re: Addendum
Re: Tyson 

I dunno, Morgan Freeman did a great job explaining many of the same concepts in a little show called How the Universe Works. Don't mistake presentation for intelligence. Look where it's gotten us so far! Plus, how many scientists have been proven wrong throughout the years? More than have gotten it wrong than right.

However, I do agree that Tyson is doing his best to carry on the legacy of Sagan.
David Wagner
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David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
12/30/2014 | 3:43:18 PM
Re: Addendum
@GaProgrammer- Well, presumably someone wrote that for him. That's the guy who is the star. 
GAProgrammer
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50%
GAProgrammer,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/30/2014 | 3:54:00 PM
Re: Addendum
Very true, though I seriously doubt Tyson has written ALL his own stuff. Still wouldn't try to take him on in an intellectual contest though! :)
Broadway0474
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Broadway0474,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/30/2014 | 9:56:02 PM
Re: Addendum
Bill Nye may be the weird science guy, but he has resurrected his career now as the master debater for science sanity. We need to keep him around to continue the argument FOR evolution, climate change, gravity, and anything else the medieval zealots out there want to dismiss as mere scientific "theory".
kstaron
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50%
kstaron,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/29/2014 | 10:38:27 AM
For movie producters
Addendum to G.R.R. Martin - Write at least a thousand words a day (and not about lamprey pie). Please. (I understand that the ending will likely not come through you, but give it a shot man!)

A resolution for movie producers/directors: Stop making the two part movie for a single book a thing. If you have to add stuff not in the book to make it two movies, then it's not two movies worth of book. It's one movie, that's it. Just one.
David Wagner
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50%
David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
12/29/2014 | 12:18:31 PM
Re: For movie producters
@kstaron- I don't know. i like the multiple movies from one book concept. I just don't like th ebooks they're using it on. I think Lord of the Rings held up nicely (despite my hatred of all things hobbit), but that a movie like Hunger Games or the Hobbit that are aimed at a younger audience don't have enough depth to handle the bloat. 

You just have to pick your spots. But as long as we keep buying tickets for bad movies, they'll keep doing it. 
David Wagner
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50%
David Wagner,
 User Rank: Strategist
12/29/2014 | 12:20:25 PM
Re: For movie producters
Also, you know what is worse than watching a bloated movie book adaptation? Having an argument after a movie with a huge fan while they're saying, "but they took out my favorite part! That obscure three page section where they quirky character gives advice to the lead!" At least with the bloated movies all of those sections ar ein so I don't have to hear about it. 
GAProgrammer
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50%
GAProgrammer,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/30/2014 | 3:39:01 PM
Re: For movie producters
Amen, David!
Michelle
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Michelle,
 User Rank: Ninja
12/30/2014 | 6:24:15 PM
Tweeting celebrities & tweet activism
While it's true many regular folks should just keep quiet, so too should many ill-informed celebrities. Passive twitter "activisim" needs a rest in the new year. 


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