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Some of the ideas discussed in this blog are published in my new book called "The Stonehenge Bluestones" -- available by post and through good bookshops everywhere. Bad bookshops might not have it....
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Tuesday, 30 October 2012

Some decent glaciology on the telly at last?


Sorry about the fuzzy pic -- but look here for a splendid picture gallery.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/galleries/p010fw9c

Better still, watch BBC2 tonight at 9 pm -- looks as if this will be interesting...

Operation Iceberg, with Alun Hubbard doing very silly things......... by the way, Alun is one of the guys who has been doing the modelling at Aberystwyth for the oscillations of the Irish Sea Glacier.

About time too for a programme like this -- the BBC has been far too slow at reacting to the fact that glaciers don't just tell us a lot about how the natural world works, but also about what is happening right now to the global climate.  Please watch!

Postscript 10.30 pm:  I was pretty pleased with that.  Some wonderful footage, and a fair amount of decent glaciology too........ not nearly as much dumbing down as one normally sees on "popular science" programmes.

Have a look here too:

http://www.aber.ac.uk/greenland/index.shtml


6 comments:

TonyH said...

I've recorded it, and set the video for Thursday at 9 p.m. on BBC2 as well.

Suggest you send your comments to:-

feedback@radiotimes.com

Or write to: Letters Editor, Radio Times, Vineyard House,44 Brook Green, LONDON W6 7BT

Thought I recognised that name, Alan Hubbard, on the snippet I saw live!

TonyH said...

Is Chris Packham the TV Presenter you've been looking for, Brian, to give a no-nonsense version of the glacial case for the bluestones? From what I've seen of him, he's quite fearless, forthright, and calls a spade a spade (when necessary!). He lives in the New Forest, Hampshire. And obviously is well acqainted with Aberystwyth Uni's Alun Hubbard. Question is, is he up for a piece of cutting-edge, fearless reporting??!

BRIAN JOHN said...

You may be right, Tony. will think on that...... In the meantime, here is another fantastic site making the link between glacier behaviour and climate change:
http://extremeicesurvey.org/

TonyH said...

Try:-

http://www.chrispackham.co.uk

A very comprehensive site.

Interestingly, his website design was by Obi Media Web Design, Pembrokeshire.

TonyH said...

I'm half-way through at last watching Part 2 of this programme, featuring the mega-iceberg off the coast of Canada with quite a few polar bears enjoying the ride and watching the scientists from an unsafe distance. A fair-sized section has just sheared off the iceberg, and Chris Packham has ceased his quips for the time being.....

BRIAN JOHN said...

Well, I thought both parts were very good -- with some decent science in both. of course the results weren't quite as earth shattering as the narrator made out -- but it was prime time TV, after all... so things have to be hyped up just a teeny bit.....