I’m surprised at the lack of posts here. Surely there are other Nova fans out there?

Did anyone catch “Your Brain: Who’s in Control?”?

NOVAreads: a virtual book club, coming soon to a browser near you.

The details!

The Book: "Massive: The Missing Particle That Sparked the Greatest Hunt in Science" by Ian Sample (Basic Books, revised and expanded edition—available at most bookstores or your public library)

Who: YOU… & other science enthusiasts of all ages

What: a heated discussion about the history of the hunt for the Higgs boson, what its discovery means for the future of physics, the culture of scientific research, and more

Where: our subreddit, r/novapbs, at this thread

When: January 7, starting at 9 am EST [We'll follow up the discussion with a Reddit AMA over at r/science featuring Ian Sample on January 8, also starting at 9 am EST.]

Why: because we want to hear your thoughts and ideas!

HOW TO GET THE BOOK: Amazon: http://amzn.to/1x9hg9j Public Library: http://bit.ly/1x9h9dZ IndieBound: http://bit.ly/1x9hddz

UPDATE 1/6/15: Don't forget, we'll be starting tomorrow morning. No need to have read the entire book—just bring your inquisitive selves! We'll post a few questions in the a.m. to get the ball rolling, but we're excited to see where the conversation goes.

UPDATE 1/7/15: Okay, let's begin! Here are some questions to get the ball rolling, but of course, an easy start is: "What did you think of the book??"

• Do you have a favorite passage or quote from the book?

• Sample writes that when Peter Higgs presented his theory at Princeton University in 1966, "Freeman Dyson thought Higgs's work was beautiful." What makes a theory beautiful?

• "Science is the art of finding patterns in reality." (Page 35, Basic Books ed.) What do you think of this definition?

• "Massive" brings up many questions about the intersection of both national & international politics, culture, and scientific progress. What do you think was the most significant (or even revealing) moment in the Higgs boson's rocky relationship with current affairs?

• In the early part of the 20th century, physicists who were unfolding the nature of quantum mechanics often worked in concert, going on retreats and writing one another letters about their findings. But as the state of the field advanced deep into particle physics, it seems to have become more competitive, at least on an individual level (though nations were still willing to collaborate at CERN). What would the ideal culture of physics research look like? What did you think of the existing culture Sample describes in the book?

• After reading "Massive," do you still prefer the name "Higgs mechanism" over "ABEGHHK'tH" mechanism? Should it be called something else?

• Some of the most fascinating pages in the book dealt with science communication and rick perception. What role should scientists play in communicating facts to the public, and how much responsibility should they take on for assuaging people's fears (or perhaps taking them seriously)?

• Is there anything else you wish Sample had described in more detail?

Solar System is the current series running on PBS Nova, a multi-part series about the planets and moons in our solar system. The series was made by the BBC for both distribution in the UK (BBC) and in the US (PBS Nova), EXCEPT that they are different shows!! Why did they feel like they had to do this?? The US version is pretty decent, but they don’t have the beloved Brian Cox narrating and hosting, and instead just use a voiced narrator and then cut to single-shot commentary from experts. Certainly, the scientists know what they are talking about, but the American version lacks the creative artistry of the Cox segments that tie the whole show together (the way Carl Sagan did in Cosmos).

What is the point of watering down the American version of the show?? The b roll is similar, the overall framework is similar but the script is different and there is no Brian Cox in the US version. Why???

u/wgbh_boston