Best Supporting Role: 8 Celebs Who Promote Science

[G_j]

http://news.yahoo.com/best-supporting-role-8-celebs-promote-science-142807154.html

Best Supporting Role: 8 Celebs Who Promote Science
By Stephanie Pappas | LiveScience.com

Celebrities are often better known for trashing science or spreading scientific misinformation than they are for using their public platforms to promote responsible research. It's become so bad that London-based scientific literacy organization Sense About Science compiles an annual list of celebrity science offenders.

In 2011, the group chided television pundit Bill O'Reilly for postulating that the tides are inexplicable; reality TV star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi for speculating that whale sperm makes oceans salty; and television talent judge Simon Cowell for promoting intravenous vitamin treatments.

But with the Academy Awards coming up and celebrities basking in the glow of nominations, we thought we'd add commendations of our own. Here's a list of celebrities who have supported scientific endeavors, spoken out against pseudoscience, or who have surprising nerd chops.


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[mainer]

1. Don't forget Bill Nye, the Science Guy!

Was the keynote speaker at the CSICOP skeptics conference in New Orleans.

[GoCubsGo]

3. And, Alan Alda.

He hosted a show related to Scientific American magazine on PBS. I wish they'd bring it back.

Part of me wants to add Mayim Bialek to that list, given her PhD in neuroscience. But, her "Farrah Fowler" character plays right into all of the negative stereotypes about scientists.

[NoGOPZone]

2. I'd include Miyam Bialik of Blossom and The Big Bang Theory

and Danica McKellar of the Wonder Years. Bialik has a PhD in neuroscience and McKellar graduated with high honors in math and has written some books on the subject. Both do pretty well on the Erdos-Bacon scale.

[MisterP]

4. intriguingly, SAS is a puppet tied to a pseudo-Trotskyite corporatist cult

http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/2003Q1/gm.html
http://www.medialens.org/alerts/07/0321climate_swindle_the.php
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2003/dec/09/highereducation.uk2
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=405427&c=1
http://www.spinwatch.org/-articles-by-category-mainmenu-8/46-gm-industry/5280-nothing-to-declare-gm-guides-two-faced-science
http://www.powerbase.info/index.php?title=Sense_About_Science
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sense_About_Science

[csziggy]

5. Morgan Freeman - his series "Through the Wormhole" is wonderful

It runs on the Science Channel so it may not be widely available, but it explores various aspects of science and speculates on subjects with a scientific slant.

About Through the Wormhole

Hosted by Morgan Freeman, Through the Wormhole explores the deepest mysteries of existence — the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity.

What are we made of? What was there before the beginning? Are we really alone? These questions have been pondered by the most brilliant minds in history. Now, modern science may be able to provide us with answers.

http://science.discovery.com/tv/through-the-wormhole/

This site (which I am NOT familiar with) says you can watch the series online: http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/through-the-wormhole/

[cbrer]

6. And let's not forget

Hedy Lamaar

Who co-invented a frequency hopping device during WWII.

Smoking hot, smart, and definitely hip to science!