NDT

[Mike]

You know, the man does so much for bringing science to the masses and making stuff accessible, but then he goes and does something like this. As my son said: "You do realize that there are millions of naked ladies all over the earth at any given moment, so I don't understand why you get so excited when one shows up in your bedroom."

[Tahlvin]

Yes, the guy has always sorta rub me the wrong way. And this is an example of the stuff he does that makes me feel that way. I don't hate the man or anything like that; I just don't like him as much as I would if he did less of this kind of stuff.

[Phoebe]

Well, at least he's no Joss Whedon, as far as we know!

[Kyle]

[Mike]

And here I thought it was just me.

[Zen]

So all those times that I felt awkward about things he's said and done I wasn't alone? I mean, he's done some pretty cool things too, and had some pretty good zingers that i agreed with, but a lot of times I feel like he's just the guy who has the Nerd's brain and the High School Quarterback's social skills. (Not the Quarterback who is everybody's friend, mind you... The one who shoves nerds in lockers.)

[Stan]

All you haters aren't going to stop me from finishing my Tyson/Nye.

[Phoebe]

I'm reading one of his books right now and I'm pretty happy with it, so... I dunno, his persona doesn't bother me either, perhaps because I lump him in with all the New Atheists and Public Scientists and he's a lot less pissy than some of those. I also found that Richard Dawkins is just over-the-top charming and generous in personal meeting and in deed where it matters, even though he can be a prickly pear on the surface. Maybe that's just how it is in their little social sphere.

[Mike]

I would argue that "where it matters" for NDT is in the sphere of "the intersection of pop culture and science" (as he describes it) and in making science accessible and bringing it to the masses. In that sphere, I don't think coming off as arrogant or aloof is doing his chosen mission any favors.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he's popular and that he is advancing the cause of science, but he has always rubbed me the wrong way, and I think he could do better. Bill Nye does better, for example. They Might Be Giants does better. The Physics Girl does better. Adam Savage does better. There are soooo many people that demonstrate the joy and wonder of science while making it accessible to casual audiences. I don't feel that him being a curmudgeon helps.

But in the end, the positives of his work outweigh the negatives of his offputtingness(tm). I just prefer to get my science entertainment elsewhere.

[Zen]

He's no Carl Sagan... But, then again, Carl Sagan isn't around to do his thing anymore, so...

[Bonefish]

I was hatin on NDT before it was cool. Poseurs.

[Mike]

[El Jefe]

And I'm going to go zooming off topic. This is why Epic Rap Battles of History is so damn amazing.

Their Newton (with one of the greatest career raps by Weird Al ever) versus Nye features Chali 2na in a cameo as NDT to back up Nye. And it literally evokes absolutely what is being discussed here. The apparent ego, the reference to "pick on somebody your own size" that is nothing more than a knock on Nye in the end, and so on.

I'm not sure how much is simply "I have to be the educator at all times" or just being an egotistical dickhead. See he and his nephew battling with B.o.B. the rapper and the Flat Earthers as an example as well.

Basically, ERB is awesome.

[bralbovsky]

Modern science is rife with blowhards and pedants. The sacrifice of Curie or the peril of Galileo has been all but erased by the patent office and peer review. Don't get me wrong, but most of these guys aren't taking meaningful risks, like Salk, whatever else might be said, did.
It robs the profession (industry? Maybe that's the problem) of legitimacy. Hawking still has stature, but we sadly think of guys like Gates as scientists....

Love of money... as it were.

[FlameBlade]

Stopped following him on Twitter because he kept getting into pointless squabbling to the point that he got boring.

[WillyGilligan]

Isn't that 90% of Twitter, though?

For his movie critiques, I think he wants people to be more science literate, and movies are often the way people are introduced to concepts. He's probably spent some time over the years clearing up misconceptions from movies and has gotten fed up.