BBC taking the P**s?

L.Jenkins

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8579270.stm

I found this artical by chance and I read it along with the proposed date and wonder is the BBC taking the piss!

Moist Bread

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2698507.stm

They might be here too.

podgemonster

"The agency, which comes into being on 1 April, will also represent Britain on space matters in all negotiations with international partners. "


April 1st also known as....

flynnlives

april fools are on april 1st, i dont see what this has to do with it
space is big business with the likes of gps and satellite broadband, with the demise of the space shuttle commercial interests
are lining up to fill the gap NASA will leave

aidan24326

djhunter30 wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8579270.stm

I found this artical by chance and I read it along with the proposed date and wonder is the BBC taking the piss!

Why would be they taking the p1ss? What's the problem?

The UK Space Agency wouldn't necessarily be planning on sending astronauts to the moon or anything like that. It's more about satellites for weather monitoring, communications etc

Biggins

The agency, which comes into being on 1 April,

!!!

Yea, right! lol

L.Jenkins

Moist Bread wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2698507.stm

They might be here too.

Well I never considered the fact that the BBC might produce such a story given the modern use of the word in title!

podgemonster wrote: »

"The agency, which comes into being on 1 April, will also represent Britain on space matters in all negotiations with international partners. "


April 1st also known as....

Thats why I posted it! I'd hate to be the guillable one and think that Britain is pumping its money into a space program coming into effect on April fools day.

L.Jenkins

aidan24326 wrote: »

Why would be they taking the p1ss? What's the problem?

The UK Space Agency wouldn't necessarily be planning on sending astronauts to the moon or anything like that. It's more about satellites for weather monitoring, communications etc

Its a matter of how you read the article. April 1st mean anything to you?

NothingMan

If it is an april fools day then it's a but of a sh1t one really. I say we need more toilet based internet connections!

flynnlives

djhunter30 wrote: »

Its a matter of how you read the article. April 1st mean anything to you?

yes but april fools only happen on april 1st!!!

podgemonster

podgemonster wrote: »

April 1st also known as....

Berti Aherns' birthday?

L.Jenkins

rarnes1 wrote: »

Berti Aherns' birthday?

Unfortunately that wasn't a joke but his time in power was!

28064212

Appears to be real, its predecessor's website announces it anyway. Other than the date it's announced for (and some things do actually happen on April 1st), the only weird bit is the word 'Muscular' in the heading, which doesn't appear anywhere else in the article. But that's because the BBC cut out the quote which they were referring to from the original press release, namely

"The UK Space Agency will give the sector the muscle it needs..."

Poor journalism/editing, but that's all

Biggins

djhunter30 wrote: »

Unfortunately that wasn't a joke but his time in power was!

"So say we all!"

Noopti

In all fairness if this is a BBC April fools joke, then they need to sack their writers.

Now, if it was

The agency, which comes into being on 1 April, will also represent Britain on space matters in all negotiations with The Interdimensional League of Extraterrestials (TILE), founded by the Kripnods of Outer Andromeda in space year 9116 Alpha.

Then I would probably err on the side of an April Fools prank....

Naos

"April fools is dead and gone, you're the fool for carrying it on."

podgemonster

Jus so ye know, the BBC do have a quirky sense of humour when it comes to April fools.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smell-o-vision#BBC_April_Fool.27s_joke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_tree

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jovian-Plutonian_gravitational_effect

In 1980, the BBC reported a proposed change to the famous clock tower known as Big Ben. The reporters stated that the clock would go digital.[32]


In 2006, the BBC reported that the door to No. 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, had been painted red. They showed footage of workmen carrying a red door. Red was the official colour of the political party which formed the government at the time.

In 2008, the BBC reported on a newly discovered colony of flying penguins. An elaborate video segment was even produced, featuring Terry Jones (of Monty Python fame) walking with the penguins in Antarctica, and following their flight to the Amazon rainforest

Alun

Speaking as someone who used to work in the space industry, no this is definitely not a joke. There are plenty of companies in the UK inolved in the industry from satellite manufacture to onboard software to ground segment and operations stuff.

SciSys http://www.scisys.co.uk/Home/markets/space.aspx, Vega http://www.vegaspace.eu/, SSTL http://www.sstl.co.uk/ to name but a few.

Biggins

We will have to wait and see if any of the major space publications report this further or it appears in the likes of the British Times, Washington Post, Pravda, etc...

If true, they didn't help themselves by giving it such a start date. Thats all.

msg11

NothingMan wrote: »

If it is an april fools day then it's a but of a sh1t one really. I say we need more toilet based internet connections!

I read before, that they are actully going to start giving IP Address to Toilets, to do with water discharge etc.. It will all be automatic and log the amount of water used.

NothingMan

msg11 wrote: »

I read before, that they are actully going to start giving IP Address to Toilets, to do with water discharge etc.. It will all be automatic and log the amount of water used.

Hehe. :pac:

Irish Halo

Biggins wrote: »

the British Times

Are you talking about The Times? To distinguish it you can add "of London" if you wish I suppose.

April 1st = Start of new UK financial year
April 1st = Start date of 90% of all government funded projects

This article isn't even funny/strange why would it be an April Fools?

It was announced by Drayson and Mandelson not known for their joviality, especially not (Sith) Lord Madelson.

5starpool

Why would anyone think this is a joke? Aprils fools articles appear on April 1st, not beforehand. There is nothing remotely silly about this article imo. Stuff does tend to actually happen that day as well you know.

WindSock

Moist Bread wrote: »

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2698507.stm

They might be here too.

I can't stop laughing reading that