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Prof Brian Cox got a D in a-level maths!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12344973

How did he get onto a physics course at uni with only that?

or was that when a-levels were harder and virtually noone got 'A's?

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Reply 1

Nix-j-c

1.40 is where the sentence starts, if you just want that bit.

Reply 2

grth

Maybe because he's an absolute genius?

Intelligence is more than a few letters on a gilded piece of paper.
And no-one's good at everything, after all.

Reply 3

Muffinz

He went to uni as a mature student maybe? I heard he formed a band after school then decided he wanted to be a physicist.

Reply 4

Oh my Ms. Coffey

I still have a chance then.

Reply 5

DaTruB

Maybe he took it when he was 10! :P

Reply 6

Nix-j-c

Possibly DaTruB.

I want to do marine biology or something similar, i thought I'd be able to achieve that but doubt I'd ever make it to the top, but if I enjoy it then it wouldnt bother me, but this boosts my confidance a little.

Reply 7

CombineHarvester

Back in the day people used to get scholarships to Oxford by passing (barely) only one A level. Only about 5% of people went to uni 20 years or so ago so there was a lot less competition.

Reply 8

Kitty Pimms

Yeah, and he's obviously a moron, so clearly A-levels are an awesome indicator of capability and success.

Reply 9

The Cornerstone

A-levels only teach you how to pass an exam and barely about the subject, it doesn't mean he's a moron because exams doesn't measure intelligence but what you memorised during the year

Reply 10

Ewan

I'm guessing he probably didn't go to school much back then. Even clever people will fail if they don't learn the material.

Reply 11

YGB Jammy

Most overrated physicist evar

Reply 12

Razakel

I visited an open day the other week and one of the lecturers, a logician, told me he'd failed A-level Maths.

Although, according to wiki, Brian Cox finished school in 1986 and got his PhD in 1997. Since PhDs are normally three years, master's one and BSc three, that means he probably started uni in 1990, which would probably make him a mature student - universities sometimes reduce entry requirements if that's the case.

Original post by YGB Jammy

Most overrated physicist evar

It's not so much his physics work he's lauded for, it's more his efforts to popularise science.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 13

Manitude

When people say that a levels are not necessarily an indicator of intelligence or an ability in that subject they can often be right.
In a subject like maths if you're actually good at maths then you'll do well, even if you put in minimal effort.
He may have just a really bad day on the exam...it's possible.
A level maths wasn't much harder back then. I'd looked at a paper from the early 70s and yes, it was harder than the further maths I did at A level, but not vastly harder as I understood most of the questions.

Reply 14

mehhh.....hi.

It did just say 'A level maths exam' so maybe just the one exam.. and he re sat it... dunno though

Reply 15

You Failed

Original post by grth

Maybe because he's an absolute genius?

Intelligence is more than a few letters on a gilded piece of paper.
And no-one's good at everything, after all.

What makes him better than any other physics professor, other than the fact that he's also a TV presenter, which has no bearing on his ability to do physics? I'm not saying he isn't, I'm just curious as to why the public hold him in such high regard when, as far as I know, he hasn't actually contributed major to physics (other than publicising it). Which puts him in the same position as most other physics professors. Why does he warrant the title of 'Absolute genius?'. I'm curious.

Secondly, no one's good at everything, true but you need to be pretty damn good at maths to do well in a physics degree. Obviously he's very capable, which is why it's surprising he got a D.

Reply 16

baby sexy

His top lip never moves when he speaks.

Reply 17

ukstudent1989

Cant believe he got a D. but he is really intelligent though, and i love hes solar system program

Reply 18

aws

Original post by YGB Jammy

Most overrated physicist evar

Why? he's had more of an impact of getting the masses interested/into science than say Alan Guth or George Smoot, who outside of people who follow phyics have heard of him?

Even top science people often cite Sagan as "the reason they got into science"

I'm sure someone like you would moan sagan wasn't accomplished enough as an scientist but at least he got the newer generation interested

Reply 19

122025278

Like the other guy said, I think me meant in one exam and Bill Turnbull says something to him and Cox responds, you can't make out what they say to each other I think it might have been something along the lines of you retook it or something like that.

It probably was just one A level module and there's no doubt he'll be competant at maths, he probably just didn't try. If you had the ability to be the best mathematician in the world, but had never studied the syllabus for an A level maths paper, you would fail.