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Science Television: Does Joe Public Care?

Posted by michael on from the mr.-wizard dept.

AVIDJockey writes "Wired News has an article about a new science television network. As someone who is a fan of TV shows that lack a shiny veneer of stupid, such as those found on UWTV, UCTV and ResearchChannel, I've wondered if hard science or technology programming will ever catch on with the general public. What do you think?"

17 of 423 comments (clear)

  1. I learned all the science I need to know... by Black+Parrot · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...from Star Trek.

    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
    1. Re:I learned all the science I need to know... by DarkHelmet · · Score: 4, Funny

      Looks like... you also learned... how to type.......... from Shatner.......

      --
      /^[A-Z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Z0-9.-]+\.[A-Z]{2,4}$/i
    2. Re:I learned all the science I need to know... by HoneyBunchesOfGoats · · Score: 3, Funny

      And he got his grammar from Yoda!

    3. Re:I learned all the science I need to know... by fireboy1919 · · Score: 4, Funny

      It doesn't have to be boring, but it's...you know...hard.

      Hence the name? Lot's 'o math. A lot of people find things boring if they can't understand them immediately. Soft science - applied sciences - are easier to visualize and have fun with. Easy, not as useful, and you can learn it faster reading a book, usually. Why bother with it if all we can get is the easy stuff?

      What would happen if they started trying?

      Hey kids! Today we're learning about the impulse function. It's got an infinite height, no width. an area of one, and is on the y-axis in a rectangular cartesian coordinate system! Yay!

      Now lets go make our own impulse functions, with the help of this infinitely long sheet of construction paper and scissors that can cut infinitely thinly...

      Boy that was fun. Lets convolve the impulse function with this sinusiod!

      Coming up next week: Building wavelets from othographic functions!

      --
      Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
  2. Hell no! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Thats why Star Trek is so popular. It has nothing based on science, but says that it is, and has good special effects.

  3. Presidential Debates? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "shiny veneer of stupid..."

    Then you wouldn't be watching the Presidential debates, would you?

    1. Re:Presidential Debates? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      i don't get it.

    2. Re: Presidential Debates? by Black+Parrot · · Score: 4, Funny


      > "shiny veneer of stupid..."

      > Then you wouldn't be watching the Presidential debates, would you?

      No, that was a dull veneer of stupid.

      --
      Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  4. Why would it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Seriously. Why would it catch on when intelligent people are in a minority on this planet?

  5. Oh, is that what it is now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I stopped tuning in when it became the Discover Gay Men's Taste in Decoration Channel.

  6. I stopped watching.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...Beakman's World when Josie left. And yes, physically-speaking, I'm an adult.

  7. Great idea! by rackhamh · · Score: 2, Funny

    "their goal is to produce the C-SPAN ... of science"

    Sure-fire recipe for success!

  8. Re:Science is a threat by Saeger · · Score: 3, Funny
    "I don't need no science. I just need my bling, yo, cuz I'm keep'n it real! ... Real Dumb!" -- Chris Rock paraphrased

    --

    --
    Power to the Peaceful
  9. Re:Hey, don't dis Mikey! by el-spectre · · Score: 2, Funny

    Eh, I'm bigger than he is :)

    Every time I hear his psycho dad talking about "size 12s" I look down at my size 13 steel toes and laugh...

    --
    "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
  10. 95% is below average? by el-spectre · · Score: 4, Funny

    Get thee to a statistics class!

    --
    "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
  11. Re: Science is a threat by Black+Parrot · · Score: 2, Funny


    > Unless this is done in a very entertaining way, it won't get much of a viewership.

    How 'bout if they put the silhouettes of a guy and two robots at the bottom of the screen, and had them riff the show as it ran?

    Or else have the shows narrated by babes in bikinis, or maybe female sumo wrestlers.



    --
    Sheesh, evil *and* a jerk. -- Jade
  12. Maybe because people are like me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    When a science show says "We've figured out how to make a jet engine," I tend to think "Good, then they don't need my help."