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Choose the New PBS Science Show

Posted by kdawson on from the new-nova dept.

chinmay7 writes "PBS has posted three different pilots for a new science show, and they want viewers to weigh in and help choose one as the regular science feature. All three pilots are viewable as vodcasts. Wired Science aired on January 3rd. The pilot certainly is polished, as one might expect from Wired Magazine, and deals with interesting topics: 'Meet rocket-belt inventors, stem cell explorers and meteorite hunters.' Science Investigators (air date: January 10) seems to be the most 'science' show: 'The investigators examine 30,000-year-old Neanderthal DNA, vanishing frogs, mind-boggling baseball pitches and more.' 22nd Century (air date: January 17) is pretty gimmicky and loud for my taste, but delivers interesting content — 'In the coming decades will all our brains be wired together like networked computers?' So watch and vote."

4 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. Re:no more 1hr documentaries by InfinityWpi · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sorry, you lost my attention when you failed to ask a question in your first two lines of text. Heck, you didn't even make your point until the second line -- what kind of person keeps reading after the first line doesn't have a point?

    (okay, I've turned the sarcasm tag off now)

  2. Anything educational please. by B5_geek · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am tired of all the "science" shows out there that are more flash and gimmick then cold-facts.

    ie.
    Naked Science
    Nova Now
    MythBusters
    EVERYTHING on Discovery & TLC

    I yearn for impartial & unbiased educational programming that I enjoyed in my youth. Now-a-days it seems that if they don't "wow" you in the first 10 seconds they think they have failed.

    An excellent example is Nature shows.
    Old goodness:
    Lorne Greens New Wilderness, Nature, Undersea Adventures of Jacques Cousteau *, Profiles of Nature.

    New Badness:
    Croc Hunter**, Fox Special "Worlds most Amazing/Dangerous Animals", etc.

    * Jacques Cousteau was Very preachy but (a) it was needed at that time, and (b) it was the first of it's kind.
    ** I loved how passionate Steve Irwin was about animals, and the first Season of Croc Hunter was awesome. But IMHO I think the show got too much attention and turned into a Jerry Springer of Nature shows and lost it's credibility.

    I do not have the attention span of a flea on crack. Take your time and explain the science behind what you are trying to show. I donate to PBS, but only on the 'heavy-science' shows. Alas it seems they don't get the message.

    --
    "The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." ~Plato (427-347 BC)
    1. Re:Anything educational please. by RichPowers · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So what if Mythbusters isn't about a group of PhDs sitting around in labcoats making precise calculations about various myths. In fact, I like Mythbusters because it shows that science isn't limited to sterile labs and academic conferences. I wouldn't use Mythbusters as a definitive answer to anything, but through its entertaining presentation, it teaches people fundamental aspects of logic, problem solving, and experimentation (scale models, controls, etc.) That alone makes it better than most television shows...

  3. Re:Vodcasts? by gad_zuki! · · Score: 5, Funny

    I slashread your textcast about jargon and nodnodnod with your cyber-sentiment.