Wired Science, PBS (2007)

Wired is a monthly magazine that takes an edgy look at the current going ons in the world of science and technology, with a bent towards computers. It also does a good job of making science personal, and showing the good folks that make a living doing this sort of thing.

PBS has a new show this season called Wired Science. It is a weekly news magazine that follows the Wired magazine formula. With interest among today's children in math and science at an all time low compared to the rest of the industrialized world, this is a great idea for a new show.

Each hour long episode is composed of around five stories. Topics have ranged from plastic floating in the Pacific Ocean, to childhood chemistry sets and why today's kids don't use them, to growing organs for transplantation, testing baseballs (see the image to the right) and netbot attacks. Each of the stories is more in depth than would be found if this type of show ever made it to commercial television- and that's a good thing.

One fun segment each week is What's Inside. They show a series of chemicals, and as they get put on the counter, and snippets are told about them (eg, HCl, a really strong acid, or Sodium, an explosive metal etc.), while we as the audience try to guess whatever could all of this go into making. At the end of this short piece, they reveal the item, and it's invariably some common household product, or even food. Ummm, yum!

Overall, this is exactly the type of show that PBS should be making. It is edutainment- a good mix of education and entertainment, suitable for both adults and children alike. Check Wired Science out online with their video snippets, or full strength on Wednesdays at 8 PM, EST.

Overall Grade: B+

Reviewed by Jonas

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