Science on the box
Angela Saini
Tuesday, 25 March 2008 16:06 UTC
Working in the sadly unglamorous world of television news, I am constantly told by fellow scientifically-inclined friends that there is not enough science on TV (I’ve lost count of the number of people who have told me they want to see Tomorrow’s World return)...
So I want to know what science stories you would like to see on the box? Or is the science community too disillusioned by TV’s treatment of science issues to care?
Updated 25 March 2008 16:06 UTC
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Replies
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I am trained in and have experience in many of the natural and physical sciences and would love television news on practical information. For example, I plant heirloom tomatoes in my garden each year.
Recently, I read that the tangerine tomato is better for us as it has Lycopene in a “cis” formation. Cis-lycopene is absorbed by our body and does not pass through it as does the trans-lycopene that we all hear about in red tomatoes.
This would be of interest to gardeners, many of whom are interested in planting tomatoes. Those of us wanting to buy our plants, rather than starting from seed due to our short growing season or for convenience, would love to give a heads-up to nurseries that we are going to be looking for this type of tomato, a tangerine colored heirloom variety. This information is on the web but I would love to have more information on this via T.V. news.
In summation, many of us are seeking T.V. news that relates to our daily lives and benefits us via beautiful, healthful or useful information.
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Angela -
Many of us who work in print moan about TV science, so it’s excellent to have the gauntlet thrown down in this way.What I certainly wouldn’t want is a return to the ‘gee, wow, isn’t technology wonderful!!!!!’ of Tomorrow’s World as it used to be.
I think three things would combine to make my idea. A good solid ‘big issue’ programme like Horizon, a weekly science news programme – a sort of New Scientist of the air – and a fun science show. I don’t mean absolutely silly by ‘fun’ – Brainiac already has that covered – more to do to something like Tomorrow’s World what the new incarnation of Top Gear did to… well, Top Gear.
(We could also do with better science for children, but that’s a different story.)
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For those in the UK, I do a weekly listing of tv and radio science shows. (Usually every Monday, but Easter delayed it this week.)
The best science programme I’ve seen in a long time was the recent BBC4 documentary about the lead singer of Eels discovering his father’s pioneering work on parallel universe theory. In other words, rock star learns extreme physics. The documentary suceeded as it mixed together many elements – particle physics, cosmology, family history, tragedy and loss, and the bittersweet music of Eels. Set against the complex background of the singer’s family life, the particle physics seemed almost simple.
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Brian, it would be fantastic to see a magazine/news-format science programme on telly. Somewhere that researchers could be interviewed and audiences could see real science in action (as oppposed to actors/presenters in white lab coats and oversized specs…). There must surely be enough media-savvy, charismatic scientists out there to make that interesting…?
On the other hand, the problem I have faced in interviewing scientists for TV is that they find it incredibly difficult to simplify what they’re saying for the lay-person to understand. In print you can work around that kind of technical-speak, but in video that’s much harder.
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Angela – I’m not sure you’d need too much verbally non-challenged scientists. The vast majority of the wordcount of something like New Scientist is written by professional writers, and I think the vast majority of the words in a magazine programme could also be professionally written – talking heads are so passe anyway! I’d just like them professionally written in good science journalism style, not gee-whiz-wow! style.
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So I don’t have really much to add to the thrust of the discussion. And this is definitely off topic but, ironically, I did recently receive an advert for a position in TV science news:
Advert
If you know of anyone with a graduate degree in the sciences, who is interested in a career change to the world of network television coverage of medicine ABC Medicine is hiring.
The job involves working with people such as you to provide the best information we can to ABC News programs. Sometimes it involves doing research in Medline. Sometimes it will involve sending out e-mails to those of you in our network. And sometimes it will involve making phone calls to
speak with doctors or other health professionals. In the first two months of this year, the producer in our unit worked with 51 ABC News Correspondents
and Producers on 47 stories, 31 of which went on air. I am looking for someone who can start in the next three weeks. We are located outside Boston.Please send resume in care of Roger Sergel to ABC.MEDICINE@abc.com.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
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Richard,
I read Jonathan Sanderson’s blog and it does make depressing reading!
I’m not sure that TV science is dead but I do find it difficult to understand why we have so many kiddish flash-bang (or as Brian says, gee-whizz-wow) shows and barely any solid, intelligent programmes that treat science with the same respect as TV treats decorating houses, cookery and history. Especially since science magazines and journals seem to be so popular…
In Nature the other week, there was a stat that said 5 hours of typical US cable news contained 36 mins on US foreign policy and only 1 minute on science and technology (medical/health stories excepted).
Is it just an uncomfortable truth that people don’t enjoy watching real science on telly? Or maybe its TV execs who don’t like commissioning science programmes? I don’t know.
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Hi Angela and others, I hope you are well. I am joining this discussion fairly late – but better late than never!
I am a scientist (specifically Geneticist, Epidemiologist and Statistician) who has been urging and searching for ways to enhance the quality and quantity of science and healthcare in the media – for adults and children. I am keen to show that real science is not nerdy but is interesting and pursued as a career to those of us who look ‘normal’. Every person I have met in my time has been truly shocked that I am a scientist. Why? Because I do not ‘Look’ or ‘behave’ like those representing Science in media. I have a true passion for science and at the same time I have time for art, festivals, dinners, sport…. Luckily I have been blessed with good communication skills and am able to simplify theories/facts so that the lay-person can also understand. I have practiced on my parents, friends and various random people all over the world. I am determined to convey science to non-scientists and other scientists the way I see it – as fascinating and friendly!
I am hoping that someone in this thread is able to get back to me with some avenues to pursue so that I can begin to fill in the missing “science in media” gap.
My direct email address is naheed_rana@yahoo.co.uk
I really look forward to receiving any suggestions/contacts.
Best regards,
Dr Naheed Rana
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