Mythbusters.

[iNow]

Let's put this into perspective, shall we?

 

Considering the large percentage of Americans who watch Fox news and the highly biased commentary that comes with it, I suggest that the more people who tune into Mythbusters, the better.

 

Would it be even better if the entire populace had a subscription to Nature, the journal Science, and countless other extraordinary scientific publications? Of course, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, eh?

 

 

I'd rather people watch Mythbusters than O'Reilly or E! News...

[Calabi-Yau]

I like what the mythbusters are doing.

 

In my very humble opinion, the core of science is scepticism leading to the requirement to test everything. Human knowledge was based largely on very muddy thinking until the 17th Century, when luminaries such as Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon taught the need to obtain empirical evidence. That is, test everything by experiment or novel observation.

 

The mythbusters are showing this process in being sceptical of widely held beliefs and then testing those beliefs with experiment. You might be scathing about the quality of their experiments, but they are dealing with the general public and are doing what every good educator does. Start with the basics.

 

Skeptic,

I apologise if I came across rather strongly in my previous post.

I am not saying experimentation is not nessicary, as it is the only manner in which one can be presently certain of things in sceince. I am merely saying that knowledge of HOW things occur is how things occur is a major part of science. Yes, mythbusters DO give explainations of why things do/may happen, as I mentioned above. Hoever, the question of if is given precedance over why, despite their both being of great importance. The experiments seem to be given precedance over both. This is obviously not compatable with scientific philosophy. It can thus give the non-scientific world an inaccurate view of science[eg children not realising the 'serious side' etc.]

And, as I mentioned before, some experiments, like that of the alkatraz escape, do not even deal with science.

 

Also, shall we note I did NOT condemn the show outright above? I watch the show myself, depending upon the experiments to be undertaken on the episode. My qualms are with the possbility of misinterpretation by public, which is so due to the time/attention given to how/experimentation, and, as is apparent above, I did not say that there would be no advantages for science through it by the drawing of interest to the subject.

 

iNow, I can see where you are coming from, but SImply because he did a greater deed than one man, it does not mean he should recieve the reward befitting a man greater than he, even if that greater man does not exist.

 

Basically, it could be improved without the wrecking of their viewings.