I lament the lost days of “Wonder Why” for this exact reason. As a kid, many of my favorite shows were science-based educational programs. Bill Nye, David Suzuki, and Richard Zurawski were my intellectual heroes.

Now that I’m an adult, I’m less in touch with children’s programming, but it would seem to me that these shows have given way to more fluff - shows that are entertaining, yet devoid of any significant content. It is as if we have decided that our children cannot, or will not be interested by actual learning beyond the most basic level.

It is not limited strictly to children’s programming either. Remember when (and think back really hard) TLC was actually “The Learning Channel”? Remember when there were actual documentaries and scientific content? Our learning on that channel is now limited to making ourselves look “Ten Years Younger” or learning “What Not to Wear”. We can all pat ourselves on the back for being students of the science of superficiality.

I disconnected the cable to my home a year ago. Enough was enough. I can’t justify paying for 37 makeover shows a week. For now, I’m quite satisfied downloading programs like “Nova” from Great Britain. It’s amazing. I actually have to break the law to get decent science programming.

Ever wonder why? I sure do.