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[ NNSquad ] Off-Topic video recommendation: "Watch Mr. Wizard"


Off-Topic video recommendation: "Watch Mr. Wizard"

As you probably know, from time to time I exercise my prerogative in
running these lists to stray off my primary topics with a special
video recommendation.  Today is one of those days.

Given recent events in Colorado, this is a particularly depressing
weekend, and I found myself browsing around YouTube looking for some
escape.  As usual when I've done this, I was not disappointed, and
stumbled across something very special -- at least for me.  I want to 
share it with you.

In some other venues I've previously mentioned Don Herbert -- aka
early television's "Mr. Wizard" -- as a primary influence on my life
who led me into an interest in technology.  I still have a set of his
science experiment books.  I watched these shows (which began in 1951)
without fail starting in the very early 60s through the end of their
initial run.  It's impossible to imagine a major television network
(in this case NBC News) producing such a program today.  Demonstrating
the use of pi to children on morning TV?  Ending a program with a
pronouncement like:  "So next time you want to be very accurate about
something, make no judgments, instead -- measure and calculate!"

Here's a full episode from the original "Watch Mr. Wizard" run.
Notice the length?  There were a lot fewer commercials back then.  
And by the way, can you recognize the announcer at the show open and
close?  Yep, it's Don Pardo, who was the voice of innumerable NBC
programs, including such classics as "Saturday Night Live," for
something on the order of 60 years.

"Watch Mr. Wizard": http://j.mp/NKjOiT  (YouTube)

And then there was the remarkable Julius Sumner Miller.  But we'll
visit with him on another day.

Take care, all.

--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren 
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org 
Founder:
 - Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org
 - Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org 
 - Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
 - PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com 
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren 
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
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