Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the foremost science populist of the early 21st century, is director of the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium, as well as a frequent guest on talk shows, a regular fixture on TV science documentaries, and now the engaging host of PBS' excellent offshoot series NOVA ScienceNOW, which aims to foster enthusiasm for science among younger TV viewers. This debut 2008 episode—presented in an accessible magazine-style format similar to CBS' long-running 60 Minutes—features four 15-minute segments in which enthusiastic correspondents interview lively scientists. In the first segment, Tyson visits a deep-underground facility where scientists use advanced, highly sensitive detectors to try to solve the mysteries of dark matter, the elusive unseen material that makes up most of the universe. The second segment explores remarkably successful experimental drug therapy research with mice that could lead to dramatic improvements in memory recovery among seniors with Alzheimer's disease or dementia. The third segment—likely to rivet the attention of young, computer-savvy viewers—is a fascinating profile of 42-year-old “digital forensics” pioneer Hany Farid, a professor at Dartmouth College, who is one of the world's leading experts in the detection of digitally manipulated photographs. Using customized logarithms to detect the visually misleading “cloning” of photo-pixels, Farid illustrates the notorious methods of photo-fakery employed by celebrity gossip tabloids. The final segment takes a look at the “wisdom of crowds,” which lends statistical proof to the law of averages: when fair contestants were asked to guess the weight of an ox, none came up with the right answer, but the mean average of their guesses was surprisingly close to correct. An appealing start to a series that will hopefully have a thriving future, this is recommended [Note: NOVA ScienceNOW 2008, Eps. 2-6 are also available.]. Aud: I, J, H, P. (J. Shannon)
NOVA ScienceNOW 2008, Episode 1
(2008) 56 min. DVD: $24.99. WGBH Boston Video (avail. from most distributors). PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-59375-846-2. Volume 24, Issue 3
NOVA ScienceNOW 2008, Episode 1
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