YSM Issue 87.4

FEATURE
TV show review
SCIENCE IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
TV SHOW REVIEW : DUCK QUACKS DON’T ECHO
BY DANIELLE STAMER
“Duck Quacks Don’t Echo” promises to excite viewers with facts
that range from shocking to outrageous. The hosts, comedians Tom
Papa, Michael Ian Black, and Seth Herzog, compete
in this National Geographic program to present
the most interesting fact to the audience in order
to win the coveted “Golden Quack.” While “Duck
Quacks” presents fun facts in a highly entertaining
manner, it only occasionally addresses the scientific
basis of these facts. The hosts’ primary focus is on
the spirit and hilarity of competition, which forces
them to sacrifice scientific complexity. Still, the
program undoubtedly inspires curiosity, and every
episode is enjoyable in its own way.
The show draws facts from a variety of disciplines.
For surprising facts, like “redheads have a higher pain
tolerance than non-redheads,” the hosts interview
an expert (in this case, a geneticist from a research
university), who describes the science involved.
Then they conduct an experiment to demonstrate
the fact’s validity, and use a careful description of the procedure,
materials, controls, and results. The interview, too, introduces complex
concepts like genetics, evolutionary psychology, and chemistry in
TV SHOW REVIEW : THROUGH THE WORMHOLE
BY MALINI GANDHI
a clear – albeit oversimplified – manner. Other facts, such as “you
can scale a wall using vacuum cleaners,” may not be mind-blowing
findings, but are neat demonstrations of physics.
“Duck Quacks” commonly cuts the science to put
the hosts in silly situations, such as a hovercraft
race for the fact “you can make a hovercraft using
household items,” or a trivia competition in which
the hosts merely list facts. This is a shame because
the show has great potential to use science to
explain the unbelievable.
Despite its flaws, “Duck Quacks” is definitely
entertaining, especially with the laugh-out-loud
banter between the hosts, who lead each episode
with enthusiasm and energy. Although the show
may skimp on the science for broader appeal, it
remains exciting. Given that it premiered in January,
the program will hopefully continue to grow and
improve as it gains viewership. By showing the
simple “what,” the show at least encourages viewers
to discover the complex “why” on their own. “Duck Quacks Don’t
Echo” might just scratch the surface of science, but it definitely
meets any trivia-nut’s fill.
IMAGE COURTESY OF AMAZON
Morgan Freeman’s iconic voice announcing “space…time…life
itself ” echoes through the television series “Through the Wormhole.”
Filled with the dappled glow of galaxies and the spiraling of particle
collisions, the show is a vivid, mind-bending dance of physics and
philosophy.
The series, which premiered on Science Channel in 2010 and is
hosted by Freeman, draws on astrophysics and cosmology to tackle
the big questions of existence — questions about where we come
from, where we are going, and the elegant ways in which our universe
works. While the show
sometimes suffers
from an overblown
tone and wishy-washy
scientific explanations,
it excels in presenting
complex, abstract
topics in an accessible,
entertaining way.
IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE PLAY Each episode
focuses on a mystery
of our universe. A more standard topic might be black holes, while
a funkier, less conventional topic might be whether or not aliens
worship gods. All the episodes emphasize the intersection of science
and philosophy. This tone is established in the premiere episode,
“Is there a Creator?” which uses science to examine the age-old
philosophical debate about God. The theme is also beautifully
rendered in the episode “Is Time Travel Possible?” which artfully
explains the theory of relativity and also explores philosophical
paradoxes of time travel.
One of the show’s notable strengths is its use of colorful analogies
to make tough concepts understandable. In the episode “Is There a
Shadow Universe?” which tackles dark matter, the self-interaction
of dark matter when galaxy clusters collide is illustrated by two
physicists having a spaghetti-and-meatball food fight. These quirky,
real-life comparisons add an engaging element of humor to the show.
Of course “Through the Wormhole” is not without its faults.
It tends towards the sensational, with Freeman melodramatically
introducing dark matter with “Could shadows threaten our world
of light?” The scientific explanations are often hand-wavy, which,
though appropriate for the show’s tone and audience, may frustrate
physics majors.
Regardless, “Through the Wormhole,” which wrapped up its
fifth season in July, succeeds at engaging audiences with beautiful,
elegant questions so often distanced from the public by high-level
mathematics. The show ultimately challenges us to think deeply
about the universe and our place in it.
38 Yale Scientific Magazine October 2014 www.yalescientific.org