YSM Issue 87.4

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FEATURETV show reviewSCIENCE IN THESPOTLIGHTTV SHOW REVIEW : DUCK QUACKS DON’T ECHOBY DANIELLE STAMER“Duck Quacks Don’t Echo” promises to excite viewers with factsthat range from shocking to outrageous. The hosts, comedians TomPapa, Michael Ian Black, and Seth Herzog, competein this National Geographic program to presentthe most interesting fact to the audience in orderto win the coveted “Golden Quack.” While “DuckQuacks” presents fun facts in a highly entertainingmanner, it only occasionally addresses the scientificbasis of these facts. The hosts’ primary focus is onthe spirit and hilarity of competition, which forcesthem to sacrifice scientific complexity. Still, theprogram undoubtedly inspires curiosity, and everyepisode is enjoyable in its own way.The show draws facts from a variety of disciplines.For surprising facts, like “redheads have a higher paintolerance than non-redheads,” the hosts interviewan expert (in this case, a geneticist from a researchuniversity), who describes the science involved.Then they conduct an experiment to demonstratethe fact’s validity, and use a careful description of the procedure,materials, controls, and results. The interview, too, introduces complexconcepts like genetics, evolutionary psychology, and chemistry inTV SHOW REVIEW : THROUGH THE WORMHOLEBY MALINI GANDHIa clear – albeit oversimplified – manner. Other facts, such as “youcan scale a wall using vacuum cleaners,” may not be mind-blowingfindings, but are neat demonstrations of physics.“Duck Quacks” commonly cuts the science to putthe hosts in silly situations, such as a hovercraftrace for the fact “you can make a hovercraft usinghousehold items,” or a trivia competition in whichthe hosts merely list facts. This is a shame becausethe show has great potential to use science toexplain the unbelievable.Despite its flaws, “Duck Quacks” is definitelyentertaining, especially with the laugh-out-loudbanter between the hosts, who lead each episodewith enthusiasm and energy. Although the showmay skimp on the science for broader appeal, itremains exciting. Given that it premiered in January,the program will hopefully continue to grow andimprove as it gains viewership. By showing thesimple “what,” the show at least encourages viewersto discover the complex “why” on their own. “Duck Quacks Don’tEcho” might just scratch the surface of science, but it definitelymeets any trivia-nut’s fill.IMAGE COURTESY OF AMAZONMorgan Freeman’s iconic voice announcing “space…time…lifeitself ” echoes through the television series “Through the Wormhole.”Filled with the dappled glow of galaxies and the spiraling of particlecollisions, the show is a vivid, mind-bending dance of physics andphilosophy.The series, which premiered on Science Channel in 2010 and ishosted by Freeman, draws on astrophysics and cosmology to tacklethe big questions of existence — questions about where we comefrom, where we are going, and the elegant ways in which our universeworks. While the showsometimes suffersfrom an overblowntone and wishy-washyscientific explanations,it excels in presentingcomplex, abstracttopics in an accessible,entertaining way.IMAGE COURTESY OF GOOGLE PLAY Each episodefocuses on a mysteryof our universe. A more standard topic might be black holes, whilea funkier, less conventional topic might be whether or not aliensworship gods. All the episodes emphasize the intersection of scienceand philosophy. This tone is established in the premiere episode,“Is there a Creator?” which uses science to examine the age-oldphilosophical debate about God. The theme is also beautifullyrendered in the episode “Is Time Travel Possible?” which artfullyexplains the theory of relativity and also explores philosophicalparadoxes of time travel.One of the show’s notable strengths is its use of colorful analogiesto make tough concepts understandable. In the episode “Is There aShadow Universe?” which tackles dark matter, the self-interactionof dark matter when galaxy clusters collide is illustrated by twophysicists 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 melodramaticallyintroducing dark matter with “Could shadows threaten our worldof light?” The scientific explanations are often hand-wavy, which,though appropriate for the show’s tone and audience, may frustratephysics majors.Regardless, “Through the Wormhole,” which wrapped up itsfifth season in July, succeeds at engaging audiences with beautiful,elegant questions so often distanced from the public by high-levelmathematics. The show ultimately challenges us to think deeplyabout the universe and our place in it.38 Yale Scientific Magazine October 2014 www.yalescientific.org
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