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These listings cover television programs up to Sunday, May 1.
Greetings, TV viewers!
The Media Hour discussion this Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Whyville Time in the Greek
Theatre will be about the influence of the media technologies (see below) on
your lifestyle: "If they didn't exist, would your life be better or worse?"
For the Media Hour, watch the show(s)-of-the-week, jot down some ideas, then talk about them with me and other citizens (including other City Workers, if they're available) at the Greek Theater, over in City Hall. You'll find that the Theater makes discussions pretty easy, since City Workers are able to direct people's movement and behavior, when we need to, and it keeps everyone's chat bubbles from overlapping too much. We meet for MediaHour on Wednesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Whyville Time (that's the same as Eastern Daylight Time).
Monday, April 26
"Modern Marvels: Digi-Tech" (History Channel, 8-7 p.m. E/P) This is a
technology documentary about new devices that have come to be known by their
initials -- DVD, CD, PDA, HDTV, PVR. It traces digital technology back to the
early 1940s and the first high-speed electronic computer used to calculate
cannon trajectory charts for new artillery in WWII, and looks at the rapidly
approaching future in places such as MIT's Media Lab, where some of tomorrow's
technologies are being developed.
Tuesday, April 27
"Land Of Lost Monsters" (Animal Planet Channel, 8-9 p.m. E/P. The show
repeats at 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. tonight) This documentary recreates moments in
history when humans first came to Australia, New Zealand and the New World.
You'll see pristine views of each area, just as the first people saw it,
including the beasts they encountered. Lots more info at
http://animal.discovery.com/convergence/lostmonsters/lostmonsters.html.
"Innovation: Light Speed" (PBS, 9-10 p.m. E/P) This documentary goes back
to 1970 when a team of researchers at Corning Glass made a discovery that would
revolutionize communication. Their development of a fiber optic cable was one
step in the process of research and experimentation applicable in a number of
different fields. Today, fiber optic technology enables doctors to perform tele-surgery
on patients living on other continents. Further details at
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/innovation/.
Wednesday April 28
"60 Minutes II" (CBS, 8-9 p.m. E/P) The main story in this news magazine
asks, "Why are Americans spending over a billion dollars a year on products and
services to try and find the perfect mate?"
Thursday, April 29
"Frontline: The Jesus Factor" (9-10 p.m. E/P) This documentary may be
controversial, depending on your family's religious ideas. So you may want to
get your parents to watch with you. The topic is President Bush, an Evangelical
Christian, who has often recounted praying about major decisions facing the
nation. But what do we actually know about his faith? To what extent do the
president's spiritual beliefs affect or influence his political decision making?
Further information at
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/.
Friday, April 30
"Medical Imaging: The Voyage Inward" (History Channel, 7-8 p.m. E/P) This
is a documentary about medical imaging, the technology that allows us to see
inside the human body. X-rays were discovered in 1895, completely by accident.
Ultrasound was developed to locate enemy submarines; and CAT Scan might never
have been built if it weren't for The Beatles (!)
Saturday, May 1
"The Even Stevens Movie" (Disney Channel, 8-10 p.m. E/P) Not all the
shows I pick about serious themes have to be documentaries. For instance, this
movie, based on the Disney Channel series "Even Stevens," presents a critical
look at the whole idea of those "survivor" TV shows, but it's also a family
comedy! In the show, a swindler named Miles shows up telling the Stevens family
that they won a vacation to "paradise". They accept the offer, but for three
weeks, Miles does everything in his power to split up the Stevens family,
including secretly filming them for broadcast back to Sacramento, CA (where the
Stevens live).
Sunday, May 2
"10.5" (NBC, 9-11 p.m. E/P) This is a television movie set in the future
about a fictional earthquake. It's also about conflicts between scientists and
politicians. In the story, an earthquakes hits the Pacific Northwest along major
fault lines and the West Coast begins to separate from the rest of the
continent. The title refers to the measurement such a catastrophic quake would
register on the famous Richter scale. The main character is an earthquake
research scientist in Washington State who has theories which push the
boundaries of current research -- and her take-charge attitude causes friction
with her peers. But when the quakes happen, she is entrusted with saving the
entire population of the West Coast. The Executive Director of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also attempts to prevent the catastrophic
natural disaster from shattering the Western seaboard. To learn about earthquake
preparedness, log on to http://www.fema.org/.
For scientific information about earthquakes that you might want to know about
and tell your teachers about, log on
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/4teachers/.
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