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Does TV Make You Smarter?


DudeAsInCool

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According to Stephen Johnson of the NY Times, the increasing complexity of plotlines and characters makes TV more challenging to watch...and therefore smarter viewers. Read more to learn more:

http://nytimes.com/2005/04/24/magazine/24TV.html?8hpib

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Not BS.

The theory is right.

However, this doesn't exist on TV. Very little is complex, intricate, or challenging.

Hell, I can't even watch the regular Discovery channel without seeing some sort of "reality" show about some douche bags arguing about building a motorcycle.

Or some retards building a house. Of course, they don't get really technical or educational; they concentrate more on petty human conflict.

And don't even get me started on the History channel. They've had more interesting programs as of late, but I'm sick of seeing WWII material every hour. There's more to history than that.

I suppose my favorite educational/interesting television comes from alternate Discovery channels (such as Discovery Science, Discovery Wings, etc..). The problem though is they are extremely shallow on programming; sometimes even undated too. They air one program, and then they repeat it every two hours for days. Then they move on to something else, but return to the program in about a month for another rotation. And these channels I only get through a special "digital cable" subscription. It's not on basic cable in my area, and I doubt it's on anyone else's "basic" package.

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And don't even get me started on the History channel. They've had more interesting programs as of late, but I'm sick of seeing WWII material every hour. There's more to history than that.

If Ken was in charge of the History Channel I wouldn't have been able to record the 4 hour Franklin Roosevelt special a week ago. It might not have been too bad though....maybe he'd have commissioned another series of The History of Sex.

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i read the NYT article yesterday. while i really dig steven johnson (just finished 'emergence') i think he's making a huge leap w/his assumptions.

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If Ken was in charge of the History Channel I wouldn't have been able to record the 4 hour Franklin Roosevelt special a week ago. It might not have been too bad though....maybe he'd have commissioned another series of The History of Sex.

Speak for yourself; I would have kept the FDR special.

And I thought "The History of Sex" was bland and uninteresting.

Quiet old man or I’ll break your hip.

Anybody was has ever seen the History channel knows its 90% WWII documentaries.

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i read the NYT article yesterday. while i really dig steven johnson (just finished 'emergence') i think he's making a huge leap w/his assumptions.

So you do read contemporary books! :lol: BTW--here is Johnson's webblog--http://www.stevenberlinjohnson.com/

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the day that oprah has steven johnson on, or features like any of hunter s thompson's books, will be the day i begin to watch her...i'm not holding my breath. :lol:

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the day that oprah has steven johnson on, or features like any of hunter s thompson's books, will be the day i begin to watch her...i'm not holding my breath. :lol:

I know you dont like her for some reason, but... The books she used to feature were not low-brow...

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Anybody was has ever seen the History channel knows its 90% WWII documentaries.

and 9% stupid Ancient Egypt and Rome... the lion's share of that being Egypt. It's ridiculous. Entire civilizations like the Hittites, the Phoenicians, the Zapotec, or the builders of Mohenjo-Daro, just to name a few, NEVER get any airplay whatsoever. WWII, mummies and gladiators is all some would think the history is about, if they went by the Big H. Hard to see how such a skewed presentation of the past would make anyone smarter.

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never watched the History channel in NYC, but here i call it the hitler channel for above reasons. then again, if watching tony on the sopranos watching it is any indication, it should be called the hitler channel in the states as well.

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