Customer Reviews

Science NOW 2009: Episode 1: Diamond Factory

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1. A scientific firm is growing diamonds. This work goes into the potential uses, such as working in cell phones and telephone poles. I was more curious about how the diamond market would be affected. Will it collapse? Will humans consider the gem less precious if it becomes too abundant?

2. They show how DNA research helped to find the anthrax killer. That issue may not be memorable to viewers aged 15 and younger. However, I very much remember how folk were afraid to open their mail in 2001 or so. I'm a federal employee and I can tell you to this day, they test letters for anthrax on capitol hill.

3. KAPCHA. Unfortunately, they never spell the word, but I do wonder if it's a butchering of "capture." Have you ever had to decipher a regular word and a ripped-up, jacked work to proceed on an internet site? That's Kapcha! This work explains why it exists (to help lower spam and prove that humans are involved in a transaction) and why it helps with another project (deciphering words in old books).

4. They speak of trying to find perfect pitch. Here's the thing: I would say this device makes singers sound like Roger, the soul artist. My sister loves, loves, loves those computer-y voices, but it's hard to think of that as "perfect pitch." It would seem to me that musical purists would deem that plastic and overly produced.

This work shows a Guatemalan-American inventor; this reminds me of the Chang-Diaz episode. In the same way that Teletubbies try to be multiculty, I think this series tries to highlight diverse role models for future scientists. I never knew how much DeGrasse Tyson had that pointy hairline that Eddie Munster and Michael Evans from "Good Times" had. Also, you see DeGrasse Tyson in a fake shower scene. His shoulder area shows that he must hit the gym pretty hard. He has some chest hair too.)