Science & Technology TV Shows

Television's ability to inform and educate makes it well suited to programs that teach viewers about science and technology topics. PBS has long been home to informative science programming, with series such as "Nova" and "Scientific American Frontiers," and in the 1980s, several early cable channels, including The Learning Channel and the Discovery Channel, dedicated themselves almost entirely to similar kinds of informative programming.

As cable channels have shifted their focus toward entertainment and reality programming, real science is less well represented on TV, but science and technology documentaries still have a place in the schedule. Biological science of all flavors remains popular, with programs that explore both the inner workings of animals (and humans )and the environments in which they live. Indeed, the discussion of global climate change frequently finds its way onto TV in the form of programs about climate and geographical sciences.

A popular genre of technology program illustrates the process of manufacturing well-known consumer products, going behind the scenes in factories and manufacturing facilities. Other programs concern themselves with the development and evolution of technologies; transportation technologies are an especially popular subject.

Some cable channels have been subject to controversy in recent years after they've aired programs-about, for example, mysterious creatures-that present speculative reporting and unconfirmed information in a package that looks like a serious science show.