Have just watched Brainiac for the first time

[Blandmum]

What a load of shit!

I thought it would be more like Mythbusters

I like Vic... but i just can't see it either. He is not an explosives kinda guy. I cant see him in a CO2 powered wheel chair grinning like an idiot.

This has officially ruined my day.

I am off to eat some chocolate... science says it cheers you up.

Agree with mb, 'tis a load of shite, but I guess it gets kids thinking science is cool. They're consistently very rude about it in that 'Bad Science' column in the Guardian.

Southeastastra,we love 'how it's made' in this house... sends all of us into a very calm,relaxing trance.My mum couldn't believe it when she watched us!

Frogs, sadly it doesn't make kids think that science is cool, they think blowing things up, is cool. And that science is all about blowing things up. Expect them to explain something and they can't be bothered.

Yes, I guess that must be true for lots of kids, mb. But dd1 did like it and (possibly) learnt something from it. There was another, slightly saner, programme that investigated slightly more sensible things like the mass of a mountain involving measuring the boiling point of water at different altitudes which I thought was a bit saner.

How do you feel about the Horrible Histories/Science series to which 7yo ds is currently addicted?

I have no problem with the popularisation of science at all...all for it.

the trouble with brainiac is that they treat science like a magic trick....look at this WOW! and don't really get onto the important thing, which is expolaining how it workds

as I always say, 'Better than Magic, Science; because now you can explain why you said WOW!'

I like Mythbusters, because they take into account all sorts of things like controled experients and 'fair test'

Oh my boys (aged 10 and 8) adore brainiac. I think it is just about right for them. More slapstick than anything else but with the veneer of science to keep them interested.

ds loves Brainiac - he also adores Top Gear, so maybe he just likes Richard Hammond...

binker - my DS1 started watching top gear at 18 months old, I think that was part of the reason I introduced him to brainiac he loves both too. He really likes Crash Test Danny on discovery kids. Also a science programme. I just think it's funny for a 3 year old to talk about centrifugal force. If it helps make science a bit interesting then why not!
I am worried if we ever take him in a caravan he might expect it to blow up.

The first series was better. I watched it and thought "this has some promise, if they can cut back on the boobs and explosions". Instead they presumably got in some focus groups who told them to beef up the number of boobs and explosions. Agree Mythbusters is better.

sockmonkey - we can't see a caravan without thinking of Top Gear !