Edutainment:
''In an era where the cultural and educational heritages of the world are being burnt to ashes and demolished into dust by religious fanatics and other extremists we must all work even harder to ensure the spreading and sharing of the seeds of universal knowledge amongst womankind and mankind''
[patrick emek]
'Alien Encounters'
[The Science Channel]
It
takes a lot these days for me to sit down and watch any television
program.
Most
programs are produced by arrogant, self-conceited elitist cliques –
but cleverly designed and dressed up as 'mass entertainment' 'reality
television' or 'educationally relevant'. For these reasons
watching and listening to anything on the box - other than news
channels worldwide these days - is a real burden for me.
So
when the series 'Alien Encounters' were first aired some time ago I watched the
first few minutes with the usual scepticism, my control at the ready
to flick over to something more relevant and 'down to earth' in an instant. However, I quickly
woke up to the fact that the series was something really different
from the others.
I
was so impressed with the technical and scientific content that I
called an 'emergency boardroom' 'meeting' with the kids to inform
them that they were going to watch this program. There were the
usual howls of protest with one feigning a headache and another a
tummy ache as reasons to excuse their availability from watching.
It was a battle - which I eventually won by means of 'gentle
persuasion' (the promise of chocolates and ice cream) and 'time off'
for good behavior. The matter didn't end there. There were scenes
of utter exasperation, despair and hands wildly gesticulating in the
air like some entranced religious worshippers - eyes rolling to the
ceiling – as I paused and (just slightly) rewound frames or
sections of each episode to explain some fundamental futurist,
physical, biological or chemical theory or discovery which were being
talked about. The situation went from bad to worse with the (now)
two remaining 'victims' (as they described themselves at that time) just short of verbal altercations and
maledictions towards me - and on the entire series - as the first
episode ended. (I had made matters much much worse by insisting
they take notes as I would explain an important principle being
discussed whilst I paused, then slightly rewound – so as to
hopefully ensure that the matter was more accessible for their long
term memories. At the end of the first episode they swore they
would never watch the second one under such onerous conditions.
However, the same two obligingly trundled in to watch the second,
then the third, then fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh episodes.
Their protests never ceased – but were visibly growing far less as
each new series evolved.
I
could see that at least the two remaining 'victims' were intrigued - despite
their howls and protests.
[The
two interested individuals have very high IQs but one is very highly
hyperactive – which means that anything requiring focused attention
is always a challenge.]
When
we arrived at episode eight, just before the Holidays, both declared
that they had enough of my insistence on scientific-like note taking
and would not continue to view unless I dropped this requirement and
they could watch the program through from beginning to end – with
no interruptions whatsoever. This I could not agree to as I
explained that the notes were to help them (as quite young children)
to understand what was being discussed. We could not agree. The
deadlock could not be broken. We had reached an impasse – and
neither of us was prepared to give way. Other than taking the matter
to the United Nations for arbitration I saw little future in
continuing with my desire that they watch this with me for
educational purposes. I just forgot about the matter and gave it up as
a lost cause. Then, some time afterwards, quietly, little hints
about 'when can we watch the next episode of Alien Encounters?' were
innocuously and diplomatically hidden in passing conversations. At
first I ignored the hints because I was just too tired of doing
battle, mentally scarred and emotionally drained of my own emergency
reserve pack – the main oxygen supply line having been deliberately cut and
long-since depleted. But the innocuous turned into an outright 'we
wanna watch the next episode of Alien Encounters!'; like protesters
demanding their long-withheld civil rights.
So
we watched episode eight together. I still got the occasional
protest as I paused, rewound and insisted on their taking notes to my
explanations of situations. By episode nine they were hooked. No
more protests and, to my amazement, vigorous independent notetaking
(much to my shock and horror!) and not even a whimper as I would
explain about theories of quantum mechanics, the links between quantum computers, virtual reality, how big
a yottabyte of information is and how such will operate with ease
within the realms of quantum computers of the future.)
You
will note that I have spent a lot of time talking about my battles
with the kids and virtually none at all discussing what exactly
'Alien Encounters' is all about.
It's
best summarised with the phrase given throughout: 'this program
depicts a hypothetical scenario of first contact with alien
intelligence' - a fictional dramatization of the first
encounter with intelligent life from another world.
It
is however very different from anything which has ever preceeded it
into production and, in my opinion, it is a unique series of
considerable educational significance.
It
could mark a watershed or new direction for edutainment or, more
likely, is just a one-off gem in an otherwise desolate and (again,
in my opinion) boring media and edutainment landscape. [Other
one-off gems include 'Through The Wormhole' (Morgan Freeman
presenting) and Alien Planet.]
Perhaps
I am just one of those elitist nerds I am so heavily critical of and
most of the population, because of their limited scientific education
or interest, will simply just not understand the series to such an
extent that it fails to become a part of popular mainstream culture.
Perhaps indeed this is the reason it has failed to be
'internationalized' to the extent that, by now, it should, in my
opinion, have become a 'cult' series.
[Perhaps
one day when we live in a more popular 'enlightened' scientific
community-linked world, it will take its true place in the pantheon
of cult productions and what went unrecognised as just another quirky
sci-fi faction story will then be seen for what it truly is – a
unique work of art.]
All
I can attest to is that two initially very doubting Thomases thought
otherwise and 'Alien Encounters' has, no doubt, expanded their mental
horizons of the possibilities to no outer limits hitherto reached by
any teacher at their Junior High School.
I
just want on this rare occasion of something useful having been
produced for a viewing audience, to spread the good news of
'salvation' so that others may follow in their path.
The series will not assist with solving the insoluble problems of today nor bring hope to those in need and despair but, as with any good religion, the hope of salvation, at some point, needs to be kept alive.
This
series is 'very heavy' on general science so if your knowledge of the
subject is limited you might just wanna watch initially, ignoring the
technical aspects and just appreciate the content for its style of
dramatizations of fictional issues.
If
the topics of science and mathematics are of absolutely no interest
to you I suppose I'd better advise that you give the entire series a
miss.
©Patrick
Emek, 2015
Current 'cult' Edutainment series:
'Through
The Wormhole' (with Morgan Freeman presenting)
&
'Alien
Planet'
both also
have been screened on 'The Science Channel'