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June 13, 2007
Happy trails
Now this is too bad. Mr. Wizard was always a fun show on Nickelodeon, although I have to admit that sometimes I found Mr. Wizard a little creepy. My favorite episode was when he had a kid try to suck grape juice through a 60-foot straw, only to show that there is a certain length one can suck before the air pressure equalizes and nothing will make the juice go farther. Good times!
Don Herbert, who as television's "Mr. Wizard" introduced generations of young viewers to the joys of science, died Tuesday. He was 89. Herbert, who had bone cancer, died at his suburban Bell Canyon home, said his son-in-law, Tom Nikosey.
"He really taught kids how to use the thinking skills of a scientist," said former colleague Steve Jacobs. He worked with Herbert on a 1980s show that echoed the original 1950s "Watch Mr. Wizard" series, which became a fond baby boomer memory.
In "Watch Mr. Wizard," which was produced from 1951 to 1964 and received a Peabody Award in 1954, Herbert turned TV into an entertaining classroom. On a simple, workshop-like set, he demonstrated experiments using household items.
"He modeled how to predict and measure and analyze. ... The show today might seem slow but it was in-depth and forced you to think along," Jacobs said. "You were learning about the forces of nature."
entry no. 875
Posted by oz115 at June 13, 2007 11:51 AM