# Science Mysteries: Stunning Pseudoscience on Discovery Channel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 20, 2001, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106 "2001-08-20T07:17:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/21 "2001-08-21T16:09:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > \*\*It’s not just the discovery channel. All of the ‘learning’ type channels have gone nuts. TLC (The Learning Channel) is one of the worst offenders. What started out as a pretty interesting channel has devolved into a unending stream of pseudoscience mixed with ‘caught on camera’ programs. It’s almost complete crap now. Discovery isn’t far behind, but at least you can still get the occasional good show on there. > \*\* “Junkyard Wars”, its all that saves DC, really. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/22 "2001-08-21T18:17:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > **The magazine I work for notes—as a “good sign!”—that "74 percent of all American women say that they pray each and every day, up 11 percent from a mere five years ago."** Perhaps they meant they PREY every day. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/23 "2001-08-21T18:27:56Z")
“Perhaps they meant they PREY every day.” —Hmmmm . . . As the copy chief, I suppose I COULD arrange for a little typo . . . ---
**Author:** ![tevya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@tevya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tevya)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/24 "2001-08-21T18:31:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Miskatonic \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Sam Stone \* > > \*\*It’s not just the discovery channel. All of the ‘learning’ type channels have gone nuts. TLC (The Learning Channel) is one of the worst offenders. What started out as a pretty interesting channel has devolved into a unending stream of pseudoscience mixed with ‘caught on camera’ programs. It’s almost complete crap now. Discovery isn’t far behind, but at least you can still get the occasional good show on there. > > \*\* > > “Junkyard Wars”, its all that saves DC, really. \*\* Actually, **Junkyard Wars** is on **TLC**. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/25 "2001-08-21T21:28:56Z")
And to think, just two years ago Discovery Channel was airing a program about “crop circles,” in which the crop circles were exposed as hoaxes made by a couple of guys with some sticks and rope. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/26 "2001-08-21T23:57:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ssj\_man2k \* > I thought it was interesting, but when it comes to medicine, you have to realize that no one type of medicine can cure everything. You have to combine eastern and western for the best results. \*\* Combining eastern and western medicine gives mid-west medicine. It involves lots of casseroles and polka dancing. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/27 "2001-08-22T00:48:31Z")
Actually, I think part of the problem is that Rupert Murdoch and Ted Turner are buying up these channels left and right, and both of them are idiots with brains full of pseudo-scientific porridge. Why is it that people can fight to break up Microsoft as a dangerous monopoly, but no one seems to care that two large organizations are filtering so much of our public airwaves through their own biased filters, or that in a larger sense we are being inundated with the political philosophy of the Hollywood elite class, which bears very little resemblance to reality. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106/28 "2001-08-22T01:26:29Z")
Well, I think DC and The History Channels are good places to start. (TLC is not. I remember when I saw Connections with James Burke on TLC. That was many, many moons ago.) I watch it with my family all the time. Even the stupid ones. The trick is to not be so passive when watching. What T.V. critically. My children and I love the “When Dinosaurs Roamed The Earth” specials. “Mammoth” was fascinationg, but it seemed as if DC put on this mad advertising campaign designed to make sure everyone who watch it would be disapointed. I think the people at DC felt that a show about scientists finding and escavating an almost complete wooley mammoth would not be exciting enough to draw viewers. Sadly, they are probably right. And I love my Hitler T.V. If only we could get The History Channel to expend one tenth of the time and energy on some other historical events, it would be a real asskicker. They should be doing things like Terry Jone’s The Crusades or their own version of I, Claudius (Me, Augustus?). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/science-mysteries-stunning-pseudoscience-on-discovery-channel/77106.md?page=1)