The Re-Inventors: Ignoring Physics & Causing More Harm Than Good?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the television show "The Re-Inventors" and its approach to physics and engineering principles. Participants express their opinions on the show's treatment of scientific concepts, particularly in relation to its accuracy and educational value.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant criticizes the show for ignoring fundamental physics principles, citing specific examples like the recoil of a helmet gun and the impracticality of a pedal-powered helicopter.
  • Another participant expresses a general loss of respect for similar shows, indicating a broader skepticism towards the genre.
  • A participant questions the identity of the show and seeks clarification, indicating a lack of familiarity with it.
  • Some participants suggest that if the show explained the scientific principles behind the inventions, it could serve as a valuable educational tool.
  • There is a shared sentiment among some participants that they do not oppose the general idea of the show, despite concerns about its execution.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants exhibit disagreement regarding the show's effectiveness and adherence to scientific principles. While some express strong criticism, others see potential value in the concept if executed properly. No consensus is reached on the overall merit of the show.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific examples and personal experiences with similar shows, but there are limitations in their knowledge of "The Re-Inventors" itself, as some have not seen it. The discussion reflects varying levels of familiarity with the show's content and its educational implications.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in the intersection of media, physics, and engineering, as well as those evaluating the educational value of television programs related to scientific principles.

Borek
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I have just seen part of one episode on Discovery. What a morons... They do what each crackpot does - they ignore the physics, as if they have never heard about it.

I have seen WWI helmet gun - they silently ignored the fact that recoil will break the neck (to some extent they were aware of the problem, as they put a plank behind dummy just to make it stiffer). Then tehy were trying pedal powered helicopter - and they elected to not mention fact that such approach can't work, as it will rotate around its own axis. If you ask me - they do more harm than good to general public.

Mythbusters are not always correct, but at least they don't ignore in the most blatant manner basic conservation laws.

Discovery Channel has just lost a lot in my eyes.
 
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I haven't seen episodes of this show, but I lost respect long ago from shows like A Haunting. Now they feature stuff like Ghost Lab.
 
What show is this? I googled it and the first page was a page of torrents to download episodes!
 
Based on the description on Wiki and having never seen it, I think a show that did this and then took the time to explain why the invention does or doesn't work would be a nice visual aid for demonstrating different engineering/scientific principles. Whether or not the show actually does this though I can not say.
 
Pattonias said:
Based on the description on Wiki and having never seen it, I think a show that did this and then took the time to explain why the invention does or doesn't work would be a nice visual aid for demonstrating different engineering/scientific principles.

Agreed. I have nothing against the general idea of the show.