The U.S. House of Representatives will pay formal tribute (.pdf) this week to Don Herbert, better known as "Mr. Wizard," who made science fun and approachable for millions of children on his long-running TV show. Herbert died last week of cancer at age 89. But he left an impressive legacy, inspiring countless kids to explore science through his popular show, which aired in the 1950s and 1960s and later made a comeback on Nickelodeon in the 1980s.
Herbert used simple, often combustible materials to convey the wonders of science. He helped pioneer the educational television genre, laying the groundwork for cable networks like the Discovery Channel and other TV educators such as Bill Nye. The House resolution "encourages students to honor the heritage of Don
Herbert by exploring our world through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields."
If only Congress could encourage the Bush administration to do the same thing.
[Thanks M3kT3k for the example of Mr. Wizard's pedagogy. Anybody else with a favorite experiment -- the egg and milk bottle vacuum trick is the most popular -- feel free to let us know.]
