Thesis ID: CBB379028131

The Scientific Storytellers: How Educators, Scientists, and Actors Televised Science (2018)

unapi

This dissertation explores the history of science television in the United States. My project is centered on the flows of knowledge between scientific storytellers of television: the scientists, television creators, and audience members who contributed to the development of the television genre. I examine five national programs (The John Hopkins Science Review, Watch Mr. Wizard, NOVA, 3-2-1 Contact, and Cosmos), which aired on American television sets between the late 1940s and late 1970s. This history charts science television from the early days of broadcasting to the end of the “network era.” Over thirty years, scientific storytellers produced a new form of discourse. Their distinct professional backgrounds, as actors, journalists, and scientists, affected the ways that they depicted science and scientists on screen. Early programs emphasized a technological understanding of science based around everyday experiences. Later, scientific programming focused on understanding the connections between political and social movements and science. Current events, advances in cinematography, and new pedagogical styles greatly affected the types of narratives told on television. The creation of science television series created an important space of dialogue for scientists and nonscientists.

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Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB379028131/

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Authors & Contributors
Julie Passanante Elman
Daniela Zetti
Bonnie J. Dow
Piel, Helen
Verhoeven, Piet
Tyrrell, Ian
Concepts
Broadcasting, radio and television
Television; video
Popularization
Popular culture
Mass media
Technology and culture
Time Periods
20th century, late
20th century
21st century
20th century, early
Places
United States
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
Institutions
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
United States. National Air and Space Museum
Project Apollo (NASA)
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Bell Telephone Laboratories
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