GIGO

Children's Television

Almost two years ago I wrote about a great new children's science television show then under development. I'm glad to be able to report that Oi! has finally made it to the screen, and it's living up to the promise of the early pilot sample I saw back in June 1992.

It's reassuring to see that television can still be used as an effective teaching mechanism, and that science can be shown to be "exciting, intriguing, dynamic, funny, heroic and all around us", as producer Ross Johnston wrote in his original brief.

One of the things I find most heartening about Oi is that it does not shy away from explaining relatively sophisticated concepts -- from electromagnetism to genetic differences in Vitamin D production -- to its target audience of seven- to eleven-year-olds.

A good analogy is worth a thousand words, and the Oi! ideas people are excellent at their analogies. One I have treasured from the pilot production compares the reaction of substances in a microwave oven to people at a party -- some heat up very quickly (whether hydrogen molecules exposed to microwaves, or ragey party-goers); some take a while to warm up (most foodstuffs and the shyer dancers); and some just don't react much at all (glass, porcelain and plastic, and the kinetically challenged).

It's simple, clear and easy to understand without being patronising. I believe that children are far more capable of understanding such concepts than they are given credit for. At the very least, an introduction to such ideas will pave the way for further learning later.

We need more of this on our television screens, and not just on Sunday mornings. We need more of this in our newspapers and magazines because, as adults, we have relatively little access to such material, yet we are required to make decisions every day which depend on our knowledge of science and technology. If you want to learn more about science and technology -- and keep up with your children -- take time out to watch Oi!. It's fun.

Vicki Hyde is the editor of New Zealand Science Monthly.