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Wen 丨 Zhao Cai Xiaofen
Editor丨Zhao Cai Xiaofen
The popular science program "Approaching Science", which premiered in 1998, was once popular and was known as "a program that opens people's wisdom".
However, from the hit to the waist, its historical trajectory is full of ups and downs.
Why did this popular science show fall from peak to trough? And how did it become a laughing stock step by step?
Science or story? The controversy of "Approaching Science"
The popular science program "Approaching Science" is quite innovative in form and content.
It is good at attracting attention with exaggerated titles, such as "Ghost calls in the middle of the night in the village", "Monster tracks found in the lake", etc.
With the old and terrifying soundtrack and Mr. Zhang Tengyue's standard question, "What is behind all this...?" ", successfully aroused the curiosity of the audience.
This was followed by the reporter's in-depth investigation, which was also the highlight of the show.
Journalists will investigate the location of the crime and interview local residents, often digging up some interesting details.
For example, there is a program about a village where creepy ghost cries can be heard every night, and the villagers are afraid to go out.
After investigation, it was found that the sound came from a bloated villager, and the sound of his snoring while sleeping spread through the three-dimensional structure of the house, which was infinitely amplified in the silent night, sounding more and more terrifying.
The highlight of the show is usually the introduction of experts for scientific explanation.
Experts will use plain language to explain these seemingly mysterious cases.
For example, the "water monster" is described as a turtle, and the "ghost" on the wall is explained as the principle of small hole imaging.
However, sometimes this explanation is too far-fetched, making the audience feel "fooled".
As a result, "Approaching Science" has also been controversial. The scientific nature of the show has been questioned, and some viewers believe that although it is called scientific, it often only stays at the level of sensational stories.
The choice of subject matter is also quite misleading, rendering some coincidences or natural phenomena into strange forces and chaos.
The production method of the show is also quite perfunctory, full of routines and dramatic renderings.
Indeed, "Approaching Science", as a popular science program, has not done enough to disseminate scientific knowledge.
But it ushered in a new format for Chinese science programming, making scientific content "watchable" for the first time.
This provided a new idea for the later creation of popular science content and had a certain impact on the development of China's science TV programs.
In addition to the serious "title party", there are many hilarious plots in "Approaching Science".
The ironic "Approaching Science"
"Approaching Science" once swept the country, and although the cases it involved were proved to be pseudoscience, its bizarre plot was ridiculous.
Somewhere in Hebei, several large blocks of ice suddenly fell from the sky, and villagers picked them up and treasured them at home.
An old man even tasted it, saying that it was "rootless water" that could cure all diseases.
Later, after expert testing, this was indeed a piece of "blue ice", which came from the sewage discharged from the plane toilet.
The old man was very embarrassed to hear this, saying that the ice tasted salty at that time, and now he thinks he must be confused by the smell of sewage from the plane.
This incident also makes people reflect on the need to remain rational in the face of the unknown and not believe easily.
In another episode, a young man in Guangxi claimed that he could vomit blood from any part of his body, and the villagers regarded him as a superior person.
After the program team invited experts to check, it was found that this was actually caused by long-term bleeding of the young man's gums.
It turned out that in order to gain eyeballs, the young man bit his gums for a long time and caused bleeding, and then inhaled it in his mouth and then spit it out.
Experts say this behavior is very dangerous and can lead to disease infection. This is also a reminder to discern whether the so-called "stunts" are scientific and reasonable.
There was also a female barber who claimed that she had not eaten for five years, and the program team specially invited her to be hospitalized for examination. She fainted soon after being admitted to the hospital.
The examination showed that her physical indicators were normal, it turned out that she had a mental illness, just self-suggestion, did not eat, but actually ate normally.
Experts say that the disease needs to be treated in time, otherwise it can endanger health.
It also makes people realize that many "miracles" may simply be psychological effects.
The program also tracked and reported on "water monsters" throughout China, creating a very terrifying atmosphere.
It turned out that the so-called "water monster" was just an ordinary animal, which was shocking.
In order to attract attention, the production team deliberately played up the mystery of the water monster, but ignored the truth. This hype technique has also been criticized by the audience.
It can be said that "Approaching Science" attracts the audience with its exaggerated and bizarre plot, but it always reverses the simple truth at the end, which makes people laugh.
Although it has been criticized for lacking scientific rigor, the bizarre plot is still impressive to this day.
The experience of this show may become a case for us to distinguish absurd things.
When encountering amazing events, we still have to keep a clear head, check the facts, and not be easily confused by appearances.
Perhaps there are some simple truths hidden behind those seemingly incredible things.
But in fact, the original "Approaching Science" is not today's "story meeting", but a serious popular science program, so why did it become what it is now?
"Approaching Science": The transformation from serious science to easy science
In 1998, "Approaching Science" came into being, precisely in the context of the mainland's implementation of the strategy of rejuvenating the country through science and education.
As a popular science program, it shoulders the important task of disseminating scientific knowledge and promoting the spirit of science.
In the first few years, the program adopted a very rigorous science popularization approach, and the theme was chosen to be high, either reviewing major inventions and creations in the history of science and technology, or introducing the latest research results of cutting-edge science and technology.
I remember one of the episodes explained the automobile exhaust purification technology, which gave people a new understanding of emission reduction technology.
Another episode explores the origins of vertebrates, showing the appeal to humans of the timeless topic of the origin of life.
In order to increase the authority of the program, the production team also specially invited 6 living Nobel Prize winners in science to appear on the camera to discuss the prospects of human scientific and technological development with the audience.
It can be said that in the Chinese television industry at that time, such a rigorous, high-end, scientific theory focused science program was the first time.
This should have been an improvement, because in the heyday of the News Network, there were few opportunities to get viewers up close and personal with cutting-edge science.
However, problems also arise. For ordinary people, this kind of "hardcore" popular science content is too difficult and obscure.
You know, the main people who can watch the show at this time are ordinary viewers who are preparing dinner when they come home from work, and they are helpless with the technical terminology, let alone understand the scientific principles behind it.
The various professional theoretical knowledge of the Nobel Prize winners "online output" of the program group is completely heavenly for the audience.
As a result, it can be imagined that the initial ratings of "Approaching Science" plummeted, and even fell to 0 at one point, completely out of touch with people's lives.
Later, the program group as a pilot version of the revision faced the pressure of elimination. If the situation cannot be reversed as soon as possible, this popular science program will be removed from the shelves.
At this time, a producer named Zhang Guofei stood up.
As the first batch of young people who competed to join CCTV after the reform and opening up, Zhang Guofei decided to keep pace with the times and change the face of the program.
He came up with a bold idea: to engage the audience with stories.
Specific to the topic selection, Zhang Guofei set a new principle: attracting attention should take precedence over science, retain the audience through the attractiveness and suspense of the plot, and transmit scientific knowledge can only be ranked secondary.
According to this line of thought, the show began to focus on some supernatural events and people's weird experiences as the opening, and then dissected the reasons in a suspenseful way.
This method of attracting audiences with stories really worked, and the ratings of "Approaching Science" soared, jumping from the penultimate to the top three, and once again became the signature column of the science and education channel.
In the satisfaction survey of CCTV programs at that time, it also entered the top ten. The revision successfully brought this popular science show back to life and opened its classic road.
But at the same time, more and more controversy followed. Public opinion generally criticized the show for becoming a "pretend ghost", using too many fantasy colors to attract attention, contrary to the spirit of science.
Some commentators believe that it has become "approaching pseudoscience" or "approaching the story", and that the name "approaching science" is no longer worthy of the name.
In the years since, "Approaching Science" has been revised again to return to a rigorous style, but it still failed to restore its former glory and finally ended.
Its development history reflects the dilemma faced by popular science programs: simple serious science is difficult to attract the public, but too relaxed science popularization also has negative effects.
epilogue
The disappearance of "Approaching Science" allows us to see the changes of an era.
It once led the way, and it was once crazy. The rise and fall of a television program reflects the light and gloom of our time.
On the road of scientific progress, how much confusion will there be about "approaching science"? How can we distinguish between true and false, and not be confused by bizarre talk?
These are all worth pondering. Perhaps, the true spirit of science needs to be lit up in each of us, not just relying on a certain TV program.