If you’re trying to get a handle on the post immediately below, here’s the overview pitch:
In the 1970s and 80s, Johnny Ball and his team at the BBC did a terrific job of inspiring British children towards mathematics, science and engineering.
That was then. But now, it’s 2006. Suppose you want to provide similar sorts of inspiration for children today: how do you do it?
Well, I made science TV for children for almost ten years (I actually made more series than Johnny Ball did), and this project is my first big stab at answering that question. I want to take all that video experience, mix it up with my general web geekery, and make something wonderful for the next generation of technically-minded children.
I now have half the funding I need. Who else wants in?
well I haven’t got any money, but I have got a Z1 [tee hee] – mind you that’s probably the reason for the former…
Ooooh! Shiny!
You ended up with a Z1, then, rather than a Canon XL? Interesting… and making me extremely jealous.
I haven’t got a Z1, but I live at the top of the M1. And funnily enough my very first job in television was as a trainee camera assistant in Bristol – and the very first show I ever worked on was the first episode of Think Of A number, Johnny Ball’s first series.
Just a random idea, but have you seen
http://www.inkycircus.com/about.html
– I *think* they had some sort of (NESTA?) funding to produce a new kind of science magazine, might be some interesting crossover with your plans?
Yes, the Inkycircus lasses are doing some great work with their blog. I’m not sure what stage the magazine is at – I’m surprised if they’re not involved in Flipside, actually – but I should pursue. Luckily, the NESTA folks seem to know everybody I don’t, and rather big on trying to join the dots between everything.
Thanks for the thought: and if anyone here isn’t reading Inkycircus, it’s well worth subscribing to. They write well, pick fun stuff, and are less annoying than Boing Boing.