Science Max
Zesty host injects absurdity into science demonstrations.
Science Max
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Science Max is an educational show that focuses on scientific concepts that will interest kids. Examples include how to levitate using magnets or make a bridge out of pasta. Host Phil is go-for-broke and fun; watching this show can increase viewers' scientific curiosity. Viewers should be cautioned not to try Phil's experiments at home without asking Mom and Dad first, even though Phil and his cohorts wear proper safety gear. Kids may also occasionally be mystified by the occasional Canadian word, as when Phil uses a "loony" (a Canadian coin) in an experiment. But the science is sound, interesting, and fun.
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Great for kids!
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The new Bill Nye
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What's the Story?
Not satisfied with just doing the kind of experiments that can be accomplished in a science classroom, SCIENCE MAX wants science writ large -- magnets strong enough to make a grown man levitate, a giant water slide that explains why boats float, or a catapult that demonstrates elasticity. Get your face-protection, your yellow lab coat, and join host Phil McCordic as he journeys into science.
Is It Any Good?
Manic, frantic, and lots of fun, this science show is like Mr. Wizard meets MythBusters. Host McCordic looks and acts like an overgrown kid who clearly relishes carrying out his experiments and visiting locations like a magnet factory or public pool. He's equally sharp in cutaway comic vignettes that demonstrate scientific properties in a manner that may remind parents of Alton Brown's old food show, Good Eats, like when Phil demos ferromagnetism by hurling doughnuts, paperclips, and a shoe at a big magnet. Science Max is a lot of fun, and since it's educational, parents feel good about junior scientists watching. Everyone wins!
Talk to Your Kids About ...
How does Phil demonstrate curiosity on Science Max and in his tests? Is curiosity an important quality for scientists? What other character strengths are helpful?
Why does this show choose to demonstrate scientific properties that you can see rather than taste, feel, or smell? Consider some experiments or scientific concepts that would be difficult, impossible, or boring to show on TV.
Can you think of any women who appear on TV shows about science? Can women and girls be scientists? What about being scientists on TV?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 7, 2015
- Cast: Phil McCordic
- Network: Kidstream
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Science and Nature
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- TV rating: NR
- Last updated: September 20, 2019
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