Wired Science (PBS)

PBS teams with Wired magazine for an educational show unlike any other in WIRED SCIENCE, which takes an in-depth look at how science and technology continue to change our lives. This intriguing series highlights the technological advances that make our daily life more efficient, the medical breakthroughs that lengthen and strengthen our lives, and the developments that broaden our global connectedness. Correspondents also investigate the downfalls of these same changes, exploring global warming's effect on plant growth, for example, and our vulnerability to crippling computer hijackings. In one episode, host Ziya Tong looks in on how breakthrough computer software is changing the way that kids with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism) learn to decipher human emotion. The program, which analyzes expressions based on the movements of certain facial features, gives the kids clues about their companion's state of mind so they can react appropriately.

Backed by first-rate research and presented in a surprisingly fresh and entertaining manner, Wired Science is fascinating to say the least. The nitty-gritty scientific reports are simplified enough to make them understandable for even the least technologically advanced viewer, and often they're book-ended by human interest stories with wide appeal. (Ever wondered how modern-day at-home chemistry sets measure up to the vintage originals or what the ingredients of Cool Whip look like when they're broken down? Now's your chance to find out!)

Bottom line? Wired Science is an eye-opening look at the current state of technology and the path it's likely to take in the near future. The series is great for tweens and teens, who will likely be just as fascinated (even if they claim not to be) as you are.