Parents' Guide to

Time Warp

By Anne Louise Bannon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

Slo-mo stunts offer smashing good fun.

TV Discovery Channel Educational 2008
Time Warp Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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What's the Story?

TIME WARP is all about figuring out what happens -- and why. Events both complex and simple are filmed with super-speed cameras and then slowed down so that we can see what happens at speeds too fast for the human eye to register. Scientists have been using similar technology for a long time to discover the existence of stress faults, find out how hummingbirds fly, and so on; now host/scientist Jeff Lieberman is putting it to use on more mundane (but no less interesting) matters.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (5):

While some of the stunts featured in the show seem rather silly and pointless, not to mention extremely dangerous (blending up seven butane lighters, for example), the joy of discovery is infectious and fun. Viewers will learn how a blender works and why it's sometimes better to use a lower speed. And sometimes "Why not?" is all the reason you need to do something. The trick, of course, will be encouraging the "why not" without encouraging burning down the house or juggling chain saws.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why it's entertaining to watch things blow up. Does your interest in watching something like that depend on whether or not someone one gets hurt? Do you think shows like this are really teaching viewers that much about science, or are they using science education as an excuse to play with fireworks? Are the warnings not to try this stuff at home really that effective at discouraging kids?

TV Details

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