The channel lineups of contemporary cable television and satellite providers are filled with numerous choices in educational programming. There are channels for all age groups, adults through children – the History Channel though Noggin. All of these channels attempt to teach their viewers about the world and what is in it. Instead of feeling languid from watching the latest experiment in reality television or the latest sitcom or drama stretching the limits of what is socially acceptable behavior, viewers can feel like they are exercising their minds instead by partaking of the offerings provided by these “smarter” channels.

As more and more eyeballs are fixed upon the television screen of teaching, more and more minds are being filled with knowledge. But this is knowledge for the lazy. Optimally, knowledge is acquired through direct experience or through the thoughtful survey of a variety of sources of information or opinion concerning a particular topic. When simply watching a television presentation on a topic, one only receives the information that the producers of the program wanted you to see. When experts on the topic are interviewed, they are often of the same opinion or, if a differing opinion is offered, then it is usually a superficial presentation or its power is minimized through the use of creative editing. Further, these so-called experts are only given credibility by their appearance on the program. The viewer, who probably does not possess a familiarity with who the top minds in a specific field are, is left with the feeling that he has participated in a fair presentation of information. Normally, though, this is not the case at all. The information is tainted by the personal opinions of either the producers of the program or the executives at the television station.