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That's the main thing I took away from the inaugural episode of the new show WIRED Science. But don't take my word for it -- intrepid gumshoe Adam Rogers visited the Chemical Heritage Foundation in Philadelphia, home of the world's largest chemistry set collection in order to get the straight dope. Let the kits speak for themselves: God forbid the girls should ascend to the rank of actual chemist. Another thing I learned from Wired Science is that Chris Hardwick is no Alan Alda. Chris, better known as the former host of MTV's Singled Out, had the kind of flat, glassy-eyed delivery that suggested to me that all he really wanted to do was end every sentence with "dorkus!" (As in, that's what he was accusing the audience of being. Nevermind.) I just didn't buy that he was actually interested in anything other than avoiding making VH1's The Surreal Life the next stop on his television career. The rest of the show was remarkably true to the print version of WIRED, right down to the fireside chat with, not a scientist, but a venture capitalist who invests in scientists. If you're a techno-utopian libertarian, or you just enjoy seeing TV personalities panic after being covered in life-threatening quantities of Uranium dust, this one's for you.
