Television

It has been a long time since I watched a large amount of television. So, I surprised myself by watching an enormous amount of it last night. I don't have a hatred of television. I just find that talking to friends or playing on the Internet to be more rewarding for me. That being said, while switching between cuts from Generation Kill, a recent series produced for HBO, I watched an hour long show on the CERN Large Hadron Collider. Yes, that Large Hadron Collider. The basic idea about the Large Hadron Collider is that it will speed up an enormous amount of molecules in multiple directions (close to the speed of light), and then let the molecules smash into each other to see what occurs. I recognized the show was dumbed down for your average viewer (me), but it gave an interesting introduction to some of the general research that will be occurring - discovery of new matter (smaller particles and dark matter) being the most interesting aspect.

There is some fear and panic in the world regarding the Large Hadron Collider. The fear being that some of the experiments could result in the creation of a tiny black hole. When the word black hole is mentioned, panic ensued and some public groups were not pleased with the possible idea of a black hole consuming the Earth. The vast majority of scientists discounted these claims stating that the odds of creating a black hole were miniscule and even if one were to be created, it would be so small that it wouldn't have the energy to maintain its structure and would dissipate.

It was a good show. It surprised me. The industry use of television doesn't interest me as much as poking around on the Internet. I think it comes down to two reasons:

1. Interactivity

There is little to none in television. I can't talk to other people using the same medium like I can do on the Internet (via VoIP). The counter to this argument is that you can watch television in the same room as friends and family. That's true and that can make the experience more personal, but there's more to it than just communicating about your sensory experience. I can experience participation within Internet activities. I can talk in a chat session. I can play a multiplayer game. I can write a blog. I am contributing the actual content.

2. Choice

I have to offer some sort of prayer that what I want to watch will be available as I sit down on my couch in front of the television. This isn't as true as it used to be though. First with VCRs, and more recently with DVRs (digital video recorders) and on-demand content, I now have more control over what I can watch which is fantastic. The ability to choose television programming will, hopefully, continue to be more prevalent in the coming years.

Food for thought, probably just my own though.

Impressively enough, after reading some news sites this morning, the Large Hadron Collider is scheduled to be turned on today.