Science Channel

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 1:12pm on Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

NHK and the Science Channel have teamed up on a quest for a living giant squid. Through a new multi-million dollar expedition, scientists will study, for the first time, Architeuthis dux in its native environment and viewers around the world will see the last great leviathan of the deep.

Scheduled to air in 2012, the global production will result in a multi-part special following the technological and scientific effort required to find and film the giant squid, in cooperation with marine biologist and giant squid expert Dr. Tsunemi Kubodera.

The program will also explore the other exotic and unusual beasts inhabiting this largely unexplored deep sea region. Bringing the recesses of the ocean vividly to life, the special will showcase other nearly unknown creatures including the mysterious mega-mouth shark and a predator that resembles a 350 million year old sea serpent. These unusual ecosystems will be shown for the first time in "Giant Squid: Last Mystery of the Deep."

Measuring over 30 feet long, with enormous tentacles equipped with serrated suckers and a razor sharp beak, a live giant squid has been filmed only once before, by a research team led by Dr. Kubodera in 2006, who saw and filmed an ailing creature on the surface of the sea. Previously, in 2004, Dr. Kubodera was on the scientific team that first captured live images of a giant squid attacking bait.

Mondo Times editors    Boulder, Colorado USA

Posted at 2:22pm on Friday, July 31st, 2009

Think you know it all? This October, Science Channel is willing to bet cold hard cash that you don't in "Head Games," the network's first trivia show for television and online.

From executive producer Whoopi Goldberg and her production company Whoop Inc., the all-new irreverent trivia series uses humor and science facts to put the intellect of contestants and viewers alike to the test. "Head Games" premieres Saturday, October 17, 2009 on Science Channel.

Hosted by comedian and actor Greg Proops, "Head Games" gives viewers science trivia they can chew on. In each episode, contestants test their aptitude against questions about peculiar, unexpected facts from the natural and scientific world. When a flea jumps, does it accelerate at the same rate as the space shuttle? Can astronauts belch while in space? What has more chromosomes: humans, peas or crayfish? How many inches of snow are equivalent to one inch of rain? What is the average length of a bolt of lightning: 100 feet, one mile or five miles?

"Head Games will get our audience excited about the world around them through science. We're showing them how ubiquitous science really is, how it touches everything in their lives," said Debbie Myers, Science Channel general manager.

"Someone might ask the question, 'why are we producing this show?,'" said executive producer Whoopi Goldberg. "If I said it's for the money, nobody would believe me. So let me tell you something more unbelievable, I love science facts."