Hey, come back here!
Don’t click through to another page just because you’re embarrassed. It’s okay. We won’t make fun of you for being a nerd. You’ve had enough mind-numbing romantic comedies and car-go-boom flicks for one quarantine. We feel you. There’s nothing to be ashamed about. Science shows are fly. They can be very refreshing.
What’s even better is that you can walk away from them knowing that you’ve gained brain cells instead of lost some. Science project shows specifically can be really entertaining to watch. Who doesn’t like to watch other people do the hard work of donning a bunch of safety gear and potentially exploding while doing experiments from the comfort of their home? Chumps, that’s who.
There are a bunch of shows on science projects out there for your viewing pleasure, and we’re not just talking fourth-grade volcano science projects either. From case studies run on 100 humans to projects that will rock the foundations of old wives’ tales, these shows feature some pretty cool things. Here’s a list of our favorites.
Mythbusters
We know, we know. Who doesn’t already know the genius and wacky beauty that is Mythbusters? But we couldn’t go through a list of science experiment shows without mentioning the absolute OG of all science project shows. On Mythbusters, two guys named Adam and Jamie uncover the truth behind popular myths and legends.
There are a surprising amount of untruths to the everyday things we believe and these guys are on the job to bust those misconceptions with science. Not only do you walk away from this show with a thousand and one things to go “did you know?” to people about, you’ll enjoy watching Jamie and Adam have loads of fun while testing hypotheses. This science show will have your brain bucklin’ and your mouth chucklin’.
Brain Games
Oo, games for your brain! This show is exactly what it sounds like. You don’t just get to watch other people play games that experiment with the brain, you get to play along too. This Emmy-award nominated series experiments with how the brain processes information in the midst of various stressors. Some of the variables they throw in are trust, food, competition, language, and much more.
You know how sometimes you like the concept behind a show but you just can’t stand the host? You won’t have that problem with Brain Game’s host Jason Silva. His genial personality draws you right in.
100 Humans
In the 2020 show 100 Humans, some amateur scientists get together to answer some burning questions about humanity: What’s the best age to be alive? Are people more motivated by pain or pleasure? What makes humans attracted to each other? Is your woke brain more biased than you think?
The kicker is that they’ve gathered a sample of exactly 100 humans from all types of backgrounds to take part in their huge science project. There are young people, elderly people, black people, Asian people, gay people, disabled people; any type of person you can think of, they’ve tried their best to include. These humans are all kept on the same secluded science compound in order to take part in weeks of experiments.
One Strange Rock
One Strange Rock is technically a show about Earth and all its wonders and fragilities. It’s not a science project show as you would normally think of, but isn’t Earth really one huge science experiment?
This ten-part series will let you visit some of the most unique and peculiar places in the universe. An elite group of astronauts provides their perspectives and memories of seeing Earth at a distance as the giant, strange rock that it is. Each episode is an hour-long and discusses things like genesis, cosmic violence, human intelligence, survival vs. destruction, and alien life. The icing on the cake is that Will Smith acts as the host.
Outrageous Acts of Science
If you’re looking for a nice science project bingewatch, Outrageous Acts of Science has you covered. This 2012 show has ten seasons that test the principles of physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. The twist this show puts on science projects is that they look to the internet to search for self-appointed scientists and their experiments. Then they bring in a group of bonafide scientists to evaluate their validity.
The countdown of best clips will keep you entertained for hours. Plus, you get to watch scientists judge people. How entertaining is that?
Science Max: Experiments at Large
Do you have little ones at home that are super into science? Then this is the show for them. It can even be interesting to adults if you get past the goofy humor. Parents, don’t act as you’ve never looked over your kid’s shoulder and chuckled at a cartoon they were watching.
The host, “Science Max,” takes viewers through a series of experiments exploring things in the arena of physics, biology, ecology, and chemistry. Science Max is like a descendent of myth busters Adam and Jamie. He’s absolutely wacky and instead of testing out myths and legends he tests questions that kids might have always wondered, but never knew how to go about testing. This show might spawn some future scientists!
Naked Science
Naked Science was made by National Geographic. It’s similar to Mythbusters in that scientists evaluate commonly-held beliefs, assumptions, and misconceptions about science concepts. The tone of this show is more serious than the goofy hosts on Mythbusters. Experts analyze realistic scenarios and then either confirm or deny the assumption they’re exploring.