Although it’s certainly lively enough, it’s not “The Cosby Show.” And while it’s about science, it’s not as grandiose as “Cosmos,” the $30 million astronomy extravaganza hosted by Carl Sagan a few years ago.
But for Nobel laureate Roald Hoffmann, “The World of Chemistry,” a 26-segment television series produced for the Public Broadcasting System, is a vehicle that’s sufficiently entertaining and stylish to convey his enthusiasm for science to a broad audience.
Geared toward a lay audience, including degree-seeking nonscience majors at two-year junior colleges, the series is expected to draw about 500,000 viewers when it airs in late 1990. Of those viewers, Hoffmann says, only a very small fraction will be students taking the course for credit. Instead, he anticipates that a far greater number or viewers will be members of the general public, people interested in learning more about the world around them (see interview with Hoffmann on ...
