Scientific American Frontiers

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Scientific American Frontiers is an American television program primarily focused on informing the public about new technologies and discoveries in science and medicine. It is a companion program to the Scientific American magazine. The show is produced for PBS in the U.S. by The Chedd-Angier Production Company, Watertown, Massachusetts (as was its predecessor, "Discover: The World of Science," a companion program to Discover magazine), and typically airs once every two to four weeks. All shows are available for viewing on-line. (see External links section below).

The show first aired in 1990 with MIT professor Woodie Flowers who served as the original host from 1990 to the spring of 1993. The affable Alan Alda became the permanent host starting in the fall season of 1993 and has continued ever since. Alda's tenure has been notable for his humble and often humorous approach: in one memorable segment, he became car sick while driving an experimental, virtual reality vehicle. In 2005, Alda published his first round of memoirs, Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: and Other Things I've Learned, published by Random House (ISBN 1400064090); in the book, he recalls his intestines becoming strangulated while on location in Chile for the show, an incident that nearly cost him his life since he was in a remote region and it was difficult to get to a doctor. Finally he found one, who turned out to be a M*A*S*H fan.

Most programs include about three shorter documentaries, but some shows follow a different pattern. The show has been popular among people interested in science and technology. Some early viewers of the program who were young at the time have ended up appearing as guests in newer episodes, often stating that the program inspired them to continue their scientific pursuits.