Fun science
Host Bob McDonald says show constantly rides wave of ‘ I didn’t know that!’ Emphasis put on describing complicated issues in easy, entertaining ways
What’s the key to making sure your show stays on the air a long time? Animal sex and black holes, apparently. At least that’s the immediate response Bob McDonald, the host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks, comes up with when asked to account for his program’s longevity. The popular science program, which airs Saturdays after the noon news on CBC Radio One, celebrates its 30th anniversary tonight with a special live taping at the CBC’s Glenn Gould Studio. Known for its easygoing, often amusing approach to covering even the most complicated topics, from the beginning Quirks has operated on a premise that television is only now catching up to: there’s nothing like reality.
“ The world is far more complex than we’ll ever know — it’s an endlessly fascinating journey of discovery,” McDonald says. “ It’s amazing to constantly be riding that wave of, ‘I didn’t know that!’ ” McDonald, who followed legendary environmentalist David Suzuki and science broadcaster Jay Ingram into the Quirks host’s chair, began his career at the Ontario Science Centre in 1973 and hosted kids’ science TV show Wonderstruck before landing the Quirks gig.
“ So when it came time to put on the Quirks hat, I had some of that background already, in terms of having learned how to make science fun and interesting,” McDonald says. Those grimacing at the recollection of deadly dull high school chemistry labs or by- thebook dissections in biology class might be forgiven for wondering how on earth science can be entertaining. But if there’s a reason why Quirks remains one of CBC Radio’s most popular shows ( with over half a million listeners each week on the standard radio dial, not counting others via shortwave, the Internet, podcasting and, now, satellite radio), it’s because the show manages to open ears to the wonders of the amazing world we live in. “The wonderful thing about science is that you’ll never run out of ideas. Ideas are always entertaining, and the beauty of radio is that the listener is creating the images in their head,” explains Suzuki, who was handpicked to host the fledgling show in 1975 by Quirks creator Diana Filer after she heard him speak at U of T.
Suzuki has fond memories of Quirks’ formative years, recalling its disastrous first broadcast — the tape was sped up so that he and his guests “ sounded like chipmunks” — and an April Fool’s joke played on him: “ There was this producer posing as a professor claiming that there had been eyewitness reports of prehistoric sharks seen in the ocean. He was going to use these dead cows to try to lure them out. And I totally bought into it, asking him all these questions. It was very, very funny, he totally suckered me in,” Suzuki says.
When Suzuki departed in 1979 to focus on his TV show The Nature of Things, he “ gave up the warmth and immediacy of radio with great regret.” On the other hand, Ingram, who landed at Quirks after freelancing science pieces to CBC Radio’s Morningside, later moved on to TV ( he’s currently the host of Daily Planet on the Discovery Channel) in 1992 because he was ready for a new challenge.
“ I felt like I’d done it all — every conceivable interview in every conceivable setting,” Ingram says. “ But science and technology is always changing. It’s not the evolving format that’s kept ( the show) popular, it’s the content.” Ingram notes that Quirks, which has won over 40 national and international awards for science journalism, has garnered a loyal audience by explaining even the most abstract concepts in a way everyone can understand. He also points out it’s one of few broadcasts in North America solely dedicated to science. Interestingly, that very short list includes Ingram’s Daily Planet
( going on 13 years now) and Suzuki’s The Nature of Things ( the granddaddy of science shows at 45 years). Ingram and Suzuki’s hectic schedules will keep them from being at the Glenn Gould Studio tonight, but they’ve already offered up their thoughts on tape for the anniversary show. Tonight’s recording ( an edited version will air Saturday) before a sold- out live audience will feature noted U of T scientists discussing the most dramatic developments since 1975 in five key areas of science: cosmology, genetics, paleontology, technology and the environment. Nobel Prize winner John Polanyi will be on hand, along with a live band led by the composer of the catchy Quirks theme song.
“ There’s never been a time in human history when science has been so ingrained in our lives. From technology like iPods and the Internet to genetic advancements in food and medicine, when we learn about science, we are finding out about our own society.” McDonald says.
“ Plus, people are always interested in the really bizarre stuff.”