Suggestions From A Nerd 2
(Warning: This show contains strong language and issues that some might find controversial or offensive, viewer discretion is advised)
Politics is chaotic, it is a given fact, and Bill Maher is here to sort it all out in his humorous and straightforward way. With a specialty of political incorrectness, Bill is not a big fan of being censored just to follow the mainstream rules. He has been criticized for not calling the 9/11 terrorists cowards in his previous show Politically Incorrect, and he also has been condemned for saying the n-word in a live episode of Real Time With Bill Maher (he has apologized in both events) Each show starts with a monologue, then he interviews with a guest followed by joining a panel with political experts and celebrities to discuss the news. In the end, he adds New Rules into the society, making fun of others and adding his thoughts to the current trends. Even though you might not agree with him, and yes, I do think some comments are very controversial, he does invite guests from different political spectrums and sits down and discusses the issues of the week. No matter what your political side is and how much do you agree with his statements, Bill Maher can and will make you laugh and think at the same time.
Carmen Sandiego (2019 Netflix version)
In this coronavirus pandemic, we do not have the opportunity to travel to different countries and places, expanding our knowledge and understanding along the way. But Carmen Sandiego does (in a non-pandemic world) with a mission, to stop the international criminal organization VILE from stealing any ancient artifacts and artwork from countries across the world, from France to Sydney, Shanghai to Mexico City, she travels to steal things from the bad guys to protect them from being stolen forever. And this is not Carmen’s first act, she originated as a video game character in a video game in the 1980s and was transformed into the main villain of educational video games, two game shows, and a cartoon, teaching geography and other society related subjects before quieting down from the view. Until now as the show has companion books and an interactive show also on Netflix. Carmen Sandiego is sure to ignite your inner traveler and adventurer.
Books for the discerning nerd:
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
You probably know Hans Rosling, the old Swedish man with a weird accent, you might also know his work on the website Gapminder which probably you were forced to work with during I&S lessons. Sadly this great physician and graph teller passed away in 2017, in his final days, with his son and his daughter in law, he finished the book Factfulness, this book was a bestseller and a favorite by Bill Gates. A book that shows the presumptive errors we have in observing facts and how to solve it, this book provides a more optimistic look to our future. It investigates 10 biases we have when perceiving facts and shares interesting tidbits of knowledge in global trends and he shares his weird and amazing experiences in his amazing life, I hope this book could make you happier in such a depressing time we are living in right now.
What if? By Randall Monroe
You may have sometimes thought about something crazy, an impractical idea, or a hypothetical event that you want to know what will happen, well no fear because the rocket scientist and cartoonist Randal Munroe will answer (some) of your impractical questions with cold hard science. So if you wanted to ask, what if the world stopped spinning? Or you wanted to question what if all humans jumped at once? He will provide the answers with his information and humorous cartoons. Not only that, but he also asks the technical questions in science-related what-if questions, from what will happen if you collect a mole of moles, to what will happen if we shoot lasers at the moon with different lasers? The information and jokes you will get when asking the impractical questions will blow your mind!