Response #3, Here Comes Science

People start out curious. I think children in general are far more curious and inquisitive about the world because adults think they’ve seen it all. Children ‘aint seen nothin’ -- they have to be curious. Children explore, and question, and wonder, and by doing so, they learn. When a child turns a light switch on and off, they’re learning about cause and effect. There’s transcendence from exploration to discovery.

So kids start out curious but does a child always stay curious? I don’t think so. That’s where adults come in! We have to encourage interest and inquiry. One way to do that is introduce compelling media to a child or rather, a student.

They Might Be Giants does this well. Flansburgh admits that their songs are mostly for entertainment. He says, “We can’t approach these projects as teaching tools, or pretend they are filling gaps for kids. We even have some issues with the general necessity for kids’ stuff to always be educationally enriched.”

I don’t think this is a bad thing. I think there’s power within this limitation. They’re scratching the surface -- simply opening up a door a kid wouldn’t have thought to open. Hopefully, due to a lack of information, children will take matters into their own hands to learn more. This is where they become autonomous learners. Introducing children to important subjects in ways they find interesting then allowing them the space to figure some things out for themselves is a marvelous thing.

Here Comes Science reminded me a little of the Hubley’s 1959 film, Moonbird, especially the song I Am a Paleontologist. It’s a short animated film about two brothers exploring in the middle of the night to hunt the legendary and titular “Moonbird.”  Content wise, they have nothing alike but their approach feels similar. I read that the TMBG song features spoken appearances from Weinkauf’s two children, Lena and Kai. Similarly in Moonbird, the voices of the Hubley’s sons, Mark and Ray, are featured. Including their own children, for me as an adult, is so tender. What an incredible experience for parent and child to collaborate on a piece of art. In both pieces I think that the children’s curiosity leads them to adventure and in turn again, transcendence. And when a child experiences the joy of discovery, they’ll want to do it again.

(not a great copy, but take a look if you'd like!)

As adult media makers, we should be nurturing this desire for exploration. They Might Be Giants are doing exactly that here. I find them to inspire, enthuse, and motivate. What’s sadder than a child’s curiosity fading or their inquiry dimming? Let’s avoid that at all costs!! If we let them, children can reintroduce us to the world. When we truly allow a child to discover and then share those discoveries with us, maybe we experience the joys of rediscovery and in doing so, we learn.