Mythbusters

Both my daughter and I have long been fans of Mythbusters. The show has carved an incredible niche for  itself by presenting both science and entertainment to the public.  There is far too much of the latter on TV today, and far too little of the former.

Add to this formula the hosts: they are all people I could see myself both having a conversation with and being entertained by. They have, in their way, made it cool to know something of science.

In particular I love that my daughter gets to watch Kari Byron, an attractive woman and mother, conducting experiments and taking the lead on projects the show takes on. I delight in my daughter's affection for this role model, as I am surrounded by strong women at home and at work, but just don't feel there are enough representations of women like The Coolness or the judge I work for or the lead clerk of my court on TV.

I try and find good examples for her to observe, but they seem hard come by. So it was fun to see this on GeekMom:

"Even though I will have to eat live bugs this season and possibly handle poop, I am not fazed. I still do exciting, daredevil, and wild things — but now I do them so that my little girl will know that a mommy can distinguish between a C4 and an ANFO explosion.

If I want my daughter to be an adventurous independent woman who doesn’t shy away from new experiences, I will have to be that woman too." -Kari Byron

Just you keep it up, Kari! My daughter is watching, as are any number of girls awaiting inspiration.