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MIT Takes a Stab at Reality TV & Follows Around 14 Freshmen [Video]

Ever wonder what happens when MIT students stop being polite and start getting real? MIT OpenCourseWare has announced they’re launching a reality TV series this fall that will follow around 14 MIT freshmen as they’re introduced to hands-on science for, potentially, the first time. (Alright, so maybe we’re not dealing with quite the same amount of drama that we are on Real World: St. Thomas.)

Earlier this year, groups of freshmen were thrown into a four-week course called 5.301 Introductory Lab Techniques. A film crew began rolling, capturing the classmates’ stress and struggles for “ChemLab Boot Camp.” The stakes were high — students who pass the class are guaranteed a job in an MIT research lab.

A trailer for ChemLab Boot Camp been unveiled (below), and the first episode will be released on Tuesday, September 18th. From there, one new episode will be published once a week and announced on the ChemLab Boot Camp e-mail list.

Each episode is two to five minutes long and is shot in a style the MIT OpenCourseWare team describes as a mix of “the geek fun of open educational resources with the immediacy of reality TV.” Funded by the Dow Chemical Company, the goal is to foster interest in science and engineering careers, as well as highlight a day in the life of an MIT student.

MIT Professor John Essigmann admits the chemistry and chemical engineering fields have not been as attractive as they should be, saying in a press release:

Dow and MIT have mobilized our collective resources to try to show high school and college students what it is like to be a chemist. We hope to show the human side of our field and to inspire young people to want to become the next generation of chemists.

When asked why MIT OpenCourseWare got involved, Stephen Carson, the platform’s director of external affairs, admits the series is entirely consistent with what OpenCourseWare does. “What we do is really publish the by-products of classroom learning,” Carson says.

I will admit, I got a sneak peek of the episodes, and you’re not going to want to miss them. Each student has their own personality and quirk, whether it be they have a nickname like “Smart Weezy,” take Tae Kwon Do classes on the side or like to randomly show up in other students’ classrooms and start singing. The added beauty is that the students chosen weren’t chosen by design, but rather serendipitously. Their backgrounds cover a broad spectrum, making the show accessible to anyone.

I’ll also admit I watch the Real World: St. Thomas, and it’s turned into a train wreck almost too unbearable to watch. (Note the emphasis on “almost.”) Although slightly nerdy, ChemLab Boot Camp is much more fun. Just take a look at the trailer and see for yourself.

from BostInno http://bostinno.com/2012/08/24/mit-takes-a-stab-at-reality-tv-follows-around-...