Hooked on "Pythagoras Switch"...

Have you seen Pythagoras Switch yet? I was fortunate to have come across this amazing show on a site called TV in Japan (fun and funky as well :). Pythagoras Switch is a cross between Sesame Street & mathematics, via Rube Goldberg & Mr. Rogers... with a 60's Beatles sensibilty thrown in for fun :) It's amazing. I searched YouTube to find as many shows as I could & shared them with B this morning (he's off school today & Monday as well). He loved them, even though they are mainly aimed at younger kids. All of the clips on YouTube are subtitled in english, as the show is from Japan. The link above is our favourite clip, which includes a group of ninjas participating in a mainstay of the show, the "Algorithm March". B loved the idea of an algorithm being part-dance & part-martial arts kata :) They are using algorithms in school for math, so he appreciated the use of the concept. I find them absolutely fascinating- kind of like the physically rendered version of singing a round or a human machine. Another regular bit is a puppet show featuring 2 little birds, a book, a mouse on wheels, & a dog/television called "terebee-no-john" (say it fast :) where they explain various ideas of form & function, complete with running gags. B's absolute fave parts though are the Rube Goldberg devices that punctuate the shows. We have been singing the little jingle "pee-tah-go-ra su-weetchee" to each other all day, it's so catchy. Yet another thing to add to the list of items to pick up in Japan next June- I only hope it's out on dvd by then!!