Brainiac: Science Abuse (often shortened to simply Brainiac) is a British entertainment television show with a pseudoscience motif.
As the show focuses on entertainment at the expense of using even basic elements of the scientific method the "experiments" conducted during the production of Brainiac: are of dubious scientific value or the results are forged.
The series originally premiered in the UK on Sky One on 13 November, 2003. There are six seasons to date.
Brainiac airs in South Africa on DStv's Discovery channel. Episodes are an hour long.
Season 6 premiered on Discovery on Sunday 15 March 2008, at 17h00.
Repeats
Mondays: 02h50
Synopsis
Brainiac is a fast-paced, fun-packed series combining entertainment and science in a new and ground-breaking format that proves science really can be fun.
Each episode sees two young presenters and the daredevil team of Brainiacs applying scientific principles to unusual situations - and carrying out experiments that would send most sane science teachers into a mad panic.
Expect lots of bangs, blasts and crazy stunts.
Each and every week we'll bring you all that's weird, wonderful and wild in the world of science, served up with a healthy dollop of explosions, pyrotechnics and anything else we can get our hands on: legally or illegally.
Presenters
The original presenters were Richard Hammond and Jon Tickle (formerly of Big Brother). In the second season, Charlotte Hudson joined Hammond and Tickle to bring the total number of hosts up to three.
Hammond left after the fourth season and was replaced by Vic Reeves.
Thaila Zucchi joined the team for the sixth season, replacing Charlotte Hudson.