Science was one of my least favorite subjects in school. The subject material didn't bore me. It actually enthralled me. It makes me wish nutrition class involved more random explosions and pyrotechnics, so I wouldn't have to buy pants in bulk (the actual size, not the amount).

It was the teachers behind that tall mesh of test tubes and beakers that made it so boring. I'm sure they meant well as educators, but as teachers, they had no sense of showmanship. They couldn't sustain anyone's attention for longer than five minutes and their voice inflections could actually make dogs wish they were deaf.

Thank God for television. If it wasn't for TV's vast array of science shows from old favorites like 'Mr. Wizard's World' to newer fare like G4's upcoming spinoff 'It's Efffing Science,' my knowledge on the subject wouldn't reach beyond "Photosynthesis has nothing to do with photos or synthesizers." These are the greatest scientific minds to ever worm their way through the wondrous cathode ray in your TV.

A roundup of TV people from in front of the camera and behind the scenes who have passed away.

• Mala Powers: She was probably best known for playing Roxanne in the 1950 film version of Cyrano de Bergerac, but she also made a ton of guest appearances on TV shows, including Murder, She Wrote, Perry Mason, Ironside, Charlie's Angels, Here Come The Brides, Bewitched, Mission: Impossible, The Wild, Wild West, Rawhide, Thriller, 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, and many more. She died of leukemia at age 76 in Santa Monica.