Cartoon science

I just watched a short video called, "Brian Greene: the Search for Hidden Dimensions". Hit the title to visit the 8 minute video. It's very basic but not bad. That's a screen shot from it on the left.

I love the topic (and Brian Greene too, for that matter) but whenever I watch these things, I'm horrified that they illustrate their points with cartoons. Why do we have to have a typical buffoon cartoon character (look at him) in a discussion of extra dimensions? And this is a video produced by the Richard Dawkins Foundation. 

I don't get it. Same with shows like NOVA on PBS. Why do they show us cartoon images while explaining complicated things? I can see using images that illustrate the point, but why use stereotypical cartoon characters? And by this I mean tripping, stumbling, idiot-type cartoon characters. Yeah, like that guy.

I find these images distracting, disheartening and dumb -- heavy on the dumb. I mean, I know the current public are a bunch of ignorant gits. But must we dumb everything down to reach the slowest of them? This is educational TV. That means relatively intelligent people will be its likeliest audience. So what's with the children's cartoon characters?