Mr. Wizard dead at 89

( NBC Television/Getty Images)

Don Herbert was my childhood hero, even more so than Captain Kangaroo (who went to AIC with my dad…). It was Mr. Wizard who captivated my mind and made me want to be a scientist. OK, I\’m an engineer, but engineering is the application of science to solve real-world problems. (OK, so I\’m a software engineer, but still…).

It was Mr. Wizard who made me curious about the world around me. Curious enough to dismantle shotgun shells to make little explosives (Yes, I still have all my fingers), mix Drano with aluminum foil to produce hydrogen gas to lift balloons into the not-so-far atmosphere over Monson, Massachusetts where I grew up (Yes, I still have both of my eyes).

It was Mr. Wizard who made me want to learn everything, and for that I\’m eternally grateful.

Rest in Peace, Mr. Wizard.