A man who had never seen a TV before was given a plasma flatscreen with cable.

At first he was elated, and would watch TV for hours a day.

The half-hour blocks added up, 10, 12, 14 at a time.

We worried he may have given up on reading or walks, but were told to let the experiment run its course.

After a while, he walked in the park. He read a stack of books. He played the piano. Drew a picture. Cooked a lasagna. He never watched TV.

We asked him why he had decided not to watch television anymore.

He answered, “the pictures are sharper if I draw them myself.”