Basically, it’s business as usual. Netflix is doing what it always does. Some content comes and goes. Typically if enough people are watching a title, Netflix will keep it around. If they’re not watching it, Netflix will decide it’s not worth it to keep paying for it. In the case of the titles in question, most probably just aren’t getting enough views to make it worth Netflix’s money.

A reddit user suggests that Netflix Instant could be getting ready to lose a bunch of PBS titles on July 1st.

“I was just browsing titles on the PS3, which I have found shows expirations sooner than the site (for me at least),” writes user herky140, before listing about 65 titles that reportedly say they will be no longer available as of that date. Among them are Downton Abbey, a bunch of Ken Burns documentaries, several Neil deGrasse Tyson Nova scienceNow titles, a number of titles in the “American Experience” series, and a bunch of Frontlines.

While I didn’t run through the entire list, I did check several of the titles from Netflix’s web interface, and they do say “Streaming until 7/1/2013.”

“It should be clarified that just because these titles are listed as expiring on July 1, it doesn’t mean that they actually will disappear on July 1,” notes herky140. “Rather, it means that these titles are under a contract that expires July 1, which may or may not get reupped. This list should not sensationalize the loss of titles, this happens all the time, Netflix’s catalog is constantly in flux. However, if you have been planning on watching any of these titles, it might be a good idea to check them out before July 1, just in case.”

Of course, you could always go the DVD route.

There are other PBS titles that do not say anything about expiration dates, as the redditor notes. This includes kids shows like Curious George, Sesame Street, Arthur, and some other Ken Burns documentaries.

Earlier this year, news came out that Amazon had secured exclusive access to Downton Abbey, meaning that it would disappear from Netflix and Hulu, though an exact date wasn’t given. Now, with it “streaming until July 1st” it seems unlikely that it will be back in the foreseeable future. The fate of the rest of these titles remains unclear.

It’s a good thing the kids shows appear to be sticking around, given that Netflix recently lost a bunch of kids content from Nickelodeon, and is currently pushing its family-friendly content to new users. The company did just ink a huge deal with DreamWorks that will help.

We’ve reached out to Netflix for comment, and will update when we receive one.

The New York Times reports that an internal memo from PBS NewsHour’s executive producer Linda Winslow indicates that the show’s producer, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, will be closing two offices and laying off most of their employees at those locations.

The two offices that will take the hit are located in San Francisco and Denver. PBS NewsHour‘s main office in Washington will also see some cuts – the elimination of “noncritical production positions.”

Apparently, the cuts come as the show loses support from its corporate sponsors.

PBS currently lists AT&T, BNSF Railway, and BP as corporate sponsors. They also have a couple dozen foundation funders.

PBS NewsHour first launched back in 1975 as The Robert MacNeil Report. It later went through a couple other name changes, including The MacNeil/Lehrer Report, The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour, and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. It’s been called PBS NewsHour since December of 2009.

That name change in 2009 came with a big push toward a unification of traditional and online content. The show switched to a dual-anchor format and PBS NewsHour merged their on-air and online operations and integrated its reporting teams.

PBS NewsHour is notable as one of the only hour-long nightly newscasts on American television. The format is also unlike most of what you see on TV – more in-depth coverage and longer segments. PBS NewsHour is also seen internationally, in the U.K., Australia, Japan, and parts of the Middle East.

“[A]long with sending our own teams in the field, we anticipate building new relationships with a variety of locally based freelance video journalists around the country. Under no circumstances do we intend to abandon the minidocumentary reports that have become so critical to our broadcast. The ‘NewsHour’ remains committed to delivering the same kind of in-depth reporting our viewers and supporters expect from us,” said Winslow in the memo.

Today, Mister Rogers is gets another remix. A sequel, or “b-side” if you will.

Like the first PBS Icons Remixed featuring Mister Rogers, this one comes to you courtesy John D. Boswell, aka melodysheep. Check it out:

According to the LA Times, the network made their announcement on Monday at their upfront presentation. The series will start with 13 episodes, set to air sometime in 2014. Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is attached as a producer.

Sagan’s original Cosmos series is one of the most beloved and popular documentary series in the history of television. Broadcast on PBS in 1980, Cosmos was the most watched series in the public television history until Ken Burns’ The Civil War series overtook that title.

We’ve known that something like this was in the works, as reports of a Cosmos reboot starring Tyson was reported back in 2011. No additional details emerged at that time, and nearly a year later Tyson confirmed on Twitter that we could expect the new Cosmos series to launch in Spring of 2014.

The new show’s host, Neil deGrasse Tyson, is easily the most renowned astrophysicist around. He currently directs the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space, and has hosted a PBS show before – NOVA ScienceNow from 2006 to 2011. Tyson is also host to the popular StarTalk Radio Show. He’s also a frequent contributor to the alternative nightly show circuit, including The Daily Show, and Real Time with Bill Maher. Oh, and he’s quite popular on the internet.

Earlier this week we learned that Fox is also bringing back the popular action series 24 – but at this point it’s a one-time thing and it will only run 12 more episodes.

[Image via]

But there’s always room for the good stuff. The stuff that opens our eyes to the wonders of the world, and in the process makes us more human. To combat the decline into brain-melting mush, the PBS dream team of Bill Nye, Mr. Rogers, Carl Sagan, and Bob Ross assemble, Avengers style:

[GrittyReboots]

Unfortunately, those who came after us take the Internet for granted. Their formative years were spent with broadband speeds and unlimited access. They didn’t have to live through an era of dial-up modems and AOL installation discs littering the computer desk. For that generation, here’s an episode of Computer Chronicles, a PBS-produced series on technology, that explores the Internet of yesteryear.

Beyond giving the young ‘uns a history lesson, this particular episode is also incredibly prophetic in how it predicted the coming war between copyright and the Internet. It also predicted the rise of amateur musicians making it big thanks to the Internet through video uploads and music sharing through multiple avenues.

Now, here’s possibly the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. Warning: you will be disturbed.

Oh, what you find on YouTube.

This week, Off Book interviews numerous 3D printing insiders and experts to get their opinions on the future of the technology:

Much attention has been paid to 3D Printing lately, with new companies developing cheaper and more efficient consumer models that have wowed the tech community. They herald 3D Printing as a revolutionary and disruptive technology, but how will these printers truly affect our society? Beyond an initial novelty, 3D Printing could have a game-changing impact on consumer culture, copyright and patent law, and even the very concept of scarcity on which our economy is based. From at-home repairs to new businesses, from medical to ecological developments, 3D Printing has an undeniably wide range of possibilities which could profoundly change our world.

What’s sets 3D printing apart from other so called “revolutions” in tech or manufacturing is that 3D printing has over 20 years of innovation behind it. All that knowledge will soon be passed on to us as we move from a consumer culture to a creator culture. The Internet has already achieved a creator culture in digital goods, and 3D printing may very well be the thing to extend that into the physical realm.

If you’ve already watched the season finale, don’t forget to check out this heartwrenching look back at Mary and Matthew Crawley’s life together.

Also, here’s Carter talking about how Carson should marry Mrs. Hughes.

Now, to cheer you up, here’s comedian Patton Oswalt’s livetweeting of the episode.