K-12 Main

Aluminum VIDEO/DVD
Aluminum is extracted and purified from clays and rocks at a British plant by purifying bauxite ore to aluminum oxide and reducing this oxide to molten metal. The influence of economic factors is seen in the location of aluminum plants, which consume large amounts of electrical energy.

A Man for the Whole World: Pierre Dansereau  VIDEO
Considered the father of modern ecology, Pierre Dansereau is known worldwide for his work on forest dynamics, building a bridge between natural and human science. Lively and insightful, Dansereau discusses his visionary theories and worldview in this program, using computer graphics and location footage to illustrate his "ball of arrows" model of trophic levels within a given ecosystem and the "environmental pie," a kind of questionnaire used to determine an individual or group’s environmental needs. (51 minutes)

A New Life VIDEO/DVD
This program looks at the events that lead from the fertilized cell to a human baby. Using film of living fetuses in the womb, it explains how the familiar human shape is "sculpted" out of the basic cell mass, what controls the timing of the various stages of fetal development, and what life is like for a fetus.

An Investigation of Active Transport VIDEO/DVD
A great deal of research is being carried out on the mechanism of the "sodium pump" which maintains the differences across cell membranes of a relatively high concentration of potassium ions and a very low concentration of sodium ions inside the cell and the reverse in the fluid bathing the cells.

An Investigation of Photosynthesis and Assimilate Transport VIDEO/DVD
The experiments in this program use a radioactive isotope of carbon (14C) to demonstrate some of the techniques for studying photosynthetic metabolism and the translocation of the newly synthesized carbohydrate from the chloroplast to the various parts of the plant where it is utilized in growth and respiration.

Applying the Concepts of Equilibrium  VIDEO
This program begins with an overview of the basic concepts of chemical equilibrium: reversible reactions, Le Châtelier’s principle, the equilibrium law, and the calculation of K. It then analyzes how changing conditions other than temperature leads to a temporary shift in the position of equilibrium and how reactions spontaneously adjust to maintain the value of K for any given temperature. Changes in K when increasing and decreasing the temperature of exothermic and endothermic reactions are examined as well, and the concept of equilibrium as it relates to the industrial manufacture of sulfuric acid is highlighted. (21 minutes)

Auto Mechanics - Science VIDEO
The emphasis of this video is the technology component of auto mechanics. Real-life scientific problems related to the auto industry such as air pollution is also explored.

Basic Career Science Video Series  VIDEO
This video series presents in a fast-paced, high-energy way the concrete relationship between scientific principles and various careers with the emphasis on vocational tech prep careers. Each video helps the viewer discover the science in the career; not just careers heavy in science. Video titles include: Electronics, Health Occupations, Agribusiness, Food Service, Family & Consumer Sciences, Production Technology, Bio Technology, Environmental Science, Auto Mechanics, and Construction.

Behavior and the Protein Record VIDEO/DVD
This program shows types of homologous behavior in different species that can only be explained by common ancestry, demonstrates the chromatographic technique for the purification and sequencing of proteins, and explains how the evolutionary history of life is reflected in the structure of proteins.

Biomes S.M.A.R.T. Box VIDEO
The Biomes S.M.A.R.T. Box provides teachers and students with an outstanding blend of multimedia materials designed to support Earth Science, Environmental Studies, and Biology programs. Correlated to the National Science Education Standards from the National Academies of Science, the S.M.A.R.T. Box combines core content, creative activities, a Teacher’s Guide with suggested lesson plans, and a Teacher’s Resource Pack to deliver an enriching and engaging learning experience.

Breakdown VIDEO/DVD
This program, from The Living Body series, investigates the digestive consequences when a family sits down to lunch. As the first morsel is put into the mouth, the camera watches from inside as the molars clamp down and the process of breakdown and transformation occurs.

Breath of Life VIDEO/DVD
This program explains why the body needs regular supplies of air and how it gets them.

Cell Duplication: Growth and Change VIDEO/DVD
This program uses the fascinating setting of a circus to provide the analogy for growth. A magician creating the illusion of multiplying balls introduces micro-photography showing how cells divide and multiply.

Cells, Cities, and Cellular Signaling: An Urban Analogy  VIDEO
How is type 2 diabetes like a mile of bad road? And what does scaffolding have in common with a tadpole’s tail? This innovative program combines hard science with urban analogies and high-tech imaging to illustrate how cells interact via the signals they send. Information on cell division, cell differentiation, and programmed cell death provides a springboard for MIT’s Robert Horvitz and other experts to talk about the mechanics of type 2 diabetes, the ethics of culturing skin for grafting using embryonic stem cells, cellular damage by free radicals that accelerates aging, and cancer-causing aberrations in the cellular signaling system. (30 minutes)C1a1r2t43722

Cells: The Basic Unit of Life S.M.A.R.T. Box VIDEO
The Cells S.M.A.R.T. Box provides teachers and students with an outstanding blend of multimedia materials designed to support Life Science and Biology programs. Correlated to the National Science Education Standards, the S.M.A.R.T. Box combines core content, creative activities to test comprehension, a Teacher’s Guide with suggested lesson plans, and a Teacher’s Resource Pack to deliver an enriching and engaging learning experience.

Chemicals from NaCl: 1 VIDEO/DVD
Because of its wide availability, NaCl is the starting material for many inorganic chemicals. In this program, salt is seen being pumped to the surface from deposits of 1011 tons in salt fields as a brine solution, and into a chemical plant where chlorine and sodium hydroxide are produced by electrolysis.

Chemicals from NaCl: 2 VIDEO/DVD
A second product made from sodium chloride, sodium metal, is also produced at the chemical plant shown in Chemicals from NaCl: 1. It is formed by electrolysis of a sodium chloride, calcium chloride molten mixture, and is isolated at the cathode of the cell as a liquid.

Coming Together VIDEO/DVD
Attraction, desire, and sexual coupling lead to conception. This program covers the physiological events underlying the process of reproduction.

Cp/Cv for Helium, Nitrogen, and Carbon Dioxide VIDEO/DVD
The ratio of specific heats of gases, Cp/Cv=y, is a signature of the number of atoms in the molecule. In this program, students measure this ratio for mono-, di-, and triatomic gases. The experimental apparatus consists of two large glass flasks connected by a glass tube with a steel ball which slides smoothly inside the tube.

Curing Cancer  VIDEO
This program tells the story of how a small group of researchers have developed radically new ways to treat the most feared of diseases by tracing cancer back to its origins: its DNA. The program focuses on two pioneering efforts: the race between Dr. Mary Claire King and Dr. Mark Skolnick, founder of Myriad Genetics, to isolate the gene linked to breast cancer, and Dr. Brian Druker’s work that eventually led to the anti-cancer drug Gleevec, which cures chronic myeloid leukemia. Extraordinary imaging shows the genetic mechanisms of cancer and how new drugs target its aberrant sections of DNA. (57 minutes) The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

Cutting and Splicing DNA  VIDEO
This program presents a brief history of genetic science, from Darwin’s theory of evolution through the discovery of DNA and the invention of gene splicing. Darwin hypothesized a theory, but understood nothing of the mechanism of evolution. The program follows the history of scientific understanding of the nucleus, chromosomes, and the location of hereditary information; explains the work of Gregor Mendel and Thomas Hunt Morgan; and features exclusive interviews with James Watson, who unravelled the secret of DNA’s structure, and Stanley Cohen, who first spliced the gene and created contemporary cloning techniques. Spectacular computer animation displays the beautiful simplicity of the DNA molecule, and reveals how the gene was spliced. (24 minutes)

Decision VIDEO/DVD
This program shows how the brain coordinates functions to make a simple but lifesaving decision—how the cortex assesses incoming information, sends outgoing messages to the muscles, and stores "maps" of the world and the body; how circuits of nerve cells operate in the brain; and how individual nerve cells function.

Digestion: Eating to Live VIDEO/DVD
This program, one segment of the widely-acclaimed The Living Body series, looks at appetite and hunger. In some of the most dramatic interior film of the series, it shows the actions of a salivary gland, the swallowing reflex, and the powerful churning of the stomach as food is broken down and processed.

DNA  VIDEO
Fifty years ago, two unknown scientists ran into an English pub shouting that they had found the secret of life. Jim Watson and Francis Crick were not exaggerating. Narrated by Jeff Goldblum, this series looks back on the achievements that launched a new era in biology and human life itself. Along with an incredible array of renowned scientists, including five Nobel Laureates, these programs use beautifully realized animations and reconstructions of key experiments to reveal the molecular basis of life in a way never seen before. 5-part series, 57 minutes each. The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

DNA and the Evidence for Evolution VIDEO/DVD
This program shows the structure and replicating processes of DNA and the effect of genetic mutation; demonstrates the Lederberg Experiment; and recapitulates the evidence provided by fossils and structural and biological homologies that the process of adaptation and the selection of adaptors rests on a wide range of genetic variability.

Electron Diffraction VIDEO/DVD
The wave behavior of electrons is studied by measuring the diffraction ring diameters produced when accelerated electrons pass through a graphite lattice. Students record the ring diameters for different electron accelerating voltages.

Electron Microscopy VIDEO/DVD
Electron micrographs of biological material are familiar to all biologists. This program illustrates the principles and techniques involved in the preparation and observation of biological specimens by transmission electron microscopy, techniques vastly different from placing a drop of pondwater on a slide and looking at algae.

Equilibrium: Concepts and Applications VIDEO
What is chemical equilibrium, and how does it work? This down-to-earth two-part series uses real-world examples and analogies to offer an in-depth look at both the concepts and applications of equilibrium. Sample problems are provided. 2-part series, 21-24 minutes each.

Experiment: Biology VIDEO/DVD
The programs in this series present important experiments that are frequently not practicable in the school laboratory. They have been filmed in such a way that students can make their own quantitative observations from the screen, as if they were carrying out the experiments themselves.

Experiment: Physics VIDEO/DVD
This series was developed by physics instructors to demonstrate experiments that are too difficult, too expensive, or too impractical to perform in a classroom laboratory.

Experiments on the Doppler Effect VIDEO/DVD
Detection of the Doppler effect—the frequency shift between source and receiver when they are traveling at different relative velocities—is common in everyday activities. In this program, students quantitatively examine this shift for sound waves from a source traveling at uniform speeds on an air track and a stationary receiver on the end of the track, and from a traveling receiver and a stationary source.

Eyes and Ears VIDEO/DVD
This program is devoted to the senses that bring information of more distant events. The camera shows a reckless driver careening down a road—and then takes the viewer inside his eye, where the image of the potential crash site is pictured.

Fit to Drink VIDEO/DVD
This program traces the water cycle, beginning with the collection of rainwater in rivers and lakes, in great detail through a water treatment plant, to some of the places where water is used, and finally back into the atmosphere.

Fossils: Plants and Tetrapods VIDEO/DVD
This program illustrates the collecting of seemingly ordinary rocks in the field and how these rocks can reveal important information when subjected to careful laboratory analysis; analyze fossilized plant remains and determines their origin; presents evidence provided by structural analysis, which supports the theory of evolution of land plants from the simple to the more complex; explains the relationship between the structures of extant plant forms and early plant groups that may have been their ancestors; and demonstrates the processes used to reconstruct the original form of early animals.

Fossils: Reptiles and Mammals VIDEO/DVD
This program presents fossil evidence for the evolution of reptiles and amphibians; explains the reasoning processes scientists must use when no direct evidence is available for examination; illustrates field techniques for collecting fragile fossils for transportation to the laboratory, where examination can take place under controlled conditions; and traces the evolution of some modern mammals back through time.

Global Climate Regions VIDEO
As visually spectacular as it is informative, this program thoroughly surveys the world’s varied climate systems. Using simple color-coded maps based on the Köppen classification system, the video identifies the characteristics of the following zones: humid tropical climates, wet-dry tropics, dry climates, subtropical and mid-latitude deserts and steppes, humid mid-latitude climates, humid subtropics, summer dry subtropics, marine west coasts, humid continentals, sub-arctic climates, polar climates, tundra, and highland climates. (24 minutes)

Handling Chemicals In The Lab   VIDEO
This video helps teachers introduce chemical dangers and methods of safely handling chemicals in the lab.

Handling Lab Emergencies   VIDEO
Use this video as part of your lab emergency plan to help familiarize your students with emergency procedures and first aid so that the response to a potential disaster is safe and efficient.

Hormones: Messengers VIDEO/DVD
The delicate interplay of hormones is responsible for all the events of reproduction. How many other body processes are controlled and coordinated by these chemical messengers becomes apparent in this program, which follows the role hormones play in response to a sudden emergency: the ‘fight or flight’ reaction.

Hot and Cold VIDEO/DVD
Using the extremes of temperature that occur in a day’s skiing, this program shows the range of mechanisms through which the human body maintains a steady internal temperature and protects its vital organs: shivering, hair erection, and rerouting of blood supplies to conserve heat; increased blood flow to the body surface, sweating, and panting to lose heat.

How a Chimney Works VIDEO/DVD
The smoke from a campfire will travel in any direction, but why does the smoke in a fireplace only travel up the chimney? Bob Symes answers this question by explaining the principle of the air pump.

How a Photograph Is Made VIDEO/DVD
Using everyday examples (such as sunburn) and demonstrations with ordinary materials, Bob Symes explains the principle of photosensitivity. He points out the different reactions substances have to light, and then continues with a discussion of chemical reaction in the presence of light. This leads to a look at photography.

How a Saw Cuts VIDEO/DVD
Look very closely at the cutting edge of a saw and you will see that it is very different from the cutting edge of a knife. The saw blade is made of a series of "teeth" or tiny chisels. Each chisel is set at an angle diagonally opposing the one before it.

How a Screw Works VIDEO/DVD
Compare the amount of work needed to remove a nail from a board with the amount of force required to remove a screw. Screws and nails are really different simple machines; the screw is a wedge wrapped around a cylinder and exerts force in several directions just as an ordinary wedge does.

How Candles Work VIDEO/DVD
Light a piece of string and the end will smolder, perhaps blaze for a moment, and then go out. If a candle is simply a wick (like a piece of string) surrounded by wax (or some other fuel), how does it continue to burn with a steady flame? While demonstrating how to make candles, Bob Symes explains capillarity and relates this concept to the wick and fuel of the candle.

How Gears Work VIDEO/DVD
Bob Symes demystifies the subject of gears. He explains how thinking about gears as "round wedges" reveals why a large gear wheel spins slowly but produces a lot of power, while a small gear wheel spins quickly but produces little power.

How Lenses Work VIDEO/DVD
Many people wear glasses to help them see, but how do the lenses in the glasses work? Bob Symes demonstrates the differences in the images produced by flat, convex, and concave lenses. He shows how a lens bends light according to the thickness and direction of its curve.

How Levers Work VIDEO/DVD
A thin ruler can lift a heavy paint can. How? Watch Bob Symes demonstrate the power of the lever, how it works, and how moving the position of the fulcrum changes its ability to work.

How Light Changes Color VIDEO/DVD
What produces color, and why does a color look different when viewed through lenses of different colors? Bob Symes investigates the mysteries of color with several simple experiments.

How Pins Float on Water VIDEO/DVD
An ordinary straight pin is heavier than a piece of tissue paper. Why does the paper sink to the bottom of a tank of water while the straight pin floats on top? Surface tension is the answer, and Bob Symes illustrates this principle with several easily repeatable experiments.

How Planes Fly VIDEO/DVD
The Wright Brothers discovered the secret of heavier-than-air flight, and Bob Symes explains just how airplanes stay up. The simple model of an airplane wing demonstrates the importance of its shape (rounded on top and slightly concave underneath) and its position (or attitude).

How Ships Float VIDEO/DVD
This program is an introduction to Archimedes and his principle of water displacement. An ordinary brick and a piece of wood of about the same size are put into a tank of water. The brick sinks to the bottom, but the wood floats.

How Speedometers Work VIDEO/DVD
Cars, motorcycles, and bicycles use speedometers to measure their rate of speed, but how do they work? Bob Symes looks inside an ordinary bicycle speedometer and explains how a rotating magnet and a metal cup make the speedometer’s needle move.

How Telephones Work VIDEO/DVD
We speak into the telephone; we hear the voice of the caller, but how do the voices travel from one telephone to the other? Bob Symes opens up a telephone receiver to find the answer.

How Television Works VIDEO/DVD
Peek inside a television set with Bob Symes while he explains the basic principles that make it work. A beam of electrons will travel in a straight line inside an airless (vacuum) tube; when the beam hits a fluorescent screen it creates a glowing spot. A magnet placed close to the beam will make it move.

How to Float on Steam VIDEO/DVD
Heat a pot of water and the water boils away as steam. Heat a frying pan and then put a drop of water on the hot surface. Why does it "dance" over the surface instead of boiling away? Bob Symes discusses the "skin of steam" that surrounds the water droplets, and how this same scientific principle works to protect people from burns.

How to Make Pictures Move VIDEO/DVD
Motion pictures are just that—pictures in motion. The magic of making pictures move is demonstrated by a simple experiment that children will find fascinating and fun to do.

How to Measure Time VIDEO/DVD
How was time measured before the clock was invented? In fact, there are many ways of measuring time and, if you think about them, many are familiar to us—the sundial, the egg timer. Bob Symes explains how we can use one process (such as burning a candle marked at regular intervals) to measure another (such as the passage of time).

How to Recognize Plant Fingerprints VIDEO/DVD
Like human beings, plants have unique characteristics that identify them as belonging to one specific group. Bob Symes takes a walk in the woods, his trusty nature guide in hand, and shows us how to recognize plant "fingerprints" and use them to identify trees, mushrooms, and other plants.

The Human Race VIDEO
In 1990, a massive enterprise was launched to decipher the ultimate instruction manual. The Human Genome Project soon turned into a race and a feud. This program tracks the tumultuous progress of the endeavor, detailing the scientific innovations that led to its completion, as well as its political and economic impact. Exceptional graphics bring home the daunting task of sequencing the human genome. Among those who discuss the project are initial rivals Francis Collins and J. Craig Venter; Dr. John Sulston; Sir Alec Jeffreys, the discoverer of DNA fingerprinting; Nobel Laureates Fred Sanger and Jim Watson; and former President Bill Clinton. (57 minutes) The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

Inheritance in a Fungus VIDEO/DVD
This program illustrates the experimental techniques involved in the genetic analysis of an ascospore color mutant in Sordaria. Two self-sterile but interbreeding strains are used. Mutations are induced by ultraviolet irradiation which result in the inability to form the black melanin pigment normally present in the ascospore.

Internal Defenses VIDEO/DVD
This program deals with events when the entire body is under attack—when bacteria or viruses invade the whole system. It shows the roles of the spleen, the lymphatic system, and the white blood cells, and explains the body's production of antibodies.

Introduction to the Body: Landscapes and Interiors VIDEO/DVD
An introduction to human biology—the subject of that most fascinating human study, ourselves. The program shows a wide range of human activities, and how the body enables us to live in diverse climates and perform diverse activities.

Ionization and Excitation Potential VIDEO/DVD
The energy transfer between accelerated electrons of different energies and atoms when they collide is presented in this program and related to the quantum theory of atomic structure.

Iron and Steel VIDEO/DVD
This video celebrates 2,000 years of engineering achievement in Europe by looking at the two most fundamental building materials of the Modern Age, iron and steel. Two of Gustave Eiffel’s greatest achievements, and one of the finest works in steel and glass in Paris, are featured.

Lab Safety Equipment   VIDEO
This video introduces students to lab safety equipment, how to use it, when to use it, and some of the dangers when not used properly.

Life Under Pressure VIDEO/DVD
This program follows the journey of a red blood cell around the circulatory system to demonstrate the efficient and elegant design of oxygen and food delivery to all parts of the body and the removal of wastes before they can do harm.

Limestone VIDEO/DVD
Limestone has a great advantage in that its landforms are produced by only one process: solution. This fact can be exploited to provide information on one of the central problems of physical geography: the rate at which landforms develop.

A Man for the Whole World: Pierre Dansereau VIDEO
Considered the father of modern ecology, Pierre Dansereau is known worldwide for his work on forest dynamics, building a bridge between natural and human science. Lively and insightful, Dansereau discusses his visionary theories and worldview in this program, using computer graphics and location footage to illustrate his "ball of arrows" model of trophic levels within a given ecosystem and the "environmental pie," a kind of questionnaire used to determine an individual or group’s environmental needs. (51 minutes)

Mechanisms of Defense: Accident VIDEO/DVD
The body is like a self-supporting hospital, able to deal on its own with wounds, bacterial invasions, fractures, and obstructions to its various passages. This program follows the sequence of events over seconds and weeks when skin or bone is damaged and shows the defensive reactions of blood clotting, fever, and mending of bone fracture.

Microbe Invasion: Learning from Good Guys and Bad Guys VIDEO
This engaging program delves into the microscopic milieu that overlays life as human beings know it, illustrating the complex relationship between the microscopic and macroscopic worlds as the human host, with its billions of microbial allies and antagonists, journeys from the birth canal to the decomposition that follows death. Spectacular 3-D computer animation, case study footage, and expert commentary offer insights into the infiltration mechanisms of a range of pathogenic organisms; defense strategies of the digestive tract, lungs, ears, nose, and skin; positive results of probiotic therapy; and postmortem forensic research. Some content may be objectionable.

Millikan's Oil-Drop Experiment VIDEO/DVD
This program uses a modified version of the Millikan oil-drop apparatus to measure the radius and total charge of oil droplets. Students measure the terminal velocity of an oil drop falling under gravity in order to calculate the radius of the drop.

Moving Parts VIDEO/DVD
This program shows how the cerebellum coordinates muscle activity and how position sensors in the muscles and joints and the balancing mechanism of the inner ear function.

Muscles and Joints: Muscle Power VIDEO/DVD
This program demonstrates, on a microscopic level, what happens when a kung fu master is at work: how muscles work, how two types of molecules telescoping against each other produce enormous strength as they work in large numbers, how muscles of the heart and digestive tract move without conscious direction.

Mysteries of El Niño VIDEO
El Niño has impacted people globally for the past 15,000 years, causing storms, floods, fires, drought, disease, famine, and even the extinction of entire societies. In this program, experts from the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, and elsewhere study the causes, impact, and implications of the dreaded natural cataclysm that is both a climatic and social phenomenon. High-tech El Niño surveillance, analysis of recent super-El Niños, and research into the extinction of Peru’s ancient Moche people are featured, along with outstanding computer-modeled imaging and riveting archival footage. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)

Nourishing Earth: Natural Systems Agriculture and Ecological Technologies   VIDEO
Could the prairie, which runs on sunlight and rain, be the model for the perfect farm? This program explores natural systems agriculture, or perennial polyculture, an alternative to industrial agriculture and agroforestry that combines cutting-edge science with nature itself. Dr. Wes Jackson, a MacArthur Fellow and founder of the Land Institute, illustrates these concepts in action, discussing the environmental and economic advantages of perennials—rather than annuals—grown in a mixture that mimics the prairie ecosystem. John Todd, a designer of ecological technologies, leads a tour of one of his "living machines" used to clean sewage water. (57 minutes)

Origins of Change: Heredity and Mutation VIDEO/DVD
This program introduces the concepts of naturally occurring and artificially induced mutagens, demonstrates how X-radiation and chemical additives can produce genetic mutations, introduces Dr. Maclyn McCarty (one of three researchers who identified DNA as the substance that transformed one variety of Pneumococcus into another), and shows how DNA is extracted and precipitated.

Outbreak: Stopping SARS VIDEO
"WHO Issues a Global Outbreak Alert" "Emergency Travel Advisory" "SARS Spreads Worldwide" When SARS first hit the headlines, it was poised to become a major pandemic. This program shows how vigilant medical professionals save countless lives by tracking and identifying emerging mystery viruses—and stopping them cold with shared knowledge and cutting-edge technology deployed on a global scale. Examination techniques for patients with unknown infectious illnesses are demonstrated, as are diagnostic laboratory tests. The mechanics of coronaviruses are addressed. (25 minutes)

Our Talented Brain VIDEO/DVD
In many ways our brains may be like those of animals, but in our capacity to think, to remember, and to create we are much different. This program looks at some of the reasons for these differences, exploring the neural structure of the human brain, our physiological brain capacity, and the use of memory and symbols.

Out of the Air: 1 VIDEO/DVD
Air, an important industrial raw material, is first filtered to remove any solid matter. Then its constituent gases—nitrogen, oxygen, and other trace gases—can be separated by compressing the air, cooling it, and then allowing it to expand, which cools it further.

Out of the Air: 2 VIDEO/DVD
Two very important products derived from air are ammonia and nitric acid. Ammonia is produced when hydrogen gas is extracted from natural gas and steam, mixed with nitrogen from the air, and heated. The resulting ammonia gas is condensed into liquid form, to be made into other chemicals.

Pandora’s Box VIDEO
When it comes to DNA science, nobody has a better track record than Jim Watson; what makes him controversial, however, is his vision of its future. This program looks inside the Pandora’s box of genetic manipulation with the man who opened it. Watson serves as guide, exploring some of the current and proposed ways scientists are improving humankind. He also addresses some of his critics, including a family with a son who has Down syndrome, and Dr. Kay Jamison, a world expert on bipolar disorder and a bipolar patient herself. (57 minutes) The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

Parallel Universes VIDEO
Is M theory Einstein’s elusive "theory of everything"? In this program, visionary physicists Neil Turok, of Cambridge University; Burt Ovrut, of the University of Pennsylvania; Paul Steinhardt, of Princeton University; and others theorize on a revolutionary cosmology that explains what happened at the Big Bang—and in the process posit a continuum in which our universe is but one bubble among an infinite number. The development of string theory, the contributions of string and supergravity theories to M theory, the relative weakness of gravity, and parallel universe-creating collisions between membranes in the eleventh dimension are discussed. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)

Perfect Partners: Science of the Sexes VIDEO
This extraordinary trip around the male and female anatomy confirms what our bodies already know: men and women were made for each other. Intimate portraits, real-life situations, and controlled experiments are combined with scientific analysis from leading experts to show that from conception to old age, our bodies grow, adapt, complement, and support each other. A Discovery Channel Production. 2-part series, 51 minutes each.

Plant World: The Biology of Flowering and Non-flowering Plants VIDEO
This outstanding two-part series enters the exotic world of plants to introduce three of its most fascinating groups: anthophytes, bryophytes, and lichens. Each ten-minute segment—five per program—beautifully blends core scientific information with remarkable photography to create a memorable educational experience. 2-part series, 51 minutes each.

Playing God VIDEO
Twenty years after the discovery of DNA’s structure, another revolution swept biology when scientists began learning how to manipulate genes outright. The controversy continues. This program tells the story of genetic engineering’s pioneers, focusing on the race to synthesize insulin and the development of genetically modified crops. Spectacular computer animations of molecular processes are paired with extensive commentary by key researchers, including Genentech founder Herb Boyer, Stanford University biochemists Stan Cohen and Paul Berg, former Genentech scientist Dave Goeddel, Nobel Laureate Jim Watson, Harvard University molecular biologist Walter Gilbert, and Monsanto biochemist Bob Horsch. (57 minutes) The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

Plunging to a Fiery Death: Last Days of the Galileo Satellite VIDEO
It was not supposed to last as long as it did, but after fourteen years in space, the Galileo satellite was intentionally steered to a fiery death in Jupiter’s atmosphere lest it contaminate one of the planet’s moons. A retrospective for the faithful research spacecraft, this program recaps the history of NASA’s 30-year Galileo project, interviewing several people for whom its mission was essentially their entire career. (23 minutes)

Polyethylene VIDEO/DVD
Polyethylene is one of many commercially important organic compounds derived from crude oil. This program demonstrates the polymerization of ethylene at different pressures and in the presence of different catalysts, depending on the intended end use of the polyethylene—low-density polyethylene for flexible products like film and plastic bags is produced at between 1500 and 2000 atm with trace oxygen as the catalyst; for resilient, tough, high-density polyethylene, reaction pressures are 5 to 30 atm and titanium chloride and aluminum chloride catalysts are used.

Projectile Motion: Get a Grip! VIDEO
Presenting a cornerstone of physics, this program explores the motion of projectiles under gravity—initially in one dimension and then in two—through the examples of juggling balls, as well as stunt bikes and paragliders. Frequent summaries are combined with convenient cues to pause the program and allow students to apply their knowledge. Topics include: motion under constant acceleration, parabolic path of a projectile, resolving projectile motion into horizontal and vertical components, calculating air resistance using force vectors, and appropriate formulas for describing the path of any object in motion. (25 minutes)

pV Isotherms of CO2: 1 VIDEO/DVD
These experiments illustrate changes in the isothermal pressure/volume relationship for a gas under a range of pressures. The volume of a constant mass of CO2 confined in a tube immersed in a bath held at 0 C is measured by students as a function of the pressure exerted by a column of mercury behind the gas. At low pressures, CO2 behaves as a perfect gas.

pV Isotherms of CO2: 2 VIDEO/DVD
In these experiments, additional pV isotherms are measured for CO2 both below and above the critical temperature with the same apparatus used in the program pV Isotherms of CO2: 1. As the temperature of the gas rises, the pV isotherm retains the same shape but is shifted upward on the graph because it has a larger intercept.

Relationships: Structural Homologies and Coevolution  VIDEO/DVD
This program presents physical evidence of structural homologies between many types of vertebrates, insects, and plants and explains why these homologies suggest a common ancestry; uses fossils to show the development of specialized structures from simpler forms; shows by means of homologous structures that what appears to be a new or different organ may be a variant or modification of something existing in an ancestor; and presents evidence for coevolution from examples where entire orders of organisms dependent on one another have developed corresponding structural modification.

Reproduction: Shares in the Future VIDEO/DVD
This, the first of four programs on reproduction and birth, looks at how the male and female bodies are prepared for their task of increasing the human race.

Review of Biology: Design for Living VIDEO/DVD
The final program recapitulates and reviews the principal messages of the curriculum as it summarizes the functions and designs of the body's major systems and organs and the methods by which they interact.

Roller Coaster: Designing Thrill Rides from Start to Finish VIDEO
This program travels to the home of Colossus—the world’s first ten-inversion steel roller coaster—to reveal the physical, mechanical, and psychological forces that make the roller coaster the undisputed king of thrill rides. Concepting, computer-assisted track design, 3-D simulation, track construction, and car safety mechanisms are covered by some of the experts who know roller coasters best. The goal? Pulse-pounding speed and mind-blowing disorientation through the manipulation of potential and kinetic energy and plenty of positive and negative Gs. (25 minutes)

Science of the Deep: Aquarius Undersea Lab VIDEO
Located over 100 feet below the surface in the Florida Keys, the Aquarius is the world’s only continuously operating undersea lab. Studies aboard the lab are aimed at understanding the life cycle of one of the most complex and fragile ecosystems: the coral reef. In this program, a team of six aquanauts conducts experiments to see how global climate change affects coral larvae and the reef’s overall reproductive cycle. Spectacular underwater photography and footage of the scientists at work provide detailed coverage of their research. A Discovery Channel Production. (50 minutes)

Science of the Sexes: Different by Design VIDEO
Why have two different sexes if other species have survived with just one? This program looks at the hormonal cascade that happens in adulthood, culminating in sexual reproduction, and the many advantages conferred by the resulting genetic variety. The effects of estrogen and testosterone and the physiology of sex are seen through a number of fascinating experiments and examples. Experts include psychiatrist Sebastian Kraemer, anthropologist Helen Fisher, and neuroscientists Raquel and Ruben Gur. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)

Science of the Sexes: Growing Up VIDEO
As a way of looking at the divergent physiological and psychological paths boys and girls take, this program compares two 14-year-olds who are twins in time: Aaron, a boy in London, and Alex, a girl in L.A. The effects of the SRY gene, the initial genetic advantages of being female, and the "baby X" experiment are some of the fascinating aspects of gender illustrated through demonstrations and discussion. Experts include psychiatrist Sebastian Kraemer, anthropologist and world-renowned gender-difference expert Helen Fisher, child psychiatrist Michael Lewis, and evolutionary biologist John Manning. A Discovery Channel Production. (51 minutes)

Scientific Inquiry S.M.A.R.T. Box VIDEO
The Scientific Inquiry S.M.A.R.T. Box provides teachers and students with an outstanding blend of multimedia materials designed to illustrate the fundamental principles of scientific investigation and experimentation. Correlated to the National Science Education Standards, the S.M.A.R.T. Box combines core content, creative activities to test comprehension, a Teacher’s Guide with suggested lesson plans, and a Teacher’s Resource Pack to deliver an enriching and engaging learning experience.

Selection and Adaptation VIDEO/DVD
This program illustrates the selection by environmental constraints of the more favorable variations in a population and the inheritance of these variations by succeeding generations, resulting eventually in a population of plants and animals most of which is improved in its adaptation to its particular environment; shows the development of unique characteristics and adaptive structures that promote survival in particular environments; and demonstrates the dynamic nature of environmental processes and their effect on the process of natural selection.

Selection in Action: Natural Selection VIDEO/DVD
This program provides arguments in favor of continental drift and the one-time existence of a supercontinent, shows how isolation can give rise to different species and how species develop in response to their environments, and explains clines and suggests the reason for their existence.

Sleep: Dream Voyage VIDEO/DVD
What happens to the body during sleep? This program explores the mystery of REM sleep, shows a computer display of the waves that sweep across the brain during sleep, and presents extraordinary footage of a cat "acting out" its dreams.

Stories from the Hudson  VIDEO
The strategic key to the American Revolution, a vital transportation artery for a fledgling nation, and an enduring source of spiritual and artistic inspiration, the Hudson River is a true American icon. This Bill Moyers program focuses on the seminal role the Hudson has played in the development of America’s culture, literature, art, economy, industry, and ideology. Interviews with historian Roger Panetta; former West Point superintendent General David Palmer, retired; art scholars Barbara Novak and Ella Foshay; art dealers Howard Godel and Alexander Boyle; Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature; and others shed light on the many facets of the Hudson. (2 hours)

Studying Bryophytes and Lichens VIDEO
This captivating program takes a close look at mosses, liverworts, and hornworts as they are found in natural and urban settings and how these hardy but sensitive plants are affected by environmental changes. Lichens, easily mistaken for bryophytes, are examined as well. Microscopic imaging combined with laboratory experimentation and fieldwork are used to illustrate the concepts and principles explored in the video’s five highly focused ten-minute segments: "Different Kinds of Bryophytes," "Reproduction in Bryophytes," "Bryophyte Look-Alikes," "The Roles Bryophytes Play," and "Mosses and Air Pollution." (51 minutes)

Studying Flowering Plants VIDEO
Divided into five targeted ten-minute segments, this engaging program uses microscopic imaging, time-lapse photography, cut-aways and dissections, laboratory experimentation and fieldwork, computer modeling, and graphing to shed light on the intricate lifecycles of anthophytes. Segments include "Photosynthesis and Respiration," "The Role of Flowers," "From Pollination to Fertilization," "Spreading Seeds," and "Plants That Move." The issue of global warming is also considered. (51 minutes)

Superfly: A History of Genetics VIDEO
With two thirds of the same DNA as our own and a two-week breeding cycle, it’s an ideal lab specimen: Drosophila melanogaster, or the fruit fly. Using specialized photography, 3-D animation, and graphics, this program entertainingly tells the story of a humble creature’s huge role in the history of genetics. Dramatizations recap Thomas Morgan’s groundbreaking experiments at Columbia University, while ongoing research is discussed by today’s leading experts, including Nobel laureate Professor Eric Wieschaus of Princeton University, Professor Tim Tully of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Professor Mike Levine of the University of California, Berkeley. (60 minutes)

Systems of the Body : Poster Set  BOOK
Simply indispensable in the classroom, this set of ten posters vividly depicts and describes the human body’s major systems. Each poster features inset illustrations providing highly detailed looks at key organs and system components, along with "neat-to-know" supplementary facts.

The Circulatory System: Two Hearts That Beat as One VIDEO/DVD
This program describes the structure and functioning of the heart. It analyzes the three basic components of the heart—muscle, valves, and pacemaker—and shows how each one contributes to the proper functioning of the organ as a whole.

The Concepts of Equilibrium  VIDEO
Starting with a definition of reversible reactions, this program covers the basic concepts of chemical equilibrium and the equilibrium law. The concept of equilibrium is illustrated by comparison to the movement of cars in and out of a parking lot, the motion of a person walking the opposite way on a moving walkway, and the movement of people on and off paddleboats. The video concludes by considering what an equilibrium constant indicates about a reaction in terms of the relative quantities of reactants and products present at equilibrium. Carbon monoxide in the bloodstream is used to illustrate that point. (24 minutes)

The Determination of a Radioactive Half-Life VIDEO/DVD
In this program students measure the radioactive half-life of a metastable indium isotope produced by the neutron irradiation of an indium foil. After the sample has been irradiated, the number of ß-rays emitted can be measured with a Geiger counter.

The Determination of Boltzmann's Constant VIDEO/DVD
In this program a fundamental experiment is performed. First conducted at the turn of the century, it provided proof of the existence of atoms. Tiny spheres of a single diameter of a yellow resin, gamboge, are suspended in water and allowed to come to equilibrium.

The Determination of the Newtonian Constant of Gravitation VIDEO/DVD
The Newtonian constant of gravitation is determined by measuring the gravitational force of attraction between massive spheres of lead and mercury. A torsion balance is used to measure the deflection angle which balances the torsional couple of the balance with the gravitational couple exerted by the massive spheres.

The Determination of the Velocity of Light VIDEO/DVD
The velocity of light is determined by focusing a deflected laser beam back and forth from a rotating mirror to a fixed mirror and measuring the deflection of the beam’s image from its original path. The deflection of the beam is directly related to the frequency of rotation of the mirror and inversely related to the speed of light.

The Determination of the Velocity of Radio Waves VIDEO/DVD
The wavelengths and frequencies of radio waves are measured from the electric and magnetic fields generated from standing electromagnetic waves in an open-circuited transmission line. The distance between successive maxima in the electric and magnetic fields is one-half the wavelength of the original radiation.

The Dogwhelk: A Study in Adaptation VIDEO/DVD
We might expect shores that are exposed to considerable wave action to harbor marine life of a type different from that of a more sheltered shore. Using Nucella lapillus, a species of dogwhelk, these experiments compare substantial samples of dogwhelks taken from both locations.

The Effect of Pressure on the Thermal Conductivity of a Gas  VIDEO/DVD
In this program, students measure the thermal conductivity of argon over a wide range of vacuum pressures. Heat is conducted by collisions between molecules. As the pressure of a conducting gas decreases, the number of molecules of gas decreases but the distance between molecules increases, thus keeping the rate of collisions relatively constant.

The Evolution of Man VIDEO/DVD
This program examines and analyzes a large 2.5-million-year-old fossil find in South Africa which includes fossils similar to man; makes measurements and comparisons between structures of these fossils and modern man; and investigates the linkage between climatic change at the time and the formation of grasslands, and the apparent division in the evolutionary line.

The Human Influence VIDEO/DVD
This program illustrates how natural selection works to enable a species to adapt to adverse environments; shows how human breeding of desirable varieties—which antedates by millennia any theories of genetics or evolution—often overrode natural selection; demonstrates how species can be changed by artificial selection and in response to human interference with the environment; and explains the desirability of preserving the gene pool.

The Isolation and Growth of Bacteria VIDEO/DVD
This experiment shows the isolation of Escherichia coli and subsequent growth of the bacterium in pure culture. Both to protect those in contact with the bacterium from infection and to prevent contamination by unwanted microorganisms, great care must be taken to use sterile equipment and materials, employ strictly aseptic techniques, and sterilize all materials contaminated with microorganisms before disposal.

The Isolation and Metabolism of Mitochondria VIDEO/DVD
The first part of the program demonstrates the isolation of mitochondria in a sample of minced homogenized liver from a freshly-killed rat. The experiment demonstrates the crucial conditions of homogenization and the subjection of the homogenate to several stages of increasing centrifugation; the result is the separation of successively lighter organelles and debris.

The Living Body VIDEO/DVD
This magnificent 26-part series lets viewers explore and understand the many structures and functions of the human body. The series covers every major function, system, and organ. Diagnostic tools—cinemicrography, fiber optics, X-ray scanners, nuclear magnetic resonance, micrography—are fitted with cameras that provide spectacular interior views of the human body.

The Nature of the Nerve Impulse VIDEO/DVD
What makes a locust jump when a shadow—say, of a hand—passes over it? One of the most thoroughly studied of all insect neurones is the descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD) of the locust. The DCMD runs from the "brain" to the metathoracic ganglion, and responds to movement in the visual field.

The Nervous System: Nerves at Work VIDEO/DVD
This program looks at nerve signals and how they are transmitted. It looks at the part played by nerve messages in reflex activities and at both the chemical and electrical activities of networks of nerve cells in contact.

The Photoelectric Effect VIDEO
The story of the photoelectric effect is an ongoing one, from its discovery in 1887 to its use in a myriad of today’s devices, such as cameras and cell phones. This program tells that story, charting the contributions of Hertz, Lenard, Planck, and Einstein, while making use of actual experiments, clever demonstrations, and formulas that describe each aspect of a crucial physics phenomenon. Topics include: Hertz’s initial experiment; Lenard’s investigations; evidence for a wave theory of light; problems with the wave theory; Planck’s explanation of black body radiation; Einstein’s explanation of the photoelectric effect; calculations of threshold frequency, cut-off potential, and work function; and real-world applications of the photo cell. (35 minutes)

The Physiology of Exercise VIDEO/DVD
Skeletal muscle exercise expends the stored energy of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) derived initially from the oxidation of glucose. Since most regeneration of ATP for prolonged activity is achieved directly from the oxidation of glucose brought to the muscle in the bloodstream, muscular exercise necessitates a sufficient flow of blood to the active muscles and adequate ventilation of the lungs.

The Primary Production of Heather VIDEO/DVD
Energy flow and nutrient recycling are two important areas of ecological investigation. The purpose of these experiments is to assess the growth rate and net primary production of heather, Calluna vulgaris L., as a basis for estimating energy flow and nutrient uptake.

The Record of the Rocks VIDEO/DVD
This program shows the process of sedimentation, which has preserved those life forms extant at the time the rock was formed and—most strikingly where the Colorado River has cut through the Grand Canyon—exposes a veritable history of life on earth; presents the stratified evidence that simple organisms populated the earth first, followed by increasingly complex forms; demonstrates modern techniques for dating rock samples; and explains why fossils provide important evidence of the theory of evolution.

The Rutherford Scattering of Alpha Particles VIDEO/DVD
The experimental observations which led to the development of the Rutherford model of the atom are reproduced in this program. Students record the number and energy of a-particles scattered at different angles from bombarded thin foils of different pure materials.

The Secret of Life VIDEO
A half-century ago, three teams with three different approaches raced to unravel the structure of DNA. This program blends extensive interviews and firsthand narration with extraordinary graphics to tell the compelling story of how the perhaps unlikely duo of Jim Watson and Francis Crick won that race. Many of the principal figures in the quest discuss their frustrations and insights, including Nobel Laureates Watson and Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Linus Pauling’s son, Peter. (57 minutes) The DVD version has on-demand English subtitles and can be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.

The Senses: Skin Deep VIDEO/DVD
This, the first of two programs on the senses, looks at those sense receptors that depend on contact with the immediate world: taste buds, touch sensors, and olfactory cells. These receptors also sense heat, pain, and pressure. The complex world just beneath the skin is re-created with realistic models, showing events like the pulling of a hair seen from the viewpoint of the root.

The Timber Mafia: The Economics of Deforestation VIDEO
In countries such as Brazil, Cameroon, Cambodia, and the Philippines, organized timber rackets are booming, selling rare wood illegally cut from national parks and nature preserves. Such mercenary deforestation threatens countless species and has already changed global weather patterns. Often filmed covertly, this program goes inside the illegal timber traffic in Indonesia, examining the profits and attendant corruption, as well as exposing ongoing logging operations. Economics of the trade and countermeasures are discussed by key figures and experts, including the Indonesian Forestry Minister, the U.K. Environment Minister, and members of the Environmental Investigation Agency, Malaysian Timber Council, and Worldwide Fund for Nature. (46 minutes)

The Urinary Tract: Water! VIDEO/DVD
This program shows the crucial part water plays in the body's functioning and the system for keeping it in balance. Drinking, sweating, and breathing are covered. The urinary tract is analyzed in detail, with particular attention to the functioning of the kidneys.

Ways with Coal VIDEO/DVD
Major research has been devoted to making the processes of coal combustion more efficient and reducing the pollution they cause. Coke, the first smokeless fuel made from coal, has important industrial uses which depend on the grade and strength of the coke.

What Happens When Water Freezes? VIDEO/DVD
Bob Symes explains burst water pipes and icebergs at the same time; they share the same scientific principle. Water expands when it freezes, a fact proven by Bob’s freezer and some sample containers of water that have been left inside.

What Is a Wedge? VIDEO/DVD
We are surrounded by wedges that help us every day—ramps, staircases, knife blades. Wedges exert force in two directions: forward and up. Bob Symes demonstrates the difference in action between a thin wedge (it travels a long way forward to achieve a little lift), and a thick wedge (it can lift an object and travel only a short distance).

What Is Air Pressure? VIDEO/DVD
How can air crush a tin can? Bob Symes reveals the power of air pressure through a simple experiment with an ordinary tin can that is heated and then sealed tight. As the tin can cools, the sides collapse.

What Is Safety Glass? VIDEO/DVD
Safety glass, the kind of glass used for car windshields, shatters into tiny crystals when it breaks. What makes this glass different from ordinary glass that breaks into sharp splinters? Bob Symes uncovers the secret of the "glass sandwich" in his laboratory.

What Is Water Pressure VIDEO/DVD
Everyone has felt their ears pop under water, but why does this happen? Bob Symes explains the principle of water pressure and demonstrates that the amount of pressure depends on the depth of the water, not the quantity.

Why Every Action Has a Reaction VIDEO/DVD
Fill a balloon with air, and then release it. Why does it fly away? A jet engine and the balloon operate on the same scientific principle. Bob Symes explains pressure using the balloon as an example, and demonstrates how the release of pressure in one direction will force the balloon to move in the opposite direction.

Why Humans Have Legs: The Missing Link VIDEO
When paleontologist Per Ahlberg discovered a strange fossil overlooked for decades at a museum in Latvia, he knew he was onto something. In this astounding program, Ahlberg and Jenny Clack, of the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology; Ted Daeschler, of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences; and Keith Thomson, of the Oxford University Museum, reexamine the evolution of the first tetrapods. Their research leads to Livoniana—a creature identified through cladistic analysis as part fish, part land animal—and prompts a revolutionary theory of why humans have legs. Duane Gish, of the Institute for Creation Research, dissents. Original BBCW broadcast title: The Missing Link. (50 minutes)

Why It Rains VIDEO/DVD
Bob Symes makes rain in his kitchen. Real rain occurs for the same reason that steam, when it hits a cold windowpane, will turn to water droplets. The experiment makes clear the roles of water vapor and temperature in making rain.

Why Lightning Is Dangerous VIDEO/DVD
Everyone knows what a lightning rod is, but how does it work? Bob Symes creates lightning in his laboratory and reveals the secret of the lightning rod—it doesn’t conduct the electrical charge, it disperses it.