First program in a new series on science. This program looks ahead to some of the subjects to be examined in the ensuing weeks. Seen are: Dr. J.W.R. Steacie, President of the National Research Council, discussing changing attitudes to science; Dr. Wilder Penfield, of the Montreal Neurological Institute, describing his work with the human brain; and Dr. Abraham Hoffer, University of Saskatchewan, discussing mental illness.
A look at research on the human brain at the Montreal Neurological Institute under Dr. Wilder Penfield. Program includes: host Lister Sinclair and Dr. Donald Ivey on the basic scientific data on the brain and epilepsy research; Penfield talks about epilepsy and the measurement of electrical discharges in the brain; Dr. Allan Elliott demonstrates the effect of a chemical on the nervous system; Dr. Herbert Jasper explains his research on electrical brain activity; Dr. Penfield, relates his accidental discovery of electrical stimulation of memory; and film footage of open brain surgery to cure epilepsy performed by Professor Rasmussen.
This week's program will probe the attitudes and working habits of the scientist, and try to decide where the future of science lies.
Presents a study of the most prevalent of mental diseases, schizophrenia.
This show will discuss Engineering as a Science.
Members of the plant and animal kingdom will be shown at work and at war. Films for the show were collected by science writer Maurice Constant. They show that man is the most successful of animals in changing his environment. He also has the power, through drugs, of protecting himself from bacilli which find his body a salubrious environment. The audience will see body cells under attack by viruses and bacilli, and will see drugs actually working within the body to destroy harmful, living bacteria. These rare films, made by the advanced techniques of microphotography, were shot in Canadian, U.S., European and Japanese laboratories. Dr. Donald Ivey is host.
In this program, American scientist and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov examines a selection of brief science fiction plots by Toronto writer Rod Coneybeare in an attempt to explain how this kind of fiction confuses the public about the potential and motives of science.
The program takes a light-hearted look at the scientific aspects of a modern Christmas. For instance, ingenious new methods of turkey carving will be demonstrated; flashing and bubbling tree lights will be explained; complex Christmas toys will be demonstrated. Our host, Dr. Donald Ivey, welcomes Iris associate from the department of physics at the University of Toronto, Dr. Patterson Hume, to the program. John Livingstone, the director of the Audubon Society of Canada, will also be on the program. In addition, sketches by George Feyer will be seen and a series of puzzles and optical illusions will be presented.
An examination of scientific theories about the aurora borealis or the Northern Lights. Includes: readings from historical literature describing the phenomenon; Dr. B.W. Curie, Physics, University of Saskatchewan, relates folk theories about the aurora, the beinning of his own scientific studies, and the extent of scientifically certain knowledge about the aurora; Dr. Ray Montalbetti explains theories of the aurora and their inadequacies; Dr. Peter Forsyth, Physics, University of Saskatchewan, discusses scientific knowledge of the aurora gained through radio techniques. Includes some graphic illustrations and simulations.
An examinaton of the human body as an environment for the billions of tiny organisms living within it. Includes film footage of: underwater life - crab, octopus, eel; amoeba; human cells; blood circulation; breathing; digestion (animated simulation); white corpuscles; tapeworm organism; fungus; skin lice; malarial organism; skin bacteria; plague bacteria; cholera organism; flu and polio virus; white corpuscles; antibodies; and penicillin attacking alien organisms in the human body.
An examination of the newest methods of "quick freezing" animal tissues and organs by immersion in -321 Fahrenheit liquid nitrogen. Dr. Louis Rey shows and discusses his experiments on this subject in Paris.
An examination of the laws of probability and their uses in science. Co-hosts Professor Donald Ivey and Professor Patterson Hume demonstrate the laws of probability in games of chance such as coin-flipping and dice-throwing. A geiger counter is used to demonstrate that radioactive material can be located in a similar manner to the prediction of the outcome of games of chance.
Donald MacRae, Professor of Astronomy at David Dunlap Observatory, Richmond Hill, explains what man knows about the moon and how he knows it. The program includes detailed photographs of the moon never before seen on television. Professor MacRae also explains how some popular folk tales about the moon actually have some basis in scientific fact, and compares the two methods for determining what he know about the moon, radio and optical astronomy.
An examination of the phemonena of winter hibernation and how its study may assist those with heart defects.
An examination of how man adapts to the various environments on earth - the arctic, the tropics, the desert - and what the consequences are for man and for the other living organisms sharing his environment. The film was shot in remote areas of the world.
A special half-hour Eurovision program from the United Kingdom, France, Italy and Yugoslavia, covering the eclipse of the sun by the moon shortly after dawn on 15 February 1961. After a a partial eclipse is seen in Britain and in the following minutes as the moon's shadow races across Southern Europe at several thousand miles per hour, television broadcast units in France, Italy and Yugoslavia, in succession, show the sun's disc for the period, lasting approximately 1.25 minutes, during which it becomes totally eclipsed. The commentators are Tom Margerison in Britain, Hugh Butler in France, Colin Ronin in Italy and Patrick Moore in Yugoslavia.
An examination of the various forms and modes of animal communication. Sound, colour, odour, pattern, and movement together or separately can tell animals much about their enemies, the source of food and the mood of a prospective mate. John Livingston, executive director of the Audubon Society of Canada, explains what constitutes communication in animal communities. Dr. Bruce Falls of the Zoology Department at the University of Toronto describes how scientists have worked to understand the nature of bird songs and calls. He demonstrates equipment he uses to study bird calls and shows how birds stake out their nesting territories by means of their calls.
This program shows how the speed of light is measured and what it means. Although light's speed in a vacuum seems a universal absolute, research now suggests the presence of varieties of light that move even faster.
Dr. John Zubec of the University of Manitoba explains some of his experiments and studies on boredom and its effects on the human mind.
Dr. R. Wright of the British Columbia Research Council discusses his theory of how our senses of taste and smell work, and how they serve the biological system. Film demonstrates these functions in animals and humans. Includes a demonstration of shark repellant.
Dr. J. Tuzo Wilson, University of Toronto, talks with host Dr. Donald Ivey about the nature of the earth's core beneath its crust and the ways scientists have of finding out about it. Dr. William Bascom, National Academy of Science (U.S.) and head of Project Molhole, talks about the project, an attempt to drill through the ocean floor to penetrate the earth's crust. He discusses technical problems and what scientists hope to learn from the project. Includes: film footage of volcanoes; scientific research on earthquakes; oil-will drilling on land and off-shore; and animated graphic simulation of volcanos and earthquakes.
Hosts Dr. Patterson Hume and Dr. Donald Ivey of the University of Toronto explain the laws of conservation of matter and energy.
How plants live is one of the classic problems confronting biochemists. Guest Professor R.G.S. Bidwell, Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, demonstrates the way in which simple inert matter is raised to the complexity and reactivity that is the essence of life through experiments with radio-active plants.
Drs. Stewart Marshall and W.F. Hitschfield of the Stormy Weather Group at McGill University explain what clouds are and how they form. The program makes use of film shot in Alberta and at the Puy de Dome Observatory in southern France. Includes time-lapse photography of clouds flowing like turbulent water over the mountains and valleys of southern France.
What is science and where does it come from? Through a study of one of the oldest scientific societies in the world, the Hoyal Society of London, this program shows science at work, and suggests the scope and nature of the life in science.
An examination of promising areas of scientific research and some of the scientists involved. Includes plasma research being done by Dr. Morell Bachynski at the RCA Victor laboratory in Montreal for use in space exploration.
A slow motion, time lapsed film examining animals, plants, ice, blood, solar eclipses, cells, rockets, the setting sun and the habits of eagles.
Dr. Patterson Hume and Dr. Donald Ivey of the University of Toronto illustrate methods developed by the Physics Science Study Committee, and initiated by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the National Science Foundation, to teach physics using simple, homemade apparatus. They also discuss whether students should make their own scientific apparatus.
Donald Crowdis of the Nova Scotia Science Museum discusses liquids, how detergents remove dirt, and how one liquid passes through another.
Donald Crowdis, Director of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science hosts this show on gallstones. A.J. Harding Range, professor of medical surgery at the Charing Cross Hospital Medical School explains what gallstones are, how they are formed, and how they are removed. Includes footage of the bacterologists at work in the Charing Cross laboratories, with comments by Range on the research being done on gallstones. Dr. N.C. Tanner of the Charing Cross Hospital performs a gallstone operation.
Program guest J. Tuzo Wilson, Professor of Physics, University of Toronto, and host Lister Sinclair look at a Canadian plan to survey that part of the earth laying immediately under the crust in an effort to learn more about the earth's formation, its landscapes and weather. Also, they show why a piece of lava is unreliable evidence of what lies beneath the earth's surface.
Host Lister Sinclair and Professor Harvey Olnick of the University of Toronto Faculty of Music explain the physics of music; how the various instruments produce sound; the physics of sound waves; oscilliscope (including a film by Dr. Hugh Lelaine of the National Research Council); quality and overtones of musical notes; and resonance (including film footage).
An appraisal of the probable effects of a large-scale nuclear blast over a North American city.[8] Dr. Tom Stonier of the Rockefeller Institute discusses what can be expected to happen to people and property as a result of such a blast and resultant fallout.
Program examines the type of surface man may find if and when he lands on the moon; it shows what is known about the moon's surface, and how this knowledge is used in the design of vehicles and other equipment for lunar exploration. Ewen Whitaker of the Lunar and Planetary Observatory of the University of Arizona describes surface details as seen through optical telescopes. Allyn Hazard of the Space General Corp. of Glendale, California discusses possible vehicles and clothing to be used by lunar explorers.
Hosts Dr. Donald Ivey and Dr. Patteron Hume talk about conditions at extremely cold temperatures when matter "hibernates" and molecular action slows almost to a complete stop; and how this allows the physicist to study the basic structure of matter.
This episode focuses on scientists' views of the nature of science. Seen are: Dr. Alfred Romer, zoologist; Dr. Harold Urey, Nobel Prize winning chemist; Dr. Margaret Mead, anthropologist; Dr. Omond Solandt, physiologist; Dr. Norman Alcock, physicist; and Dr. Harrison Brown, geochemist.
Lord Rothschild of Cambridge University describes the results of his research in the field of spermatozoa.
Dr. William Swinton, head of the Royal Ontario Museum's Life Sciences Department, and John Livingston, executive director of the Audubon Society of Canada, trace the history of birds.
A look at the Dutch Elm disease and biological efforts to control it. Host John Livingston outlines the history of the disease in Canada; explains the nature of the disease; how it is transmitted; the failure of attempts to stop it with DDT spraying; and methods of elm tree "sanitation". The technique of bilogical control and its dangers is examined including: the disastrous results of the introduction of the Indian mongoose in Trinidad to control rats; the biological control of rose aphids; and the successful campaign in Florida to eliminate the screw worm fly by the introduction of sterile males.
Host Lister Sinclair discusses the sort of thinking that goes into the science of mathematics. Using animatedfilm and studio demonstrations, he explains what mathematical logic is.
Host Donald Crowdis traces the history of the bubonic plague - the causes, how it spread, and how it was and is treated. He tells how over a period of years, scientists discovered that the plague was really a disease of animals rather than people.
Drs. Patterson Hume and Donald Ivey, of the University of Toronto are co-hosts. They show how electricity can be produced directly from heat, and vice-versa. They discuss the practical difficulties of transforming thermal energy into electrical energy.
A Science Newsreel, film clips showing current scientific projects including the Soviet and American space programs. Host to be announced.
An examination of the young child's ability to learn, and a comparison of the human child's learning rate to that of lower animal forms such as an octopus. A group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explains its findings on the ability of simple brains to learn. Dr. Omar K. Moore of Yale shows his laboratory for the study of child learning in Connecticut.
Dr. Robert Knott, G.R. Phare of the CIL Research Division, and host Lister Sinclair examine the properties, types and uses of explosives. Includes an explanation and film illustration of: ballistic pendulum; fall hammer; hydromex; cushion blasting; and shape-end charges.
Naturalist John Livingston is host of this program about man's place in nature and the problems of new African nations in supplying growing populations with an adequate supply of animal protein. In a recently-filmed interview, Sir Julian Huxley discusses the change in the old balance between man and nature in Africa. Canadian freelance writer and biochemist Lillian Andrews conducts the interview. The program also includes footage of game herds in Africa.
Drs. Patterson Hume and Donald Ivey of the University of Toronto explain what electronic computers can do and how they do it.
A look at the new field of ballistocardiography. Host Dr. Patterson Hume of the University of Toronto explains the principals behind ballistocardiography. Donald Crowdis of the Nova Scotia Science Museum explains the functioning of the human heart with the aid of a model. Dr. Wilhelm Josenhans of the Department of Physiology at Dalhousie University explains his research and experimental apparatus to measure the ballistics of the flow of blood in the body. Also he explains his mechanical model of the heart pumping system and discusses some of the uses of his research.
Examines work of Dr. William Sheldon, who has spent about 30 years gathering statistics about the human physique, classifying body types, and correlating this information to medical and psychiatric studies.
Series consultant Lister Sinclair is host on the season's opener on which he explains how scientists approach their work and how The Nature of Things will present scientific items during its 26-week run.
British psychaitrist Dr. William Sargeant discusses and illustrates various brainwashing techniques such as weakening of the mind, changing patterns of behaviour, breakdown and religious cults.
Hosts Dr. Patterson Hume and Dr. Donald Ivey of the University of Toronto talk about the electronics age brought about by the vacuum tube and the transistor.
Palaeontologist Dr. Alfred S. Romer of Harvard University explains the evolution of lungs, legs, and a new kind of egg in aquatic creatures.
Dr. Fred H. Knelman of Montreal, talks about the sources and chemistry of salt and the industrial applications of salt and its components.
Film of an ear operation from the BBC series YOUR LIFE IN THEIR HANDS, with commentary by Dr. Hugh Barber, Toronto ear specialist. This operation is observed through the surgeon's microscope and is carried out with tiny instruments no larger than needles.
Professors Donald Ivey and Patterson Hume demonstrate the principles behind the bounce in a rubber ball, and discuss elasticity by comparing rubber and steel.
This program examines the autonomic nervous system, how it works, and what it can reveal. Dr. John Rich, a psychiatrist with Toronto and Queen's Universities is host. In police interrogations and other situations, many methods are used to determine if a subject is lying. One the more efficient methods is the monitoring of the autonomous nervous system. Under certain types of stress, respiration, perspiration, circulation and many other functions are affected.
In cooperation with the National Cancer Institute and the Canadian Cancer Society, today's show explores the results of years of lung-cancer research in Britain and North America. Host Lister Sinclair interviews Dr. A.G. Phillips of the National Cancer Institute and Dr. Norman C. Delarue of Toronto General Hospital.
A report on the need for a Canadian science museum. Host Lister Sinclair visits the Deutsches Science Museum in Munich and the science section of the British Museum. Includes filmed demonstrations of how science and technology can be made meaningful to the general public.
Recent fossil discoveries in Africa have shed new light on the ancestry and evolution of man. In the Olduvai Gorge, Kenya, Dr. L.S.B. Leakey, renowned British anthropologist and paleontologist and a guest on this program, has unearthed fossil remains that have extended the time scale of human evolution from 500,000 to two million years or more. A deductive story in anthropology and paleontology is told as Dr. Leakey describes his finds and interprets their significance.
Lister Sinclair pays tribute to Isaac Newton. The program attempts to capture the spirit of the time through the words of Newton himself and some of his contemporaries.
Drs. Patterson Hume and Donald Ivey of the University of Toronto explain the value of atoms and the care needed in handling them because of their radio-active properties.
What happens in a car crash - to the car and to its occupants? What causes a crash? Can personality characteristics contribute to car accidents? Canadian writer Rita Greer Allen, who last year sustained a broken neck in a car crash, explores the physics and psychology of car crashes with Dr. John Rich, a psychiatrist with Toronto and Queen's Universities.
In this program the origins and patterns of bird migration, and the latest theories of bird orientation and navigation, are discussed with Dr. William W.H. Gunn of the Federation of Ontario Naturalists.
Hosts Dr. Donald Ivey and Dr. Patterson Hume of the University of Toronto, contrast observation to synthesis, and compare the scientific experimenter with the scientific theoretician.
Dr. Louis Siminovitch, Professor of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, discusses what is currently known about heredity, particularly recent study and research on the ultimate units of heredity, material called DNA. Dr. Gordon F. Whitmore, Associate Professor of Medical Biophysics at the University of Toronto, and member of the Physics Division of the Ontario Cancer Insitute is also a guest.
Baking bread may be a familiar process, but it is by no means a simple one. A very great number of fundamental chemical actions are demonstrated in the baking of one loaf of bread. On today's program Dr. Fred H. Knelman of Montreal looks at bread-baking from the chemist's point of view, using illustrations ranging from stone ovens to production lines.
Detection of heatwaves by Special infra-red receptors has many industrial, military and other uses. In the animal kingdom, pit vipers (rattle-snakes and others) locate their prey by means of heat-sensitive organs. Dr. Harry Pullan of the R.C.A. research laboratories, Montreal, describes the properties of the infra-red and demonstrates technological applications.
In the aftermath of the industrial revolution, with scientific advances offsetting human control, the human species has experienced an increase so explosive that grave doubts are now held about the future food supply. Sir Julian Huxley and Sir Charles Darwin were interviewed in England about this aspect of human biology which most scientists regard as the most critical problem of our time.
Lister Sinclair talks to leading scientists about Mars and plans for observing the planet from close range: Dr. Albert G. Wilson, a former director of the Lowell Observatory, now with the Rand Corporation, and the Chief of the Space Sciences Division at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Robert V. Meghreblian.
Man has not ignored the spider - even before interest in them could be called scientific, spiders gave rise to constant legends and myths and were involved in medicine, art, history, and religion. This program is devoted to the subject of spiders - what they are, varieties, feeding, mating habits, milk production and legends behind some of the more notorious species including the Black Widow. Introducing and discussing the subject is freelance writer William Whitehead who has done post-graduate work on the Black Widow spiders.
Dr. Martin T. Orne of the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard University Medical School discusses the subject of hypnosis. Hypnosis has become an important tool for medical science - including childbirth, surgery, dentistry, and psychotherapy. Many types and uses of hypnosis are illustrated by Orne on the program. Last show of the season.
An examination of the personality and achievement of Albert Einstein. Dr. Jacob Bronowski of the Salk Institute for Advanced Biological Studies at La Jolla, California, one of the most distinguished and articulate interpreters of Einstein, shows the practicality and simplicity of Einstein's thinking. Einstein's ideas are demonstrated with the aid of models specially constructed for the show. Also includes film of Einstein's early days in Europe and a short film in which Einstein explains the relationship between matter and energy.
Scientist and broadcaster William Whitehead and Dr. W.E. Swinton, Director of the Royal Ontario Museum discuss how size differences in the animal kingdom are the result of their environment and their habits. Examined in detail are the shrew, the elephant and the whale.
Universal standards of measurements are explained in laymen's terms by Dr. Patterson Hume and Dr. Donald Ivey of the University of Toronto.
Centuries ago, people in warmer parts of the earth believed that a dread disease was contracted from unhealthy air generated in swamps. From this belief came the word "malaria," which means "bad air". The word is still used to describe a parasitic disease that remains one of the world's major public health problems. Efforts to find and isolate the causes of malaria make one of the greatest scientific detective stories of all time. Mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles were found to be implicated. But so far, their control is far from accomplished. Program features Dr. A. Murray Fallis, parasitologist with the Ontario Research Foundation and professor at the University of Toronto. Host is Lister Sinclair.
This program shows surgical techniques used in a new treatment for Parkinson's Disease. The actual brain operation is seen, an an electric probe is inserted in the brain to destroy the area responsible for the tremors and other symptoms of the disease. Dr. R.R. Tasker, Toronto neurosurgeon, explains the technique. He is interviewed by Donald Crowlis, Director of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science.
Host Lister Sinclair and guest Lloyd Percival, sports authority, discuss and demonstrate how various sporting activities can now be precisely measured and how they can thus be improved. Gordie Howe is one of the athletes shown.
Dr. Patterson Hume and Dr. Donald Ivey explain the recent developments of the laser beam since 1960, how it works, and its potential uses in medicine, war and communications.
Man still carries around in him an isolated pool of the early Palaeozoic ocean that fed his plankton ancestors. Our blood is packaged sea water. This program is a study of the relation and functions of three salty liquids important in evolution - blood, sea water and tears.
Host and writer Lister Sinclair talks about map projection, and the problems of taking a spherical object, the earth, and representing it in two dimensional form such as the Mercator projection and equal area projection. Many maps, both old and new, are used to show how the science of map-making has gradually developed. Sinclair also talks about projection, or perspective, in art.
In this program Donald Crowdis, Director of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science, talks about water, its properties and its importance as a solvent of enormous quantaties of minerals, its ability to become either an acid or a base, and its mechanical power.
In this program Donald Crowdis, Director of the Nova Scotia Museum of Science, talks about transplants and the new study of immunology - how to make the body repress its defence system and accept foreign organs. His guests are Dr. R.E. Wilson of Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, a member of the most experienced organ transplant surgical team in North America, and Dr. Lionel Reese, who recently performed a kidney transplant operation in London, Ontario.
Incredibly minute particles of matter called viruses are responsible for more than half the world's diseases. Never even seen until the invention of the electron miscroscope, viruses now are the object of intensive scientific scrutiny. World leader in virus research is Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital. This program studies the work of the hospital's team, under the direction of Dr. L. Siminovitch. Special guest is Dr. K. Rozee of Connaught Laboratories.
The problem of survival in extreme climatic conditions is examined by Dr. William Whitehead.
Discussion and demonstration of "accidental" scientific discoveries.
Lister Sinclair looks at the artificial flight techniques of man and some of the principles of flying used by other species.
Earthquakes & Volcanoes" Research into earthquakes and volcanic eruptions gives us much information on the earth's structure. In this program, Percy Saltzman talks with two experts on these phenomena: Dr. Walter Tovell of the Royal ontario Museum and Dr. John Hodgson, seismologist and newly-appointed Director of the Dominion Observatories.
Host Percy Saltzman and psychiatrist Dr. John Rich discuss how and why we feel pain. Shown is how the body senses and measures pain and how mental disposition affects our reaction to pain.
Professors Patterson Hume and Donald Ivey dispute Mark Twain's claim that: "There are lies, damn lies and statistics"; or in other words, "you can prove anything with statistics.
Dr. Walter Clark of the Eastman-Kodak Research Laboratory, and host Lester Sinclair explain what happens after you push the button of your camera.
At one time, collisions between aircraft and birds usually hurt only the birds. Now, with aircraft flying at supersonic speeds, the impact of collisions is greater. And birds ingested into the engines have caused a number of crashes. The Nature of Things looks at what is being done to eliminate bird strikes on aircraft.
For the first time ever on television, part of the remarkable "pacemaker" heart operation is shown being performed at the Toronto General Hospital.
A series studying the animal kingdom, and man's place in it, through comparisons of anatomy, function, and behavior.
How animals get from place to place, including burrowing, crawling, climbing trees, running, and jumping.
"Animals In The Water" studies fish, crocodiles, seals and whales.
A look at how animals have developed special means of coping with the environments — the long neck of the giraffe, the coat of the polar bear.
A look at the process of natural selection by which animals have developed special means of coping with their environments: the long neck of the giraffe, the coat of the polar bear, the digging claws of the mole.
How animals locate, obtain, process and eat food using "anatomical tools": beaks, claws etc.
Animals modify their environments in many ways: by building nests, damming streams, by breaking down forests.
Program shows how animals modify their environments in many ways; by building nests, damming streams, and by breaking down forests.
Man is known as the "toolmaker", although certain other animals do use tools.
Different combinations of the senses are dominant in the activities of different animals: vision and smell in insects, smell and hearing in most mammals, vision and touch in the higher primates, including man.
A look at the various ways animals and man defend their homes and their young.
How much of animal behavior is inherent, and how much is learned?
Man, the animal species, as he might be described by an objective zoologist from another planet: what is he, his anatomy, his reproduction, his behavior and his ecology. A summary of the entire series.
An examination of the sun from various points of view. Includes discussion with illustrative film footage of: archeological remains; architecture; art; Eleusinian mysteries; the Greek god Apollo; a Hindu temple to the sun god with astrological wheel; Latvian summer festival; the Egypttian sun god Aton-Re; the beliefs of North American, South American and Australian native peoples; and nudists frolicking in the forest. The program makes use of the view of J.G. Grazer, author of "The Golden Bough", that primitive myth and magic were a primitive form of science.
The famous Niagara Falls had their origins at Queenston 12,000 years ago. Since then, they have receded seven miles. This program tells the natural history of the falls, the Niagara River and the gorge, showing how the shoreline has changed the falls. Dr. Walter Tovell, curator of geology at the Royal Ontario Museum, and an expert on the Niagara, tells the story of Father Hennepin, the first white man to see the falls in 1678, talks about the rock stratification observable in the gorge and shows many unusual filmed shots of the falls.
This program explores the serious problem of pollution, which results when more waste materials are poured into the air and water than these elements have the capacity to deal with, a situtation which has resulted in city smog and the "death" of numerous bodies of water.
An examination of some of the most sophisticated methods of pest control such as: unbalancing the insects' nutrition; killing them by ultrasonic or other shock waves; sterilizing the males through ionizing radiation or light flashes; drowning the larvae in traps; or interferring with mating and egg-laying by light, colour or electricity.
This program considers many aspects of controlling human environment to regulate pressure, humidity, and temperature, from underwater diving gear to the air-conditioning of space capsules. New designs and techniques for regulating air in large buildings are also noted.
The scientific study of the physics of sailing, is a fairly new field. This program looks at scientific efforts to understand why sailing ships do what they do. At Britain's University of Southampton two wind tunnels are used to study both sail and hull action. The program includes exciting film of ships in action, as well as wind tunnel and radio-controlled model experiments.
Not so many years ago, summer's warmth brought the chilling fear of polio and typhus epidemics. These dread diseases have been largely eliminated by modern medicine. But newer "epidemics" not caused by germs or viruses, have replaced them as killers. This program, written by Jack Hutchinson, looks at food poisoning, highway and water accidents from the standpoint of the scientist seeking their "cure".
A look at the activities of the Stormy Weather Group, scientists at Montreal's McGill University and Macdonald College who study the pheonomena of summer storms, especially, the capricious Prairie hailstorms. A visit to Dorval Airport provides a look at the weather reading systems which, with the aid of weather satellites, give instant readings of weather fronts and continental cloud cover.
Science is developing new and better fish, the splake for instance, a product of the cross-breeding of the lake and speckled trout. At Maple, Ontario, biologists of the Department of Lands and Forests developed this new fish for seeding in Lakes Ontario and Huron. This program shows how they did it and how they hope to beat the vicious lamprey eel, which preys on the oridinary lake trout.
This program examines Canada's great national parks and their ecological importance in maintaining habitats vital to various plants and animals. Seen are: Point Pelée Park; Algonquin; Banff; and Jasper.
This program deals with forest succession. Scientists have recently learned a great deal about the way in which new stands of forest grow - including the discovery that certain trees, like the jack pine, can only renew themselves in burnt over areas. D.H. Burton of the Department of Lands and Forests reports on studies of the impact of forest fires, logging, and the browsing of deer on the growth of a forest; also the controlled use of forest fires to reseed areas. R.O. Standfield of the Department of Lands and Forests explains the effects on forest wildlife, of controlled burning, and the use of chemical pesticides.
First episode of a five-part series on the Galapagos islands. This episode looks at the life and work of Charles Darwin, with emphasis on his historic five-year voyage as resident naturalist aboard the ship Beagle, his stopover at the Galapagos, and his lifetime spent evaluating the results of the trip.
There has been great alarm recently over the declining level of water in bodies of water as enormous as the Great Lakes. This program examines the water cycle and analyzes some of the factors that cause water levels to vary: increasingly heavy use by industry and public; droughts; climatic changes; damming; and diversion.
Retreat to the Rockies" with an especial look at bighorn sheep.
This week viewers are told of the recovery of the trumpeter swan from near extinction.
The authentic sights and sounds of wildlife activity in the Arctic during the summer. Animals seen include polar bears and seals.
Wildlife in Alberta is the subject of tonight's episode of the four-part series.
Thomas Edison wasn't merely a lone inventful genius. He invented the modern research team that makes possible the technology shaping our world. Edison was the captain of an organized research group whose method was to attack systematically every aspect of a problem. Among the more than 600 inventions he and his team produced were the gramophone and the incadescent light bulb. This program examines Edison's inventions, methods and impact on our life. Much of it was filmed at his original Menol Park Laboratories, preserved in Dearborn, Michigan.
A review of the history of man's oldest materials: wood, stone, iron, bronze and glass; and an examination of modern materials and design.
Defying the force of gravity, man has strewn his structures across the earth. This program looks at some of them, from simple structures of column and beam to the vast Roman arched aqueducts, the stone needles of Milan's Gothic cathedral, cantilever and suspension bridges, and the miracles of graceful design wrought by modern precast concrete and reinforced steel.
Much of this program deals with the basic communications problem of getting a signal through noise. Includes gesture, speech, code, braille, telegraph, radio, television, laser beams, computers and power grid monitors to space communications and satellites.
The great engineers of the past - men like de Lesseps of Suez fame and Panama infamy and Bradley - whose canals were the arteries of the industrial revolution, sacrificed the health and fortune, and sometimes the lives, of themselves and others, to build the first great canals and tunnels. Their story and the story of all kinds of modern canals and tunnels used for transportation are told. Includes historic footage.
One test of civilization is the ability to organize sources of energy. Central power was something new in 1876, when Paris became the "City of Light". By 1879, Edison had developed the incandescent bulb. The program looks at more modern developments, including use of natural steam, ocean tides, and nuclear power. Also looks at attempts to tame fusions and harness the sun itself. The film also reviews what happened when the lights went out all over eastern North America in November 1965, illustrating our dependence on central power.
The Greek inventor, Alexander the Hero, first defined the five basic devices which make all machines possible: the lever, the wedge, the wheel, the pulley and the screw. They all contribute to the conversion of energy into usable power. This film examines the development of these principles into such everyday examples as the nutcracker, and more complex machines such as the automated typesetter, computers and an automatic pilot.
This program shows how man changes his environment by shaping the land he lives on, reclaiming land from the sea, making new lakes and rivers. The Netherlands is a prime example of what reclamation can accomplish. The film shows some of the Dutch techniques and accomplishments.
This film looks, sometimes whimsically, at examples of old and modern flying machines. Bush planes, barnstormers, gliders and war planes are seen, and the program concludes with a look at the present and possible future at airports, supersize jets and passenger aircraft. Includes historic footage of man's early attempts to fly, and the explosion of the Graf Zeppelin.
Man's first "portable power" device was part of his own body, the energy from the contraction of long molecules in the presence of sugar: muscle power. Muscle power was amplified with primitive levers, and later by the use of domesticated beasts. Some of the modern portable power devices seen in this film are portable nuclear reactors, internal combustion engines, rockets and fuel cells.
Are the problems of urban transportation insurmountable? The traffic jams which are a regular feature of city life make it appear so. This program examines the many cures being considered for the hardening of vehicular arteries: faster vehicles, mass transit methods, supersonic subways, bigger and better expressways, air transport, better control and direction of traffic. Over all this, however, lies a Malthusian gloom inspired by the population explosion of both people and automobiles.
A system, according to the Oxford dictionary, is a whole composed of parts in orderly arrangement, according to some scheme or plan. A sailing ship is a system; so is the U.S. manned space program. Both are analysed in this program which examines the organization of systems.
The beautiful, vast tracts of land in the western Mountain parks of the West Coast and the Rocky Mountains are gradually being destroyed ... by camp sites, roads and towns. As they are opened, their animal life gradually disappears. Now biologists and naturalists are attempting to save plant life and animals, such as the Rocky Mountain Bighorn, elk, moose and goats.
Part one of a six-part series on pollution. This program shows how the comparatively new science of ecology has shown that the fate of life on earth lies in the balance - unless man stops taking from nature without giving anything back.
Part two of a six-part series on pollution. The ways man has succeeded, and failed, to duplicate in his cities the checks and balances of the natural environment. At its best, the city is a marvel of controlled environment, protecting people from the elements and offering them a broad spectrum of choice in style of living. At its worst, the city is noisy, dirty, crowded, hot and monotonous. This program looks at how man must try to make urban life a part of the global cycle of nature, or perish.
The third program in a six-part series about pollution. This program shows how water is distributed throughout our environment, how it purifies itself, and how man has maltreated it. Canadian examples of water pollution shown in this program include the industrial waste which is wiping out the salmon of the St. John and Miramichi Rivers in New Brunswick; and the mounting danger to British Columbia's Fraser River.
Fourth program in a six-part series on pollution. The program show the history of air pollution from the advent of coal-burning in the 14th Century, through the Industrial Revolution. Only quite recently has pollution increased in volume to the point where life on earth is threatened. Incomplete combustion of fuels, vehicle exhausts, smog and wastes from industry are all contributing.
Fifth in a six-part series on pollution. All pesticides are poisonous in greater or lesser degrees. Most experts regard them as short-term solutions to pest control. They kill not only the pests, but also necessary beneficial organisms, such as the oxygen-producing phyto-plankton of the ocean, which renew approximately 70 per cent of the world's oxygen supply. The program investigates long-term effects of such substances as DDT, possible alternatives to chemical pesticides - including non-poisonous biological methods of pest control.
Final program of a sub-series on pollution and conservation. This program offers statements and observations by experts on the extent of pollution in the world today and what can be done to improve it. Included are: former U.S. Secretary of Interior Stuart Udall; ecologist Lamont Cole; and Roland Clement of the US National Audobon Society.
A 24-hour day in the life of a young family physician, Dr. Reg Perkin, covering everything from his 7 am jogging to his 10 am tonsillectomy operation; his afternoon office hours; his occasional duty on emergency call at Toronto's South Peel Hospital; his Thursday afternoon golf; and relaxation with his family at home. The film is also an examination of the direction medical training and health services are taking in Canada.
Every year, over 12,000 Canadians are born with serious inherited defects. Maureen McChesney, 12, is one. A victim of cystic fibrosis, she must sleep in a special mist tent, take 110 pills and submit to three hours of special medical treatment every day. The program focuses on Maureen and her treatment and looks at genetics research and some other diseases transmitted through inheritance, including muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and mongolism. It shows what medicine tries to do when there is a suspicion of genetic damage in the foetus, and how those born with genetic defects are assisted.
This program focuses on the research into the effects of drugs on cancers in mice being conducted by the internationally renowned cancer team at Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital. Written by the head of the team, Dr. Bob Bruce, who also appears on the program, the film begins with a human patient with a tumour which has passed beyond the stage where it can be treated by either surgery or radiation. At the end we see the patient again, after successful treatment with drugs. Also J.W. Meakin of the Princess Margaret Hospital appears.
A study of how medical researchers are using animals to determine the effect of drugs such as marijuana and LSD, and even liquor, on man.
The theme of biology for the past 20 years has been the origin of biological constancy. The theme of the next 20 years will be the origin of biological diversity. This program explains why it is essential to understand the complicated mechanism of the normal cell before we can really understand what happens when cancerous cells run riot. The film focuses on the distinguished and internationally known work of Dr. James Till and Dr. B. McCullough of the Princess Margaret Hospital, and is written by them.
One quarter of all Canadians will be affected some time in their lives by arthritis. This program looks at a case of rheumatoid arthritis, the drug treatments available, and some of the therapeutic aids to assist a person suffering from the disease. The film focuses largely on research into the cause and nature of arthritis. In the show are: Dr. D.A. Gordon, Wellesley Hospital; Dr. N.S. Taichman, University of Toronto Medical Centre; and Dr. I. Broder, Toronto Western Hospital.
This program is a brief review of the main achievements of science over the past ten years, and attempts to anticipate some of the advancements which may be expected in the seventies. The remarks of many eminent Canadian scientists are linked by the comments of Dr. Isaac Asimov. Among the topics are: progress in the earth sciences; research into the fundamental particles of matter; ecology; pollution control; DNA; the origins of life; the understanding of the physical basis of memory; computers; astronomy; astrophysics; space flight; and progress in medicine, particularly in transplants. The latter portion features Dr. Pierre Grondin, Canada's first heart transplant surgeon.
A look at the coronary thrombosis which kills three out of ten adults; heart research in Canada.
History and research in the field of organ transplants.
When is a man dead? Canadian physicians discuss the medical, ethical and legal questions involved with death, organ transplants and maintaining physical life after the death of the brain. (Last of the series).
A look at the luxuriant parks and reserves where various species of wild animals and birds still survive.
First in a three-part series visiting some of Canada's 700 museums in an attempt to show how people of all ages use them for self-discovery, a sense of communication with the past and a greater awareness of what has shaped today's world.
Africa as it was during the 18th and 19th centuries. Final program in this season's series.
Second in a series of three programs on Canada's museums. This program presents views from adults — those who feel that the past has no relevance to their lives, and others who find themselves culturally enriched by the past. Includes a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum.
A look "backstage" at the Ontario Science Center, the Royal Ontario Museum and Old Fort Henry.
Recent advances in oceanography.
The theory that the Earth's continents are moving is examined.
Research on new electronics and mechanical devices to help the blind and deaf realize true sensory perception.
The latest observations of astronomers have turned up new kinds of stars; mysterious emanations from deep in space called pulsars and quasars.
Research into the physics of sound and hearing has caused increasing alarm among scientists and physicians about the effects of high noise levels upon people, and the destructive psychological and physical effects of constant noise pollution.
The physics of energy and the problem of producing large quantities of energy with little pollution form the basis of this program.
The qualities of laser and normal light are contrasted. Final program in the series.
The first in a four-part series entitled The Last Stand. The series looks at a variety of areas in the world set aside as specially protected areas of wilderness and natural wildlife. The first program is about western mountain parks and the work being done by biologists and scientists to save mountain wildlife.
The Everglades, unique in the world, are dependent entirely on water. But the beautiful birds and animals in the park are threatened by land development and a new airport, whose drainage policies are drying up the area.
The third in a four-part series entitled "The Last Stand." Point Pelee is a tiny peninsula in southwestern Ontario, jutting into Lake Erie, which contains a fresh water marsh full of wildlife of all kinds. It is also the last stronghold of the southern deciduous forest in Canada and contains southern species of plants and animals not found anywhere else in the country.
The last in a four-part series entitled The Last Stand. This program looks at the Sonoran Desert in the U.S. Southwest and in Mexico. It contains an enormous variety of animal life and represents adaptation by both plant and animal life to a harsh environment where competition is keen and only the most successful can survive.
The first in a three-part series entitled "A Sense of Time". This episode examines past and present ideas on the questions of how old is the universe.
This program focuses on a new geophysical concept of our planet.
Planet Earth has supported life for some three billion years; but Man, characterized by his powers of thought and other other intelligent faculties, has shown the greatest development during his 500,000-years existence. Can he assume his role of responsibility to protect his life-giving biosphere?
Sociologists tell us that the Great Lakes are the basis for the civilization around them. If the lakes fail, so will we. The program explores the concept that we must cease to think of land and water as separate worlds, and instead treat them as a unity with an international plan for management.
Immediate implementation of pollution control in our Great Lakes is urgently needed if we are to preserve our most vital waterway. But what are the implications of such action?
Population: Everybody's Baby" examines the projected consequences of overpopulation and-the controversy surrounding population control.
Featuring a national opinion poll on public attitudes in Canada towards population growth.
Dealing with the McGill University Settlement Mental Health Unit project in Montreal.
Second in a series on the development and potential of psychiatry for the masses, focusing on informal youth clinics established in a low-income area of Montreal.
A visit to Montreal's Allan Memorial Institute, where a disturbed teenager responds to treatment.
A look at Vancouver-area encounter groups.
Season opener: The Nature of Things looks at the discovery of insulin by Dr. Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best and deals with the current Canadian research into diabetes.
Chances of recovery by a cancer patient in Canada are examined. Guests: Dr. James Till, Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital, and Dr. Robert Taylor of the National Cancer Institute.
A look at research which may bring hope to sufferers of a crippling disorder that affects those on the older side of the generation gap. Guests include Dr. Oleh Hornykiewicz, a pioneer in the discovery of the drug L-DOPA.
The Nature of Things presents the first part of its highly acclaimed White Paper special on the vast Arctic regions of Canada.
A look at the endangered species of animals used in the fur trade, focusing on the Canadian market.
The life history of the seal, currently the object of the great spring seal hunt; the physiology and behavior of this unusual Arctic animal, plus an examination of its 8,000-mile migration from Hudson Strait to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and back. Also a look at the seal's unique adaptation for deep diving, currently under study by biologists at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
The world of the colorful bird family admired by hunters and birdwatchers alike.
Pictorial life history of the Arctic animals throughout the seasons.
A glimpse into the world of the most unusual, amusing inhabitant of our oceans and seas — the lobster.
Documentary look at the Yanomami, a fast-vanishing Indian tribe inhabiting the tropical rainforest of the Upper Orinoco River in southeastern Venezuela and Northern Brazil.
With Dr. George Benjamin, a Canadian research chemist and the world's foremost authority on Bahamas' "blue-holes" (underwater caves). A visit to the vast network of mysterious underwater limestone caves found offshore from the island of Andros.
Season opener: The Lacandons, the last surviving descendants of the Mayas, live in the rain forest of southern Mexico and cling to ancient beliefs and traditions. Narration is by Mia Anderson and the voice of Chan K'in is by Chief Dan George.
Examines male and female roles in society and presents a scientific study of the known biological facts about sex differences in humans.
This program looks at hormonal changes during puberty, and the socially originated attitudes leading to differences between the sexes.
This ancient and traditional art of healing has been widely practiced in China for over 5,000 years. Its recent rebirth as a successful treatment for many diseases is explored in this program
A life history of the harp seal, examining the behavior and physiology of this unique little Arctic mammal and its unusual 800-mile migration each year from Hudson Strait to the Gulf of St. Lawrence
A surprising look at the eating habits of Canadians; food and nutrition, the so-called well-balanced diet and problems of over-eating are analyzed.
A fascinating "retrospective look" at last summer's World Conference on The Human Environment, held in Stockholm and attended by delegates of nearly every country of the world.
A film about recent changes in urban planning in Toronto, Montreal and other major Canadian cities and the return of the modern urban centre into a place for people, culture and activity. Comments by leading planners and glimpses of some European cities' efforts to curb growing problems.
This program takes a look at the migratory habits of birds and animals, with recent findings in animal studies reinforced with fascinating film footage of many species in their natural habitats.
A black comedy .. . an unusual departure from this series' regular format, this film depicts obvious absurdities in a subjective interpretation of a 1970 M.I.T. computer study forecasting economic, social and political collapse of the entire world by no later than the year 2020, Introductory comments all by Dr. Donald Chant of the University of Toronto's Pollution Probe.
The Garbage Ouroboros. A comprehensive examination of the form of pollution fast becoming public enemy number one in North America: garbage. Recycling, a universal process of nature, offers the most likely alternative to this growing municipal headache; but is it feasible? Canadian and U.S. experts give their opinions and Ouroboros, a solid waste reduction unit in Hamilton, is visited.
The puffin, a bird with a multi-colored beak and the physique of a plump penguin, is subject of The Nature of Things series, which makes its season debut Monday at 10 p.m. The program, Puffins, Predators and Pirates, was filmed on Great Island, off the east coast of Newfoundland, site of the puffins' nesting grounds in North America. A documentary, biological study which reveals the plight of one of the world's last puffin colonies on Great Island off the eastern coast of Newfoundland.
This group of thinkers, the Club of Rome, thinks western society is on the verge of chaos, social and political, which could reduce our civilization to ruins
On Ellesmere Island, located 600 miles from the North Pole, oil has been discovered. Island inhabitants, new and old, are seen in this half-hour film.
Documentary about emotionally disturbed children living in a family environment as an alternative to institutional treatment
Czech astronomer Dr. Luboš Kohoutek, discoverer of the current heavenly phenomenon Comet Kohoutek 1973 f, is among the participants in this full-hour special. Roy Bonisteel is host of the program which examines comets from a scientific viewpoint, and heavenly signs and portents of doom from psychological and historical perspectives.
What goes on in the very top layer of soil is often too small to see with the naked eye. When photographed under a microscope, that first inch of soil reveals itself to be one of the most vital of the life cycles affecting man. The tiny, invisible hordes of bacteria, plant eaters, parasites and predators are the subject of this program.
Play is nature's method of learning about environment and about life for the young. This episode explores our world of play and its importance for survival.
Little children learn languages, especially their own, with astonishing ease. Why this is so is the subject of this film.
How the laws of physics are being applied to athletic endeavors, and coaches being taught how to use science rather than just "common sense" to help athletes get the most out of their bodies.
A report on an experimental project to place emotionally disturbed or mentally ill children in a family-type environment.
A documentary showing the behaviour of killer whales in the wild, in the waters off Vancouver Island.
Story of a child's stay in Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children.
A film on the volcanic eruption off the south coast of Iceland in 1973.
An ancient Egyptian mummy rests at Pennsylvania University Museum far from where she had been prepared to spend eternity . This is the subject of a scientific autopsy that several doctors have practiced to see what they could find in terms of disease it are thousands of years and comparing them with patients today.
What happens when a person makes a voluntary movement? Some say the human behavior is involuntary and is based on past experience. The whole question is explored on The Nature of Things.
Several species of turtles , frogs and snakes are endangered . this documentary will examine the important role these animals play in the ecological balance.
Documentary on the discovery of an archaeological site Charlton in the Island in the Bay Hudson.
The show is to explain how we help deaf children today live more Interesting life through devices more modern.
Documentary on horses living in the wild in an island off Nova Scotia.
Unique life forms in a pond.
Visible and microscopic life at the edge of a pond.
Documentary on prairie dogs and one colony in particular in South Dakota.
A study of the genetics of fruitflies.
The program shows how psychological experiments support those who believe that community and citizen control over their own environment is essential to the well being of city dwellers.
The work of a group of naturalists who are attempting to create a refuge for biblical animals by restocking a park with the species that inhabited the land in Bible times. (Season Debut)
Close-up look at a coral reef. Through the use of micro-photography, viewers are afforded a look at the unique way in which a reef is formed.
A fascinating study of the newborn human. The film features many prominant people in the limited field of newborn research, and many surprising discoveries that have been made. The human infant is born with.a surprising number of abilities and reflexes.
"Children of the Buffalo" documents the daily lives of the Toda tribe of Southern India. Toda culture centers on the raising of water buffalo, requiring religious rituals for almost every dairy activity from milking to churning butter. Also: a study of Toda marriage rituals and funeral rites.
Geriatric medicine and some aspects of research into the biology of aging. Dr. Ronald Cape, who leads a clinic at the University of Western Ontario attempts to dispel some of the myths concerning old age and senility.
The wind and its power, and how winds are generated. Processes of air circulation, the effect of wind on man-made structures. Sailboats, windmills and wind turbines used for generating electricity.
A look at Funk Island off the north-east coast of Newfoundland which is the breeding habitat for huge populations of sea birds.
A 1970 report on land development in the Florida Everglades that threatened the survival of wildlife
The series' 18th season starts with "The People You Never See," a report on victims of cerebral palsy. The program looks at a wheelchair-bound 12-year-old girl who continues to attend school, using a symbol board to communicate; and three disabled adults who have achieved a certain amount of independence despite the disease.
Pedestrian malls, car-free zones and multipurpose subway systems are examined in a study of urban planning and urban renewal.
Visit to the marshes of Regina where Canada Geese spend the winter on open water.
A look at the advantages and dangers of nuclear energy, focusing special attention on the problem of waste disposal.
The Cry of the Gull examines the effect of chemical pollutants on Lake Ontario wildlife.[203][204] Island of Monkeys studies individual development and group dynamics in a troop of rhesus monkeys in the natural observable environment of Cayo Santiago near Puerto Rico.
A look at the next development in space research: establishing a space colony supporting 10,000 people in an Earth-like environment.
This is the first of a two-part report which looks at both the scientific and human side of twins. The possibility of telepathy between twins is discussed.
Part two of a two-part study of twins and the research being conducted. This program shows how scientists use the phenomenon of twins to discover more about mankind in general, particularly in the field of genetics.
The creation of new organisms using a technique called recombinant DNA.
Two films featured: Patterns of Pain explores the perception of pain in our nervous systems; The Gannets of Bonaventure looks at the largest breeding colony of gannets in North America, on Bonaventure Island; and informs of threats to the colony from pollution and tourist traffic.
A study of individual development and group dynamics in a troop of rhesus monkeys in the natural observable environment of Cayo Santiago near Puerto Rico.
The cliff-dwelling Dogon farmers and their unique culture are studied in their homeland near the Niger River in Mali.
The current efforts in both the United States and Canada to harness the sun as a major resource of heat and power are examined.
The activities of the economic and social center of Sololá, located on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, are viewed.
Volunteers undergo an experiment at the Montefiore Sleep Lab in New York which monitors their sleeping-awakening cycles in an attempt to learn more about the body's biological time system.
Analysis of dreams is viewed at several institutions established expressly for that purpose, and those who participate in the experiments are shown as they make notations and give recollections of what they dreamed.
"Charlie," a profile of paleontologist Charles Sternberg, who discovered and catalogued dinosaur fossils in the Badlands of Alberta. Footage shows early digs near Red Deer River Valley, where the paleontologist and other workers unearthed lizard and dinosaur remains. Now in his 90s, Sternberg still lectures.
"The Search" follows World Health Organization medical teams on their campaign to vaccinate the Somali against smallpox. Most of the natives of this African country are nomads, and the program focuses on the difficulty of containing outbreaks of the deadly disease, a chore that involves house-to-house searches in which everyone is treated.
The history and culture of the descendants Acadians from Nova Scotia living along the Bayou Lafourche in Louisiana. Established Caluns was there since the mid-18th century after being deported have still kept their French language and their traditions despite the US pressures that live there.
Dr. David Suzuki visits an unusual professor who conducts a Flying Circus Of Physics, examines soft contact lenses made for extended periods of use and reports on the latest immunological efforts to treat severely afflicted children. - Premiere with David Suzuki as Host.
Dr. David Suzuki reports on the use of hypnosis as a medical application and the use of ultra-sound waves for X-rays, and presents the film "Sacred Cows," dealing with the importance of domestic cattle to the Indian economy.
Scientists Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. David Bevie are interviewed and the status of parenthood and a unique connection between puppets and surgery are examined.
"Madagascar: Island of the Moon" examines some of the rare animal species found on the world's fourth-largest island (now known as the Malagasy Republic). Most of the footage is devoted to the island's lemurs, early primates that have flourished on Madagascar and evolved into several species. Among the animals shown are the ring-tailed lemur, the mouse lemur.
A one-hour film about a new method of treatment for autistic children, hitherto thought to be hopeless cases. Filmed in Toronto, it shows how techniques developed in the U.S. by Barry and Suzi Kaufman, themselves parents of an autistic Child, have been adopted for use in an experimental program headed by Fern Levitt, a 24-year-old psychology graduate of York University.
The host David Suzuki show us the changes physiological caused by diving and examines the mystery memory.
This report on oil exploration in the Canadian Arctic examines the technological and environmental problems associated with drilling in the Far North. It also focuses on how and where decisions about northern development are made. Among those interviewed are Jake Epp, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development; Environment Minister John Fraser; and Mr. Justice Thomas Berger, author of a 1977 report on the Mackenzie Valley pipeline.
Topics include Clinical Trials; Folk Medicine and Magnetic Bacteria.
The brain's two halves or hemispheres differ both in anatomical structure and in the bodily functions they control. "Left Brain, Right Brain" is a report on recent studies into the functional differences between the two halves. Studies include administering verbal and motor tests to a subject after one hemisphere has been anesthetized, tracing blood-flow activity in the two halves as different tasks are performed and testing a patient who has had the nerve connections between the two halves severed.
A one-hour film on modern zoos. Traditionally, zoos have been little more than prisons for their occupants; today, special environments are being created which provide much better for the welfare of animals and increase the enjoyment of visitors.
Tonight's topics include Crocodile City; High Altitude Physiology; and Magnetic Bacteria.
Title of tonight's program is "The Lacandons" - a North American Indian program.
A documentary about Paul Jacobs, an American freelance investigative journalist who sets out to prove the relationship between low-level nuclear radiation or fallout and the increased incidences of cancer. Between 1957 and 1978, Jacobs interviewed persons who had been exposed to fall-out from bomb tests in Nevada.
The story of naturalist Peterson, his work and his love of nature, narrated by John Livingston, photography by Rudolf Kovanic.
Among the segments is "Galileo," a film that chronicles the life of the Italian astronomer, mathematician and physicist through visits to the cities where he lived and worked, and demonstrations of his experiments. Another segment focuses on how the human body adapts to life high above sea level, and includes a report on some of the equipment that enables mountain climbers and airplane pilots to survive at high altitudes. Also; how weather in one part of the world can affect regions thousands of miles away.
The Chiricahuas, the making of violins, and seal psychology are among the topics covered.
(Season Premiere) David Suzuki highlights the eruption of the Mount St. Helens volcano, the uses of hovercraft by the Canadian Coast Guard, new types of radar and the effects which a baseball has when it spins through the air.
A report on cystic fibrosis, a genetic respiratory ailment that afflicts young people; and a profile of one of its victims, 24-year-old nurse Susan McKellar. Other segments examine the International Crane Foundation's efforts to save the whooping crane from extinction; and research into cold-water survival techniques.
Three films are featured: The Bare Necessity, dealing with the human skin; Manatees, concerning a unique vegetarian creature which lives in coastal waters, and Ludhiana, a profile of an Indian city which serves as the home base for 12,000 different business enterprises.
Documentary film on the tar sands Atabaska.
Scheduled items include Alternate Car Fuel; Surface Tension and Science Fair.
The first of two hours filmed in China examines traditional aspects of Chinese culture- herbal medicine, acupuncture, language- and provides a look at some of the country's famous landmarks, such as the Great Wall and the Imperial Palace in Peking.
The professional and recreational activities of the Chinese people are examined in a tour of their homes, factories and parks, as well as the palaces which were formerly the homes of Emperors.
A magazine edition features items about the survival instincts of the insect world and the research currently being conducted in regard to sickle cell anemia.
Host David Suzuki visits the Algonquin Park Observatory and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as he reports on the use of radio astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. The work of the National Research Council in studying unusual wave formations, recent developments in the exploration of outer space through radio astronomy, and a visit with scientist Joel Hildebrand of the University of California are featured.
Scheduled: Reports on prenatal diagnosis of spina bifida, Tay-Sachs disease and Down's syndrome using amniocentesis, ultrasonography and fetoscopy; the use of chinchillas in researching damage to human ears caused by exposure to noise.
A film from OECA about a Toronto family whose youngest child, a boy, was born with cerebral palsy. Produced by Christa Singer. Also, "Oyster Culture" and a report on the American Association for the Advancement of Science convention held in Toronto.
Magazine edition featuring the following items - a report from State University of New York at Buffalo on the structure of birds' eggs and how their porosity enables the growing chick to breathe inside the egg; film shows how oxygen enters the egg through the multitude of small holes and how this differs in small eggs and large; also, research into the incubating behaviour of herons and terns and how this affects the development of their eggs and chicks. Newfound land Oil. A look at the social and ecological changes occurring in some of the fishing villages of Newfoundland where oil exploration surveys are being conducted.
Poisoned Playgrounds - A report by producer Heather Cook on the use of pesticides in an Ontario community and the action taken by parents when insecticide spraying at a school proved hazardous to children's health. Charlie - A repeat of a film first telecast December 17, 1978 about a Canadian archaeologist.
A look at the history of scientific photography from its beginnings in 1837 to the present-day use of high-speed cameras.
The island paradise of Sri Lanka is visited in a comprehensive study that examines the dangers its wildlife faces from cultural and technological changes.
Documentary about the oil sands.
Blackfly: A look at the life cycle of the blackfly, and its effects in northern Canada and Africa. Desalination: A practical method of desalination using reverse osmosis is presented. Memory - Come to think of it (repeat): A look at recent research into the brain's memory capacities. Dr. Karl Illmensee: A look at the work being done by Dr. Karl Illmensee (de) at the University of Geneva to study the possibility of causing cancerous cells to revert back to normal cells.
For centuries the people of the village of Huasicancha in Peru lived under the domination of others, from the last of the Inca rulers to the Spanish conquerors and subsequent regimes. How the people finally rose up to reclaim the poor land they farmed at a subsistence level is told in this documentary.
The Last of Life: A look at geriatric medicine and some aspects of research into the biology of aging. The Cajuns: The descendants of Nova Scotia's Acadians and their lifestyle are profiled at their adopted home, the Bayou Lafourche in southern Louisiana.
David Suzuki examines reconnective surgery and the vision capabilities of sharks, visits an irrigation project in India and explains the functions of batteries. The micro-surgery segment was taped in China and features Dr. Chen Chung Wei of the 6th People's Hospital in Shanghai. Dr. Chen is credited with pioneering the techniques now being practiced at Toronto's General hospital.
Steps being taken to combat rabies in Ontario, an Island of Coral which provides a home for some of the world's most unique creatures, and the advantages and hazards of microwave ovens.
David Parer's Australian examination of the wildlife on Macquarie Island, narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary.
Waterproof Frog: A look at the unique frog Phyllomedusa which lives in the arid Gran Chaco region of central South America. The frog protects itself against water loss by coating its body with a waxy secretion. The Piano: A program about the history and science of the piano. In the Sub-Nuclear Kitchen: A brief look at particle physics and the huge particle accelerator at the European Centre for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva. The Record: A history of the phonograph record.
A study of the genetic and biological development of thoroughbred horses, tracing the history of the animal from the time that horses were small creatures to the sleek, larger size animals they are today.
This is a special edition based on two half hour programs that first aired in 1978. Producer Heather Cook has revised and updated the original programs to include the latest research data in studies that have been continuing over long periods at various medical centres and universities in North America. The program explains how cells divide to produce twins and the differences between fraternal twins and identical twins.
A Natural Turn of Events: Construction in Toronto has led to the creation of a long spit of land - the Leslie Street Spit - which is turning into a prime nesting location for many kinds of birds, and also for migrating Monarch butterflies. Kidney Transplant: Kidney dialysis and transplants, with Dr. Michael Robinette of the Toronto General Hospital. Kelp: A look at kelp harvesting in China, and the products that can be made from it.
Microscope: Making It Big: A look at the history and present development of the microscope. Desert Doctors: A look at the mobile hospitals used to treat people inexpensively in India's Rajisthan Desert. Polar Bear Pass: A look at Polar Bear Pass, an important oasis of arctic wildlife on Canada's Bathurst Island.
The various factors which influence human weight are examined through reports on eating habits, diets, and basic metabolism.
A magazine edition highlights the giant lizards on the island of Mona near Puerto Rico, and physics professor Philip Morrison's work on the atomic bomb as a team member on the Manhattan Project.
Aspirin: An examination of how the common drug aspirin may have widespread application in combating heart and circulatory system diseases. This depends on its action, only recently appreciated, of inhibiting blood clotting. Windy Bay: A look at Windy Bay, on Lyell Island in the Queen Charlotte Islands, one of the last areas of virgin rainforest on the Canadian west coast. Windy Bay is now threatened by clearcut logging even though it has been suggested as a priority site for international conservation. Fluorescent Light: How fluorescent lights work and how they are manufactured.
Hanuman Langurs: Monkeys of India: A look at the social organization and adaptation to human settlements of Hanuman langurs, social monkeys who are named for the monkey god Hanuman. A Helping Hand: A look at myoelectric prostheses, artificial limbs which, while being powered by batteries, are actually controlled by amplified muscle electricity. Formation Flight: Examining the reasons why large birds tend to fly in formation.
"Jute Plastic." Bangladesh is the world's chief supplier of jute fibre for use in the manufacture of twine, burlap, tarpaulin and carpet-backing. This item shows how jute is harvested and processed for export, and how synthetic fibres are now threatening the economy of Bangladesh which depends on jute production for much of its income. "Honeybees." The life and social order of a honeybee colony - the role of drone, queen and worker bees, their feeding and how they communicate. "Hildebrand." A follow-up to last season's report on Dr Joel Hildebrand of the University of California at Berkeley, who in Dec. 1981 celebrated his 100th birthday at his office on the campus where he is still very active in teaching and research.
Mind's Eye: A report on recent research into how the brain constructs vision from the information supplied by the eyes. Tide Mill: A look at a grist mill at Ealing in England which for two centuries has run on tidal power. Colour It Snake: A discussion of the ways in which the basic pigments in snake scales are arranged to produce colour patterns fitting various survival needs.
An examination of the theory advanced by physicist Luis Alvarez and others that an asteroid impact was responsible for the sudden total extinction of the dinosaurs over sixty million years ago.
Waves: An update of the program "Freak Waves" originally broadcast in December 1980. A further look at research being done into wave formations that can destroy oil rigs on the open sea. The Harp Seal (repeat): The development of the Harp Seal is traced, from birth through nursing to its eventual migration northward. Blackfly (repeat): A look at disease and other problems caused by blackflies.
Gutenberg Revisited: A look at new developments in microelectronic information processing, focusing on the Telidon system, a Canadian invention offering two-way interactive television. Diving Birds: A look at adaptations in aquatic birds such as ducks and geese which allow them to make long dives under water. Tulips: An overview of the tulip industry in Holland.
Northern Games: A look at the traditional games of the Inuit as they are practised 800 km north of the Arctic Circle, by youth in competition from communities across the North. Geothermal Energy: A look at how geothermal energy has been adapted to supply human needs on Iceland. Ships of the Desert: An exploration of the dromedary camel, adapted for life in the desert. Coriolis Effect: A brief explanation of the coriolis effect - what it is, how it is demonstrable, and its effect on weather.
A look at recovery after strokes. In previous years, strokes were frequently fatal, and brain damage was seen as permanent. Now, all this is changing. It has been found that with therapy many stroke victims can recover some or even most of the functions they have lost.
Long point marsh is a sandspit on the Northern shore of Lake Erie. Discovered in 1670 by French explorers, this wildlife area has kept many of it's original features and is now an important habitat for many species of animals and migrating birds.
Featured: Solar techniques to improve the thermal efficiency of a house; treatment methods for fragile bones (osteoporosis); and a laser system called DIAL (Differential Absorption Lidar) that measures levels of environmental pollution.
The landmarks of Japanese science and technology since the end of World War II are highlighted in the first of two related programs. The ancient craft of Samurai swordmaking and computer based steel production are also examined.
The everyday life of Japanese workers is traced through their values, their leisure activities and the mechanization of their factories.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation produced four half-hour films about the Macquarie Islands. This episode of The Nature of Things compiles two of them. The first was originally entitled 'Man the Hunter, Man the Keeper.' The second was originally entitled 'The Dominant Male.' The program looks at the delicate ecological balance which must be maintained for the populations of elephant seals and seabirds on the Macquarie Islands. Narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary.[347] The other two episodes were compiled into a Nature of Things broadcast of 28 October 1981.
Numerous questions raised by new genetic testing techniques designed to identify fetal disorders are addressed. The evolving techniques of fetal diagnosis such as amniocentesis, ultrasound and fetoscopy are also considered.[349][350] This is a revised version of 'Prenatal Diagnosis' which was originally broadcast on December 10, 1980.
An examination of the measures being taken by a Himalayan mountain community that is trying to avoid a flood disaster, such as that which devastated northern India in 1978.
A look at the first moments of an infant's life and its adaptation to the outside world.
Decade of Delay: A look at what can be done to make cars safer, and an inquiry into why it is not being done. RH Laboratory: A visit to the special Rh. laboratory in Winnipeg, which was the world pioneer in combating Rh disease, an infant condition that results from the presence or absence of the rhesus factor in individual blood cells. Hawaii Telescope: A look at the telescope and observatory erected by a joint venture of Canada and France on Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii.
Holland's Delta Project, a task involving difficult measures to reclaim land from the sea, is detailed.
The Gentle Giants: A film on the gray whales who live off the pacific coast of North America. Ancient Diseases: A look at paleopathology and what can be learned about the past of man and the history of diseases through the autopsy of ancient human remains. Water Weeds: A look at an experimental project in Listowel, Ontario, using cattails to purify sewage. The cattails thrive in sewage where they also filter out some industrial contaminants as well as deal with organic compounds.
A one-hour film from the BBC series Horizon exploring the effects of the Earth's magnetic field on animals and, to a lesser extent, humans.
The social life of one of nature's shyest creatures is examined in a year-round study of its behavior.
Season Premiere: Dr. David Suzuki profiles veteran Canadian swimmer Dan Thompson, the lifestyles of diabetics and the manufacturing of glass eyes.
Cobra: India's Good Snake: Ignorance and superstition surround the cobra, threatening the members of this species which is helpful to man. Blue Babies: David Suzuki talks with cardiologist Peter Olley of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto concerning the pharmaceutical and medical treatment of infants born with a congenital heart defect. High Flight: Research is beginning to uncover the reasons why birds can fly at high altitudes that would cause brain damage in humans.
The clever methods of various creatures either to hunt or to avoid being hunted are examined in locations including Central America and Australia.
The host David Suzuki visit some of these stations in Japan and elsewhere in the world and lay eyes on the therapies that are available there. In addition, it will parallel between the American attitude toward this form of treatment and that of the inhabitants of other countries.
The Cathedral Engineers: Shot on location in France and New York City, the program looks at the history and philosophy of European gothic cathedrals. Neem: A Natural Insecticide: Products of the neem, one of the world's most useful trees, are used to make everything from soap to insecticide. Bluebird Trails: Pushed out of prime nesting sites by the introduction of the english sparrow and starling in 1900, the North American bluebird is making a comeback thanks to specially constructed bluebird boxes built across eastern North America.
This hour-long program documents the reasons for the decline of some species of pacific salmon. The life cycles, spawning, and migration of various types of pacific salmon are studied.
Bishnois and the Antelope: a Hindu sect known as the Bishnois live on the edge of the Rajasthan desert in northwestern India. Strict vegetarians, they have an awareness of ecology which makes them protectors of their environment. Cyclosporin: A new anti-rejection drug cyclosporin is being used to treat transplant patients. Freezing Water: A look at what happens when water is frozen.
The moon's role in man's history, the anatomy of salamanders, and the discovery of an iron-age village are highlighted.
Featured: the snapping turtle is profiled; a look at technology which enables doctors to examine the interior of the body without surgical intervention, and a visit to a Japanese craftsman's workshop where Samurai armour is made.
Tonight's topics: Flight Simulators - A visit to Montreal where a Canadian company produces sophisticated devices to train pilots for normal flight and for a number of situations that can occur in the air, including the wind-Shear phenomenon and other emergency conditions. And, Beating The Blues - A report on the effects of severe depression and methods of treatment used to combat specific kinds of depression.
Maps: From Quill to Computer: The history of mapmaking, from early clay tablets to state-of-the-art renditions. Mountain Gophers: a look at the Columbian ground squirrel found in the area of the Rocky Mountains, their mating and territorial habits and methods of communication with each other. Japanese Silk Weaving: A look at the production of silk, from cocoon to fabric.
Season Premiere: Treating chronic back pain; mobile data terminals for emergency personnel; and individuals tracking birds in Ontario and observing their behaviour so that a bird atlas can be published.
A visit to Kunde Hospital, built in a remote Himalayan village by New Zealand explorer Sir Edmund Hillary; a look at the use of computers for dance notation which record a dancer's movement; and a camera that can perform complex film tracking shots through miniature sets.
An exploration of Manitoba's Delta Marsh and its animal, bird and plant life.
Host David Suzuki presents film footage of the reproductive process of mitosis, the first division of an egg that initiates the process of reproducing life. The story follows the development of the human fetus from conception until it enters the outside world.
Chinese Wall Paintings: Observing the detailed and time-consuming work involved in restoring two large fourteenth century wall paintings owned by the Royal Ontario Museum. Erie Ice: A look at the formation of ice ridges that can force themselves down into the lake bottom, carving huge gouges when they shift. Fly Fishing: A look at the sport of fly fishing, examining the life cycle of the brook trout and the mayfly and showing how detailed knowledge of the river ecosystem is necessary for successful angling.
A look at how various species of plant life lure insects and animals to effect the pollination process.
Drought in Africa: A brief look at the drought conditions in Ethiopia and the need for solutions at the village level. Where the Bay Becomes the Sea: A documentary about the fragile and complex marine ecosystem in the Bay of Fundy. The film traces relationships within the food chain - from tiny plankton to birds and seals and finally to whales and humans.[397] Insect Communication: A look at the hearing and sound-producing mechanisms of insects, used for attracting a mate, defining territory, and defending against bats.
Tonight's topics "Making Moves" Nerve-controlled movement is one of evolution's great innovations. We take if for granted until we're faced with its loss as are victims of spinal chord injuries. Research into basic nerve-muscle mechanisms hold promise for the recovery of movement after spinal chord injuries. And, Orchids and Juggling.
A historical look at the evolution of the pipe organ.
Tonight: "Dinosaur" The vanished world of a highly specialized species, the dinosaur. is pieced together with evidence from fossilized footprints, bones and pollen, and from habitats such as the Everglades.
CPR: Reversing Sudden Death: a British Columbia campaign to teach cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the general population. Catching the Wind: An examination of the skill and scientific expertise required for world-class sailing. Environmental Sculpture: In his studio in Oakville, sculptor Joseph Patriska creates art which urges government and industry to commit to a cleaner environment.
David Suzuki takes a look at the potential hazards of pollution and mismanagement of one of the world's greatest sources of fresh water — the Great Lakes.
Tonight, an overview of the provocative series A PLANET FOR THE TAKING that begins on CBC Television Wednesday, February 6. This preview introduces viewers to a new perspective on our human role in nature. Also, Blue Babies - infants born with a heart defect are sometimes unable to receive sufficient oxygen. And, High Flight - research into the workings of bird lungs.
The Difference Between Dark Meat and White meat
Another visit with cystic fibrosis victim Susan McKellar, and the return of the sea otter.
Celebrates the multitude of machines that humans have engineered in order to launch themselves into the air.
A profile of pioneering heart surgeon Dr. William Bigelow, focusing on the development of early heart surgery procedures.
A radically-new form of medical education at Canada's McMaster University is receiving attention and acclaim from around the world. In Doctors of the Future, new doctors and their teachers discuss the process of educating a physician. Also, "Walking" - like a pendulum in motion is how some physicists describe this energy-efficient method of moving the human body. And. "Vortices" - they're everywhere, from the clouds to the bathtub. Vortices explores how and why a vortex is formed.
An update on the ancient disease that still afflicts millions around the world including North America. Progress continues, especially in educational programs designing to aid early diagnosis to stop the disease before it deforms its victims.
Featured: how alcohol affects the body; ancient life-forms inhabiting the shallow sea that is now the Canadian Rockies; the physics of archery.
The Queen Charlotte Islands Cousteau dubbed "Galapagos of America North " is one of the regions the most beautiful in the world . We V found plants that are not nowhere else , and it is experienced by Indians Haida.
Plankton and phytoplankton.
Film of O.N.F. explaining what a comet is; The cormorants, these remarkable divers.
An examination of acid rain's destructiveness and possible solutions to the problems it causes.
David Suzuki is the host of this award-winning science show which begins its 27th season. What will the car of the future be like? Faster? Sleeker? Will it be built by humans — or machines? Will it continue to pollute and kill? Join David Suzuki for an eye-opening ride through the fact and fantasy of the machine we love. And hate.
Clouds, and the atmospheric forces that create weather; an illustration of the principle of rotation; traditional methods and modern techniques employed in making paper in Nepal.
A look at the dangerous and beautiful Niagara Escarpment, a limestone spine that runs northward from Niagara Falls through the densely populated province of Ontario.
Bereaved Argentinian women whose persistence and courage have enlisted help from American geneticists and forensic scientists in identifying the victims of their former government's persecution; ultrasonic sound and kidney stones; ambitious curbside recycling programs.
A look at the therapeutic use of plants over the years to cure illnesses and maintain good health, and how the deteriorating number of plant species in the world may prove to be a medical, as well as environmental, loss to humanity.
A look at how some animals, including the snapping shrimp and possibly the whale, use sound waves to stun their prey.
Describes a program in Kerala, a state in southern India, where a combination of contraception, voluntary sterilization, increased education, a lowered rate of infant mortality, and the extension of health care to impoverished rural areas has produced a dramatic decrease in the birth rate. Also, scientific and technical research focused on the vortex.
An exploration into the psychological and social forces which form our ideas and feelings about the opposite sex.
Topics: an investigation into the senseless drowning of 10.000 caribou in Limestone Falls in the wilderness of Labrador in 1984. And, Teflon Knee.
The language behind the gestures of a symphony conductor; and Canada's oldest residential environment education program, the Toronto Island Public and Nature Science School.
A visit to a classroom where an innovative approach is taken in teaching math, and children are encouraged to invent their own math problems to solve by creating games and puzzles.
The chemistry of fire; and a look at two species of cormorants noted for their fishing abilities.
A simple solution of sugar, salt and water is saving millions of children's lives in Third World countries from diarrhea and subsequent dehydration, which causes more deaths than famine.
This journey into the human immune system focuses on various aspects of the AIDS virus, from its origin in history to the psycho-social impact on its victims and society.
The leading role occupied by the plankton is not limited to food intake to the various forms of marine life which He is the food but also by its photosynthetic action. It turns esssential the production of oxygen of our planet.
Declining populations of sea birds on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Modern uses of radar, and the philosophy and science of dowsing for water.
The physiology of speech production, and fossils in shale.
Los Angeles County's toxic waste strike force, and how fish swim.
The fate of the Franklin expedition through the Arctic.
The long-term effects of fall-out from Chernobyl are still being debated. The pros and cons of nuclear power have been hotly debated for the past decade, but the shock waves of the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl have brought that debate to a boil. This episode looks at that debate. How safe are reactors and waste disposal? What about uranium mining, weapons proliferation, and the economics? How safe is nuclear energy and what are the alternatives?
A year in the life of a bald eagle, and history of balloons and airships.
How zoos can help prevent the extinction of wildlife; Arctic wildlife.
Science and technology restructure society.
Report on perestroika (restructuring) USSR. Is she doomed to success or failure?
The process of thinking in humans.
Scientists study animal and human sense of smell.
Something terrible is happening to the forests of eastern North America. Acid rain is killing the deciduous trees, especially the sugar maple. The Nature of Things takes a hard look at the devastation taking place in front of our eyes.
Multicelled human organisms evolve from matter created 14.5 billion years before.
Analyzing facial musculature, and a Hindu hospital for birds.
A Jamaican bat cave; gardening and ecological principles.
During the summer, several Rivers Maritimes are so shallow that it is difficult to navigate.
The causes and the effects of drought in India.
The Bald Eagle, an endangered species; Dirigibles from yesterday to today.
Sore back and available treatments now.
Swiss artist Bruno Manser works to save the Penan tribe of the Malaysian forest.
The sources and treatments of back pain; the manufacture and application of man-made structural colours.
Psychologist John Kennedy, from the University of Toronto, examines the ability of blind people to create and interpret visual images.
American painter Roger Tory Peterson's influence on the popularity of birdwatching.
All you need to know about aging.
A two-hour special, Amazonia: The Road to the End of the Forest, looks at a World Bank project that was committed to financing 110 dams that would have flooded a huge area of rainforest. The promised loans were withdrawn due to local and global opposition.
Season premiere: History of rubber. Includes its cultivation from wild trees.
A look at the human sense of balance; the Toronto Island Public and Natural Science School.
Report on the problems of air traffic at airports in Toronto and Atlanta and about the fixes that require it.
Researchers struggle to protect a reserve for peregrine falcons; the milkweed plant is part of a complex living network.
The conservation of rare breeds of farm animals, and the feeding behaviour of the phalarope, an unusual shorebird.
Folder on two paper mills in British Columbia that pollute with impunity Howe Sound a few kilometers north of Vancouver.
The human invests a lot in the war games, such as poker or other more elaborate games. Mathematical analysis of these games allowed the discovery of elements that could help resolve quickly armed conflict.
Host David Suzuki and narrator Angela Fusco present this program on the deterioration of paper in old books around the world. At least one-third of the world's books are turning into particles and dust as they become embrittled. This program describes various methods of book preservation, including re-binding, photocopying, de-acidification and creating micro-fiche copies.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a wilderness against the Canada/U.S. border that is the calving grounds of caribou, is threatened by the U.S. Department of the Interior's plans to develop the land for oil
The reasons behind the impending extinction of the black rhino are explored
Film clips from three decades reflect changing views of the world.
Season premiere: This special quiz from The Nature of Things tests viewer's knowledge of the environment, touching on topics ranging from global warming and the population explosion to compost boxes and toxic chemicals in the home.
The controversial issue of wolf control in Canada.
Ghana prospers by recycling car parts, and Herschel Island, off the Yukon coast, shelters life during the brief Arctic summer.
The acquisition of a second long in young children and adults.
A look at Cornell University's Professor Tom Eisner and his study of the insect world.
Documentary about the operation of the heart transplant is not as uncommon before, but that remains a difficult step for both the patient and the doctor. We can follow two patients and their doctors teams for a period of 7 months at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal.
Examines what is predictable and what is random in nature, and the state of chaos which is between the two, including fractal geometry.
The efforts of the Vietnamese to restore their environment greatly poisoned by the use of various toxic products, such Agent Orange, a high content of dioxin herbicide used during the war with the Americans.
Documentary about the Haida people of British Columbia who is desperately trying to preserve its environment against encroachment forestry companies.
Observation of the social organization of the hyena, in which the female predominates.
Reportage on the place of salt in the world.
The importance increasingly great for IT as a tool for dissemination of knowledge.
Folder on the cholesterol produced Biochemical which, when ingested in large quantities , is a factor binds to coronary heart disease.
Susan McKellor profile who suffers from cystic fibrosis, hereditary disease whose gene was recently discovered. Mother of two children and career woman, energy and enthusiasm she has is a source of inspiration for the people around her.
Documentary about the crocodile that lives in the Serengeti plain on the banks of the Grumeti River, Africa.
Documentary about the degradation North-America's Grasslands.
PUTTING YOU IN THE PICTURES The story of four Canadian inventors who have developed the IMAX system and its successor, the OMNIMAX. MARMOTS Short documentary on the marmot, an endangered species.
Season Premiere - Visits to research facilities in Canada, the United States and Great Britain highlight the debate on animal research issues.
Documentary about the precarious situation of grizzly bears in Canada.
Folder on research conducted by the experts of air safety when an aircraft accident occurs.
Advances in forensics that uses new techniques including DNA identification.
The oil addiction of the industrialized world. .
Documentary on our biological clock.
Since 1950, the human population of the world has doubled to nearly five and a half billion people. The major factor behind our assault on the environment is the rapidly accelerating growth of the human population. The world population is exploding and we must find a way to control our numbers.
A portrait of the life of the wild dog by photographer Hugh Miles that includes the forces threatening the extinction of Africa's most endangered carnivore.
Lasers have uses in communications, education, medicine, manufacturing and war.
The life cycles of the animals living in the giant kelp forests off the coast of California.
Documentary on the inhabitants of the three cities that are urging the government to act against industrial pollution.
Documentary on marine fossils buried the in the Rocky Mountain feet.
Documentary on migratory birds.
Title to be confirmed.
Anthropologist Dr. Shirley Strum reveals the social behavior of a troop of African olive baboons known as the ``Pumphouse Gang.''.
Alberta ranchers fear that a bison herd in Wood Buffalo National Park carries communicable diseases.
Examining the relationship between illness and stress.
Environmentalists, the oil industry and politicians debate drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
Poet Roger McGough explains the chemical elements.
Raccoons thrive in Toronto; scientists study natural interactions dependent upon milkweed.
Overfishing and other man-made problems threaten the oceans.
Toys play a role in childhood development and help children learn to cope with a complex world.
Gisele Benoit observes moose.
How memory works, and the role it plays in our lives.
Anthropologist Dr. Shirley Strum reveals the social behavior of a troop of African olive baboons known as the ``Pumphouse Gang.''.
New research addresses the causes of diabetes and its treatment.
The life cycle of the baboon.
A natural park protecting one of the world's last remaining undamaged coral reefs is located off the coast of Egypt.
Scientists study the role of hormones in disease prevention and treatment.
Close-up photography shows the plants and animals that inhabit the bogs of the world, including orchids, mosses and carnivorous plants.
Global warming may cause rising sea levels and agricultural disaster.
An elephant-seal pup learns to swim, dive, sleep under water and recognize food.
Small workshops use recycled automobile parts and traditional crafting skills to produce machinery of great benefit to the local people.
Season premiere: Examines vitamins and possible vitamin therapies in the future.
David Suzuki updates a report on overfishing and other man-made threats to the oceans.
Stonemasons and laborers try to construct a pyramid exactly the way it was done 4,000 years ago.
Alternatives to sprawling suburbs.
Looks at the eroding power of shorelines and examines how much of this erosion is natural and how much of it is human-induced.
Color: how it is perceived and how it affects everyday life.
The Nature of Things devotes a full hour to discussing the current and possible uses of this tropical tree.
Ladakh is a desert land high in the western Himalayas that is now experiencing rapid modernisation and "development" that is degrading both the environment and the culture. Ancient Futures examines the root causes of environmental and social problems and compels the viewer to re-examine what is meant by "progress".
A look at some species which have dramatically altered habitats. Starlings, murderous African bees, sea lamprey and Zebra Mussels are in the numbers.
Modern farming techniques are causing soil erosion, increased usage of pesticides, and increased reliance on chemical fetilizers which are potentially harmful to humans and the environment. Instead we pursue organic farming techniques which preserve the ecosystems of the world.
Investigates various types of allergies and the research into the possible causes and cures of them.
The unique ability of the memory to store, classify and retrieve human experience with great efficiency; the relationship between memory and perception.
Looks at companies big and small that have made concern for the environment part of their planning.
Season premiere: An in-depth look at the child abuse, its victims, its perpetrators and its prevention.
A profile of life within the Sea of Cortez; a stretch of water between the Baja Peninsula and the coast of Mexico.
The Nature of Things examines Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and talks with the world's leading experts, doctors, researchers and victims about this illness which causes a life of misery for those afflicted.
Looks at advances in information technology which make travelling on the ìnformation highway' part of our daily lives. Part 1 discusses the efforts of the entertainment industry to capitalize on the potential market made possible. Then the effect of Internet on social structures is discussed. The final part introduces the interplay of the video game industry and the new technology.
Imagine what it would be like if large parts of the world were too disease ridden to be travelled through safely. That troubling scenario could become a reality far sooner than we think. Malaria, a tiny parasite transmitted by the bite of a mosquito, has reached epidemic proportions in areas of Asia, South America and Africa. Yet, in western countries, where most health dollars are spent, malaria gets little attention.
Report on Arthritis: causes, effects and possible treatments.
A look at the fish and wildlife that lives off the waters of the Grumeti River, Africa. This river dries up completely during the dry season of the Serengeti plains and creatures, insects, wildlife, depend on the precise time where the rain will return to bring the waters of the river.
Most of us sees the study of numbers and statistics as incomprehensible or simply boring. However these mathematical abstractions ideas have an impact on us all.
North America's Great Blue Heron is being discovered by biologists to be a sensitive indicator of the state of our wetlands. If herons are abundant, the wetlands they inhabit form a healthy ecosystem.
Interviews with doctors regarding alternative medicine. Topics include acupuncture, homeopathy, ayurveda, and aboriginal medicine.
Introduces Martin Gardner, the American mathematician and his influence on not only leading mathematicians, computer scientists, but card-sharks, jugglers and circus stars as well.
The struggle of the Gwich'in people of Alaska to preserve the environment of those in developing oil fields.
The White Bear habitat off the coast of British Columbia.
The leading cause for the death of the cheetah : the lion.
Sexual reproduction has been the driving force behind numerous traits and characteristics, including the human propensity to feel love.
Explores the crises faced by Canada's national parks as they attempt to steer a path between the competing interests of tourism, ecology and business.
(Episodes order to be confirmed) - Is the human population going to outstrip the earth's food supply? This is the central question in this provocative new two-hour special. Side effects of recent food surpluses include environmental problems such as soil erosion, salinization and chemical pollution. Food or Famine looks at projects in North America, Chile, Indonesia, Africa and India that are participating in a worldwide movement to return to agricultural methods based on sound ecological principles. But as the world population continues to increase, new crops with higher yields will have to be developed. This special also examines the worldwide imbalance between food consumption and production.
We look at autism, a mysterious disorder that impedes normal development in humans and looks at new developments in its treatment. It was once believed that autism was caused by remote, cold parents; most often the mother was blamed. Today, autism is recognized as a partly genetic biological disorder, but its cause is still a mystery. The Child Who Couldn't Play examines the latest research on autism. At the Princeton Child Development Institute, the results of the science-based approach to autism attract professionals from around the world. Of the children under the age of five who are treated, over half progress to regular school classrooms. Winner of the Chris Award, Columbus International Film and Video Festival 1996; International Health & Medical Film Festival finalist.
In this video entomologist and Harvard Professor E.O. Wilson discuss the vital role insects play in ecology and in all life on earth. If insects disappeared, the natural world as known now would collapse in a matter of months. Insects are an integral part of life. They pollinate most of the world's flowering plants, break down organic wastes to produce soil, and they are a source of food for many animals and plants.
Naturalist John Livingston explores the roots of the ecological movement and illuminates modern environmentalism. He pleads for recognition and the intrinsic value of nature.
Updated documentary, presented in 1991, on drug consumers.
Visit the area of Peace and the Athabasca River in northern Alberta, dens herds of bison and wolf packs.
An exploration into the issue of race and how it determines physical well-being and defines social groups.
The program documents what is now the most threatened biological community in the world, the wetlands. It shows the effects of industrial development, levees, and dams in Illinois, Mississippi and Ontario and documents successful efforts to restore wetlands in both rural and urban areas.
The growing populations of pelicans and cormorants on the prairie lakes of Canada are blamed for the collapse of inland fishery.
A growing number of people are developing asthma, possibly caused by a combination of allergens and pollution.
Winter gathering of thousands of Bald Eagles north of Vancouver.
History of the nuclear power industry from the postwar days of fascination with the potential of the power, through the era of protests in the 60's, the accidents of the 70's and 80's, from Three Mile Island to Chernobyl, which have changed the public perception of nuclear power.
The wildlife in the Yellowstone mountainous region to the Yukon.
A look at the earthquakes that occur on the same day but a year apart in different parts of the globe.
The lions in the area of Ngorongoro Crater, east of Africa.
A look on reproductive hormones and the effects on humans and animals.
Doctors fear that overuse of antibiotics will lead to resistant bacterias.
An examination of the lives of songbirds in the northern forests and a look at the scientists who work to preserve their continued existence.
Season Opener: The Nature of Things hears firsthand from patients who are fighting to rule their fears, rather than be ruled by them.
An examination of the social, economic and environmental implications of sprawl — low-density development that spreads out from the edge of cities and towns and consumes farmland, forest and wetlands.
Dr. David Suzuki looks at the world-wide illegal trade in wildlife and animal parts and the harm it is causing. Also known as Animals wanted dead or alive.
Examining new approaches to controlling and preventing diabetes; diabetic blind athlete Pam Fernandes.
The citizens of the Bay of Fundy and the coast of India struggle against the policies of their government to preserve the oceans and fishes.
This program is about reconstructive surgery and looks at children with extreme facial deformities, the difficulties they encounter and the new breakthroughs in medical technology available to them.
The program is about the natural history of this invisible world: the things that float in the air around us, the microbes that live in the dish cloth on the kitchen counter, the fungi under our fingernails, and the visitors in the saucer under a house plant.
There is a growing number of people who regard marijuana (cannabis) as a benign medicine, offering relief to people suffering from a variety of illnesses, including epilepsy, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma as well as lessening the side effects of medications and treatments given to cancer and HIV patients. CBC Television's THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki examines the medicinal uses of marijuana.
Over the last 200 years, the prairie grasslands of North America have undergone a radical transformation. The fertile soil, formed slowly over thousands of years, has been taken over by agriculture for crops like grain, oil seeds and forages for livestock. The buffalo have gone, replaced by millions of cattle. Breaking up the soil and removing the protective layer of grass has created severe erosion. Heavy machines compact the soil, limiting its ability to store precious moisture. Exposed to the air, soil dries to a powder and blows away. It was a frenetic period of transcontinental railway construction in the 1900s that opened the centre of the continent to millions of settlers.
A focus on Honduras and the important link between this country, Mexico, the US and Canada.
It is only recently that humans have become aware that animal communication is often elegant, elaborate and subtle. Understanding how other species communicate tells us a great deal about the history and evolution of our species.
Chimps are getting Hepatitis B and it is a serious health problem, which usually leads to death in the species. They pick up the disease from handlers and experimenters when held in captivity. A startling look at the use of our closest living relatives for science.
The domestic dog has a special place in the human world. Is it by accident or design? All breeds of dogs trace their ancestry back to a common wolf-like creature that lived some 12 thousand years ago. But what was it that lead to the growth of such an extraordinary array of different progeny?
Scoliosis or curvature of the spine is found worldwide in about one out of every 10 people. Nearly all cases occur in adolescent females. It's a lifetime condition that can't be prevented or cured. At best it may be stabilized with bracing or surgery. but in the more severe cases, there's no telling when it may start to progress again.
In some ways Mars is like Earth: there are clouds, wind, fog and frost. But it's also as cold as Antarctica, its atmosphere is poisonous to humans, and the sky glows pink with billions of suspended dust particles. Some scientists believe the planet's ecology could be re- engineered to make it habitable for Earth's life forms. This would be humanity's greatest adventure, a mission unlike any we've ever known.
What age group is the fastest growing segment in our society? Teenagers, boomers, infants? Guess again...centenarians. People living into their 100s are not uncommon these days. Why are so many surviving longer? Is living to 100 within everyone's reach?
The Spanish flu reserved its special virulence not for children and the elderly but for those in the prime of life. In just a few months it killed more people than the ones that died in World Wars I and II, Vietnam and Korea combined. In the intervening years there has always remained the threat of a similar killing plague. If it hit again, the medical profession would still have been powerless.
In 1956, Russian tanks rolled down the streets of Budapest. Castro began fighting his way to power in Cuba and North American women kept house in an era known as the baby boom. Meanwhile, a drug trial being conducted on the island of Puerto Rico would eventually revolutionize pregnancy and be called "The Pill".
What is Canada's role in solar power? We're on the leading edge of fuel cell development but what about wind and solar? Most of our national wind energy output can be assessed at one glance here on the eastern slopes of the rockies. In the meantime, 40 countries around the world boast wind energy programs while Canada has none. Why do we snub a potential jobs and a new sector. David Suzuki argues that Canada has no national renewable energy policy or subsidies.
What are your wonders of the world? See what some experts have to offer as today's wonders of the world, including the bicycle and the linguistic genius of children. Tonight we'll meet three outstanding scientists and hear their very personal stories of scientific curiosity, discovery and wonder.
This documentary explores the fate of the endangered wild Suffield horses of Alberta. Located near a military base close to Medicine Hat, these animals were originally domesticated but returned to the wild over generations.
Season Opener: Myths and misconceptions are often born from the concealment of facts. This program brings the penis front and center for an unfettered study of the male organ's place in history, art, religion, and contemporary life.
Imagine if a new disease suddenly began to kill off some of the healthiest young people in your community. Starting with flu-like symptoms, it soon escalates and kills its victims within hours. People literally drown as their lungs fill with fluid. In the spring of 1993, a young Navajo couple and their infant son were just beginning their life together when unexpectedly and unannounced, tragedy struck.
Despite astonishing advances in many areas of modern medicine, the treatment of Parkinson's disease has changed very little since drug therapy was introduced nearly 40 years ago. Today however, doctors are gaining new insights into this complex disabling disease through the use of experimental surgery. Lynda MacKenzie has waited two years for experimental brain surgery for Parkinson's disease.
We've all felt the terror of being lost - even for just a few moments. We lose our way; a child unexpectedly vanishes in the aisles of a supermarket.
A baby perfect in every detail. Every one of the billions of cells in this baby carry all of the genetic information needed to produce every part of the body. But what happens if this genetic information is incomplete, the design modified, the function altered or destroyed by trauma or disease or a body part simply wears out? Engineers world wide are working with plastics, metals and living tissues. Trying to mimic Mother Nature and return the damaged body to function and dignity.
When David Suzuki was born 1936, there were two billion human beings. In his lifetime, our population has tripled. And in that time, virtually all of the modern things that we take for granted, the birth control pill, computers, jet planes, satellites -- you name it, have become a part of our daily lives. When you add all of that together, our numbers, our consumption, our technology, our economy -- we have become something never seen before on this Earth. A species so powerful we are changing the biological and physical features of the planet.
In our previous program, we saw how science and technology have presented us with a paradox -- a world in which we are increasingly powerful yet increasingly vulnerable at the same time. We looked at the consequences of our ever- increasing consumption of the earth's resources, at the growth of environmental consciousness. A world where it sometimes seemed that we had little sense of our real goals. Tonight, the stakes get higher as we travel into the future.
A nuclear power plant whether Chernobyl or this one near Toronto, is not a place you want run by people who are half asleep. But from all over, from surgeons, police, parents, you hear the same complaint -- they're tired. They can't get enough sleep. It's been called a sleep famine. Part of the price we pay for a non-stop 24 hour a day lifestyle. Life goes on around the clock. And in our 24 hour a day, seven day a week society, one of the major victims has been sleep.
These are 12-year-old Americans. Like all children their age, their personalities are already well defined. We assume their personalities come from their parents but a controversial new theory says we've got it all wrong. When someone proposes an idea that runs counter to what most people think, a controversy results. The influential role of parents has rarely been questioned until now.
Mass bleaching of coral has swept the world's tropical oceans, in places leaving hundreds of miles of coral coastline severely damaged. This program examines the issues associated with damage to corals: rising temperatures, and acidification due to increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Wild Goose Chase explores the ways in which city-dwelling Canada Geese and arctic-nesting Lesser Snow Geese have turned the modern, human-altered landscape to their advantage.
The Birth of The Human Mind takes viewers on an amazing journey back in time, exploring the use of language, tools and how our distant ancestors came to walk.
Did we kill off our cousins, interbreed and merge with them, or did they just die out? It took five million years for an upright ape to evolve into an agile, quick-thinking and inventive human being.
Violent thunderstorms develop in the heat of spring and summer. The heat quickly draws large amounts of water vapour into the air. As the cloud grows, it rises high into the atmosphere. Eventually it hits a layer of cold air -- the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere. Blocked from rising, the cloud spreads into an anvil shape. Within the cloud, the droplets combine and grow until gravity draws them back to Earth. It takes a million droplets to make a single rain drop.
The strip of vegetation along a waterway is called the riparian zone, the 'green zone.' This program shows that protecting a stream or restoring a river often means repairing this green riparian zone, which scientists say is as important to the river's ecosystem as the water itself.
In the spring of 1960, a village in the western Arctic was chosen as the site of a huge nuclear experiment. Five atomic bombs would be used to dig an instant harbour nearby. Over the next 30 years, the Americans and the Russians set off 150 atomic blasts, developing what they called peaceful nuclear explosions.
Healthy siblings offer to donate their lungs to their sister, who is dying of cystic fibrosis.
A few decades ago, you'd have been hard pressed to find many survivors of transplant surgery. Today, we have come to expect that such surgery will work. Surgeon Roy Calne is one of the pioneers who made transplant surgery a practical medical tool. He's also a painter whose works capture subjects as diverse as a tiger in the jungle and the history of these startling medical advances. When he began as a surgeon, almost all these procedures failed because of the body's refusal to accept the new organ.
South America; Ecuadorean volcanoes; waterfalls; Machu Picchu; Tierra del Fuego; glaciers.
The tropical rain forest of Amazonia and the myriad animals that call its tree canopy home.
An examination into the rivers and tributaries of the Amazon basin and how wildlife adapts to the seasonal changes in river level.
Amanda's family is a carrier for a rare early-onset gene that triggers Alzheimer. It's a disease we normally associate with the elderly. In Alzheimer's, specific proteins bind to form plaque in the brain, resulting in memory loss and physical impairment. Eventually patients die from complications. A few years ago a research team at the University of Toronto isolated the specific gene associated with early-onset Alzheimer. As well, new Alzheimer drugs like Araset, trial vaccines, and improved diagnostic techniques offer new hope for patients. However, doctors are still many years away from finding a cure. Tonight we follow Amanda's powerful story as she struggles to come to terms with her family's deadly inheritance.
The history of the crash test dummy is traced back 50 years to its invention for the US Air Force. The dummy has saved thousands of lives. But has the time come to retire this selfless hero of countless car and airplane crashes?
PENGUIN SHORES is part five of the magnificent six-part BBC series Lost Worlds, covering the amazingly diverse topography of South America, and its remarkable denizens. The world's longest mountain chain stretches from the tropics to the massive Patagonian Ice Sheet of sub-Antarctica. Its icy power dominates the lives of the hardy animals that dare to call it home, making living there one of nature's greatest challenges.
Lost Worlds - A six-part series on the breath-taking natural world of South America takes viewers on a cross-continent grand tour - from the mighty Amazon to the spectacular Andean peaks and the world's driest desert - stopping to view the strange and wonderful array of animals, birds and other wildlife along the way. Produced by the BBC. Narrated by David Suzuki.
The Salmon Forest transports viewers to the breathtaking remote temperate rainforests, stretching 400 km along the B.C. coast from Vancouver Island to Alaska. The millions of spawning salmon support dense concentrations of forest life - among them grizzly bears, black bears, bald eagles, seals, otters, gulls and countless invertebrates. Much about life here still remains hidden and unknown, but THE NATURE OF THINGS joins two University of Victoria scientists to reveal the secrets of this amazing ecosystem.
On both coasts of North America, salmon have long symbolized speed, power and abundance in nature. But today salmon populations are plummeting for a variety of reasons. Aquaculture, or fish farming, seems to offer a way to satisfy the exploding demand for fresh fish. But it's controversial. David Suzuki is among the critics who question the current practices of this young industry. To explore this important issue in Europe and North America we joined forces with the BBC.
Medicine in the twenty-first century is venturing beyond the realm of dreams, firing our imagination and bringing new hope in the battle against disease. Technology is advancing rapidly, giving surgeons the ability to look into tissues and organs that were previously hidden. One remarkable camera can be swallowed, seeking out abnormalities during its fantastic voyage. Portable, miniaturized ultrasound systems can go to the patient, its images equal to those of larger units. Welcome to a whole new world in the medical arena.
On the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea, lives a tribe of 2,000 people, the Maisin. Unlike the more remote tribes, the Maisin were among the first to have contact with Europeans. It was Anglican missionaries who brought them the English language, Christianity, and a desire to see the world outside their villages. But recently something has changed their mind. The post-war generation that moved away to towns and cities as far away as Australia are deciding to come home, to live in a community without any of the modern conveniences... no running water, no electricity, no roads.
Albertans have traditionally been proud of their mighty petroleum industry. But lately, they have begun to question how that industry works. Nowhere is this shift more apparent than along the Clearwater River in Central Alberta, near Rocky Mountain House. There, residents are opposing Shell Canada's plans to drill a sour gas well in their area. The sour gas from the well could generate $10,000 a day in gross revenue, to meet today's high energy demands.
The documentary follows an anthropologist studying communities of children who exhibit significant and disturbing neurological differences, and looks at pesticide use as the possible cause.
The story of the Aral Sea is a modern fable that contains a dire warning about our future. Less than 40 years ago this was a sea full of fish, the air was clear, the soil rich and the climate temperate. But today the Aral Sea is one of the most tragic environmental catastrophies of the last century. The Aral Sea is dying the death of a thousand irrigation canals, silently evaporating in the desert sun. The people call the dust blowing off the former seabed the dry tears of the Aral. The new Aralkum, the new desert, covers 38,000 square kilometres. This is the legacy of the will of distant leaders to turn Central Asia into the greatest cotton producing region in the world.
Filmmaker Mort Ransen chronicles the struggle between residents and land developers on Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Bob thinks but doesn't feel. Christina feels but has trouble thinking. Virginia can neither think or feel as she's pulled down into a spiral of darkness that zaps her very will to survive. Kent lives within a 20-minute time span, unable to remember his past or plan for his future. Each of these people has had an injury to a part of the brain called the frontal lobes and their stories, told in Me, My Brain And I, are helping neuroscientists unravel the mystery of what makes us distinctly human.
All over the planet, temperature increases are affecting wildlife. Some species are spreading to new areas. For others, climate change means extinction. THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki presents Warnings From The Wild, a documentary that draws together recent evidence of the effects of the biggest climatic upheaval in 10,000 years.
TOUCH - THE FORGOTTEN SENSE is a film about the amazing, but often overlooked sense of touch. The film takes us on an artistic and scientific journey from a woman who has completely lost her sense of touch, to a deaf-blind child that can understand speech through his fingers.
PSYCHOPATHS is a documentary that looks at the understanding of this condition in the scientific community, and what hope there is for treatment, therapy or a cure.
Are our regulatory agencies doing their best to ensure drug safety? Or are they buckling to corporate pressure to market lucrative new drugs before they are adequately tested? These are questions raised in DRUG DEALS: THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
Since the September 11th terrorist attack on The World Trade Center, the news has been saturated with information about a new threat, bio-terrorism. But how new is it? THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki presents BIOTERROR, an exploration of the past, present and future of bio-terrorism.
It's an epidemic of staggering proportions. Thirty-six million people are infected with the HIV virus worldwide, with over 25 million of them in Africa. More than 21 million people have died of AIDS, nearly 17 million in Africa alone. THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki presents RACE AGAINST TIME, a film about the greatest challenge of the 21st century and the work of Canadian Stephen Lewis, the United Nations Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Adept at diving at speeds normally reserved for fighter pilots, the peregrine falcon is the fastest and most widely dispersed creature on the planet. A one-hour documentary, RETURN OF THE PEREGRINE chronicles this majestic bird of prey's journey back from the brink of extinction.
In 2001 the Government of Canada approved the following genetically modified crops for food use: canola, corn, cottonseed, flax, potato, soybean, tomato, wheat, sugar beet and squash. Is enough really known about genetic engineering to ensure that genetically modified (GM) food products are safe for consumption?
Biologists have seen within our genes the possibility of extending human life spans to 300 years or more. In the 21st century, will scientists reach the Holy Grail? Will they find the secret of eternal youth? THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki presents LIVING FOREVER, a look at how far scientists have come in discovering the human potential for longevity.
Most major advances in medicine and science and are made by people who push the envelope. From morphine to cardiac surgery, we owe much to the risks taken by scientists of the past who have experimented on their own bodies to make new discoveries.
Inventor creates wearable computer technology.
Using pacemaker-like implants, functional electrical stimulation allows people with spinal-cord injuries to reclaim some mobility and even resume pastimes like art and sports.
A horse buyer selects her winning choices randomly from a list, using her "gut-feeling." Upon viewing a photo, a businesswoman tells her boss that his wife is expecting a baby. An astronaut communicates telepathically from space with colleagues on earth. These and many other examples of psi-phenomena are examined in the film Intuition.
Indoor pollutants that can be found close at hand.
Operation Migration leads a flock of whooping cranes on an ultralight-led journey from Wisconsin to Florida.
Men and women who have clinical depression discuss their experiences about the misunderstood illness.
Researchers seek benign, sustainable ways to meet people's needs for food, materials, medicine and energy.
Biomimics conduct research to uncover insights on how life occurs.
Recovering Krystal tells the dramatic story of Krystal Meade, a teenage drug addict and runaway, attending the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre (AARC). The focus of this unique alcohol and drug rehabilitation program is the treatment of the young addicts and their families. Recovering Krystal offers an insider's view of the Alberta Addiction Recovery Centre, by examining groundbreaking rehabilitation techniques.
Interviews with past hosts accompany clips of 43 years of the show.
Researchers question why pain becomes chronic for some people but not others.
Wiki: Jo'burg; A View From the Summit marks the final episode of The Nature of Things 2002/2003 season. The Nature of Things will continue to be repeated on Sundays at 3PM (EST) on CBC.
A couple in northern Quebec who have opened a shelter for injured wild animals that cannot be released back into the wild.
Recent discoveries made by the scientific community with respect to the power of hypnosis.
The world's most impressive and inspiring wild landscapes and natural marvels.
Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders' exploration and colonization of Terra Australis.
Nicolas Baudin and Matthew Flinders' exploration and colonization of Terra Australis.
The World Health Organization battles to contain the SARS virus.
The heliconia, an exotic plant which provides a home and food for many creatures in the jungles of Latin America.
Dr. Bryan Fry takes an up close look at a little know species of snakes known as the ``Niue Sea Krait.''.
The Sayisi Dene people of Tadoule Lake in northern Manitoba are a people with a nomadic history of following and hunting the caribou. In 1956, the federal government forced them to give up their ways and move to Churchill, Manitoba. What followed was many years of hardship, more re-location, and eventually a return to their homeland.
The unlikely epic of 43 km of sand and 500 years of history: Sable Island, off the shores of Nova Scotia.
Easter Island is the most remote inhabited place on our planet. For 1,500 years, this isolation has acted as both a shelter for - and a curse upon - the island's indigenous Rapa Nui people.
The Ghosts Of Lomako follows Belgian primatologist Jef Dupain as he returns to his research camp in Upper Congo, to observe the conditions affecting the bonobo, a great ape and endangered species.
Richard Fitzpatrick embarks on an expedition to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia in order to capture a tiger shark and insert a tracking device.
Elliot Leyton reveals the motivations that drive many killers.
Elliot Leyton describes the motivations that drive many killers.
The lives of east African animals converge at a single point on the Mara River.
Canoe trips through the forests showcase the magnificent Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories and the more industrialized Athabasca River in Northern Alberta.
Exams obesity from a sociological perspective, rather than focusing on individuals who battle with excess fat.
Certain companies dominate food production and distribution in North America.
This film is a follow-up to the award-winning Race Against Time in 2001, which covered Lewis on one of his first fact-finding missions in Africa. Kofi Annan had declared a war on AIDS and, at a special session of the U.N., established a Global Fund so richer countries could help poorer ones fight the disease. With the world focused on AIDS, Lewis believed the pandemic could be stopped in its tracks. But then came September 11, and the world's attention turned to homeland security and fighting terrorism. With promises of financial aid to Africa broken, Lewis's optimism turned to disbelief.
At the centre of Canada's vast northern watershed that drains into the Arctic Ocean is one of the greatest freshwater deltas on Earth - the Peace-Athabasca Delta. Upstream, along the Athabasca River, hidden underneath the boreal forest and muskeg wetlands, is one of the richest oil deposits in the world. The United States government recently declared Alberta's oil sands to be 'proven oil reserves.' Consequently, the U.S. upgraded its global oil estimates for Canada from five billion to 175 billion barrels.
Three-quarters of a million hysterectomies are performed annually in North America. In close to 80% of these the ovaries are removed at the time of surgery, which robs women of a natural and healthy hormonal balance, and which can result in subsequent problems. This documentary looks at the choices being made and possible less-invasive alternatives.
Selling Sickness explores the unhealthy relationships between society, medical science and the pharmaceutical industry as they promote their new miracle cures - selling not just drugs but also the latest diseases that go with them. It looks at the growing global controversy around SSRI antidepressants and follows British Psychiatrist, Dr David Healy, patients and their families as they rock the scientific establishment with accusations that aggressive drug marketing is blurring the boundaries between medical conditions and ordinary life with potentially deadly consequences.
ARKTIKA: The Russian Dream That Failed traces the ambitious and disasterous Soviet attempt to conquer a vast arctic region spanning half of the top of the world. A veil of secrecy that enveloped the Russian Arctic during the Soviet era has lifted. As hundreds of thousands of Russians evacuate the north, leaving behind a legacy of environmental destruction and nuclear waste, the story of the Soviet dream of conquering the Arctic-and its cost-can be told.
Shipbreakers takes audiences to a remote stretch of beach on the Arabian Sea where obsolete ships are disassembled into smouldering scrap metal and toxic waste.
In Canada alone it's estimated that between 9,000 and 24,000 people die every year as a result of medical error. The Nature of Things presents Killed By Care: Making Medicine Safe a one hour documentary that explores the tragic consequences of medical error and the devastating impact it can have on patients, their families and on health care workers as well.
Magic and understanding blossom when an imaginative young girl meets the King of the Songbirds. Travelling with him, to his kingdom among the dunes of Courland on the Baltic, she is granted unprecedented access to the private lives of tiny birds. She also gets a chance to observe scientists, who have devoted their lives to studying birds and their epic migratory journeys. A film rich in wonder, compassion and quiet humour.
APOCALYPSE COW is a two-part story about Mad Cow Disease - a rare brain disorder of cattle that has the ability to jump species. The Mad Cow epidemic started in the United Kingdom and has spread to more than 20 countries around the world. It is also a story about cover-up and greed. APOCALYPSE COW examines new information on the tangled history and origins of the outbreak, exploring its potential impact on human health.
Bhopal: The Search for Justice looks at the 1984 chemical leak in Bhopal, India, which killed fifteen thousand people at the time and continues to have severe health effects on people who were in contact with the chemical cloud when the leak occurred.
Two men concerned about forestry policies on New Brunswick lands urge company officials and the New Brunswick government to practice responsible forestry, and they propose a new, community-based forestry policy — one that is environmentally sustainable and that produces more jobs than the highly capital-intensive, mechanized techniques being used.
Two men concerned about forestry policies on New Brunswick lands urge company officials and the New Brunswick government to practice responsible forestry, and they propose a new, community-based forestry policy — one that is environmentally sustainable and that produces more jobs than the highly capital-intensive, mechanized techniques being used.
Hoping to raise awareness of the threat to the survival of the Porcupine caribou herd presented by the proposed exploitation of the oil and gas reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a husband-and-wife-team follow the herd of 120,000 caribou on foot across 1,500 kilometers of rugged Arctic tundra.
Climb aboard the sailboat Sedna IV with Jean Lemire, and navigate due north in the waters of the perilous Atlantic Ocean to reach the distant Cape Farewell, where the captain and his crew hope to find the whales.
Examines the complex factors that affect the socialization of aggressive behavior among humans. Biological, environmental and psychological components are addressed, and guidelines for the prevention of human violence are provided.
The Numurindi people from Australia's South East Arnemland have developed a culture where all things past and present, including the weather, are interrelated. This relationship extends to the animal kingdom and plant life, as well as previous generations. Five Sea sons explores this delicate relationship through the eyes of the Numurindi people who enjoy the benefits of the modern world, yet are still guided by the seasons and the traditions of the past.
46th Season Premiere: A close-up look at a very large spider — the tarantula.
Examining the comeback of the sea otter in British Columbia.
Sculptor, aviator, inventor, and filmmaker Bill Lishman documents his journey around the globe in search of earth's renewable energy.
Ever wonder what babies think and do while they're waiting around to be born? Or young infants, who can't speak but still express a huge range of emotions? The Nature of Things presents a two-hour special that examines the amazing powers of the fetus and infant.
Tsepong: A Clinic Called Hope looks at the situation of HIV/AIDS in Africa, and the complexity of making widespread treatment viable.
Port Hope, Ontario has all the hallmarks of an ideal small Ontario town, with one of the loveliest main streets in Canada. But Port Hope also has one big problem — thousands of tones of radioactive waste. And now the industry that created the problem wants to introduce a new potential risk in town: the proposed production of an enriched uranium fuel. Port Hope: A Question of Power follows a community for more than a year as it struggles to find answers to questions concerning the health and safety implications of the proposed project.
Everyday Einstein provides a fast-paced and jazzy look at the extraordinary impact Einstein continues to have on our daily lives.
Homo Sapiens: The Rise of Our Species will introduce you to the ultimate family tree. This story is the story of each one of us. It's the story of the birth of humanity and civilization.
Homo Sapiens deftly employs both docu-drama and interviews with key scientists to illuminate the remarkable story of the origins and development of our species.
Tom Berger returns to the North to call for a balanced approach to development.
A look at the rising interest in the ancient healing arts of traditional Tibetan medicine.
Examining how bees communicate.
Examines Cuba's response to the food crisis created by the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989.
In spite of the economic crisis and US embargo, the Cuban health system is an outstanding success story around the world.
Alarm grows over rapid and massive development taking place in Alberta's booming oil sands.
Canadian bear expert Charlie Russell rescues two orphaned cubs destined for death in a squalid Russian zoo and secrets them away to his home in the remote wilds of the South Kamchatka peninsula, in the former Soviet Union.
Explorer the ongoing quest to extend human life, the cutting-edge research and the latest discoveries.
Climate change is irrevocably altering the world as we know it, challenging our sense of the future and the fundamental values of our industrial societies.
Explore the impact of both colonial and contemporary initiatives in Kenya and how they affect the peoples who have traditionally lived off the land.
The emerging world market in living cells, where an individual's genes can be bought and sold as commodities.
Witness the exciting lead up to the launch of the new High Speed One service out of St. Pancras Station, in London. A look at the Large Hadron Collider, the largest and most sophisticated machine ever constructed by science. And an interview with musician and environmentalist, Sarah Harmer.
Now that climate change is an accepted, if inconvenient, truth, how are we coping? David Suzuki takes a first-hand look at how climate change is affecting Canadians where it really hurts: in their ability to make a living.
Hot Times in the City takes the pulse of three major Canadian cities: Vancouver, Toronto and Halifax, as they grapple with one of the planet's greatest threats to human health: global warming.
A look into the multi-billion dollar underworld of counterfeit drugs, the tale of the Lunokhod a self-propelled robot on the Moon that could be controlled from the Earth and an interview with Boston Bruins' defenseman, Andrew Ference.
In Hearing, episode one of The Science of the Senses, finding the answer to that question will take us on a journey through the ear, into the brain and right into the heart of the human psyche.
In The Science of the Senses: Touch we will take a journey through the skin, into the subcutaneous world of our sensory receptors and up into the brain as we explore the hidden language of our most essential sense.
In this episode of The Science of the Senses, we explore how smell combines with taste, somewhere in our brain, to create the perception of flavour. Most people wrongly assume that taste dominates. But what actually allows us to differentiate one food from another beyond the basics of sweet, sour, salty, savory and bitter, is the aroma.
This episode takes viewers on a fascinating tour of our visual world, from the moment light enters our eyes, to the way this information is transformed into electrical impulses and decoded by our brain - the domain of "visual perception". The act of "seeing" takes an immense amount of brainpower, more than 65% of the brain's neural pathways.
Explores how China's 1.3 billion people interact with their extraordinary wildlife and landscapes.
Beneath billowing clouds in China's far southwest, rich jungles nestle below towering peaks and jewel-coloured birds and ancient tribes share forested valleys where wild elephants still roam.
Explore the vast windswept wilderness in one of the world's most remote places - the size of Western Europe.
Travel across China's heartland where its Han people are the centre of a 5,000-year-old civilization.
Warrior nomads, bizarre wildlife and extreme weather conditions are found beyond the Wall, built by China's emperors.
China's coast is an area of huge contrast-from futuristic modern cities jostling traditional seaweed-thatched villages to ancient tea terraces and wild wetlands where rare animals still survive.
The SEDNA IV sails across the Polar Front, an area where cold turbulent Antarctic waters meet warmer water from the north - one of the earth's last great refuges for wildlife.
Antarctica's inhabitants are telling us that their world is changing in complex and subtle ways. The once successful colonies of diminutive Adelie penguins are declining because of increased snowfall - one of the unexpected consequences of a warmer climate.
A cold and mysterious world that is home to some of the toughest and most unusual creatures on the planet: giant ribbon worms, dragon fish, and ancient sponges.
Follow mission leader Jean Lemire and his crew as they endure 17 months on the expedition to measure the threat posed by global warming in the Antarctic - a place where the Earth is particularly vulnerable.
One of the greatest controversies in science today: just what did scientists really find when they uncovered the tiny, human-like skeleton of a strange creature on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003? Since the discovery was made public a bitter dispute has split the world of anthropology.
Has the time come to meet an artificially intelligent robot? Engineer and inventor Rodney Brooks thinks so. Forget about all those shiny robotic home-helpers of the past-Brooks is out to design a robot that can think for itself!
Linguist Ian Mackenzie has tracked the last true nomadic hunting and gathering people on earth - the Penan of Borneo. Their way of life is quickly disappearing as aggressive logging interests swallow up their forest habitat.
University of Toronto archaeologist Tony Mills travels to the eastern desert of Egypt where he and other archaeologists have unearthed an untouched marvel: a site of over 500,000 years of uninterrupted human habitation.
Archeologist Edmundo Edwards pulls back the vines and trees of the jungle to find huge stone cities that sprawled across the interiors of Tahiti, Raivavae and the Marquesas Islands.
David Suzuki and his daughter Sarika head out on a road trip across Europe to see sustainability in action and meet the people who are working towards restoring the equilibrium between human needs and planetary limits.
Canadian paleo-pathologist Eldon Molto is leading the search for clues of the mysterious Pericu people of Baja California, Mexico - a fierce, primitive tribe that disappeared over a century ago, after being exposed to European disease. They left virtually nothing behind but their bones.
Based on the best-selling book by Toronto psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Norman Doidge, a look at how we view the human mind.
A light-hearted look at serendipity in science, from life-saving cancer cures to the x-ray machine and the discovery of North America.
A saga about what happens when ordinary people struggle for justice against a huge corporation that has destroyed both their environment and their livelihoods.
Engineering professor Brian Fleck on a quest to meet the engineers, designers and even students who are trying to build the car of the future.
What's wrong with Canada's cities? What's right? Award-winning urban affairs columnist Christopher Hume takes a cross-country journey to explore the sustainability, viability and liveability of Canada's population centres.
Canadian Arctic anthropologist Niobe Thompson takes us on a visually stunning journey across the North, tracing the origins of the modern Inuit.
Our lawns are one of our simplest pleasures. Grass is a luxury that represents relaxation, freedom, time off and of course, time away from the world of tarmac and concrete. A wild and quirky ride into the world of one of America's longest-standing obsessions, the perfect lawn.
From new companies rushing to claim the Arctic's plentiful resources to the effect climate change has had on animals as well as plant life. As the Arctic meltdown continues at an ever accelerating pace, who will protect it?
Until recently, only a few ships braved travel through these ice-strewn waters. More and more ships cross these seas each year and with more traffic come higher risks.
A look at two different Arctics - one that is the storybook land of ice, snow and polar bears and the other that is covered with petroleum plants and pipelines carrying fossil fuels.
A rare and intimate glimpse into the inner life of one of the most intelligent, playful and mischievous species on the planet.
A look at the astonishing and complex relationships of the "mini monsters", insects of the Membracidae family - treehoppers that live amid one of the richest ecosystems on the planet, one so mysterious most people don't even know that it exists.
A personal quest to discover the truth behind the disappearance of a captivating tiger, one of the world's leading tiger cameramen, tracks the escape and subsequent wanderings of a male tiger, named Broken Tail, from Ranthambore National Park.
The extraordinary and often harrowing story of Charles Darwin's 30-year struggle to piece together the mystifying puzzle he saw in nature, and publish his theory on the evolution of life on earth.
After labouring in secret for twenty years, Charles Darwin is almost trumped by the obscure, young naturalist Alfred Wallace. Shocked that someone else is drawing the same conclusions he once did while travelling through the Southern Hemisphere, Darwin is convinced by his friends to complete his masterwork and publish post-haste.
A father and daughter set out with hope on a journey of discovery to Canada's three coasts determined to find solutions for a troubled ocean and look signs of a sustainable future.
Could bees be an early warning sign of a larger problem with our ecology? Are they the canary in the coal mine for the health of planet earth?
Meet nature's detectives; how bugs, plants, bones ... even dust can be formidable enemies of crime.
Is today's strong pot damaging young minds? That provocative question is at the heart of this new documentary on recent science discoveries about marijuana and mental illness.
Bats are scientifically extraordinary creatures. Now scientists have begun unlocking the secrets of the bat and are developing potential medical therapies based on their discoveries.
What would you do if you discovered a nuclear plant might be built right next door? Two women from Peace River Alberta journey into Ontario's nuclear heartland, to find out for themselves about life with a nuclear neighbour.
A journey into the rainforests of the Peruvian amazon to investigate the mysterious Red Uakari monkey, never before filmed in the wild.
Explore the ocean's tumultuous history and how the ocean transformed the earth into the livable, blue planet it is today.
Ancient traditional fisheries, over-development and the places of recovery that can give us hope for a healthy future ocean all intersect.
Starting in the deepest part of the ocean, take a secret and magical world of bizarre creatures and new discoveries deep beneath the surface.
Explore some of the most stunning underwater locations in the world and set sail on a scientific race to predict the fate of the global ocean.
Is space becoming a new war zone? A revealing look at the fine line between space-faring and space warfare.
The octopus is a close cousin of the oyster and snail. And yet, even by human standards the multi-limbed creature is considered highly intelligent. From Spain to Vancouver Island to Capri, Italy, scientists are testing the brain-power of the mysterious and mythic octopus.
Once thought to be incapable of fundamental change, our growing awareness of the adult brain's capacity for neuroplasticity is opening new doors to treatments for diseases and disorders once thought incurable.
An intimate look at the bond that is formed between humans and baby orphaned elephants at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust rehabilitation centre just outside of Nairobi, Kenya.
Traverse the Eurasian plate across Europe — from Iceland, where new land is formed - to the Alps, where old land is destroyed.
For millions of years the East African Rift has been widening at the seams, tearing the African plate in two.
Focusing on the Asia-Pacific side of The Pacific Rim of Fire, which stands as a living testament to the beauty and danger that powerful geologic forces can deliver. The Pacific Rim is home to half of the world's active volcanoes and ninety percent of the world's earthquakes, yet nearly 800 million people continue to live within its violent edge.
Nick Eyles continues to explore the Pacific Rim, this time looking at the west coast of North America.
The fiery unpredictability of Indonesia’s volcanoes at one end, the massive Himalayas at the other and millions of years of tectonic tension in between. The collision zone of the old world is about to be the hub of the new. India, the Himalayas and the island arc of Indonesia - these lands will form the centre of the world’s next supercontinent.
Learning and discussing the consequences of magnetic pole inversion.
Who were the first peoples of North America? Anthropologist Niobe Thompson embarks on a voyage of scientific discovery, using the latest in DNA analysis techniques to unlock the secrets behind humanity's earliest appearance in the Americas.
Tipping Point: The Age of the Oil Sands is a two-hour visual tour de force, taking viewers inside the David and Goliath struggle playing out within one of the most compelling environmental issues of our time
Filmmaker Jeff Turner documents grizzly bears in the Northern Cascades of British Columbia.
Revisiting the 2009 release of nearly extinct black-footed ferrets in Saskatchewan to see what happened.
Is your garbage can making raccoons smarter? Stunning footage shot in the deep, dark of night combines with groundbreaking research in this fascinating documentary to explore the remarkable ways that city life is changing raccoons.
In James Cameron's film, Avatar, an alien tribe on the distant planet of Pandora fights the human invaders bent on mining their forest home. Instead of Pandora, think Peru.
David Suzuki, scientist, educator, broadcaster and activist, delivers what he describes as 'a last lecture' interwoven with scenes from his life and lifetime – the major social, scientific, cultural and political events of the past 70 years.
Is it too late to save one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world?
A celebration of half a century of a landmark science and natural history series, and an unrivaled Canadian institution.
The Nature of Things explores an exciting new technological frontier - the world of nano materials and systems in our everyday lives.
Looking at the use of nanotechnology in medical treatments.
Looking at the use of nanotechnology to solve pollution and environmental issues.
One of the most powerful hallucinogenic drugs on the planet is in a tea made from medicinal plants: it's called ayahuasca. There are studies around the world that say that this indigenous cure may also provide answers as to how to treat Western drug addicts.
In Istanbul, Turkey, workers building a railway tunnel make a remarkable discovery - an ancient harbour, buried and shrouded in mystery ...until now. Will archaeologists be able to uncover the treasures of the past before it is buried again?
Scientist Jennifer Gardy turns her critical eye towards the myths, lies, misunderstandings and errors behind the headlines, putting the science of the daily news to the test both in the lab and on the streets.
By declaring that nature must be conquered in the name of progress, ChairmanMao ushered in an era of environmental degradation for China. Now, passionateactivists strive to preserve their natural wonders, educate their compatriots andencourage public debate. A look at the brave souls at the forefront of China's new revolution.
A fresh perspective on autism research with the developing "Bacterial Theory" of autism. The fastest-growing developmental disorder in the industrialized world, autism has increased an astounding 600 per cent over the last 20 years. Science cannot say why. Some say it's triggered by environmental factors and point to another intriguing statistic: 70 per cent of kids with autism also have severe gastrointestinal symptoms. Could autism actually begin in the gut? The Autism Enigma looks at the progress of an international group of scientists who are studying the gut's amazingly diverse and powerful microbial ecosystem for clues to the baffling disorder.
New science links man-made chemicals to the global obesity epidemic. Man-made chemicals may be programming us to be fat - before we're even born.
A look at the science deep within the teenage brain and a celebration of evolution's masterpiece - the years that bring us judgment, adaptation and innovation. In short the years that make us human.
Scientists explore the mysteries of animal consciousness and find growing evidence of compassion, cooperation, altruism, empathy, intelligence and communication in all sorts of different species.
Most tigers today are privately owned - experts estimate that the number of tigers living in the United States is nearly double of those in the wild. What's life like for the American tiger?
Multiple sclerosis patients use social media to engage in an unprecedented battle with the Canadian medical establishment for access to a controversial treatment.
In a new installment of Suzuki Diaries, David and his daughter, Sarika, set out to discover whether some of Canada's biggest cities are ready for the challenges of the future.
Prior to the anniversary of the devastating Japanese earthquake and tsunami, David Suzuki travels to the areas most affected by the disaster to learn how the catastrophe is helping to change the mind-set of people.
Anthropologist Niobe Thompson explores the evolutionary past of humans.
A luscious exploration of the natural world, Smarty Plants effortlessly integrates pioneering science with a light hearted look at how plants behave, revealing a world where plants are as busy, responsive and complex as we are.
Shot over twelve months, this blue chip wildlife documentary tells the story a young polar bear's epic migration through the icy waters of Hudson Bay and his subsequent adventures on land, where he must spend the ice-free season. It is his first summer alone without his mother to guide and feed him. His struggle to survive is set against the biggest environmental story of our time: climate change.
Wolves and Buffalo follows the fortunes of one pack of wolves, the Delta Pack. Will the pups survive their first year? Will the packs alpha animals retain their pack position to breed again next year? As they try to bring down the buffalo to keep themselves and their new pups alive what will the future hold for these ancient warriors?
Psychologists have made breakthroughs in our understanding of what babies might be thinking, and what they could possibly know about justice, helping, honesty, fairness. Even before they learn to talk!
Through the use of robotic squirrels, GPS tracked acorns and scientists, the world of urban squirrels is revealed.
Are we alone in the universe? We may be very close to finding out. The Holy Grail of space science is the discovery of a planet just like ours: the right size, the right orbit around its sun, not too hot, not too cold – in the area dubbed the Goldilocks Zone. For millennia humans studying the stars had no idea if there were any other planets outside our solar system, let alone ones similar enough to ours to sustain life. The first extra-solar planet – or exoplanet – was only discovered in 1995. Now, a new space-based telescope has discovered thousands more, and some of them may be just like Earth.
Buried under the tundra on a windy cape of Baffin Island lies one of the most important archeological finds in Canada. An untrained eye would miss it—but not scientist Pat Sutherland. Her new work here at the place they call Nanook will likely change history. This new documentary film reveals an archeological site that proves Europeans made contact with Native North Americans centuries before the arrival of Christopher Columbus.
How the light between dusk and dawn cancels the healthy benefits of the absence of light.
In unexpected places, David Suzuki finds radical new ideas about energy, the environment, and doing things differently. Will they catch on? UPDATE: Unfortunately in August 2013, Ecuador cancelled the pioneering conservation plan that attempted to raise funds from the international community instead of drilling for oil in a pristine corner of the Yasuni national park. Drilling is set to commence in 2016.
People struggle to combat a blood-sucking little insect that is both delicate and deadly.
Fracking, while a bonanza for gas and oil production, is caught in a backlash of suspicion and alarm. What’s happening underground it seems can shatter more than just rock.
There is a new hybrid species which is part wolf, part coyote.
A journey through nature, commerce and adventure, The Fruit Hunters takes us from the dawn of humanity to the cutting of edge of modern agriculture — a series that will change not just the way we look at what we eat, but what it means to be human. The Fruit Hunters' first episode, "The Evolution of Desire," explores the origins of fruit's diversity and tells the story of humanity and fruit's intimate co-evolution. Every variety of fruit has a story, the story of the person who cultivated an individual plant, and then shared something wonderful with the world. To preserve this diversity is to retain this living memory. A passionate few, the fruit hunters, fight to preserve this diversity in a world increasingly dominated by economically driven monoculture. Richard Campbell and Noris Ledesma, the "Indiana Joneses of fruit," travel around the world searching for exotic fruit at their source: the local's market. We follow them on a mission to Bali, in search of the elusive white-fleshed mangoes, which they hope to preserve before it is erased by industrialization and urbanization. Meanwhile, in the picturesque hills of Umbria, Italy, Isabella Dalla Ragione, an arboreal archaeologist, searches for heirloom varieties of fruit by investigating Renaissance paintings for clues. We also discover the underground network of the Rare Fruit Council International and meet Ken Love, Hawaii's fruit guru. Fruit hunting with Ken Love in Hawaii is like getting a tour of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. In this episode, we'll meet the people who have dedicated their lives to preserving fruit's vital genetic diversity for coming generations.
A journey through nature, commerce and adventure, The Fruit Hunters takes us from the dawn of humanity to the cutting of edge of modern agriculture — a series that will change not just the way we look at what we eat, but what it means to be human. Supermarkets are stocked with fruit year round in a global permanent summertime, but despite its accessibility, have we lost the diversity that makes it so special? The second episode of The Fruit Hunters will look at what happens when we abandon the Garden of Eden for an industrialized monoculture. In lush jungles of Borneo, Bala Tingang, an elder of one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes, lives of the wild fruits that are the key to his tribe's survival. And yet, all around the world, natural diversity is being replaced with monocultures, plantations of only one variety, bred for long shelf life and transportability rather than their taste or health properties. Not only is this lost of diversity impoverishing our taste buds, but it has catastrophic implications for our food security. In the vast uniform banana fields of Honduras, Juan Aguilar, a banana scientist, frantically tries to breed a banana resistant to a deadly fungus. The common export banana now has so little genetic variety that it is extremely susceptible to disease. Yet with the help of fruit hunters around the world, perhaps we can reintroduce some of that diversity in a world increasingly dominated by economics. Searchers and explores such as Richard Campbell and Noris Ledesma scour the globe for rare exotic fruit with the hopes of broadening our selection at home. We also meet creators and inventors such as Floyd Zaiger and Bob Bors who use traditional breeding techniques to patiently create wondrous new fruits. Though their methods may vary, all of the fruit hunters share one thing — an obsession and love of fruit, and diversity.
The conservation of the caribou and their environment is much-contested territory.
The national symbol has a new role as an ecological superhero.
In the wake of global warming, a beetle apocalypse is unleashed in the forests of western Canada.
Through pictures, music and poetry, Canadian Commander Chris Hadfield brings us a view of earth from space that we’ve never seen before. Chris Hadfield made us love space again. Tweeting, snapping photos and regularly connecting with folks back home as he hurtled around the earth aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Hadfield is the first Canadian commander ever of one of the most complex and sophisticated examples of human technology ever built. From the moment Hadfield arrived at the ISS for his five-month mission, he transformed the way we connect to space. Millions followed his every move. His YouTube videos were instantly viral. The Queen and Captain Kirk sent him messages. But even though Hadfield made it look like fun, a whole lot of serious science happened up there. Equipment on the ISS measures solar matter to further our understanding of space. Research that can only be done in zero gravity could radically change how medical diagnoses happen on earth. And tests to figure out how to make space travel safer and more efficient (with a view to making it to the red planet one day).
Asian Carp are here to stay - and within 100 km of invading the Great Lakes. Despite best efforts in shooting, electrocuting, poisoning and angling them, they multiply like rabbits. It makes them a substantial threat to fresh water eco-systems.
Lyme disease, a mysterious tick-borne illness, has become one of the fastest-spreading vector borne diseases in North America. Explore how climate change has hastened the spread this devastating disease, one that is often misdiagnosed and mistreated, and is mired in media controversy.
The intrepid Dr. Jennifer Gardy is back to do whatever it takes to put health and science claims to the grindstone and help us in our quest for perfection.
Brain Magic: The Power of Placebos pulls back the curtains on the proof that placebos can have powerful – and real – effects on our mind and body.
We like to believe we're in control. But if what we're discovering about parasites is anything to go by, who is really in control is a lot more complicated, and a lot more interesting, than we ever imagined. So let "The Nature of Things with David Suzuki" help you get over the ick factor, and explore the world of parasites. So let "The Nature of Things with David Suzuki" help you get over the ick factor, and explore the world of parasites. Scientists have collected hundreds of examples of parasites that brainwash their hosts. And now researchers are starting to untangle these parasites' evolutionary tricks of the trade. In the coastal estuaries of California, Professor Kevin Lafferty of the United States Geological Survey introduces us to a flatworm that lives in three hosts - a snail, a fish and a bird. This parasite's influence is so profound that it tips the balance of the local ecosystem
David Suzuki has a very personal interest in the disease of Alzheimer's because his mother died of it. We join David on an intimate journey as he explores the newest breakthroughs in understanding this devastating disease as well as his own chances of contracting the cruel condition.
An exploration of the senses, mind and behaviour of our four-legged friends.
Gay filmmaker Bryce Sage has had a big question on his mind ever since he came out of the closet-how is evolution compatible with the existence of gay men? Bryce sets out on a very personal journey to find out if scientists have come up with a definitive answer to this gay conundrum.
Explore the skills we use to find our way around. Some of us seem to always know where we are, while others rarely do. What makes the difference?
Canadian scientist Fred Urquhart unravels the mystery of the monarch's winter home.
Orphan elephant Sities must learn how to be a wild elephant when she leaves the safety of a Kenyan sanctuary to begin her journey back to freedom.
The quest to solve a great mystery in history: Identify the Black Death killer and unlock secrets that could save millions of lives.
A rare look at the leatherback turtle as it migrates between the chilly waters off Eastern Canada and the sunny beaches of the Caribbean.
Scientists are attacking food allergies in new and inventive ways, driven by the alarming increase in the number of people, particularly children, who suffer from them – and can die from them.
A remarkable journey across Canada’s natural landscapes revealing the surprising influence early humans had on the land and its wildlife.
From the Rockies to the Pacific, western Canada has astonishing wildlife and landscapes, some of which have been influenced by early humans.
From the prairies to Canada's vast boreal forest that stretches almost from coast to coast, we reveal a huge wilderness of extremes that has been shaped over millennia by both humans and wildfires. Here pronghorn antelope, the fastest hoofed land animal on earth, still haunt the grasslands, the elusive wolverine thrives in the icy remote northern forests and beaver share their cozy lodges with grateful muskrats.
From polar bear cubs making their first discovery of ice to a caribou calf 'dancing' in the chilly spring air to eider ducks diving under the ice to find mussels, we witness the extremes and wonders of life in the far north.
Making the incredible Wild Canada series. Meet Jeff Turner, the series director, and see stories from the field.
The biggest archaeological survey ever conducted of the Stonehenge landscape finds new evidence of a lost civilization.
A team of veterinarians provide extreme medical care to save the wild mountain gorillas of Africa from extinction.
Dr. Jennifer Gardy explores current scientific research that will impact us all in the future looking at everything from 3D printing body parts to driverless car and tree cloning.
If high cholesterol equals heart attacks, why do half of the victims have “normal” levels?
From preening peacocks to promiscuous primates, what do animals reveal about our own sexual behaviour? Explore how sexual diversity and the experience of pleasure itself may be the key to species survival.
Scientists are unraveling the delicate mysteries of the snowflake. And what they’re learning is amazing.
A look at the often misunderstood pigeon, big city birds maligned with a low rent reputation of their intelligence.
Director Leora Eisen asks why her identical twin was diagnosed with leukemia and she wasn't. A look at how twins are solving medical mysteries as researchers examine the differences between them.
Jennifer Gardy takes an extraordinary scientific journey to put food claims to the test and discover if they’re science fact or science fiction.
Despite that cats are the most-popular pet in the world, very little is known about them.
A look at the vast season weather system that permeates and unifies India, shaping the conditions of existence for its billion-plus inhabitants.
A close-up look at a family of meerkats faced with surviving some of Africa's toughest drought conditions in the Kalahari desert.
Like other kinds of human who once shared our world, Homo sapiens should have died away. Discover how our species faced near extinction in Africa, and then found a place to rebuild. Explore the birth of language and art at archeological excavations scientists are now calling “the cradle of the human mind”.
How did we become our planet’s only global species, at home in every environment on Earth. Learn how our ancestors found a way through the deserts and out of Africa. Explore the meeting of Neanderthals and humans. And discover how we survived the Ice Age.
Early humans eventually colonized Australia, the South Pacific, and the Americas. But how did our ancestors master the oceans? Learn how new discoveries in ancient DNA research are changing our understanding of the earliest sea voyages, from Easter Island to the Bering Strait.
Increasing resistance to antibiotics has been called “the most pressing global health problem of our time”. A new documentary travels to an ocean reef, a rainforest canopy, a frigid cave and even the mouth of a giant lizard – all in the urgent search for new antibiotics.
The touching story of how some very special chimpanzees find sanctuary and a new family when they are retired from a life in the lab.
'It seems inconceivable that we have lost almost half the songbirds that filled our skies only 40 years ago. SongbirdSOS takes a journey with the birds to discover why this is happening and what we can do about it.
Canada’s top nature documentarians spend a season with the fabled Spirit Bear of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest, capturing a mother spirit bear and her cubs.
No brains, no backbone, no problem! 600 million years ago jellyfish ruled the oceans. Now these mysterious and magnificent creatures may be taking over the oceans once again. Only this time, they’re doing it with our help.
Last summer, 170 years after it left England, one of Sir John Franklin’s lost ships, HMS Erebus, was found in the Canadian Arctic. Our cameras were on board to witness this extraordinary underwater
High up in Canada’s Rockies, by a crystal-clear lake rimmed with old-growth forest, a moose is born. At the best of times, the odds are stacked against this leggy 35-pounder surviving its first year, as normally less than 50 percent do, but now that number is sinking even lower. Moose populations across many parts of North America are in steep decline and scientists believe one big reason is that fewer moose calves are surviving their first year. If the population continues on this trajectory, scientists believe that moose could be gone from many parts of North America within the next 50 years. It has never been more important to understand what happens in the first year of a moose’s life.
We all think we know vitamins – and we’re told they’re essential – but why do really need them and why can’t we produce them on our own? These are a few questions on the mind of intrepid filmmaker and health-freak Bryce Sage who travels from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco to get to the bottom of the vitamin mystery.
Eat less, move more. That’s been the mantra of the weight loss movement for decades. But as those who have fought the battle of the bulge will tell you, there’s a lot more to obesity than just too much junk food or too little willpower. Even when genes are taken into account, scientists have struggled to explain why one person can eat cake and stay skinny, while another munches on carrots and can’t shed a pound.
Everyone on the planet knows what a giraffe is. “G” is for Giraffe in the alphabet and “Sophie” the Giraffe teething toys can be found in the hands of practically every newborn baby. But, most people don’t know much about giraffes, or that these iconic creatures of wild Africa, with their long necks, cinnamon spotted coats, flirty lashes and loping gait are disappearing at an alarming rate. Two hundred years ago there were a million giraffes, in 2000 there were 140,000 roaming Africa’s plains and forests. Now, fifteen years later, their numbers have plummeted to less than 80,000.
Sound surrounds us. Whether it's sound we choose to hear, like the music we play in our headphones, or sound we'd rather do without, like the noise of the city, we live in a sonic world that we seldom think twice about.
It’s spring on the North Atlantic and millions of Atlantic Puffins are making their way home to breed. These glorious little clown-like birds are full of contradictions. They spend eight months of the year living alone at sea, but they are extremely social when they return to land, living in jam-packed colonies. On Gull Island, just south of St John’s, Newfoundland, it’s breeding season for over 300,000 pairs of North Atlantic puffins. The birds get right down to business, using their shovel-like beaks and their big feet to dig new burrows to protect their single precious egg.
With the natural world disappearing, new wild spaces for the creatures that vanished long ago are more important than ever.
Cameraman and marine biologist Rick Rosenthal captures for the first time on camera Earth's biggest migration — the nightly movement of billions of animals from the ocean's depths to its surface and back. Ocean Magic at Night reveals for us the habitat of the dark open ocean. It is a world without solid objects, like deep space, whose bizarre inhabitants live out their lives suspended in darkness between the surface and the abyss. Each evening they travel up towards the surface to feed, and at dawn back down again to the safety of deep, dark water. Locating this migration in the vast emptiness of the open ocean, and at night, is not easy. When he ultimately succeeds, Rick's camera exposes a world inhabited by alien species of exceptional beauty.
Dr. Jennifer Gardy is back. The intrepid scientist and detective who put her body on the line in Myth or Science 1, 2 and 3 returns to continue her mission to put science claims to the test and discover – once and for all -- whether they’re myth or science.
Filmmaker Maureen Palmer set out to make a documentary following her partner Mike Pond — a psychotherapist and an alcoholic five years sober — as he searched for the best new evidence-based addiction treatments. The intent was to help others battling substance use disorders.
One day in Quebec, a baby beluga whale washes up on a gravel beach along the St. Lawrence River. Unexpectedly, she is vigorously alive. A scientific team decides to take unusual steps to try to save her.
In possibly the world’s single greatest conservation success story, Bald Eagles have gone from the brink of extinction to numbers never before seen in just fifty years. The eagle has landed...in our backyards. Nesting on hydro towers, construction beams, in suburban parks, and urban neighbourhoods, bald eagles are an exotic reminder of the wilderness that surrounded many of our cities’ landscapes. These majestic predators epitomize survival. Their story is one of opportunism and adaptation in the face of a rapidly changing ecological landscape. We follow the unfolding story of a single breeding pair in the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada, over the course of a year. Via the social media phenomena known as ‘nestcams’ we are able to witness their amazing lifecycle, and understand the adaptations they’ve made to be successful in the city. Wildlife biologists, conservationists, rescuers, and online nestcam fans illuminate the lives of our newly arrived wild neighbours. Stunning landscape shots and intimate close-ups leave the viewer in awe of this special bird. Exclusive nestcam footage of this year’s dramatic breeding, hatching, and fledging season brings unparalleled understanding and access.
This is the story of the incredible journey of eight Inuit who came from Labrador in 1880, to Europe lured by promises of adventures and wealth, only to realize they had been trapped in a world that time has today forgotten; the world of human zoos. Thirty-five thousand indigenous people from around the world were recruited for these zoos.
Filmmaker Andrew Manske goes in search of the elusive wolverine.
Every year, athletes keep going higher, farther and faster, shattering previous world records and setting new ones. But are today’s record holders really better than those of the past? Or do modern athletes get their edge from their high tech gear? Top sports scientist Steve Haake sets off on a journey to investigate.
For thousands of years, we’ve regarded sleep as nothing more than an annihilation of consciousness. But there is one compelling fact that has always stood in the way of that view.
le say, ‘It was beyond my control’ or ‘I couldn’t stop myself’. We like to think that we’re all ultimately in control of our actions. But how true is this really?
David Suzuki is celebrating his 80th birthday in March, and we’re planning a very special program. After more than 50 years in the public eye, you may think you’ve seen Suzuki in just about every way possible: almost naked, confronting industry, skateboarding down the street, and even buried up to his neck in a bog. No wonder we all think we know who he is, but in this deeply personal show you’ll meet a David you haven’t seen before.
Buried under the ash of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, then forgotten for more than 1,500 years, ancient Pompeii’s new life began with its discovery in the 18th century. Since then, this vast city has been a subject of fascination for historians and archaeologists alike, a unique and fascinating window into Roman life, unlike anywhere else on earth.
Dolphin experts research the species' intelligence and one scientist is creating tools to communicate with them.
Forget Hollywood, Disneyland and Silicon Valley. Get ready to see a very different California. Deep in the grip of an epic drought, the Golden State is looking a lot like the Dust Bowl these days. And there’s no shortage of finger-pointing and drought shaming.
The Brain's Way of Healing is about neuroplasticity’s next step — healing the mind and the body. It’s revolutionary and in some instances shocking — we’ll see people’s lifelong afflictions cured almost miraculously.
The race to get to Mars is on, seizing the imagination of the world. Every month there seems to be a new revelation.
Take a fascinating journey inside the evolving science of transplants, where breakthrough discoveries are tackling the organ shortage and transforming the future of medicine.
New research debunks old myths about how animals think.
The latest in science research reveals how music affects the body and brain.
We all recognize the trademark hoots of the Great Horned Owl. But how many of us have seen one up close? The Great Horned Owl lives all over the Americas, from rural countryside to bustling cityscapes. Yet it’s rare to catch a glimpse of this elusive bird of prey. The Secret Life of Owls gives us a window into the life of this amazing species and introduces us to some passionate owl experts along the way.
Trauma continues to overwhelm some people, and they are unable to move beyond it.
Dr. Jennifer Gardy, the intrepid science sleuth, returns to CBC’s The Nature of Things with the fifth in the very popular Myth or Science series. Once again she tackles the health and science claims we all wonder about, to discover whether they’re science fact or science fiction.
The wild world of insects inside homes.
The affects of body movement and the impression it can have on people.
At age 33, Zuri Scrivens discovered she had breast cancer. She endured a mastectomy, radiation, chemo and hormone therapy. But within 9 months, Zuri’s cancer was back - and had spread to her liver and lymph nodes. Her disease was now considered incurable, and she faced the very real prospect she’d never see her toddler grow up.
A filmmaker studies the cancer that killed his father.
A family of Arctic wolves fight to survive in Canada's far north.
The telltale signs of ADHD.
Red foxes have the ability to create a home in almost any environment by adapting their behaviour.
The first days of spring sees Arctic fox pups take their first steps and black bear cubs learn to climb trees after the long cold days of winter while female caribou make the dangerous trek to reach their calving grounds.
Summer is the second chapter in the spectacular landmark series THE WILD CANADIAN YEAR, revealing dramatic wildlife stories and showcasing Canadian landscapes at the peak of their splendour.
As fall begins, young northern gannets leap off cliffs, chipmunks gather supplies and prairie rattlesnakes give birth.
Lynx hunt hares in the forest while wolves and caribou clash on the tundra.
A behind-the-scenes look at the endurance and technical skills that went into the making of ``The Wild Canadian Year.''
Who built them and how? New archaeological discoveries uncover the greatest mysteries of the Egyptian pyramids.
Investigating the powerful secrets of fire.
Melting ice in the Yukon reveals ancient treasures.
Trees have the ability to work together to transform the world.
An inspection of the bones of 19th-century phenomenon Jumbo the Elephant reveals secrets about the world's first animal superstar.
It is widely believed that the first migrants to North America arrived approximately 14,000 years ago, having trekked across a land bridge spanning the Bering Strait from Siberia to Alaska. However, extraordinary new evidence supports an explosive new theory of another trip to the New World.
Lions, elephants, and baboons: Three sisterhoods of the savannah, where the mothers rule, and the daughters inherit the wilderness.
What if the greatest elite athletes – present and past – could compete against each other on a level playing field? If competitive conditions were made equal, would today’s stars come out on top? Or would they be beaten by the heroes of the past? Renowned sports scientist Steve Haake investigates whether today’s winter sports champions are really better than those of the past or whether they get their edge from modern sports technology.
Explore why magic is a unique tool for gaining new insights into human cognition, neurobiology, and behaviour.
In Myth or Science: The Power of Poo intrepid scientist, Jennifer Gardy, goes on a journey to find out. Her goal: discover whether poo is simply waste to be banished, or a valuable byproduct that has the power to revolutionize our health.
Hidden from sight is a kingdom that rules life on land. It’s an alien world with the largest and oldest organisms alive today. It is the 5th Kingdom of fungi.
A journey around the world and back in time, to discover why horses and humans make perfect partners.
Travel back to the moment humans tamed the horse, and learn how horsepower made history.
How did humans save the wild horse from extinction? And how did we create over 400 specialized breeds today?
From Volcanoes to Earthquakes, Scientists Reveal How Much Earth Changes in a Single Day
Join an investigative journey around the world to uncover the mysteries of the most famous dinosaur super-predator: the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Can we trust what we remember about our own lives? Memory scientists say most memories are full of distortions and errors.
Remote cameras let us bear witness to animal behaviour anywhere, anytime.
Exploring the exciting, rapidly evolving world of genetic engineering.
In nature, dads often get a bad rap. There are lots of male animals that are absentee fathers, and who provide little to nothing in the way of “child care.” But there are some unsung heroes in the animal kingdom: fathers who fly solo after moms leave them behind with the kids. Why do these devoted dads raise their young all by themselves? Scientists are just beginning to uncover the answers to this evolutionary mystery. The male seahorse is well known for being the parent to get “pregnant,” holding the fertilized eggs in his stomach pouch while they develop. And this devoted dad isn’t alone. A distant relative, the broad-nosed pipefish also becomes a pregnant papa, carrying his brood until they hatch and swim away. Emperor penguin fathers have incredible endurance. They suffer through some the harshest conditions on Earth while balancing a fragile egg on their feet! In the fierce winter storms of Antarctica, they brave the cold, wind and darkness to protect their precious cargo until it hatches in the spring. Other fathers go a step further, nurturing their kids even after they’re born. The brilliant-thighed poison dart frog acts as the family minivan, packing up his tadpoles on his back to transport them to a larger pool when their own pool dries up.
When it comes to diet, we swallow a lot of advice. Food for Thought sorts through the latest science to create a new recipe for health.
David meets with scientists who are unraveling the mysteries of the northern lights.
From youngsters fooling around to adults having a laugh, playing is a fact of human life. However, new findings in animal behaviour show us that play is no laughing matter. Evolutionary biologists believe it’s one of the keys to survival. And, as they’re learning, it’s not just people and pets that play, but reptiles, amphibians and insects, too. The Power of Play takes us around the world to meet the people who are turning play science into one of the most promising areas of research today. One scholar we’re introduced to is Stuart Brown, a California psychiatrist known as the “grandfather” of play research. Brown recognised play was essential to human nature as far back as 1966, finding that playing freely as a child is a key to being mentally healthy as an adult.
Behind every invention is an inventor with a fascinating story. Broadcaster and author Britt Wray has spent years in the lab studying synthetic biology and now wants to meet inventors to find out what inspires them, and what makes them tick.
David explores the soundtrack to life.
Humans have long been obsessed with “eternal youth”. By 2021, the anti-ageing industry is expected to be worth over $330 billion, with many wacky and unorthodox methods proposed for staying youthful and extending our time on Earth. In Ageing in the Wild, viewers get a glimpse at how species in the animal kingdom live long and healthy lives.
Scientists explore the extraordinary mass nesting behaviour of the olive ridley sea turtle, and reveal the hidden world inside a turtle nest.
David learns about rabbits and hares.
The epic story of three legendary women who fought to save the great apes — and inspired a generation.
Canada's prairies are among the world's most endangered, least protected ecosystems, but there are people working to keep them wild.
The remarkable story of a solitary wolf living against the odds and his close bond with renowned wildlife photographer Cheryl Alexander.
A captivating exploration of the science of colour, including a look at people and animals who experience it in fascinating ways.
For most of its existence, planet Earth has been a brutal, inhospitable, toxic nightmare, until a half billion years ago when – KABOOM! – life suddenly appeared. First Animals, a new documentary from The Nature of Things, takes you back to the Cambrian Explosion through newly-discovered fossils that tell us more about our own origins. Renowned evolutionary biologist Maydianne Andrade is our guide, showing us how complex – and dangerous – life among the first animals really was. “The information embedded in this rock is evolution’s raw data,” says Andrade. “We see how the first guts digested food, how the first eyes processed images, how the first hunters tracked down their prey. “These are the very early building blocks of animal evolution.” High up a mountainside in a British Columbia fossil bed, Andrade joins a team from the Royal Ontario Museum, led by paleontologist Jean-Bernard Caron. They are literally exposing hundreds of new fossils every day.
There's still so much we don't know about fear. Could it be good for you? What would life be like without it?
In the Arctic, life thrives on the ice and under it. But for how long? Extreme diver Jill Heinerth investigates.
On the remote shores of Sable Island, N.S., we meet the world’s largest breeding colony of grey seals and the people who study them.
The accidental discovery in Alberta of one of the best-preserved dinosaurs ever opens a prehistoric cold case to uncover the secrets of its mysterious death.
In 1977, health experts declared a war on sodium. We sift through a mountain of salt science for a grain of truth.
An introduction to the unsung animal heroes who clean up messes in the urban spaces they share with humans.
Sarika Cullis-Suzuki takes us on a personal and intimate journey to discover the spectacular and surprising world of the intertidal zone, and reveal how it holds the key to the health of the world’s oceans and our own survival.
One of the world's most incredible urban wildernesses. It offers a fascinatingly vivid account of the push-pull relationship at play in humankind's transformation of natural environments...and a reminder of nature's power when left to it's own devices.
Scientists uncover the complex and emotional lives of the ocean’s most intelligent predators.
David Suzuki takes us on a journey to learn how to live better and age well.
Scientists are racing against time to save the world’s coral reefs before they’re lost forever.
7 weeks, 8,000km, countless adventures...and 1 gram of honey. The life of a single bee, through her own eyes.
Global temperatures are rising and so are we: millions of young people rise up to demand their right to a livable planet.
How screens affect our children's development, learning abilities and mental health.
Signs of life and hope emerge from the scorched landscapes of the worst wildlife disaster in modern history. of life and hope emerge from the scorched landscapes of the worst wildlife disaster in modern history.
3,711 passengers and crew. 14-day quarantine. 1 deadly infectious disease. Coronavirus aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Uncovering the truth about the richest and most powerful woman in world history.
Canadians push the limits of cold endurance while baby harp seals brave icy water and flying squirrels cuddle.
Rain brings unexpected benefits for spadefoot toads, grizzlies, and whitewater kayakers - but too much can be deadly.
The invisible element that shapes our lives; falcons, butterflies and spiders hitch a ride, while Canadians harness, and harvest, the wind.
The driving force behind all weather, sunlight creates a banquet for blue whales, helps vultures soar, and is essential for training some extreme athletes.
Crews go to great lengths to get amazing shots of wildlife people and weather. Working with scientists is essential.
Neanderthals weren't brutish or dim-witted. New discoveries reveal they were more human than we ever thought!
Veteran polar bear guide Dennis Compayre goes on a remarkable journey into the world of a polar bear mom and her newborn cubs as they leave the safety of their den for the first time.
Veteran polar bear guide, Dennis Compayre watches as a mother bear teaches her young cubs to hunt and discovers how they are struggling to adapt to a rapidly warming Arctic.
A filmmaker explores one man’s quest to save a walrus, as the debate around marine mammal captivity evolves in Canada.
The inside story of the high-stakes race to defeat a killer virus and save millions of lives.
When humanity hits pause, nature reboots; scientists discover the surprising ways pandemic lock downs affected our planet.
The ever-growing and mysterious world of Artificial Intelligence.
Disappearing tendons? Longer legs? Artificial body parts? What will humans look like in the future?
The secret ingredient to becoming a better cook? Science! Top chefs and culinary experts explain the chemistry, physics and microbiology of cooking
The easy and effective ways we can all fight climate change ... and turn down the heat.
Two eyes, a nose, a mouth. We see faces everywhere and in everything, but what we don’t always appreciate is that our ability to recognize and distinguish faces is a superpower unique to humans. In the documentary In Your Face from The Nature of Things, neuroscientists and experts illuminate the fascinating science behind human facial recognition; while computer scientists and others reveal the promise – and the dangers – of the rapidly-changing world of facial recognition technology.
Goodbye backyard ice rinks, mountain glaciers and forest biodiversity: what Canada might lose due to climate change.
It may surprise you to learn that you are a dancer. In fact, we are all dancers. This film takes us into the beating heart of why humans simply must dance.
The key element of life on Earth, it has the power to build and destroy.
Unraveling the secrets of the most extreme sleepers of the animal kingdom. Why and how do animals sleep? How do they deal with sleep deprivation? And do animals dream?
A young Canadian is going on the adventure of a lifetime. He believes he knows the location of a lost Maya city and he’s heading to Mexico to find it.
We know that humans are a musical species. We sing, we dance, we groove. But are we the only musical species?
Success has little to do with performance, winners and losers are chosen by society. Now, scientists have discovered the secret to predicting success.
Last of the Right Whales follows the whale migration from the only known calving grounds in the waters of the southeastern U.S. to the shifting feeding grounds around the Bay of Fundy, Gulf of St. Lawrence and New England coast. Meet the people committed to saving a species that is still struggling to recover from centuries of hunting, and who are trying to make room for the whales in our modern world.
Remarkable superpowers make rats the evolutionary heroes of the animal kingdom.
Is cannabis a medical cure-all or snake oil? Scientists distinguish the medicine from the myths.
How staff at a luxury hotel in Niagara Falls, NY helped ferry enslaved people to freedom.
Some scientists are proposing radical ways to cool our warming planet – but others say it’s time to restore nature on a global scale.
How have humans survived extreme environmental change in the past? And what will it take to survive what’s next?
Five orphaned grizzly bear cubs get a second chance at life in the wild, but can they survive without their mother? A groundbreaking study follows the bears to find out if rewilding works.
Broken genitals and cannibalism. Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of how bugs get busy.
Thirty years after historic logging protests on Vancouver Island, the battle to protect old growth forests is still raging.
Step into the world of “friendship detectives,” who are unravelling the mysteries of social behaviours in humans and other animals.
Inside the secret and rhythmic world of one of nature’s best lumberjacks.
After 44 years, David Suzuki is retiring as host of The Nature of Things. In his final episode, he explores new ways of expressing his ideas, meets up with some neighbours, shows us how global problems are being expressed in his own backyard, and attempts to reconcile the two great influences in his life: science and Indigenous culture.
The human voice is a very sophisticated communication tool, but most lack knowledge of how to unlock its potential.
Sarika Cullis-Suzuki travels back in time to solve the evolutionary mystery of the walking whale.
Anthony Morgan shines a light where the sun doesn't usually shine; why humans have butts, their evolution and how to keep them healthy.
Shark nerds are on a mission to reveal the JAWSOME lives of Canada's Great White Sharks.
A pristine river in Quebec is granted rights through legal personhood, protecting it and those who call it home.
A hair-raising journey into the salon, the lab, a remote Chinese village, a baby nursery and even a wildlife sanctuary to explore the surprising new research at the root of it all.
Sarika Cullis-Suzuki uncovers what it was like to grow up in prehistoric times and how kids once lived, played and learned tens of thousands of years ago.
Popular nonbinary Canadian comedian and TV sitcom creator Mae Martin explores the science of gender and sexual fluidity.
ISIS destroyed thousands of ancient artefacts and buildings in Mosul. Now, archeologists are making incredible discoveries in the wreckage.
A survey of the animal and plant life of the Galapagos archipelago including: a look at the geological origins of the islands, their geography and climate; and an explanation of the generally accepted theory of how these volcanic islands, owned by Ecuador, first became populated by plants and animals.
An exploration of the scientific phenomenon known as "adaptive radiation", the way in which a small founding group of a plant or animal species can give rise to a number of new species, and the way in which a new environment encourages this proliferation - Darwin's "natural selection" in action. Oceanic islands are the best places to see the process at work, and the Galapagos provide the best of all demonstrations. The program looks at the many forms of animal and plant life in the islands, with particular attention to the evolution of the species unique to them.
Apart from their external appearance, animals go through behavioural and physiological changes to adapt themselves to different environments: for example, acquiring the ability to drink salt water. Galapagos examples seen in this program include sea lions, sea birds and the marine iguana, a cold-blooded reptile which has adapted itself to endure the cold waters of the sub-Antarctic Humboldt current.
This final program in the series looks at some of the endangered species in the Galapagos islands, and at the impact of human settlement on the native creatures. The Galapagos are a living laboratory of incalculable value for the study of evolution.
A study of the life and work of Jean Jacques Audubon, the great painter-naturalist who captured the beauty of American wildlife on canvas.
A special documentary of the Cree inhabitants of Paint Hills, on the eastern shore of James Bay in Quebec.
It was not until 1930 that the outside world knew that there were people living in the highlands of Papua, New Guinea. In 1950 the first contact was made with a group of 55,000 Mendi, part of a million inhabitants of the New Guinea highlands, formerly not known to exist. The Australians have since built an airstrip, a hospital, schools, a hotel and other permanent buildings there, but the Mendi have kept their culture intact. A CBC film crew directed by Nancy Archibald has recorded some of the ancient culture and lifestyle of the Mendi and the results are presented in this special one-hour documentary.
A special about concern for the ecological future of the Arctic islands.
The Vietnamese people's struggle to rehabilitate their land after a decade of bombing and herbicides.
David Suzuki and The Nature of Things take on the powerful forest industry, examining environmentally questionable forestry practices.
Documentary about drug problems in Toronto, Amsterdam , Liverpool and New York.
This first program of the series is a sweeping introduction to the natural wonders of Australia and reveals why its natural history has become so distinctive and strange.
Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth, but its huge desert centre is no barren wasteland - it's full of stunning landscapes and surprising wildlife.
The seas Down Under stretch from the dazzling topics to the wild, southern ocean and are full of surprises.
"The Bush" is the classic Australian landscape - and these weird and magical gum tree woodlands are home to the most famous Aussie animals.
The seas Down Under contain a string of exotic islands, from tropical New Guinea to icy New Zealand, each with its own stunning landscapes and unique wildlife.
Australia is famously full of the weirdest animals, living undisturbed for almost 50 million years. But they are no longer alone here: people have also come to live in this land.
Drug detection experts are determined to ensure Athens Olympics 2004 is run clean, by probing to expose drug-designing chemists, dealers, crooked coaches and athletes who are prepared to do anything to win.
Uncover the startling discoveries researchers make when they scan the brains of sociopaths and learn about the scientific studies that may answer the question: does biology dictate destiny? See how these studies are being put to use in helping young people cope with anger at an early age.
Anthropologists dissect this emotion to its core: lust, romantic love and attachment. How we are aroused is explored: smell and tone of voice play into attraction and compatibility. Peel back the layers of the most profound expression of our humanity.
What triggers fear, our physiological reactions, and what purpose it serves are studied. Scientists investigate how our brain assesses the need for fight or flight.
Drawing a distinction between the lasting state of happiness and the pursuit of instant pleasure, the program explores the evolutionary role of happiness, and asks what happens in the brain, and possibly in our genes, that make some people happy and others sad.
Stephen Lewis criss-crosses Africa in a relentless effort to motivate response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic there.
Every year the Caribbean paradise is turned into a hurricane hell. From the beginning of June until the end of November its hurricane season in the islands. With winds of over 150 mph, 5 metre storm surges and torrential rain, the destruction caused by hurricanes makes them one of the most feared forces of nature.
In a refreshing hour, Build Green advises making the sun, the wind, and the rain – along with dirt, straw, and sewage – your friends. By building a house using innovative practices and materials, you'll be doing the earth a favour too.
The clear blue waters that surround the Caribbean islands are home to some of the world's most stunning underwater treasures. Coral reefs form beautiful underwater gardens visited by angels, horse eye jacks, blue tangs and stingrays.
Take the island hop of your life. Discover the rich variety of islands that are the Caribbean, and what forces have shaped this violent paradise.
The Caribbean is not just the islands. We explore the least known Caribbean, that area beyond the Sea. A journey along the greatest Caribbean shoreline of all, that of Central America.
Imagine an alien with three hearts, blue blood and a doughnut shaped brain. In an instant it could become invisible, or switch on electrifying light shows. Then imagine this bizarre creature was real, and somehow connected to us.
Today's sloths rank highly among the most surprising creatures of the animal kingdom: living suspended to the Amazon rainforest's trees, they move about extremely slowly, as if from a world where time flows differently.
Discover the roots of a long vanished mountain range, explore the remains of an inland tropical sea and trace the story of a dramatic flood.
Geologic Journey: The Rockies tells the story of the great spine of stone that runs from the Canadian North to the southern United States. As the camera takes the audience on a highwire tour through the peaks of the Rockies – in both Canada and the USA – craggy rock faces and dangerous ice reveal the growth pangs of the mountain building era. The pristine beauty of the Canadian Rockies gives way to the ghost towns and gold mines that litter the mountains in Colorado – a telltale clue to the different geologic forces at work in the Canadian range and their American cousins. This episode is an illustration of how nothing ever stays the same, not even the Rockies. Despite the appearance of timelessness and permanence, geologists are discovering how these rocks will meet their end – a sobering perspective on time, place and the enormity of the earth’s Geologic Journey.
The largest - and one of the oldest - expanses of ancient rock on the planet has riches of gold and diamonds under it's crust.
The fabled Appalachian Mountains contain a geologic puzzle, a rich legacy, and a scarcely known threat.
The dramatic story of volcanic outpourings, massive rifting of continents and the bursting forth of a new ocean - the Atlantic.
