Summary: This program covers both scientific and utility satellites. Geostationary utility satellites include communication, meteorological, and broadcasting satellites; the science satellites cover an almost limitless range, from Explorer 1's discovery of the Van Allen Belt in 1958, to the discovery of solar wind and the gradual solution to the mystery of the polar auroras; Landsat, the Earth...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: Since the time of Icarus, man has tried to fly. This program covers the history of flight, from the invention of the propeller through the Wright Brothers' first flight and Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic solo; profiles Robert Goddard and traces the development of the rocket from the beginning, through the development of gyroscopic instruments, the V-2, Sputnik, and Explorer 1; traces the advances...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007
View online at AVOD
Summary: This collection of 40 video clips (1 minute 10 seconds each) addresses concerns about—and threats to—the sustainability of life on Earth as global warming increases in severity. The collection also spotlights recycling and alternative energy, keys to building a brighter future for the planet.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: Economically speaking, a wealth of new international business opportunities is swiftly creating a world without borders. But from a cultural point of view, many potential barriers still exist. In this program, people who have worked in different cultures offer insights into a variety of customs, including forms of greeting, body language, dining etiquette, and negotiation styles. This practical...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: Where was golf invented? And soccer? And polo? Research has revealed that the answer to all three questions is China. In this program, these and other sports-archery, acrobatics, the martial art wushu, dragon boat racing, and 15-pole ball, a form of bowling-are each set securely within the contexts of Chinese history and culture as authentic reenactments bring these ancient games (and some of...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: With the Darfur Peace Agreement in shambles, this Wide Angle report portrays the desperation of daily life five years into the Darfur conflict, from the sprawling Abu Shouk refugee camp to volatile rebel-held areas of Sudan seldom reached by Western reporters. General Martin Luther Agwai, commander of the combined United Nations/African Union peacekeeping force for Darfur, is featured as the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: Anglo-Americans tend to lump Hispanics together, forgetting that the category covers a wide range of cultural backgrounds. Mexican culture is different from Puerto Rican culture, and so on. In this program, three Hispanic Americans-New York Justice Frank Torres, a Puerto Rican; Cuban-born former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez; and Mexican restaurateur Gordino Velasco-discuss what unites and divides...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: This program marks the beginning of Michael Wood’s quest as he ventures into the world of an exotic and mysterious woman of power. Immortalized in the Hebrew Bible, the Muslim Koran, and in many Christian traditions, the tale of the Queen's journey to meet King Solomon has been told and retold for nearly 3,000 years. Wood's fascinating voyage starts on Easter night in Jerusalem, taking him...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: There is an old Japanese adage that "the best food is that which is least prepared." This program looks at Kyoto-style sushi both as a delicacy and as a symbol of Japanese cultural aesthetics. Footage of Kitamura Norio and Kitakura Hiroyuki-two of Japan's foremost sushi chefs-illustrates their specialized approaches to oshi sushi and nigiri sushi while capturing the care they put into every...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Presented by sculptor Antony Gormley, this program was created to complement the 2002-3 exhibition of Aztec culture at London's Royal Academy. Many of the incredible works loaned to the exhibit are shown, along with sculptures and artifacts filmed in Mexico City and at important Aztec sites. Leading scholars and curators explore how the nomadic Aztecs drew inspiration from earlier cultures. The...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: This program examines the 20th-century history of Appalachia through the prisms of economic hardship, spiritual perseverance, and the region's rich musical heritage. Showcasing the power of the traditional string band, the video chronicles the rise of modern country music by way of the radio and phonograph. It also highlights the resonance of long-standing church traditions and documents the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: This in-depth program shows how fibroblasts from the skin are isolated by using enzymes and then cultured in a nutrient medium. Detailed explanations of how cells can be re-seeded, counted, and cryopreserved for storage in liquid nitrogen for long periods of time are demonstrated. The importance of careful aseptic techniques and the use of sterile equipment is discussed.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: In this program, financial experts including economist Jeffrey Sachs, Paul Krugman of MIT, and the IMF's Stanley Fischer reveal the IMF's ignorance of basic economic realities at the time of the Asian financial crisis, during which the IMF's one-size-fits-all policy recommendations and faulty judgment worsened the economies it hoped to assist. Issues such as conflicts of interest, charges of...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Promoted in its time as a celebration—or at least a fully informed study—of foreign ethnicities and customs, the 1900 World’s Fair is recognized today as a spectacle of Eurocentric myopia. This program lays bare that conceit as it interweaves archival photographs, film clips, and posters from the Fair with commentary from renowned art historians. Offerings from museum collections across the...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: In 2005, a handful of Danish cartoons sparked a worldwide debate over freedom of expression-and the freedom to express religious outrage. Was a violent Islamic backlash against caricatures of the prophet Mohammed justified? Can democracy and fundamentalism coexist in the global community? This program travels to Lebanon, Iran, Syria, Qatar, and Turkey, as well as to France and Denmark, in...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: As biologist E. O. Wilson accepts his 2007 TED Prize, he makes a plea on behalf of all creatures that we learn more about our biosphere and build a networked encyclopedia of all the world's knowledge about life. One of the world's most distinguished scientists, E.O. Wilson is a professor and honorary curator in entomology at Harvard. His books include Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, The...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007
View online at AVOD
Summary: Whether following stated procedures or complying with implicit rules of conduct, modern humans willingly modify their behavior dozens of times each day. In this program, the conformity necessary for mass interactions and the flexibility required to learn and use the behaviors of conformity are investigated. In addition to conventions such as air travel protocol and museum manners, instances of...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2006
View online at AVOD
Summary: Free trade is a vital source of economic growth, yet it is frequently endangered by the protectionist demands of special interest groups. Module one of this program uses the Hungarian clothing industry to illustrate the comparative advantages of international trade; module two goes inside the WTO, the only international body dealing with the rules of trade between nations; and module three...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005