Summary: Does it amaze you that yeast is your very close relative? That you possess roughly the same number of genes as a mouse? That you are 99.9% genetically identical to every other human? In this NOVA special, correspondent Robert Krulwich lends a lighthearted touch to genetic science, going inside the amazing, complex, and contentious race to decode the human genome. Discover how the study of our...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2004
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Summary: This episode of the award-winning PBS series NOVA explores an intriguing question: how did warm-blooded dinosaurs survive and even thrive in frigid polar regions? A field expedition seeks the answer at Alaska’s North Slope, tunneling into the permafrost to excavate dinosaur fossils. This documentary shows reconstructions and animations of the fossils and discusses the many questions raised by...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: As he took office on January 20, 2009, President Barack Obama must deliver on an ambitious campaign pledge to fight global warming. This program from NOVA examines the work of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is already leading the way with a dramatic and controversial program to slash carbon dioxide emissions and promote energy efficiency. The pros and cons of California's bold...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: As oil prices continue to rise steeply and political turmoil increases in the Middle East, it is increasingly evident that finding a solution to an uncertain energy future is one of the biggest issues of our time. With advances in science and engineering, new materials and ingenious designs for solar collectors are transforming the technology into a vastly cheaper, more efficient alternative....
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2007
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Summary: This program from NOVA presents author and neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks and his exploration of the link between music and the brain. While working with patients who struggle to cope with a number of debilitating medical conditions, including autism and Tourrette syndrome, Dr. Sacks found that the therapeutic effects of music help many. Four remarkable case studies from Dr. Sacks’ book,...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2009
View online at AVOD
Summary: The mission was impossible. The odds were astronomical. The results were spectacular. NOVA presents the fascinating story behind the Apollo space program, including the most remarkable feat in human history—the historic walk on the moon in 1969. This program shares vivid recollections of Apollo astronauts Gene Cernan and Frank Borman, and introduces viewers to legendary Flight Director Gene...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 1999
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Summary: Mind Over Money investigates the shattering impact the recent global financial meltdown had on how economists think. Why did so few of the brightest minds in finance not only fail to predict the crash but also argue that it was impossible? With insights from experts and scientific experiments that highlight the hidden money drives in us all, NOVA explores how human psychology and finance...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: In this program, George Lauder, of Harvard University, and Terri Williams, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, investigate the anatomical and physiological challenges faced by bluegill sunfish, bottlenose dolphins, sharks, salmon, and sperm whales to reduce drag and control buoyancy. Information on the optimal body shapes for reef-dwellers and open-ocean swimmers, the locomotive...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
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Summary: After an intriguing look at tree-dwelling animals that glide, this program studies teals, ducks, geese, swans, eagles, vultures, gannets, owls, and hawks to explore three major concerns of avian flight: the muscle-to-mass limits of getting airborne, the energy costs of staying aloft, and the ways in which flight performance shapes behavior. Body architecture, wing and tail dynamics, formation...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: Since movement burns precious energy, it makes sense that animals would want to move as efficiently as possible. What factors influence animals' gaits? This program studies horses, cheetahs, elephants, bonobos, and kangaroos to find out. Commentary by land animal locomotion specialists Don Hoyt, Vaughan Langman, Peter Aerts, and Russ Baudinette offers insights into the mechanics of running and...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2005
View online at AVOD
Summary: In a two-part special, Carl Safina goes to sea with some of the last remaining swordfish harpooners to experience firsthand one of the world's most sustainable fisheries and to find out why swordfish are the world's best big-fish comeback story.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2012
View online at AVOD
Summary: In the second episode of the two-part special, Carl Safina continues his exploration of swordfish, one of the world's most sustainable fisheries.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2012
View online at AVOD
Summary: Despite their shared genetic makeup, some "identical" twins don't appear identical at all-raising important questions about the role of environment in human development. This program explores several ways in which monozygotic twins grow and change on separate paths as well as the epigenetic, anatomical, and psychological factors involved. With the help of 4D scanning and CGI graphics, viewers...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: In Africa, as in so many other places, sports have traditionally been a man's world. And until recently, women entered at the risk of being scorned or laughed at. But Sahar El-Hawary and her female soccer team are no joke. She is the first women's referee in North Africa and also the first female member of the Egyptian Football Federation. She has put women's soccer on the map - not just in her...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2010
View online at AVOD
Summary: Part one of two videos, examines the huge project of restoring the Nisqually River, from its source on Mount Rainier to the estuary in Puget Sound. Led by the Nisqually Indian tribe, the restoration aims to fill the river once again with wild salmon.
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2012