Audio-Visual Materials: Q: Science

Provides strong visual images and simple, accessible scientific examples to bring the steps in scientific investigation into view. Tells that scientific explanations must be built on reliable evidence and on sound and logical reasoning. Repeated observation and experimental results are needed. The more sources exist to support data, the stronger the explanation.

Covers two stories that impact the environment: global warming and how it is measured; and pollution damage to Lake Superior.

Explains the purpose and benefits of a particle accelerator.

This is a dramatized presentation as Edmund Halley, Newton's friend and colleague, moves between Newton's age and the present in a study of Sir Isaac Newton and his principal theories, pointing out his influence on modern science.

With vivid docudrama scenes, Nova recreates the climate of late 17th-century England, where a newfound fascination with science and mathematics coexisted with extreme views on religious doctrine. Unknown to most, Newton shared both obsessions, leading to experiments in alchemy along with his ground-breaking work in physics.

Einstein arrived at his 1905 discovery that the realms of matter and energy are linked. Reveals the roots of this breakthrough in the human stories of scientists Michael Farady, Antoine Lavoisier, and Lise Meitner, whose innovative thinking helped lead to E=mcp2s, and ultimately unleashed the power of the atom.

Part one traces the history of the atom from ancient Greek times to the present day.
Part two presents an outline picture of late twentieth-century concepts of the atom.

Chronicles the top secret, strange and visually compelling history of the design, production and testing of atomic and hydrogen bombs by the U.S.

Featuring eyewitness testimony, NOVA takes an in-depth look at what made Hurricane Katrina so deadly and analyzes how, despite technically sophisticated flood and storm defenses, this event has resulted in unprecedented destruction for the Gulf Coast.

Learn what creates the Greenhouse Effect and discover how it affects weather patterns all over the world. Understand that we must take the threat of global warming seriously to ensure the continued survival of our species.

This documentary profiles people who are living with the grave consequences of a changing climate, as well as the individuals, communities and scientists inventing new approaches to safeguard our children's future. Filmed across the U.S., Asia and South America, this program brings the reality of climate change to life and offers viewers a variety of ways to make a difference in their own communities.

Former Vice President Al Gore explains the facts of global warming, presents arguments that the dangers of global warning have reached the level of crisis, and addresses the efforts of certain interests to discredit the anti-global warming cause. Between lecture segments, Gore discusses his personal commitment to the environment, sharing anecdotes from his experiences.

Presents some of the details of cloning techniques and identifies implications of what this technology might mean in the future. Includes visits to the Roslin Institute in Scotland and Neal First's laboratory at the University of Wisconsin.

Deals with polymerase chain reactions, gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing and genetic modification of organisms. These are explained through three case studies: Menke's disease research; transgenic pasture grass research and police forensic work.

Gives an introduction to stem cells. Topics include: what stem cells are; the difference between embryonic and adult stem cells; IVF as a key source of embryonic stem cells; therapeutic cloning (somatic cell nuclear transfer); the difference between therapeutic and reproductive cloning; potential medical applications of stem cell research; and a brief overview of ethical issues raised by stem cell research.

The video chronicles the discoveries and theories that have led to our current understanding of evolution, including discarded postualtes, an elaborate hoax that baffled science and the key elements that separate man from ape.

Drawing on the work of evolutionary biologists from America and abroad, this program examines four billion years of history to find an answer to the question of why sex has evolved into the primary mode of procreation.

This episode interweaves the drama in key moments of Darwin's life with documentary sequences of current research, linking past to present and introducing major concepts of evolutionary theory. It explores why Darwin's "dangerous idea" might matter even more today than it did in his own time, and reveals how science might be used to explain the past and predict the future of life on earth.

Presents Gregor Mendel's ideas and principles of genetics and describes some advances since Mendel.

A dynamic presentation of the current state of knowledge of the genetic code. Combines a clear and concise illustration of the basic elements comprising the Central Dogma of molecular genetics with fascinating examples of notable exceptions to the rule.

Provides an introduction to the topic of diversity. It examines biodiversity on a global scale and locally in terms of specific ecosystems. It also explains many aspects of the interactions between organisms and the basic needs and relationships between species and its physical environment.

Describes the universal nature of cell structures in living systems, compares plant and animal cells, and contrasts prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell types.

"Beginning with the basic concepts of a biological signal and receptor the definition of signal transduction is explained. We then explore various ways in which cells signal other cells: paracine, synaptic and endocrine"--container.

Examines the asexual method of reproduction known as mitosis. See microcinematography of various plant and animal cells undergoing division.

Explains the process by which cells convert the energy in glucose and other nutrient molecules to ATP.

4 Discs

Anatomist Gunther von Hagens lays bare the intricacy and beauty of the human design, making it viewable and easily understood across a wide range of settings -- from Biology 101 to the most advanced medical courses. Viewer discretion is advised. Contains clinically explicit language and demonstrations.

"A comprehensive instructional video which demonstrates the features of the TI-83 Plus graphing calculator."

"A comprehensive instructional video which demonstrates the features of the TI-89 graphing calculator"

Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University was asked to deliver a "Last Lecture" (a series designed to examine the final lessons the speaker would impart when facing their own mortality). For Randy the topic was anything but hypothetical - he had recently received a terminal cancer diagnosis. He delivered his lecture entitled: "Really achieving your childhood dreams" at Carnegie Mellon University on Sept. 18, 2007. Randy lost his cancer battle on July 25, 2008 but his legacy lives on through this "Last Lecture"

Here's the ultimate resource for conquering first-semester college level calculus. The course starts with the fundamentals of differentiation, functions, limits, derivatives, graphing, applications and much more!

Make sense of even the trickiest concepts from second semester college-level calculus. It covers the more advanced topics in integration, applications of definite integrals, polar coordinates, indeterminate forms and L'Hopital's rule and more.

Introduces biology students to the basic chemistry of life, including atoms, elements, molecules, ions, isotopes, carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, and nucleic acids.

"Can be used not only as an overview of the life of plants but also as an introduction of the basic concepts of biology."

Offers a lively way for students to understand the interesting and essential aspects of photosynthesis, from the reactions themselves to the far-reaching implications of harnessing the energy of the sun.

Through photosynthesis organisms capture the energy of the sun and trap carbon into living systems. This program examines the way chloroplasts in plants can harvest energy and carbon and use them to build basic resources in the form of simple sugars and storage starches.

5 Discs

This series takes the viewer on a journey through the human body. New techniques film the interior workings of the body in action. Each program matches the interior process to the way it affects our everyday lives.

2 Discs

Human body, how it works

Homeostasis is a process of constant adjustment. Examines homeostasis in relation to kidney function, the role of the hypothalamus in temperature regulation, and hormonal signals for regulating sugar levels in the blood.

3 Discs

Each of the three programs that make up "The mysterious human heart" focuses on a different aspect of what we thought we knew, what we know now, and what we're on the verge of learning about the heart. This material is presented through the real-life dramas of people who suddenly learn that a normal, functioning heart is not something that can be taken for granted. In episode 1 we examine the heart as a muscle - pumping more than 100,000 times a day, pushing approximately five quarts of blood on an endless path delivering oxygen to every cell in the human body. This hour tells the story of the normal heart through the histories of three people with end-stage heart failure, where a pump may be a temporary remedy, but in the long term, a transplant is often a necessity. In episode 2, a look at the physiological electrical mechanism that keep a heart beating regularly and efficiently and what happens when this most essential rhythm of life goes awry. In episode 3, the focus is on atherosclerosis, the silent blockage of the coronary arteries, which can trigger devastating and sometimes fatal heart attacks.

The development of a child from conception to birth, using both microimagery and the story of a young couple preparing for their first child.

3 Dsics

This course takes you inside this astonishingly complex organ to show you how it works. Recent decades have seen unparalleled advances in understanding how the brain does what it does. Today we can pinpoint the specific regions, or nuclei, where some of life's most mysterious processes take place, including: where light that enters the eye is converted into the subjective experience of sight; where pressure waves that reach the ear are processed into sound; where fear originates; which nuclei are involved in language and the ability to read; where the ineffable chemistry of love is kindled.

This series explores the startling new map of the brain that has emerged from the past decade of neuroscience and shares a revelatory view of this most complicated organ, which now contradicts much of what we previously believed. Narrated by actress Blair Brown, the series tells stories through a mix of personal histories, expert commentary and cutting-edge animation. Viewers will not only learn startling new truths about the brain, they will voyage inside it.

Covers 3 major categories of biological macromolecules: carbohydrates, lipids, and the nucleic acids RNA and DNA. Explains the structure and biological roles of each types of macromolecules, and examines similarities and differences between them, using many biological examples. Includes computer animation and microphotography.

Tapes 3 & 4 only

Tape 3: Comets and meteors
Tape 4: Asteroids

... Mixes fact with informed speculation in order to provide a background for further research and more study."--Guide. Based on four volumes from Isaac Asimov's Library of the Universe.

Explores the beginning, evolution, end and mysteries of the Universe.

A study of the planet in our solar system most like earth. Describes the Mariner fly-by and Viking landing to unlock Mar's mysteries.

A visit to six world-class observatories showing their importance, functions and discoveries.

The sun is just one of billions of stars in the universe, providing us with heat, light and both nurturing and dangerous rays. Learn how stars form, the stages of their life cycles and how they die, turning from protostars to supernovae, neutron stars and black holes.

3 VHS Tapes

Presents the latest advances in cosmological thought, including the mathematics of astronomy, the Big Bang theory of creation, the nature of matter, the discovery and implications of dark matter, quasars and black holes, and the question of how the Big Bang began.

Join astronomers and astrophysicists as they probe light years beyond the Milky Way. This video employs graphic models and computer animation to illustrate some of the most complex cosmology theories of all time.

Using spectacular special effects, animation, computer graphics, and interviews with internationally renowned physicists, this program explores clues to the origin and evolution of the entire universe.

5 VHS Tapes

A series of lectures about cosmology and our universe to an audience of children.

Host Bill Nye examines thirteen benchmarks in astronomy.

Dramatization of Galileo Galilei's life, including his scientific achievements and his defense of his controversial theory that the earth revolves around the sun. Also includes how letters from his illegitimate daughter, Maria Celeste, a cloistered nun, have shed new light on Galileo's discoveries and his trial for heresy.

"This dramatic production presents Galileo, challenger of traditional views of astronomy and physics, whose conflicts with established beliefs led to his trial as a heretic in 1632, but whose theories came to dominate Western thought in succeeding centuries"--Container.

'Core astronomy' is a unique approach to presenting in a logical way the discoveries relating to celestial objects, space and the physical universe as a whole, as well as the laws governing their behavior.... 'Core astronomy' examines the key points in the development of astronomy, beginning with Greek astronomer Ptolemy's earth centered paradigm to Nicolas Copernicus' introduction of a sun centered solar system, and Isaac Newton's three laws of motion. It then examines the discovery of Neptune, Einstein's theories of Special and General Relativity, Hubble's expanding universe, and the discoveries of quasars, white dwarfs, neutron stars, pulsars and black holes, and finally ends with astronomy's modern frontiers - the great attractor, dark matter and life existing on an extrasolar planet"--Container.

"This video looks deep into space to learn how stars are born and how, eventually, they die. Each stage is covered. Special attention is given to the Sun--its effect on the Earth, its projected lifespan, and its various levels, from corona to core, and their characteristics--as well as to spectrographic analysis of starlight and star classification with the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram."--Container.

Who would have predicted that a hot spot left over from the Big Bang would eventually lead to our galaxy, the solar system, the Earth, - and to us? Origins explores how the universe and our planet began amid chaos and eventually gave birth to the first stirrings of life. Join cutting-dege scientists on a voyage deep into the Earth to find analogs to the earliest life on our planet, and travel a million miles from Earth with a space probe designed to capture the earliest observable "snapshot" of the Big Bang. Then watch as astronomers test an ingenious new way to detect distant planets that may harbor life, and discover that every atom in our bodies, and practically every bit of matter in the Earth, was made in the heart of stars. Hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson (shown), Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, Origins presents startling new findings that attempt to explain just how Earth, life, and the universe all began. - Container.

A mixture of animation and live footage serves as a background for a narrated introduction to the earth's geological history and the use of stones and minerals by human beings for buildings, tools and ornaments throughout their cultural development.

From the heights of Mount Everest, through the molten fields of Hawaii, to the very core of our planet, Amazing Earth reveals the geologic forces that have changed the face of our world and will ultimately change its face again.

4 VHS Tapes

Gives a broad introduction to basic elements of the study of geology.

Shows the ecological and environmental effects of the glacial ice age on the northern United States.

Program in a series of Hawkhill DVD videos designed to help teach scientific literacy in the secondary and college classroom. Each guide is a minitextbook meant for student reading and study. "The changing earth" traces the history of geology and geography from the earliest mapmakers to the latest research on plate tectonics, then re-creates the present-day picture of the earth's structure and history. "Climate, weather & people" discusses climate and weather through the ages and today.

An educational program about Earth's geology, introduces a number of geologic concepts including : basin & range, continental crust, crustal spread, earthquakes, erosion, exotic terrain, geologic time, glaciers, granite batholiths, MOHO, pillow lava, plate tectonics, rifts, subduction zones, volcanic activity, and xenoliths.

Our world is made of three kinds of rocks, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic. How are these rocks and minerals created, mined and used to affect our daily lives.

Multi-level approaches to teaching plate tectonics that include a visual presentation with videos, diagrams and photos plus correlated student labs ; Disc contains two video segments: Plate tectonics (ca. 13 min.), and, Volcanoes! (ca. 14 min.). Plus an archive of still frames, accessible by frame numbers, under such topics as volcanism and transform faults. The lab booklets each contain three or four activities relating to plate tectonics and are supplemented by the map sets ; Traces Wegener's ideas on continental drift to the discoveries of the mid-ocean ridges, trenches, sea-floor spreading, transform faults and the global pattern of shifting tectonic plates.

A stunning 11-part series that captures rare action, impossible locations, and intimate moments with our planet's best-loved, wildest, and most elusive creatures.

Examines the principles of biological classification. "It reveals the history of life on earth by acknowledging the evolutionary relationships between different species ... the dvd brings to life the topic of classification."

Looks at parasites - some benign, some deadly - that make humans their hosts. Examples are discussed in detail from the three major categories: single-celled; multicellular, or worms: and ectoparasites, those that live on the body as opposed to inside it. Experts show how these organisms proliferate through vectors, creatures that transmit parasites, such as the mosquito that carries malaria or the fly that transmits "river blindness." Interviews with victims and footage of parasitic damage are combined with commentary.

Shows the wide variety of habitats where bacteria are found and explains how they cause human disease.

"Presents the human body as a complex ecosystem of bacteria, then examines each portion of the body, which bacteria live there, and why. The three major bacterial groups--sphere-shaped cocci, rods, and helical spirochetes and spirilla--are examined. Their behavior when interacting with the body is explored. A discussion of factors that encourage bacterial growth leads to specific information on which bacteria cause certain conditions, and how infection can be avoided."

Introduces the immune system. Investigates how the various process work and what defenses the human body has against disease.

"This program clearly and concisely maps out the complicated human immune system, explaining both how it keeps the body healthy and what happens to the body if it malfunctions--or, even worse, if it shuts down completely."--Container.

Examines the impact of viruses on diseases, the immune system, evolution, and genetics. The program begins with a brief history of the discovery of viruses from Van Leewenhoek to today. Animation shows how viruses are structured, how they replicate, and how they kill healthy cells. Viewers are taken on a tour of the human body as they discover the role played by viruses in chronic diseases like multiple sclerosis, polio, herpes, and HIV. Also discusses new viruses such as Ebola and Hanta.

"To many people, viruses are simply agents for disease, but they may possess far greater power than originally thought. Some experts now believe that viruses helped give rise to the first complex cells, played a role in the diversification of life, changed how our young are born, drove evolution, and perhaps gave us emotions. One expert even suggests that an ancient virus could have entered our genes and rewired us for monogamy. National Geographic investigates a provocative new theory that suggests that all life--including humans--is descended from viruses"--Container.