Films for the Humanities & Sciences (Firm)
Language
English
Description
Much more than a list of elements, the periodic table is a snapshot of how matter is organized on Earth and throughout the universe. Divided into five sections, this program looks at the history and components of the periodic table: The History of the Periodic Table (from the atomos of Democritus to the atoms of Mendeleev); Metals (how to read the periodic table, transition metals, alkali metals, alkaline earth metals); Lanthanides, Actinides, and...
Language
English
Description
The 19th century brought tumultuous political change to Central and South America. This program shows how the cultural crucible of the region fused and realigned aesthetic movements considered sacrosanct in Europe-specifically, Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. In an eclectic matching game that became typical of Latin American literature, Realist and historical novels existed cheek-and-jowl with Romantic poetry, Romantic novels competed with the...
Language
Español
Description
The 19th century brought tumultuous political change to Central and South America. This program shows how the cultural crucible of the region fused and realigned aesthetic movements considered sacrosanct in Europe-specifically, Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism. In an eclectic matching game that became typical of Latin American literature, Realist and historical novels existed cheek-and-jowl with Romantic poetry, Romantic novels competed with the...
Language
English
Description
After an introductory segment contrasting the human endocrine and nervous systems, this program addresses the complex physiology of the endocrine system. Topics include the endocrine organs and glands; the characteristics of hormones and the process of signal transduction; hormonal regulation of blood glucose and blood calcium levels; the roles of growth hormone, thyroid hormone, testosterone, and estrogen in bodily development; hormones and reproduction;...
Language
English
Description
Although it's the least menacing type of hepatitis, the virus strain known as HAV should not be underestimated. This program focuses on the causes and typical treatments for Hepatitis A and guides viewers through the different levels of danger that the virus poses to victims. Medical experts-including Dr. Harold Margolis, Former Chief of the CDC Hepatitis Branch, Dr. Jay Keystone of the University of Toronto, and travel medicine specialist Dr. Bradley...
Language
English
Description
To the European imagination, America was a tabula rasa, a virgin territory. As this program describes, narrative art forms were essential to making sense of this exotic Eden and the possibilities it offered. New Spain became a place for re-creating myths and legends of the Western literary canon, for transforming poetry, prose, and epic literature. The diaries of Columbus, Bartolome de las Casas' History of the Indies, Bernal Diaz' True History of...
Language
Español
Description
To the European imagination, America was a tabula rasa, a virgin territory. As this program describes, narrative art forms were essential to making sense of this exotic Eden and the possibilities it offered. New Spain became a place for re-creating myths and legends of the Western literary canon, for transforming poetry, prose, and epic literature. The diaries of Columbus, Bartolome de las Casas' History of the Indies, Bernal Diaz' True History of...
Language
English
Description
Tennessee Williams' masterpiece The Glass Menagerie is a prime example of the memory play in modern literature. In this program hosted by Eli Wallach, former cast members and directors of Menagerie discuss plot and thematic elements, the characterization of some of theater's most memorable and enduring dramatic figures, and the era in which the play was written. Commentary is provided by Ruby Dee, Olympia Dukakis, Julie Harris, and Molly Regan (Amanda);...
Language
English
Description
If the 20th century was the era of physics and nuclear fission, the 21st belongs to the life sciences. Moving from gene, to genome, to genetically based diseases, this program provides an overview of the interrelated fields of genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics, with an emphasis on practical applications of biotechnology to the field of medicine. Are genetically personalized drugs around the next corner? Commentary is provided by Bob Forgey,...
Language
English
Description
From price tags to paychecks, from tracking sales to filing taxes, from opening in the morning to locking up at night, the on-the-ground challenges of running a business never end. This video sheds light on them with expert commentary and helpful explorations of numerous management issues. Topics include obtaining proper insurance; determining the best market prices for goods and services; finding the right software and record-keeping systems for...
Language
English
Description
What do fireworks, a fried egg, and a rusting truck have in common? They all involve chemical reactions. This program illustrates the mechanics of chemical reactions in five sections: Chemical Reactions (reactants and products, state changes, diatomic elements and molecules, Law of Conservation of Mass); Chemical Bonding (Octet Rule, ionic and covalent bonds); Types of Chemical Reactions (synthesis and decomposition reactions, single and double displacement...
32) Targeting terror
Language
English
Description
The war on terror requires greater cooperation among countries and a deeper understanding of terrorism's causes and manifestations. This program spotlights five nations caught in the crosshairs to examine regional history, terror-related issues, and counterterrorism actions: the U.S., post-9/11, where captured international terrorists have been handled by military rather than civilian courts; the U.K., where fighting the IRA has ultimately conferred...
33) Women's rights
Language
English
Description
Despite the progress of the international women's movement in exposing and correcting human rights abuses against females, in many countries women are still fighting to attain the most basic of civil liberties. This program contextualizes that struggle by comparing women's rights in the U.S. with the status of women in China, Afghanistan, and Kenya. Hopeful signs such as rising levels of education for girls, female representation in government, and...
Language
English
Description
How are fetal alcohol spectrum disorders diagnosed? What are the primary and secondary disabilities associated with FASD? And-most important of all-what is the human cost? This program addresses these questions through the firsthand experiences of Ann Streissguth, director of the University of Washington's Fetal Alcohol and Drug Unit; Kathy Mitchell, vice president of NOFAS; Erica Lara, who works at a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility...
35) Electric current
Language
English
Description
This program explores how electric energy became an essential tool with the advent of electricity storage, allowing the flow of current to do useful work. Conductors and insulators, voltage, and current are defined and examined, using a water flow model to help ensure understanding. The difference between electron flow and current flow models is explained, and the nature of direct and alternating current (both one- and two-phase) is developed. Specific...
Language
English
Description
In the first decades of the 20th century, Brazilian avant-garde literature came into its own. This program examines the awakening of Modernismo and subsequent movements in Brazilian letters, from Sao Paulo's Week of Modern Art in 1922 to the politically focused milieu of the 1970s. Outlining historical events that helped shape the country's multifaceted culture, the program explores the writings of Graciliano Ramos, Jose Lins do Rego, Augusto Meyer,...
Language
Español
Description
In the first decades of the 20th century, Brazilian avant-garde literature came into its own. This program examines the awakening of Modernismo and subsequent movements in Brazilian letters, from Sao Paulo's Week of Modern Art in 1922 to the politically focused milieu of the 1970s. Outlining historical events that helped shape the country's multifaceted culture, the program explores the writings of Graciliano Ramos, Jose Lins do Rego, Augusto Meyer,...
Language
English
Description
All matter in the observable universe-from a single blade of grass to a planet in a faraway galaxy-is made up of atoms, molecules, and compounds. This program introduces these minuscule building blocks in five sections: The Nucleus (protons and neutrons, energy shells, binding energy, fission and fusion); The Electrons (quantum numbers, spdf orbitals); The Elements (periodic table, valence electrons, ions and ionization energy, electronegativity,...
Language
English
Description
This program takes a close look at the organs of the human circulatory system and how they work to sustain life. After an introductory overview, the composition of blood-its plasma, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets-is analyzed, blood types and Rh factor are considered, the role of hemoglobin in transporting oxygen is explained, and the anatomy and function of the heart is examined. Factors that affect blood pressure and circulation are also...
Language
English
Description
As the world's population and overall standard of living continue to increase, the growing demand for food, fuel, and consumer products has reached unprecedented levels. This program examines how biotechnology is helping to meet those needs through genetic engineering to increase crop yields and improve the nutritional value of key staple foods; animal agriculture, founded on selective breeding and edging toward lab-based genetic engineering; and...