Science Screen Report
FOR KIDS |
Tarantula—Up Close & Personal - NEW
They’re big, hairy, scary, poisonous and found in a variety of habitats on Earth. The 8-legged arachnid is a pet for some, pest for others and in Asia, a spicy, cooked, snack. This program uncovers the cultural myths and truths about the King of Spiders and the modern research being done using its venom. 15:07 |
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Passing The Bug - NEW
Bacteria are the oldest known form of life on Earth. Until the 20th century invention of antibiotics, many people suffered and died from bacterial diseases. Currently, misuse of antibiotics and the unintended use by farmers is changing their effectiveness, while bacteria insidiously evolve to resist them. Scientists are working to understand bacterial evolution and to educate the public about healthful usage. 14:54 |
Bizarre Creatures In The Ocean - NEW
Some very interesting animals with unique physical characteristics live in our oceans. The longest animal in the world, a 131 foot long jellyfish colony, has no brain, yet various tentacles have specific functions to perform. Bioluminescence (light produced from the agitated electrons in plasma) is what lights up the angler fish’s anatomical lure. High-tech ROVs (remote operating vehicles) and cameras for deep sea use aid scientists in research and discovery of life in our oceans. 18:12 |
The Immune System — Barrier to Infection
This program investigates the immune system’s ability to protect us from bacteria and micro-organisms. It discusses the body’s initial defenses in our skin, eyes, nose, and stomach to ward off bacteria, and how white blood cells fight back when the body is infected. It also discusses the differences between bacteria and viruses, why allergies occur, and the role of vaccines in keeping people well. 13:23 |
Colorful Creatures of the Sea
Oceans cover nearly seventy-five percent of the surfaces of the earth. The waters flow with salts, minerals and dissolved gases that provide the essentials for sea life to thrive. Many species have developed means to survive in this environment while others have existed unchanged for millions of years. Scientists believe that the depths below hold secrets of creatures yet to be discovered, and each plays an important role in the preservation of the ocean environment. 25:52 |
Mini-World of Insects and Spiders
Enter their mini-world for an up-close look at the lifestyles of some of these fascinating creatures, from how they grow and develop to the ways they construct their homes, protect and provide for themselves and their young, and sometimes live in cooperative societies or collaborate with other species. 25:10 |
Blood—Vital To Our Existence
This report looks at the composition of blood and explores the heart and the circulatory system. See how red blood cells are manufactured in the bone marrow and how plasma and red blood cells carry oxygen and nutrients to cells in the body. Learn how red blood cells remove carbon dioxide and how white blood cells protect us. 13:39
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The Minds of Birds
Investigate birds’ abilities to communicate, solve problems, make decisions, and to memorize. Learn how an African Grey Parrot learned to count, identify objects, and verbally express feelings, how Northwestern Crows developed a technique to crack open clamshells, and how Pinyon Jays can remember where to recover seeds buried months earlier. 17:12
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Farmer Ants
The leafcutter ant produces their own food by growing fungus gardens. This edition shows how they produce a growing medium using collected leaves, and how they plant, weed, and irrigate their crops. Close-up photography shows them building nests, growing chambers and reservoirs to capture rainwater for irrigation. 12:25
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Movement Of The Human Body
Look at the characteristics of muscles and bones and how their interaction creates movement, how scientists are studying the composition and functions of muscles and bones to improve technology & how engineers use this knowledge to improve robots’ range of motion, develop artificial limbs, and to design computer games. 13:4 |
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The Spine: Body’s Control
The spinal column provides stability and flexibility by absorbing shock and relieving pressure on the nerves during movement. Look at the design of the spinal cord and the medical advances being made to treat spinal cord injuries. Studies and experiments range from physical therapies to computer chips implanted in the spine. 15:10 |
Understanding Animal Behavior
In this scientific study of animal behavior we visit a primate research center and a zoo to learn how researchers are studying the extent of animal consciousness and intelligence. Explore the processes they follow by observing, recording, and interpreting their fascinating and sometimes amusing reactions. 14:48 |
Atoms and Elements
This program looks at atoms, elements and compounds. It shows how elements re smelted from ore and how they can be combined through chemical processes into different compounds. It also demonstrates how our knowledge of elements can be used in forensic science to provide evidence against criminals. 13:30 |
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Saving Earth’s Animals
This program explores the future of wild animals and the efforts scientists and conservationists are making to protect the over 5,000 species that are currently living under the threat of extinction. Learn that our animals and plants are vital parts of our biosphere that must be preserved. 12:11 |
The Microscope—Our Window On the World
Since the 1500’s, when the first scientist caught a glimpse of the miniature world in nature, the microscope has been aiding scientific discovery in a variety of ways. In this intriguing video we discover how scientists are using the microscope to open a window on our world. 13:05 |
A Look Into The Human Eye
This program provides an understanding of visual perception and how the eye interprets colors, shapes and the dimensions of objects by processing reflected light. It explains the functions of the lens, cornea, retina and the optic nerve, and discusses some complications and conditions that interfere with eyesight. Scientific breakthroughs in vision research demonstrate corrective procedures that are restoring sight for some people. 16:10 |
Endangered Species: Mission To Save the Manatee
In this video we’ll take students on a mission to see what’s being done to save the manatee, a marine animal sometimes known as a “sea cow” because of its size and diet, which consists mainly of vegetation. 14:20 |
A Trip Through the Circulatory System
The circulatory system is responsible for distributing the oxygen throughout our bodies. Look at how our bodies acquire and process energy. Scientists study the amount of oxygen and glucose the body needs under different conditions to see how their findings can be used to adjust the amount or type of food intake for different activities. 12:40 |
Ancient Tree: Modern Wonder
The Wollemi Pine is a “green dinosaur” that first spread its roots about 100 million years ago. This video teaches the viewer about the over fifty kinds of fungi it harbors, including one that is valuable in the fight against cancer. 14:42 |
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Pushing The Limits of the Human Body
Pushing the limits sometimes takes our bodies beyond what’s natural for them The question is, how much can our body handle? With the help of science, we are able to create products to assist our bodies in these situations. However, when our body’s limits are exceeded and we are injured, we need to depend on the skill of doctors and trained professionals to help us. In the future, with science and technology by our side we may find ourselves enjoying more extreme activities, flying at higher G forces, and diving at greater depths. |
The Science of Touch
Like our other senses we use our sense of touch every minute of every day. Scientists want to learn more about our sense of touch and are finding the latest scientific technologies which may be able to help those who have list this valuable sense. |
Genetic Engineering: Making Plants Grow Plastic
Most of the crops we grow today were developed over decades or centuries of careful selection, cross pollination, and cultivation. Now, plant breeders are using genetic engineering to speed up the process of improving plants. 11:40 |
The Importance of Our Face
The organs of our face work together to reveal our outer and inner selves by enabling us to communicate our expressions and emotions to the world. Universal beliefs about attractiveness are linked to facial symmetry. Illustrations show the anatomy of the teeth, tongue and jaws. The mouth and nose work together to identify foods. Demonstrations show the process of chewing and swallowing, and the functions of the taste buds and saliva. Software applications allow us to identify people through the features of their faces. 25:59 |
Theories of Dinosaur Extinction
Dinosaurs were the dominant land vertebrates for 140 million years. They filled many niches in the environment and competed with other organisms, like mammals, for space in ecosystems. For years, scientists thought the dinosaurs became extinct in a short period of time, the result of an extraterrestrial impact from a comet. In this program, we show the trail of evidence that led scientists to an impact crater on the Yucatan Peninsula suspected to be the result of a comet impacting the earth. This comet brought about the end of the age of dinosaurs and helped begin the age of mammals 65 million years ago. 17:03 |
Blanket of Protection — Earth’s Atmosphere
From studying the earth’s atmosphere, the greenhouse effect, and past climate changes scientists have found that there is one-third more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than there was before the industrial revolution. This leads scientists to believe that human activity plays a significant role in global warming. With the use of renewable energy sources such as wind, water and solar energy we can help slow the global warming process. 16:33 |
The Mystery of the Wind
We’ll reveal how wind, in its many forms, from local winds like offshore and onshore winds… to planetary winds like trade winds and westerly winds… to hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, tornadoes, and wind shear help... to shape our planet. This issue will also explore the link between wind and ocean, how the winds shape and move the clouds and dunes, sculpt the land, and transport life. 12:15 |
How Weather Happens
Explore the interaction of natural forces that create our weather, the role of the oceans in creating weather patterns, huge storms and events such as El Niño, and how technology is increasing forecast accuracy to boost our abilities to prepare for any type of weather. 16:20 |
Our Green Planet
This issue explores how plants moved from the sea to land after developing a vascular system to transport water, minerals and food throughout the plant. It discusses how the plants and trees we know developed over time, explains the process of photosynthesis, and the unique ways some plants and trees have adapted in order to survive in difficult conditions. 16:28
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The World Below
This video explains continental drifts, the forces that move continental plates, how ocean floors and mountain ranges were formed, causes of earthquakes and volcanic explosions, and the theory that earth’s magnetic field is produced by storms within a sea of molten lava at the earth’s core. 15:11 |
Where The Sea Meets The Shore
This visually stunning program examines the wide variety of animal and plant life that survive these difficult living conditions that are caused by pounding waves during the ebb and flow of the tides. Students will come to appreciate how these plants and animals have adapted to develop unique survival mechanisms. 26:15 |
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Coral Reefs—Keepers of Secrets
Take a dive into the underwater world of coral reefs and explore their importance in helping us understand much of the recent history of our oceans. 23:30 |
The Sun: Heat, Light and Life
A blazing ball of gases 93 million miles away, it does what no planet can do, radiate life-sustaining light and heat. But what is the source of the sun’s energy? This issue explains the latest theory as it shows how scientists are using instruments in space and within the Earth to study the sun inside and out. 13:10 |
The Sky Isn’t Falling
A prism, a demonstration of the Doppler Effect, and a loaf of raisin bread show students how astronomer Edwin Hubble determined that the universe is expanding, perhaps because of a tremendous explosion many cosmologists believe happened billions of years ago. 13:52 |
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Giving Back The Land
In the early nineteen hundreds, the practice of strip mining to supply minerals to manufacturing industries left land in many parts of the world barren, scarred, and unable to sustain life. This program looks at experiments in land reclamation, including bioremediation trials that use plants and bacteria to restore the terrain. 14:42 |
Understanding Earthquakes
This issue demonstrates how geologists study earthquakes and their effects on the planet. Graphic demonstrations visualize the tectonic plates in California and how they move beneath the earth. There are also demonstrations of how seismic waves radiate through the earth and how scientists use this information and the Richter Scale to predict these destructive forces. 12:08 |
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Predicting Volcanoes
Volcanoes are a fascinating part of the earth and have intrigued scientists as well as the general public for hundreds if not thousands of years. Fueled by the excitement that volcanoes create, scientists strive to make further advances in monitoring and predicting volcanic activity. With devoted scientists and future scientific technologies, we continue to study the earth’s plates in order to understand the complexity of volcanic activity around the world. |
Origins of the Universe Explored
The Big Bang theory is currently the most popular scientific theory for the origin of the universe. It describes how the universe emerged from an enormously dense and hot state about 13.6 billion years ago and how the universe is still expanding. Scientists have learned to support this theory with information from the Hubble Space Telescope and radio telescopes. |
The Sun – Center of our Solar System
Solar energy is created deep within the core of the sun. It is here that the temperature and pressure is so intense that nuclear reactions take place. It is the larges object and contains approximately 98% of the total solar system mass. Scientists predict that the sun’s energy will run our in billions of years. Scientists built a model of the structure of the sun, and using a new spacecraft called SOHO they can test this model as well as confirm its actual structure. |
Exploring Shoreline Habitats
Shoreline habitats thrive with many different species of wildlife, and this ecosystem depends on the balance of all the living things that reside in these zones. Our goal is to keep our shoreline habitats healthy and appealing for wildlife and humans alike. As scientists and environmentalists work with developers to preserve these sensitive areas, we should be able to successfully coexist in these vital environments. |
Continent of Ice and Snow
Trek to the South Pole to find out what an international enclave of biologists, geologists, archaeologists, atmospheric scientists, and climatologists hope to discover at the bottom of the world; and how they work in this harsh and hazardous environment. 25:45 |
Spectacular Sharks
Sharks are the largest predatory fish in the ocean, distinguished from other fish by skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone. We look at a perspective on the history of sharks and their unique physiological characteristics, including a variety of head shapes and sensory organs that detect electric fields. These and other distinctions have helped sharks survive since the age of the dinosaurs. 15:34 |
Exploring Desert Biomes
Deserts can be found anywhere water is scarce. Deserts are known as the lands of extremes – deadly heat, extreme dryness, and tremendous flash floods. They cover great distances and are classified by their geographical location and dominant weather pattern. Desert regions are abundant with life, and are second only to tropical rainforests in the variety of plant and animal species that live there. In this edition, we explore the unique and fascinating land of the desert. 17:48 |
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The Magic of Light and Electricity - NEW
Light is created, transported and made visible by the microscopic movement of electrons. This program is about the cutting edge nano-science of capturing and controlling light. Scientists are creating photonic devices that guide uninterrupted, super fast travel of data. It’s all about sending and receiving information faster than a magician can wave a wand. 13:42 |
States of Matter: Solid, Liquid and Gas
Anything that takes up space or has mass is matter. Under certain conditions matter can be a solid, liquid, gas or plasma. Different states of matter can be combined in suspensions and solutions and mixtures can be taken apart. Exploring the physical and chemical properties of matter provides insight into nature and a glimpse at how scientists and engineers use this knowledge to shape our world. 16:48 |
Understanding the Fire Triangle
Understanding the nature of fire and how to control it is the goal of scientists all over the world. This program explores the elements necessary to create fire — heat, fuel and oxygen — the fire triangle. Firefighters show how using a thermal imaging camera helps to identify the source of a fire. A gel containing water filled bubbles is shown protecting houses from burning. The positive use of fire is demonstrated through the internal combustion engine. As we learn more about fire, perhaps we can make it safer. 17:43 |
The Power of Electricity
This issue provides a look at how hydroelectricity is created in power plants, distributed along massive power lines, and how transformers move the electricity and convert it to the appropriate voltage. The differences between alternating current and direct current are demonstrated. The video also explains the differences between neon and filament bulbs, and shows how electricity powers automobiles and mass transportation. 15:10 |
Energy From Earth’s Interior
Explore how huge granite bodies under the earth’s surface may be used as heating elements for future geothermal power plants. Students will see how these hot rocks are formed, and the technology that is used to locate them and allow them to be mined for heat. The program also offers a basic understanding of earth’s interior. 14:27 |
The Properties Of Fuels and Gases
This issue explores the basic properties of gases. Demonstrations show how gases spread to fill their containers, that all gases have weight, how gases can be compressed, and how a scent is created when particles of matter are diffused in the air and reach the nose. 17:48 |
Magnetic Force At Work
Starting with basic principles, the program explains the magnetic fields of the sun and their relationship to earth’s magnetosphere, as well as magnetism’s role in technology, including its use in generating electricity in motors, computers, medical testing, and in communications equipment. 14:30 |
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Physics: Gravity and Forces
Using examples featuring competition cyclists, skydivers, and wind tunnel testing, the program demonstrates the concepts of balanced and unbalanced forces, and the influence of air resistance, friction, gravity, and lift on competition cyclists, skydivers, and wind tunnel testing. 14:23 |
The Science of Light
This program explores the concepts of visual light through demonstrations of how light emanates from the sun and affects the earth, how we see color, how light can be reflected, and how the light of lasers can be made to bend, enabling it to carry information and making it an essential element in telecommunications technology. 17:0 |
Power From The Ocean Tides
This issue explains how the earth’s tides are formed, their relationship to the moon’s gravity, how the power of the tides is used to produce electricity in underwater turbines, and undersea transformers adjust the voltage so the electricity can be sent over long distances. 14:23
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Fitness and Recreation
Science and technology will come together to transform the way we train for sports and competition, and make it safer for us to explore our planet’s different environments. This program demonstrates how high speed cameras, 3D graphics and virtual reality will all be implemented to improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. 13:19 |
Robots, Our Future Servants
This insightful program takes a look at how robots are currently being used and what advances we can expect to see in the future. Imagine tiny micro bots cleaning your classroom, mini robots retrieving library videos, or a “smart house” that will be automated to take care of you and your family. 12:46 |
Medicine In The New Millennium
Take a look into the future of medicine and health in this fascinating program which focuses on the science and technology of medicine in the future. We’ll also take a look at the use of natural remedies, like seaweed, which for centuries has been harvested in Ireland for medicinal use. 14:38 |
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The Life and Times
In this issue, students will learn how genes effect the lifespan of animals and plants, and about specific genes that influence a very long life. The program also discusses the discovery of the telomerase, an enzyme that increases the number of times a cell can divide and the number of times that it is able to recreate life. 14:27 |
Safe and Secure In the 21st Century
This program investigates security issues and the ways that authorities will be using scientific advancements to keep us safe from criminals, terrorists and potential disasters. 12:08 |
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Space Exploration In The New Millennium
Look at the latest developments in space technology from the building of the International Space Station to the ideas and plans for terraforming Mars, and the mining of asteroids.25:32 |
Living In Space - NEW
The International Space Station is a stepping stone towards establishing human life in space and on other planets. Transportation cost, sufficient food, oxygen and water production are key factors that scientists are working on to make un-Earthly life possible in the 21st century. We also take a look at Biosphere 2; its purpose, development and ultimate shortcomings. 17:43 |
Pursuing Energy Alternatives
About 300 years ago conventional science, based on Newton’s Laws of Motion, announced that energy could not be created and thus the quest for perpetual motion, and therefore ‘free’ energy, was over. However, there were a few dreamers and visionaries who refused to believe perpetual motion, the holy grail of science, was beyond the minds of men. Drawn together by the internet, there are still those who believe perpetual motion and ‘free’ energy is not only possible, but that it may well be the solution to our current energy crisis. These sometimes eccentric, usually dedicated, and always obsessive individuals make their cases with results that are both entertaining and surprising. |
Transportation In The Next Century
In the 21st century computers will play an ever-increasing role in the design, manufacture and testing of new cars. Much of the new technology in future automobiles will come from the aerospace industry. In this exciting progrm, students will see how some of that technology is already being used, like the navigation systems now in some cars. 13:40 |
Science In The Third World
In After seeing this program, students will appreciate how technological alliances and linkages to education and resources help people in remote areas to gain knowledge. They will also understand how science and technology are helping people to develop twenty-first century skills to advance themselves and their countries. 13:47 |
DVD Release: 2004-2008
DVD: $125.00 each DVD
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