The Language of the Universe: Mathematics in Ancient Times
In this program, Professor Marcus du Sautoy explores mathematical milestones of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. Topics include Egypt’s unusual method of multiplication and division, as well as Egyptians’ understanding of binary numbers, ...
The Genius of the East: Mathematics During the Middle Ages
During Europe’s Middle Ages, mathematics flourished primarily on other shores. This program follows Professor Marcus du Sautoy as he discusses mathematical achievements of Asia, the Islamic world, and early-Renaissance Europe. Topics include China...
The Mystical North: Spanish Art from the 19th Century to the Present
Northern Spain has produced some of the world’s most celebrated artists, including Picasso, Miró, Dalí—and Goya, who foreshadowed modern painting with his dark political consciousness. This program studies the artistic and social turmoil that ...
Read My Lips: Learning Language
Communication is at the core of the human experience, even though effective communication takes a lifetime to learn. This program explores how we develop the arts of speech and physical expression to make ourselves understood and to understand other...
Power Struggles: Parents vs. Children
Is it healthy for parents to exercise complete control? Are rebellious children better equipped for the future? What measures should be taken to reign in unruly kids? This program looks at childhood battles for independence and the reasons why such ...
Irish theater: raw bones and poetry
This program, hosted by renowned theater director Sir Richard Eyre, describes the battle for an authentic Irish theater - a theater of the working class, with realistic language and gritty social and political content. The influences of Oscar Wilde,...
Shakespeare: drama's DNA
In England, each generation has reinterpreted Shakespeare's plays, finding in them both a mirror and a measuring stick of humanity. In this program, renowned theater director Sir Richard Eyre traces the evolution of Shakespearean drama, from the day...
Requiem for Detroit?
More than a requiem, this documentary touches on issues relevant to all students of American history and society by using Detroit as a window into many sociocultural aspects of American life. Major topics include industrialization, the birth of subu...
Get smart: learning to learn
This program uncovers what happens in our minds when we learn, remember, and imagine. It reveals how neurons and synapses lay down knowledge in the brain; ways to improve our ability to acquire knowledge, including increased intake of omega-3 fatty ...
Inside the Medieval Mind: Belief
Founded in 1230, Scotland’s Pluscarden Abbey still pulses with the prayers and spiritual pursuits of Benedictine monks. Abbot Hugh Gilbert describes their work in reassuringly human terms, framing the Christian battle against Satanic evil as an in...