Species Loss and Environmental Problems
Paul Ehrlich, best known for his work on population growth, observes that species and diversity loss is the most irreversible of our environmental problems and should be getting much more attention.
Are We Still Evolving?
Assume, for the sake of argument, that our species has created everything it needs—all the comfort and protection that technology can provide. Does that mean our biological evolution has come to an end? Not necessarily, says anatomist and anthropo...
The Chemistry of Life: Milestones in Genetics
Cells are, in a sense, just tiny bags of chemicals—so what “instructs” them to divide and function? This program shows how biologists addressed the question during the 19th and 20th centuries. Starting with Friedrich Miescher’s discovery of ...
Hidden kingdom: early discoveries in cell science
It was a businessman, not a trained scientist, who first gained entry to the cryptic world of cells. This program relates the early history of microbiology and genetics, beginning with the story of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, a 17th-century Dutch texti...
Impact From Loss of Biological Diversity
Paul Ehrlich, best known for his work on population growth, observes that it's difficult to predict whether the loss of biological diversity will hit us suddenly and very hard, or if the effects will be played out more gradually.
Disappearing Species and the Endocrine System
Zoologist and World Wildlife Fund senior scientist Theo Colborn talks about the impact of environmental toxins on the endocrine systems of exposed animals. Dr. Colborn observes that some of the species being affected have been in existence for milli...
The global marketplace: the benefits of globalization
In an age of globalization, companies are scrambling to blend the ideals of social justice with the concept of a free-market economy. Drawing on case studies from around the world, this program focuses on progressive efforts being made by businesses...
Core biology: environmental sciences
In this program, the wonders of ecology and ecosystems revealed. A seminal moment in mankind's history occurred when, in 1949, Aldo Leopold announced the concept of a land ethic: "We are all part of the greater interconnected whole of plants animal...
Cell: The Spark of Life
From hydras to humans, every organism on Earth can trace its ancestry back to the first primitive cell. Will biotechnology one day create a cell outside of that family tree? This program looks at 21st-century genetic science and its search for the s...