The ascent of man: generation upon generation
This is part twelve of a history of the cultural evolution of man, from primitive times to the present, presented by the late Dr. Jacob Bronowski. This program deals with the revolution that mathematics and physics brought to biology. It begins with...
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...
The Book of Life: Genetics and Evolution
Likening the beauty and complexity of DNA to an epic poem, this program revolves around the idea that we all carry the story of life on Earth in our genes, and that the similarities between species may play a more significant role in that story than...
High-Tech Foods: Is Genetically Engineered Food Safe?
Fast-tracked by the FDA, GMOs—genetically modified organisms—have already deeply penetrated America’s food supply. Are they safe? In this program, NewsHour correspondent Paul Solman looks at both sides of the GMO controversy. Agricultural law ...
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...