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Human babies drink milk; it's the food especially provided for them by their mothers. Various cultures have also added the milk of other mammals to their diet, and adults think nothing of downing a glass of cows' milk. But worldwide, only a third of adults can actually digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Human geneticist Spencer Wells tracks down the genetic changes associated with the ability to digest lactose as adults. Combining genetics, chemistry, and anthropology, this story provides a compelling example of the co-evolution of human genes and human culture.
(Source: DCMP)
The science of sight has entered a new era. Scientists are starting to understand how a few rare individuals can see better or see faster. Meet a woman who can see a hundred more colors than the average human being, and a heavyweight boxer who undergoes sophisticated training to increase the speed of his visual reflexes and acuity. As silicon and carbon meld and point the way to a bionic future, researchers discuss how technology is starting to replace or enhance vision for those who have lost it. Viewers witness the moment when a husband and father, equipped with an experimental retinal implant, sees his wife and child for the first time. Part of the “Human + The Future of Our Senses” series.
In the dark recesses of a warehouse, a drunken game of cards explodes into a murder. Now the night watchman lays dead. The only witnesses are a housefly or perhaps a cockroach that might be skittering by. That stylized tribute to our seemingly endless appetite for TV programs about forensic science sets the stage for an examination of how, in the real world of police investigations, nature is being enlisted in the war on crime. Sifts through the mayhem, murder, and science that make up the world of forensic investigation with the help of Dr. Jennifer Gardy, of British Columbia's Centre for Disease Control (CDC).
The Magic School Bus is an award winning animated children’s television series based on the book series of the same title by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. It is notable for its use of celebrity talent and being both highly entertaining and educational. Flora Whiff, the famous expert on smell, comes to school to judge the First Annual Smell Search. Ms. Frizzle's class creates a unique smell which is bound to take first prize, but Arnold's cousin, Janet, determined to win by herself, changes their smell to an odor only a skunk could love. The kids discover the secret to what makes things smell. Now they have to make sure their creation doesn't make a big stink.
With support from the National Science Foundation’s Human-Centered Computing Program (HCC), Stanford University mechanical engineer Mark Cutkosky and his team are using volunteer test subjects to find out if the way walk is wearing out their knees. One of the major problems at the root of knee pain is uneven wear and tear on the knee cartilage, which leads to arthritis. Cutkosky’s research, known as Movement Retraining, focuses on alleviating pain by analyzing and possibly changing a person's stride. The goal is to slow the rate at which arthritis progresses and thereby delay or even eliminate the need for surgery. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
The heart is the most symbolic organ of the human body. Across history, it has been seen as the source of emotions and the center of human existence. However, by the seventeenth century, scientific understanding overturned historical ideas, and the heart was recognized merely as a mechanical pump. More recently, Professor David Paterson from the University of Oxford has been doing extensive research that challenges this view. He has discovered that the heart has millions of specialized neurons just like those that are in the brain. Neurons are the cells that give humans the ability to think. So what does their presence in the heart mean?
With support from the National Science Foundation, Liangfang Zhang and his team at UC-San Diego have created a nanosponge to combat drug-resistant infections, such as those caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The nanosponge, made from biocompatible, biodegradable polymer nanoparticles, is camouflaged with a red blood cell membrane. It circulates in the bloodstream, absorbing the toxins produced by infection. Once the nanosponges are fully loaded with toxins, they are safely disposed of by the liver. They are designed to work with any type of infection or poison that attacks the cellular membrane. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
The image of a rat sniffing around for food with its little whiskers moving back and forth to help satisfy its appetite is enough to make most people lose theirs. But those whiskers play a valuable role in helping rats determine what is in the environment around them. With support from the National Science Foundation, Mitra Hartmann and colleagues at Northwestern University in Chicago are constructing whiskered robots that can detect and then project three-dimensional virtual images of objects on to a computer screen. Scientists here don't think it's so far-fetched that one day robotic rovers, much like the ones on Mars now, might contain a set of whiskers to help them navigate the terrain around them.
Anna has built a successful business from the ground up, and upon retirement, she leaves the company to her employees, not to her son. What does that decision tell us about Anna's psychology and about the development of the human brain over a lifetime? Explores the emotional and neurological elements of learning, explaining how the brain processes and stores experiences and prepares for future decision-making. Employing real-to-life dramatizations, Anna's journey from innocent teenager to philosophical retiree--and the changes that take place in her cortex, hippocampus, and neural synapses as she faces and overcomes challenges--are all depicted. In addition, several influential brain experiments from the past decade are described.
Draws on documentary and archival footage, 3-D and 2-D animations, and high-tech imaging to investigate a variety of virological topics: the nature of pandemics as illustrated by the SARS outbreak in China; genetic sequencing of Spanish influenza from exhumed tissue of a century-old corpse; how animal viruses jump the species barrier; the dissection of live viruses in a biosafety level-4 lab; the work of an Ebola research team in Gabon; the discovery of mimivirus; applications of Onyx-015, a genetically engineered adenovirus; and more. Features Vincent A. Fischetti of The Rockefeller University, Jeffery Taubenberger of the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Y. Guan of The University of Hong Kong, Didier Raoult of the French National Center for Scientific Research, and other leading virus specialists.
The goal of this research is to determine the mechanisms underlying predatory and defensive behavior guided by an extraordinarily novel sensor in snakes. Pit vipers, pythons and boas possess special organs that form images in the brain of the thermal environment, much like vision occurs in the human brain. Thus, these snakes see heat, and this amazing system is the most sensitive infrared detector on Earth, natural or artificial. A better understanding of infrared-based thermal imaging in snakes is important not only for understanding complex behavior in these highly efficient predators, but also for understanding the evolution of imaging sensors and the behaviors they support in other animals including people. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
Teachers often say to students, “Put your thinking caps on,” and one day, students might just do that for real. Vanderbilt University psychologist Geoffrey Woodman says that’s because scientists are being equipped with more and more tools they can use to better understand the brain, and now, they can even eavesdrop on individual neurons. Initial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) allowed Woodman and his team at the Vanderbilt University Visual Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory to study memory and perception. Then, the researchers tested their theory that electrical stimulation of the medial frontal cortex can boost learning and improve decision-making. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
The Magic School Bus is an award winning animated children’s television series based on the book series of the same title by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. It is notable for its use of celebrity talent and being both highly entertaining and educational. Ralphie's upset when his mom tells him he's too sick to go to school because he was supposed to host a FNN (Frizzle News Network) TV broadcast on health that day. Not one to leave a student behind, Ms. Frizzle takes the class on a trip inside Ralphie's body to figure out what's ailing him. However, once inside, Ralphie's white blood cells see the bus as a threat and start to attack.
Part of the "Gunther's ER" series. Beyond the immediate risks to a patient's life, doctors must also identify other bodily damage. Dr. Gunther von Hagens examines the kinds of injuries that can lead to permanent disability if not quickly addressed. Dissecting a female body donor who died after falling from a window, von Hagens locates fractures throughout her skeleton, explains how bones break, and bends a human spine to discover how much force it can withstand before snapping. Also investigates the causes and consequences of brain damage. Recreating head injury to the exposed brain of another cadaver, von Hagens illustrates how the rigid, closely fitting skull can actually damage the brain it is meant to protect. NOTE: Viewer discretion is advised. Contains clinically explicit language and nudity.
While the human brain and nervous system are wired with hundreds of billions of nerve cells, or neurons, sea slugs can get by with tens of thousands. Ironically, sea slugs reveal a lot about the chemistry of the human brain and nervous system. In fact, they are ideal as study subjects for research on learning, memory, and how neurons control behavior. With support from the National Science Foundation, analytical chemist Jonathan Sweedler and his team at the University of Illinois are working to develop new measurement tools that enable insights into the function of individual cells in the central nervous systems of slugs and other animals in order to uncover novel neurochemical pathways. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
A shark attack survivor now knows what it feels like to be part bionic man. 23-year-old amputee Craig Hutto has volunteered to help test a state-of-the-art prosthetic leg with powered knee and ankle joints. With support from the National Science Foundation and continued support from the National Institutes of Health, Vanderbilt University mechanical engineer Michael Goldfarb has spent several years developing the leg, which operates with special sensors, an electric motor, a battery, and computer technology. Sensors monitor the user's motion and microprocessors figure out what the person is trying to do. Goldfarb says the powered leg reduces the lag time between a real leg and a prosthetic one. Hutto confirms that the powered prosthetic is much better at anticipating his next move.
Part of the "Gunther's ER" series. As Dr. Gunther von Hagens makes clear, a shortage of blood can mean that insufficient oxygen is reaching the major organs, usually resulting in shock and organ failure. Opens with a graphic bleeding demonstration, re-creating injury to blood vessels in the hand of a cadaver. Also examines the consequences of blood loss in the body's vital organs by creating knife wounds in the torso of a frozen body, then sawing it into slices to reveal the path of the blades and the shocking extent of the damage. Also explores a lesser well-known cause of blood loss-fractured bones-which von Hagens illustrates in an experiment in which a femur dissected from a fresh cadaver is made to bleed as it would in life. NOTE: Viewer discretion is advised. Contains clinically explicit language and nudity.
Part of the "Gunther's ER" series. The human brain suffers irreversible damage if deprived of oxygen for even a few minutes-a fact Dr. Gunther von Hagens demonstrates by utilizing human cadavers as examples. Simulating an artery injury to illustrate oxygen depletion through blood loss, von Hagens then focuses on problems affecting the trachea, the top priority for ER doctors. In order to show the major structures of the airway and how they can be blocked by foreign objects, von Hagens inserts an endoscope into his own throat and saws a frozen body's throat in half, revealing the major structures of the airway and their potential weaknesses. Red Cross first-aid expert Emma Rand explains simple techniques for clearing the airway, while emergency medicine consultant Dr. John Heyworth shows how paramedics treat complex trachea damage. NOTE: Viewer discretion is advised. Contains clinically explicit language and nudity.
The Magic School Bus is an award winning animated children’s television series based on the book series of the same title by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. It is notable for its use of celebrity talent and being both highly entertaining and educational. At this year's Teacherathalon, Ms. Frizzle squares off with Mr. Sinew, a muscle-bound gym teacher. Sinew easily wins the first of the three events. Thinking there's a problem, the kids go inside Ms. Frizzle to check her out. The bus takes them through her lungs to the bloodstream, where they get pumped through her heart to her calf muscle. But when Frizzle's leg muscle collapses from the strain of winning the second event, the kids discover that her red blood cells can't get oxygen to her muscles fast enough. Can the kids help Frizzle recover in time to win the final race?
Showing collections 1 to 4 of 4
Collection of anatomy resources
A collection containing 21 resources, curated by Benetech
Biology related concepts
A collection containing 59 resources, curated by Benetech
Resources related to vision
A collection containing 12 resources, curated by Charles LaPierre
Resources to teach younger students about animals
A collection containing 58 resources, curated by DIAGRAM Center
