236 resources and 4 collections matched your query.
Library of 3383 accessible STEM media resources.
Showing resources 221 to 236 of 236
Select a resource below to get more information and link to download this resource.
The species of Goby fish, Sicyopterus stimpsoni, also known as the inching climber, thrives in the waters off Hawaii. To reach the safe haven of its freshwater spawning area, this Goby must scale a waterfall, or at least the rock behind it, using suction cups on its body. With support from the National Science Foundation, scientists at St. Cloud and Clemson Universities study these extraordinary fish to better understand how they’ve adapted and evolved in order to achieve such vertical feats. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
(Source: DCMP)
Born in 1962 and captured as a baby, Ivan was brought to a mall in Tacoma, Washington. For 27 years shoppers flocked to the mall to see Ivan, but public pressure built until a better way of life for Ivan was found at Zoo Atlanta. From the Congo to America, and from a local business attraction to a national symbol of animal welfare, Ivan the Shopping Mall Gorilla traveled an astonishing distance in miles and in impact. This is a true story based on the book by Katherine Applegate.
The arctic ground squirrel has developed highly specialized adaptations to extreme environments. This species maintains circadian rhythms throughout the arctic summer, despite the almost ceaseless daylight during this period. The squirrels’ body clocks have evolved to work just fine without the help of the day/night cycle. With support from the National Science Foundation, physiological ecologist Cory Williams of the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and a team of researchers traveled to the Toolik Field Station in northern Alaska to study the arctic ground squirrel on its home turf. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
Hummingbirds live only in the Americas, and their diversity numbers 350 species. They are part-time carnivores that must catch animals that compromise ¼ of their diet. Demonstrates how they can hover, fly backward, and move their wings in figure eights at 200 wind-beats per second in slow and stop motion images. Also reveals that every night their bodies go in torpor (mini-hibernation) so they don't starve while they can't consume nectar. Also sees how they co-evolve with flowers through pollinating mutualisms, and acquired their aerial skills by evolving from ancestors of swifts, their nearest relatives.
To what degree are we genetically programmed with certain traits and abilities? Looks at recent technologies and scientific discoveries and considers the classic "nature versus nurture" discussion. Segments cover identical twins, the science of biotechnology, and the genetic inheritance of working dogs. Investigates the similarities in personality shared by identical twins. Explains how recent breakthroughs in genetics research and DNA have created new ways to solve crimes, breed (clone) animals, and extend human life. Discusses cross-species cloning, human cloning, and gene therapy. Shows how assistance and search-and-rescue dogs can be taught to overcome their inborn instincts and fear.
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).
Throughout North America, the species known as the dark-eyed junco exhibits striking differences in feather color, body size, and behavior from place to place. These variations among subspecies have caught the attention of biologists interested in diversification, evolution, and speciation. This segment features footage from junco habitats across the continent as researchers try to decode the riddle of the Junco’s evolutionary history. Part of Ordinary Extraordinary Junco (Chapter 3).
In this episode, researchers discuss the novel applications for a self-healing reverse filter. For example, researchers are studying its application in unsanitary environments. Scientists also ask the question: Is laziness a fruitful strategy for the survival for some species? Researchers are studying the link between metabolic rate and extinction. In the final segment, weather forecasts are predicting that El Niño and La Niña are likely to intensify wildfires and increase drought risk. Part of the "4 Awesome Discoveries You Probably Didn't Hear About This Week" series.
The Mexican free-tailed bat is one of the most abundant mammals in North America. Outside of San Antonio, Texas there is a cave that is home to over 40 million of these bats. Roosting in large numbers in relatively few areas makes them especially vulnerable to human disturbance and habitat destruction. Documented declines at some roosts are cause for concern because there is a delicate balance in the ecosystem that depends on the bats. There is also cause for concern among other bat species that are falling victim to white nose syndrome, which is a condition named for a distinctive fungal growth around the muzzles and on the wings of affected animals.
One of the oldest, most successful arthropods on Earth, horseshoe crabs have existed for over 350 million years. But in recent years their populations, have crashed by 75% from overfishing, resulting in moratoriums on catching them. Few of us know that most human lives depend on the valuable, shockingly blue blood of these "living fossils." Even more surprising, a tiny shore bird, the red knot, is so dependent on them that the crabs' population crash may make these long-distance flyers extinct. This mystery of mutual dependencies emerges from filmmakers and scientists revealing a disturbing ecology story ranging from the Arctic regions to the southern tip of the Americas.
We often hear about insects and other animals passing on diseases to humans, so-called zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, cholera, and West Nile virus. Now, for the first time, researchers are examining a disease that humans are spreading to an animal, specifically Elkhorn coral off the Florida Keys. With support from the National Science Foundation, Rollins College biologist Kathryn Sutherland is tracing this emerging infectious disease phenomenon, known as “reverse zoonosis.” Elkhorn coral was once the most common coral in the Caribbean, but it's now a threatened species due to population losses from White pox disease. Sutherland believes undertreated sewage, possibly from leaking septic tanks or illegal cruise ship discharge, could be the source of this disease.
The first in a series of five documentaries plots the course of the river, from its source to its delta. In a succession of spectacular images we see the extraordinary geographical route that the Mekong takes, from the Tibetan plateau, down the mountains of the Yunnan Province in China, then through the tropical valleys and virgin forests of Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand before reaching the green plains of Vietnam. In the tropical forest, nature abounds with wild animal species, rare plants and flowers. In Laos', whole villages still pray to the Gods of Trees while in Thailand a hunter shows how the hunting of Asian elephants for preservation, now forbidden, was practiced. Series: The Soul of Southeast Asia
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.
Molecular biologist Scott Santos and his team at Auburn University are studying an unusual and endangered ecosystem in Hawaii called Anchialine pools. A threatened ecosystem, Anchialine pools are inland lava depressions found near the ocean that feed off fresh water aquifers. Little is known about the creatures and plants that live in these brackish waters, but a number of the lava pools are being destroyed by invasive species and development. With support from the National Science Foundation, Santos and his team captured video and photographs of this unique habitat during a two month field study. He hopes his research will help save the pools before they totally disappear. One of the most famous creatures in the Anchialine pools is a legendary tiny red shrimp.
As shown on the History Channel. In the remote wastes of Siberia buried under snow are the remains of one of the greatest catastrophes that the Earth has endured. 250 million years ago, huge volumes of lava spewed out onto the surface--so much that it would have buried the whole of Texas under one mile of lava. At first the temperature dipped but then the greenhouse gases that escaped from the depressurized lava caused a massive global warming. It wreaked havoc, and 95% of the species on Earth became extinct. Yet life hung on and in time this disaster paved the way for the next phase of life on earth--the age of the dinosaurs.
After Charles Darwin first visited the island archipelago of Galapagos in 1839, it took him another twenty years to decipher that the scene he'd witnessed was the most perfectly preserved biodiversity on the planet. His theory of evolution, published 150 years ago, pulled back the curtain on a debate that had been simmering for years, and still percolates. Today Darwin would be surprised by the tourist mecca Galapagos has become--200,000 visitors a year, 40,000 permanent residents. The impact on the most unique collection of endemic wildlife in the world has been heavy. Too many people are bringing too many of their ways (and invasive species) from the outside world that are threatening the future of this one-of-a-kind place. What would Darwin think of how Galapagos has evolved in the twenty-first century?
Showing collections 1 to 4 of 4
Resources to teach younger students about animals
A collection containing 58 resources, curated by DIAGRAM Center
Biology related concepts
A collection containing 59 resources, curated by Benetech
Resources related to vision
A collection containing 12 resources, curated by Charles LaPierre
Collection of anatomy resources
A collection containing 21 resources, curated by Benetech
