Featuring the glittering lights of Shanghai at night, Daily Planet Goes to China wraps up with a final episode full of ships, a sinking city, the Shenzhou 6 space mission and panda rehab. Shipbuilding – Shipbuilding and shipping are booming in China and the country is poised to become the world’s top shipbuilding powerhouse within a decade. Sinking Shanghai – Forget Venice. Shanghai, a city of 20 million people, is sinking. Panda Release – Last year 163 giant pandas were raised in captivity and more than half of them lived at the China’s Wolong Nature Reserve. Yeren – North America has Bigfoot; in the Himalayas, it’s the Yeti. Follow the hunt for Yeren, China’s mysterious mountain Wildman. Shenzhou 6 – Return to space with a look at the Shenzhou 6 mission and the exhaustive training the astronauts underwent for that mission.
Languages: English
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China: Rise of the Golden Dragon
Pack your bags for another look at the week’s best stories in the one-hour special, China: Rise of the Golden Dragon. Join Daily Planet hosts Jay Ingram and Natasha Stillwell for more science and discovery from the world’s most populous nation. This one-hour special highlights additional footage from Beijing’s National Swimming Centre, shipbuilding, the super fast Shanghai racetrack, China’s manned space program, traffic management in Beijing’s bustling city centre, Sutong Bridge and the autocar.
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Exploring Vernal Pools
Seasonal temporary wetlands, commonly known as vernal pools, are a menagerie of diverse and fascinating organisms. This program contains two parts: a non-narrated observation section and a fully narrated instructional section, including tips on how to collect and examine live organisms in the classroom or lab. It examines a diversity of vernal pool species from several groups: protozoans, bacteria, rotifers, flatworms,ostrocods, waterfleas, copepods, clamshrimp, fairy shrimp, tadpole shrimp, and aquatic insect larvae.
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Monday
Explore the Sydney Harbour Bridge – the world’s largest steel bridge, carrying up to 250,000 vehicles to and from Australia’s financial hub. Follow a marine biologist as she completes comprehensive research on Australian manta rays and learn why her findings are so surprising. As one of the sunniest continents in the world, Australia receives approximately 3,000 hours of sunshine a year – almost double the amount of sunshine Canada receives. From goggles to greatness, find out why Australia’s elite athletes are being blinded by science. Daily Planet takes a crash course in “lizard as a second language” with a unique Australian reptile – the Jacky Dragon. Ride alongside the Australian Wildlife Warriors as they race to rescue sick and injured wild animals across Queensland.
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Tuesday
As countries explore more efficient sources of energy, Australians prove they are moving ahead of the pack by using geothermal energy from the nation’s red hot centre. Travel to North Stradbroke Island off the coast of Brisbane to learn more about one of the oddest-looking underwater creatures in the world. Deep in the soil of the Australian Outback is one of the world’s most precious gems – the opal. The kangaroo population is experiencing a growth spurt as their natural predators – the dingoes – are slowly disappearing. Find out what ants are teaching experts about human behaviour when scientists study these determined insects. On Middle Island on the south coast of Australia, sheep and cattle are herded with the assistance of dogs. Watch as Ingram and Jagtiani get a lesson in the Australian art of sheep shearing. Learn the tricks of the trade as the Daily Planet hosts step into the sheep pen and try shearing these animals on their own.
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Wednesday
Get a behind-the-scenes look at how the world’s most fuel-efficient, diesel-powered, high-speed catamaran is travelling the Australian coasts. Explore how Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease is threatening to wipe out the beloved Australian tassies. Head to Iceberg Pool at Bondi Beach where Aussies are satisfying their love of swimming all year round! Due to its location, getting to and from Australia can take a full 24-hour day or longer! Now, scientists are using wind tunnels to simulate flights at 10 times the speed of sound. Aboriginal people have been living in Australia for more than 40,000 years. With such a long-running history with the land and elements, these communities have grown accustomed to the changes in the weather.
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Thursday
With over 35,000 kilometres of coastline, surfing is easily a national Australian pastime. Find out how scientists are taking advantage of the sun’s rays to improve Australian energy sources. Whale watching is growing in popularity each year. But with increased boat traffic in the ocean, especially for viewing the migration of the humpback whales to Antarctica, these mammals are now competing for space in the ocean waters. Daily Planet takes on misconceptions about one of Australia’s most iconic animals – the dingo. Delve deep below the North Australian waters to get better acquainted with a deadly creature lurking below the surface. Australia’s southern coast is home to one of the country’s busiest fishing ports. As with many other coastal fishing ports, the stock of fish is often threatened or depleted.
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Friday
Australia is one of the most fire-prone areas of the world and due to the growing climate crisis, the importance of fire prevention and safety is gaining momentum. Find out how Australian researchers are packing a punch with boxers by using science to remove the guesswork in the ring. Explore The Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem and one of the natural wonders of the world. Discover why kangaroos are one of Australia’s most beloved animals. As the world’s driest continent, Australians are growing concerned about their fresh water supply, especially in the wake of global warming. Toss a boomerang – one of Australia’s oldest inventions. Travel to Coober Pedy where the locals are living down under – literally! Here, residents have engineered a new way of escaping the fierce temperatures by building homes underground.
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All Out Australia
Crikey! Can’t get enough of Australia? Daily Planet goes all out, Aussie style, with a recap of the most compelling stories covered on location. From hot rocks and surf science to tassies and kangaroos, get a final look at just what makes Australia a leader in science and innovation.
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Thursday
From satellites to the space station – the lengths scientists will go to gather data to enlighten the world around us is in the spotlight of today’s episode. Highlights include: Earth Simulator – One of the fastest computers on earth and as large as four tennis courts. Japanese astronaut, Android Science, Reassembling Robot, Tokyo Design, HDTV, Macaques and “Akihabara” (Electric City – Tokyo’s electronics shopping district).