Wasps and bumblebees have a special type of social system. Their colonies are made up of many sterile female workers, who care for the offspring of one or a few fertile queens. Topics include after emerging from hibernation, the queen starts the new colony by herself; female workers are produced and start to forage; unfertilized eggs (males) are laid; males and new queen emerge, the colony disintegrates and the new queens hibernate.
Producers: Rainbow Boomerang Videos
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The Weimar Republic
Topics include emergence of democracy, the ‘November Criminals’, civil unrest, the Treaty of Versailles, the Treaty of Rapallo, French invasion of the Ruhr, hyper-inflation, Gustav Stresemann and the ‘golden years of the Weimar Republic’, outpouring of cultural and intellectual ideas, the Depression, the rise of the Nazi party, and the failure of democracy.
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The Sun
Produced with the co-operation of the European Space Agency, this video investigates the nature and processes of the sun, and includes footage taken by the space probes SOHO and Ulysses. The structure of the sun is explored in depth, as well as solar phenomena such as sunspots, solar prominences, coronal mass ejections and solar wind.
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Iron and Steel Production
Topics include reduction, using carbon monoxide; destructive distillation of coal, pyrolysis; production of coke in a coking plant; charging of the furnace in the manufacture of pig iron; removal of impurities through the Bessemer process to make steel; recycling of scrap metal using an electric furnace; casting of molten steel.
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Plate Tectonics
The changing face of our planet is due to volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, sea floor spreading, subduction zones and mountains pushing up. Maps and international footage provide a clear picture of how tectonic plates move and form. The theory of Pangaea and how the continents have positioned themselves is depicted.
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Insects and Plants – How they trap their prey
Insects and spiders have developed unique methods of catching prey – they trap them, or they ambush them. Creatures like spiders and the Venus fly-trap, lure their victims into elaborate traps. Others, like the praying-mantis and the diving beetle lie in wait before launching an attack.
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Ozone
A look at the Ozone including its molecular structure, physical properties, practical uses and the importance of the Ozone as a filter of UV A look at the Ozone including its molecular structure, physical properties, practical uses and the importance of the Ozone as a filter of UV radiation. Includes test methods for detecting the presence of ozone and the atmospheric processes that create and destroy it.
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Mendelian Genetics
In the 19th Century, Gregor Mendel was able to work out the basic laws of genetics by studying the garden pea. We look at the experiments Mendel conducted, his results, and the conclusions that he drew from these results, including: the Law of Segregation; the Law of Independent Assortment.
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Meteorites
Comets, meteorites, and asteroids. The effects of meteorites on the dinosaurs and the shape of our planets surface. The discovery of Iridium concentrations in rock strata and their links to meteorites. Satellite images of craters in Siberia, Mexico, Canada, Australia and Namibia. Computer generated images of meteorites. Chrondites, containing amino acids, supplying the original matter of our solar system.
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The Industrial Revolution
In the first 40 years of the Industrial Revolution, human society and daily life changed more than it had in the previous 7000 years. With the development of steam power, factories and mass production, the world entered the machine age. This video investigates the origins of the Industrial Revolution, and the changes it brought to the lives of millions of people all over the world.