Subjects: Earth Science

Deadly flooding in Africa. Catastrophic hurricanes in the U.S. Record-high temperatures worldwide. Are these natural, temporary glitches in our global climate, or is the devastation the result of global warming? The weather is different now — but why?
Find out when NOVA and FRONTLINE join forces to determine What’s Up with the Weather? Man-made carbon dioxide has overloaded the earth’s atmosphere. With demand for fossil fuels increasing daily, experts predict emission levels will triple in the next 100 years. But the greenhouse effect remains the subject of heated debate among scientists, climatologists, and futurists. Some believe the earth’s temperature will rise by nearly 10 degrees, melting arctic ice caps and, paradoxically, bringing about a new Ice Age. Others believe the weather will stay relatively normal. Who’s right? Decide for yourself as this riveting two-hour special gives you the fascinating — and occasionally frightening — forecast for the future.

The earthquake that shatters San Francisco in 1906 opens a century of explosive discoveries and debates in the earth sciences. See the Earth through the eyes of Alfred Wegener, who struggles to convince the scientific establishment that continents move. Watch as radiodating techniques increase Earth’s estimated age – sometimes inspiring skepticism if not outrage. Meanwhile, a parallel upheaval rumbles the life sciences, where new evidence of our primate ancestors and the discovery of DNA’s structure stir up controversies of their own. Ancient fossils and living cells give up their secrets to change our view of our species and the mechanics of life.
Highlights include: Age and origins of the Earth. Volcanoes. Earthquakes. Alfred Wegener. Continental drift. Harry Hess. Plate tectonics. The Himalayas. The formation of mountains. Religion, myth, and science. Human origins. The Scopes trial. The legacy of Charles Darwin. Mutation and adaptation. Paleoanthropology. Louis and Mary Leakey. Donald Johanson and “Lucy.” Primordial soup. DNA. Origins of life.

Mont Blanc is one of the world’s most popular destinations for Alpine climbers and scientists: no other peak has such a long record of mountaineering and glaciology. But 200 years of winter sports, science, and tourism have done nothing to tame this mountain. The hazards generated by rock falls, ice avalanches, and sudden flooding are still poorly understood and almost impossible to control. We follow a team of daring ‘glacionauts’ as they descend into a labyrinth of unexplored ice caves to find trapped flood water that menaces the populated valleys below. Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; closed captions; and video descriptions.

Based on a Science Odyssey, the six segments included in Short Trips are designed to help educators get their students thinking and talking about big ideas in science and society. Each segment begins with a “big question” to get groups started, and includes an outline of an activity suitable for group or classroom use. A printable teacher’s guide is included on the DVD-ROM

On August 29th, 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, killing at least 1,300, destroying over 600,000 houses, and turning downtown New Orleans into an uninhabitable swamp. Hurricane Katrina: The Storm that Drowned a City presents astonishing storm footage, suspenseful eyewitness testimony, and a penetrating analysis of what went wrong. Viewers relive the storm through the eyes of survivors and the stories of top engineers, hurricane experts, and emergency officials as they grappled with the arrival of the storm and its traumatic aftermath. Hurricane! – Witness nature’s fury as hurricanes Camille and Gilbert crash onto the Gulf coast. “It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” says Hugh Willoughby, relishing the unusual object of his profession. “That’s one of the reasons why people fly into hurricanes.” Join Willoughby on a data-gathering flight made into the eye of Hurricane Gilbert in September 1988. NOVA obtained spectacular footage of the storm’s center–a canyon of clear blue sky surrounded by a wall of clouds 10 miles high. Watch how these highly-trained scientists routinely–and carefully–fly into the world’s most destructive storms to discover what makes them tick and to measure their intensity and probable path. Then hear first-hand accounts of Hurricane Camille, the most devastating storm ever to strike the United States. (112 min on 2 discs)

Twenty-three bizarre looking vehicles line up at the starting gate of the DARPA Grand Challenge with one thing in common: there’s nobody behind the wheel. Sponsored by the Pentagon’s research agency, this race for robotic, driverless vehicles has a $2 million prize. Its ultimate goal is to gather new ideas for the future of unmanned warfare. NOVA follows the competing engineering teams as they deal with the glitches, system crashes, and tight deadlines that threaten to derail them at every turn. NOVA’s cameras capture the race’s technical challenges, hilarious pitfalls, and a final twist as a surprise contender comes up from behind to steal the race.

Witness nature’s fury as hurricanes Camille and Gilbert crash onto the Gulf coast. Join Hugh Willoughby on a data-gathering flight made into the eye of Hurricane Gilbert in September 1988. NOVA obtained spectacular footage of the storm’s center–a canyon of clear blue sky surrounded by a wall of clouds 10 miles high. As Bob Sheets, director of the National Hurricane Center says, “Even if we could issue the perfect forecast, it does no good unless you motivate people to take the right action.”