Documentary Educational Resources - Subject / Science & Technology / Biological Sciences / All Films

Edward O. Wilson

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 07:05:00 GMT

Edward O. Wilson, the Pelligrino University Professor and Honorary Curator of Entomology at Harvard University, is one of the world's most distinguished and controversial scientists. Through his books and lectures, Wilson has changed the way scientists and nonscientists alike view the natural world by fueling their enthusiasm for science and showing them its immediacy for their everyday lives. Wilson's devotion to natural history, his broad humanistic approach to learning, and a gift for storytelling have made him one of the most popular teachers at Harvard and lecturers around the world. In this warm and engaging biographical portrait Wilson offers insight into the scientific process, relating how an interest in studying ants and social insects led him to establish the field of sociobiology and to promote the study of biodiversity. He compares scientists to mythmakers and examines the role of imagination in scientific inquiry. Wilson’s passionate concern for the preservation of our natural heritage has placed him in the forefront of environmental activism. As a young boy growing up in the deep South, Wilson began to dream of going to the "Big Tropics, the Amazon, New Guinea, of discovering new kinds of plants and animals." This urge to explore propelled him from a childhood interest in collecting insects to a career that has encompassed studies in the biology of social insects, ecology, biogeography, sociobiology, and environmental conservation. He has received numerous awards and honors, including the National Medal of Science (1976), the Crafoord Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1990), and two Pulitzer Prizes. Prof. Wilson's books include The Insect Societies, Sociobiology: the New Synthesis, On Human Nature, The Diversity of Life, Biophilia, Naturalist, and The Future of Life.

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Flock of Dodos

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 14:53:00 GMT

Flock of Dodos
Buy Now: $320.00

Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus is the first feature length documentary to explore the Darwin vs. intelligent design controversy. Filmmaker/evolutionary ecologist/surfer Dr. Randy Olson pokes fun at both sides of this debate and eventually uses his own mother, Muffy Moose, to make sense out of the issue that both Time and Newsweek has featured on their covers. He travels to his home state of Kansas, the top battle ground for evolution, where he sits down with his mother's neighbor, John Calvert, one of the top lawyers backing intelligent design, for a confrontation that leaves audiences squirming in their seats. "It's a reflection of the current culture wars," Olson says. "It's the age old split between science and religion, with a few new twists."

Labeled by early audiences as "a polite Michael Moore," Olson challenges top advocates for intelligent design (including Dr. Michael Behe, author of Darwin's Black Box). With a sense of scientific inquiry, he tries to understand a movement that so misfired last year in Dover, PA., a Republican-Bush appointee judge labeled local efforts to teach intelligent design as, "breathtaking inanity." School districts are now grappling with the new efforts to introduce intelligent design, the movement evolutionists prefer to call, "creationism in a cheap tuxedo." However, Olson, in a surprising turn given his evolution background, also paints an unflattering portrait of his fellow scientists. Pulling together eight evolutionists for a night of poker, he reveals them to be arrogant, condescending, and self-certain until they eventually turn on themselves in a spat that sounds like...a flock of dodos.

From the opening statistic (a pie chart in the form of an apple pie) the film provides equal amounts of laughter, guffaws, and eventually enough serious thought to prompt hours of discussion. And unlike recent political rants, the film maintains an atmosphere of fairness, allowing audiences from both sides to watch it together.

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New World Monkeys

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 14:11:00 GMT

New World Monkeys
Buy Now: $320.00

This program is designed to introduce Primatology students to the range of monkeys of the Super family Ceboidea originating from Central and South America. Material on twenty -two species is included, covering all five of the families recently defined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Some material was taped in the wild, while other species were observed in semi-free ranging and caged locations. The program begins with a brief introduction of the five families and then shows the field location in Costa Rica where some material was gathered. Morphological traits distinguishing New World from Old world forms are indicated throughout the first few segments. Short clips of marmoset and tamarin species cover a variety of forms while more in-depth segments on other species allow students access to different levels of information. In this video we are provided with a wealth of information about size, habitat, range, sexual dimorphism, diet, and communication patterns of each species. There is also footage of mother/infant interaction and adult social relations. Some maps and diagrams are included to inhance understanding of particular topics. A self-guide study sheet is included. This program is suitable for both introductory level and as a focus for discussion by more advanced students.

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