The Nature of Things
Season 41
The Nature of Things is a Canadian television series of documentary programs. It debuted on CBC Television on November 6, 1960. Many of the programs document nature and the effect that humans have on it. The program was one of the first to explore environmental issues, such as clear-cut logging.
The series is named after an epic poem by Roman philosopher Lucretius: "Dē Rērum Nātūrā" — On the Nature of Things.
The series is named after an epic poem by Roman philosopher Lucretius: "Dē Rērum Nātūrā" — On the Nature of Things.
Where to Watch The Nature of Things • Season 41
20 Episodes
- Nuclear DynamiteE1
Nuclear DynamiteIn the spring of 1960, a village in the western Arctic was chosen as the site of a huge nuclear experiment. Five atomic bombs would be used to dig an instant harbour nearby. Over the next 30 years, the Americans and the Russians set off 150 atomic blasts, developing what they called peaceful nuclear explosions. - Spare PartsE3
Spare PartsA few decades ago, you'd have been hard pressed to find many survivors of transplant surgery. Today, we have come to expect that such surgery will work. Surgeon Roy Calne is one of the pioneers who made transplant surgery a practical medical tool. He's also a painter whose works capture subjects as diverse as a tiger in the jungle and the history of these startling medical advances. When he began as a surgeon, almost all these procedures failed because of the body's refusal to accept the new organ. - Amanda's Choice/Early-Onset Alzheimer's DiseaseE7
Amanda's Choice/Early-Onset Alzheimer's DiseaseAmanda's family is a carrier for a rare early-onset gene that triggers Alzheimer. It's a disease we normally associate with the elderly. In Alzheimer's, specific proteins bind to form plaque in the brain, resulting in memory loss and physical impairment. Eventually patients die from complications. A few years ago a research team at the University of Toronto isolated the specific gene associated with early-onset Alzheimer. As well, new Alzheimer drugs like Araset, trial vaccines, and improved diagnostic techniques offer new hope for patients. However, doctors are still many years away from finding a cure. Tonight we follow Amanda's powerful story as she struggles to come to terms with her family's deadly inheritance. - The Secret Life of the Crash Test DummyE8
The Secret Life of the Crash Test DummyThe history of the crash test dummy is traced back 50 years to its invention for the US Air Force. The dummy has saved thousands of lives. But has the time come to retire this selfless hero of countless car and airplane crashes? - Lost Worlds: Wild South America: Penguin ShoresE11
Lost Worlds: Wild South America: Penguin ShoresPENGUIN SHORES is part five of the magnificent six-part BBC series Lost Worlds, covering the amazingly diverse topography of South America, and its remarkable denizens. The world's longest mountain chain stretches from the tropics to the massive Patagonian Ice Sheet of sub-Antarctica. Its icy power dominates the lives of the hardy animals that dare to call it home, making living there one of nature's greatest challenges. - Lost Worlds: Wild South America: Great PlainsE12
Lost Worlds: Wild South America: Great PlainsLost Worlds - A six-part series on the breath-taking natural world of South America takes viewers on a cross-continent grand tour - from the mighty Amazon to the spectacular Andean peaks and the world's driest desert - stopping to view the strange and wonderful array of animals, birds and other wildlife along the way. Produced by the BBC. Narrated by David Suzuki. - Coastal Forest / Salmon ForestE13
Coastal Forest / Salmon ForestThe Salmon Forest transports viewers to the breathtaking remote temperate rainforests, stretching 400 km along the B.C. coast from Vancouver Island to Alaska. The millions of spawning salmon support dense concentrations of forest life - among them grizzly bears, black bears, bald eagles, seals, otters, gulls and countless invertebrates. Much about life here still remains hidden and unknown, but THE NATURE OF THINGS joins two University of Victoria scientists to reveal the secrets of this amazing ecosystem. - Fish Farming / The Price of SalmonE14
Fish Farming / The Price of SalmonOn both coasts of North America, salmon have long symbolized speed, power and abundance in nature. But today salmon populations are plummeting for a variety of reasons. Aquaculture, or fish farming, seems to offer a way to satisfy the exploding demand for fresh fish. But it's controversial. David Suzuki is among the critics who question the current practices of this young industry. To explore this important issue in Europe and North America we joined forces with the BBC. - Surgeons of the FutureE15
Surgeons of the FutureMedicine in the twenty-first century is venturing beyond the realm of dreams, firing our imagination and bringing new hope in the battle against disease. Technology is advancing rapidly, giving surgeons the ability to look into tissues and organs that were previously hidden. One remarkable camera can be swallowed, seeking out abnormalities during its fantastic voyage. Portable, miniaturized ultrasound systems can go to the patient, its images equal to those of larger units. Welcome to a whole new world in the medical arena. - Changing Ground / Maisin People In Papua New GuineaE16
Changing Ground / Maisin People In Papua New GuineaOn the northeast coast of Papua New Guinea, lives a tribe of 2,000 people, the Maisin. Unlike the more remote tribes, the Maisin were among the first to have contact with Europeans. It was Anglican missionaries who brought them the English language, Christianity, and a desire to see the world outside their villages. But recently something has changed their mind. The post-war generation that moved away to towns and cities as far away as Australia are deciding to come home, to live in a community without any of the modern conveniences... no running water, no electricity, no roads. - Worst Case ScenarioE17
Worst Case ScenarioAlbertans have traditionally been proud of their mighty petroleum industry. But lately, they have begun to question how that industry works. Nowhere is this shift more apparent than along the Clearwater River in Central Alberta, near Rocky Mountain House. There, residents are opposing Shell Canada's plans to drill a sour gas well in their area. The sour gas from the well could generate $10,000 a day in gross revenue, to meet today's high energy demands. - Hospital at the End of the EarthE19
Hospital at the End of the EarthThe story of the Aral Sea is a modern fable that contains a dire warning about our future. Less than 40 years ago this was a sea full of fish, the air was clear, the soil rich and the climate temperate. But today the Aral Sea is one of the most tragic environmental catastrophies of the last century. The Aral Sea is dying the death of a thousand irrigation canals, silently evaporating in the desert sun. The people call the dust blowing off the former seabed the dry tears of the Aral. The new Aralkum, the new desert, covers 38,000 square kilometres. This is the legacy of the will of distant leaders to turn Central Asia into the greatest cotton producing region in the world.