The Nature of Things

Season 48

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.

Where to Watch The Nature of Things • Season 48

17 Episodes

  • The Hobbit Enigma
    E1
    The Hobbit EnigmaOne of the greatest controversies in science today: just what did scientists really find when they uncovered the tiny, human-like skeleton of a strange creature on the Indonesian island of Flores in 2003? Since the discovery was made public a bitter dispute has split the world of anthropology.
  • Rodney's Robot Revolution
    E2
    Rodney's Robot RevolutionHas the time come to meet an artificially intelligent robot? Engineer and inventor Rodney Brooks thinks so. Forget about all those shiny robotic home-helpers of the past-Brooks is out to design a robot that can think for itself!
  • The Adventurers: The Last Nomads
    E3
    The Adventurers: The Last NomadsLinguist Ian Mackenzie has tracked the last true nomadic hunting and gathering people on earth - the Penan of Borneo. Their way of life is quickly disappearing as aggressive logging interests swallow up their forest habitat.
  • The Adventurers: The Everlasting Oasis
    E4
    The Adventurers: The Everlasting OasisUniversity of Toronto archaeologist Tony Mills travels to the eastern desert of Egypt where he and other archaeologists have unearthed an untouched marvel: a site of over 500,000 years of uninterrupted human habitation.
  • The Adventurers: Story Told in Stone
    E5
    The Adventurers: Story Told in StoneArcheologist Edmundo Edwards pulls back the vines and trees of the jungle to find huge stone cities that sprawled across the interiors of Tahiti, Raivavae and the Marquesas Islands.
  • The Suzuki Diaries: Europe
    E6
    The Suzuki Diaries: EuropeDavid Suzuki and his daughter Sarika head out on a road trip across Europe to see sustainability in action and meet the people who are working towards restoring the equilibrium between human needs and planetary limits.
  • The Adventurers: The Lost People of Baja
    E7
    The Adventurers: The Lost People of BajaCanadian paleo-pathologist Eldon Molto is leading the search for clues of the mysterious Pericu people of Baja California, Mexico - a fierce, primitive tribe that disappeared over a century ago, after being exposed to European disease. They left virtually nothing behind but their bones.
  • The Brain that Changes Itself
    E8
    The Brain that Changes ItselfBased on the best-selling book by Toronto psychiatrist and researcher Dr. Norman Doidge, a look at how we view the human mind.
  • Gone Sideways
    E9
    Gone SidewaysA light-hearted look at serendipity in science, from life-saving cancer cures to the x-ray machine and the discovery of North America.
  • Black Wave: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez
    E10
    Black Wave: The Legacy of the Exxon ValdezA saga about what happens when ordinary people struggle for justice against a huge corporation that has destroyed both their environment and their livelihoods.
  • Supercar: Building the Car of the Future
    E11
    Supercar: Building the Car of the FutureEngineering professor Brian Fleck on a quest to meet the engineers, designers and even students who are trying to build the car of the future.
  • Living City: A Critical Guide
    E12
    Living City: A Critical GuideWhat's wrong with Canada's cities? What's right? Award-winning urban affairs columnist Christopher Hume takes a cross-country journey to explore the sustainability, viability and liveability of Canada's population centres.
  • Inuit Odyssey
    E13
    Inuit OdysseyCanadian Arctic anthropologist Niobe Thompson takes us on a visually stunning journey across the North, tracing the origins of the modern Inuit.
  • American Savannah
    E14
    American SavannahOur lawns are one of our simplest pleasures. Grass is a luxury that represents relaxation, freedom, time off and of course, time away from the world of tarmac and concrete. A wild and quirky ride into the world of one of America's longest-standing obsessions, the perfect lawn.
  • Arctic Meltdown: A Changing World
    E15
    Arctic Meltdown: A Changing WorldFrom new companies rushing to claim the Arctic's plentiful resources to the effect climate change has had on animals as well as plant life. As the Arctic meltdown continues at an ever accelerating pace, who will protect it?
  • Arctic Meltdown: The Arctic Passages
    E16
    Arctic Meltdown: The Arctic PassagesUntil recently, only a few ships braved travel through these ice-strewn waters. More and more ships cross these seas each year and with more traffic come higher risks.
  • Arctic Meltdown: Adapting to Change
    E17
    Arctic Meltdown: Adapting to ChangeA look at two different Arctics - one that is the storybook land of ice, snow and polar bears and the other that is covered with petroleum plants and pipelines carrying fossil fuels.

 

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