OF SCIENCE AND SCIENTISTS (23 films)

Duration: 30 min

Year Published: 1956

Creator: WGBH. Kinescopes.

Format: 16mm

Color: B&W

Sound: Sound

Description: 1. OF SCIENCE AND SCIENTISTS—INTRODUCTION. Introduces the series and shows excerpts from other programs in the series. Illustrates with experiments and mathematical problems the kind of thinking essential to the study of science. 2. NATURE VS THE LABORATORY. Uses demonstrations of falling objects to explain how laboratory experiments help in understanding nature. Discusses the work of Galileo and Newton. Illustrates how basic laws of science are arrived at through laboratory experiments. 3. OBSERVATION AND EXPERIMENT. Discusses the significance to science of observation and experimentation. Demonstrates with experiments the difference between observation and laboratory experiments. Shows and explains early scientific apparatus used in developing natural laws of science. 4. IS THE EARTH A PLANET? Explains how man discovered that the earth is a planet. Discusses the work of Copernicus and Galileo in arriving at this conclusion. Demonstrates the principles involved in the construction of early telescopes. 5. BIRTH OF A NEW PHYSICS. Explains the physics of motion developed by Galileo and Newton. Compares the earlier concepts of Aristotelian physics with that of the newer principles. Tells how scientists have arrived at an understanding of all motion. 6. SCIENCE AND COMMON SENSE. Discusses the relationship between science and common sense. Demonstrates the validity of the theory that "nature abhors a vacuum." Conducts experiments with water and mercury barometers to show the relationship of atmospheric pressure to the development of a newer theory. 7. LARGE AND THE SMALL. Shows how man has learned to measure quantities beyond his sight and grasp. Uses diagrams to explain how the size of the earth was discovered in classical times. Examines modern problems of extreme scale including the universe and size of viruses. 8. DISTANCE TO THE SUN. Illustrates basic concepts of solar measurement. Explains the use of parallax in finding the scale of the universe. Demonstrates how to find the distance to the moon and sun. 9. SIZE OF THE UNIVERSE. Discusses the size and arrangement of the universe. Defines light minutes, light hours, and light years. Charts the universe of galaxies and plots the size of the universe. 10. AGE OF THE UNIVERSE. Explains the age of the universe. Discusses the age of the earth, composition of the milky way, how stars are formed and cosmic development. Points out the difference between mechanical and evolutionary changes in the universe. 11. SCIENCE AND QUANTITY. Discusses the importance of numerical measurement in the progress of science. Uses experiments from physics, chemistry, and astronomy to show how a quantitative approach to science aids in understanding. Presents a brief history of the evolution of mathematics in science. 12. BUILDING UP A NEW THEORY. Uses experiments to explain how a new theory in science replaces an old one. Relates the methods used by Count Rumford to disprove the caloric theory of heat. 13. PURE SCIENCE AND APPLIED SCIENCE. Explains how an understanding of pure science can lead to applied science. Demonstrates this relationship by reviewing a theory of heat and how it led to a number of inventions: smokeless fireplaces, pressure cookers, and drip-style coffee pots. 14. SCIENCE AND NON-SCIENCE. Explains the differences between scientific and non-scientific endeavor. Examines various areas such as flying saucers, astrology, and weather prediction to point out how these problems are approached from a scientific and non-scientific point of view. 15. ARE SCIENTISTS DOGMATIC? Explains how scientists arrive at facts. Shows how and why scientists often give the impression of being too sure of their knowledge of the universe. Discusses the importance of numerical statements in science. 16. ARE ATOMS REAL? Discusses the reality of atoms and their importance in understanding the physical universe. Uses animation to explain what happens to atoms during thermal agitation. Demonstrates the audible reality of atoms with a Geiger counter. 17. LIGHT: WAVES OR BULLETS. Explains the differences between the wave theory and corpuscular theory of light. Explains the difficulty science has had in providing a satisfactory theory of light. Uses cloud-chamber photographs to reconcile the two theories of light. 18. LARGE EFFECTS OF SMALL CAUSES. Demonstrates principles which govern catalysis. Explains the difference between organic and inorganic catalysis. Tells how man's conception of catalytic reactions has changed through the years. 19. SCIENCE AND WHOLE NUMBERS. Explains the role of whole numbers in understanding the organization of the physical universe. Uses non-mathematical props, such as rock crystals, to point up the arithmetic nature of basic discoveries in science. 20. EARTH HISTORY. Shows how scientists reconstruct the past history of the earth's surface. Discusses and demonstrates how wind, water, glaciers, earthquakes, and volcanoes act as forces in changing the face of the earth. 21. RESEARCH IN DEPTH. Explains how the geologist discovers what lies beneath the earth's surface. Shows how earthquakes provide information about the interior construction of the earth. 22. WHY SCIENCE WORKS. Demonstrates with numerical measurement and equations how science grows from the imagination and power of man to reason. Inspects methods and judgments of science and their application to technology. 23. UNITY OF SCIENCE. Explains how the distinction between pure and applied science has lost much of its meaning. Points out how physics and chemistry have merged together into the physical sciences. Briefly discusses the rise and importance of bio-physics and bio-chemistry.

Complete Record: Source: NET Interest level: sh-ad Price: rent ea $4.75 Format: sd b&w

Metadata Source:Educational film guide. Supplements (1959-62)