Aquaculture - Advances in Fish Farming

Aquaculture is one of the newest industries on the planet and is making a big splash in the state of Florida. There are over 210 farmed aquatic plant and animal species reported world-wide. Florida's warm waters encourage faster growth of certain species such as mollusks and cobia fish. This new industry is also responsible for job growth needed for the development of specialized equipment, ongoing research and aquaculture farms.

K4540DVD
15 min.
UPC: 709629045408
$44.95

Wind Power - A Renewable Energy Source

Fossil fuels have long been the world's energy source, but it wasn't always that way. Ancient Eastern cultures developed the first known wind mills for drawing water and grinding grains into flour. The modern three-blade, computer-controlled Wind Turbine does what all wind turbines have always done - harness the energy from the earth's constant flow of air. This program explores wind power's alternative energy production in today's oil-dependent economy - how it works and the environmental factors that scientists are researching.

K4541DVD
15 min.
UPC:
709629045415
$44.95

Agriculture - Feeding a Hungry Planet

Scientists throughout the world are researching and implementing sustainable food production systems. Key concepts that underline this vital research are ecosystem preservation and natural resource conservation. Food production systems touch nearly every aspect of life - from farms and industrial processing plants to markets, grocery stores and the dinner table. Students will learn about the future sustainable 'food cycle'.

K4542DVD
15 min.
UPC: 709629045422
$44.95

Propulsion - Technological Advances

The concept of 'propulsive thrust to move objects over large distances' is ancient. Yet, the technology to move an automobile forward or a rocket into space was invented less than two centuries ago. The invention of the solid fuel propulsion system combined with Newton's Third Law is the simplistic basis for modern rocketry. This program reviews the history of propulsion and explores its use as a viable energy source of the future.

K4543DVD
15 min.
UPC: 709629045439
$44.95

Robotics - Advances in Engineering

Almost fifty years ago the first industrial robot was "employed" in an automobile assembly plant. Robots are regularly used for hazardous, super-heavy and difficult tasks in manufacturing, agriculture, entertainment, medicine, and space exploration. Welding robots with touch sensing and seam tracking abilities increase assembly plant efficiency, while robotic surgery results in less pain, quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays. NASA's robotic rovers Spirit and Opportunity are mapping the terrain and searching for evidence of water on Mars. Honda Motor Company's humanoid robot, ASIMO, can walk, run, recognize people and identify sounds and voices.

K4544DVD
17 min.
UPC: 709629045446
$44.95

Gas Turbines - Energy Powerhouses

In a gas turbine, the linear motion of gas causes rotors to spin, ultimately creating electricity. The forward rotating blades pump air under high pressure into the combustion chamber where natural gas ignites on contact with the air. At 1,500 degrees Celsius, the stream of gas rushes past the rear turbine blades, causing the entire rotor to spin. A generator transforms that rotational energy into electricity. This program shows the extreme precision required to build a turbine, how it works and how it's used.

K4545DVD
16 min.
UPC: 709629045453
$44.95

Engineering: Tiny Nano World
For centuries, scientists and engineers have been making things bigger and better. Now some scientists are trying to make things smaller and better in hopes of solving some of the world’s biggest problems. These scientists and engineers are working in specialties of micro engineering and nanotechnology to develop microscopic and atom-sized solutions in fields such as medicine, environmental pollution, and information technology.

K4548DVD
UPC: 709629045484
16 min.
SRP: $44.95

Environmental Science: Reclamation - Restoring the Land
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, demand for minerals to supply rapid growth in manufacturing and building rose at an incredible rate. To accommodate this demand, surface miners stripped billions of tons of minerals from the earth. In the process, the land was also stripped of vegetation and topsoil and its ability to support plant and animal life.  This program looks at the great strides science has taken to reclaim this land, or restore its life-giving and life-sustaining qualities; and new insights which are helping today’s mining companies meet ever greater demands for our vital mineral resources while avoiding the ecological mistakes of the past.

K4549DVD
UPC: 709629045491
13 min.
SRP: $44.95

Biology: Putting Algae to Work
Algae have sustained life on this planet since they were first modified the atmosphere with photosynthetic by-products over two and a half billion years ago.  From the microscopic to giant seaweeds, over 30,000 different forms exist today.  In this program researchers discover how algae can transform, from life supporting to life threatening.  Learn how we’ve depended on algae in the past and see the new ways we are putting them to use in cancer research, sewage and wastewater treatment, agriculture and household products.

K4550DVD
UPC: 709629045507
14 min.
SRP: $44.95

Biotechnology: Cleaning Up with Microbes
As achievements in engineering and manufacturing move us toward 21st Century lifestyles, problems emerge as a result of these processes. Moreover, cleanup concerns plague us as a legacy of the industrial revolution.  This program focuses on an innovative yet natural solution science proposes for the cleanup of polluting by-products.  Discover how science is Cleaning Up With Microbes.  Throughout the world, scientists are exploring the use of living organisms to help solve the problem of waste disposal and recycling. They have found that microbes—such as bacteria, fungi, and algae can take care of almost any waste by-product by doing what they do best— eating!

K4551DVD
UPC: 709629045514
16 min.
SRP: $44.95

Ecology: Understanding Biodiversity
The nineteenth and twentieth centuries have seen human population grow exponentially.  With this growth have come demands for food, shelter and resources. As these needs are met, fragile ecosystems worldwide can suffer. Natural habitats are shrinking, and some scientists say that 25% of all plant and animal species will become extinct in just fifty years.   This program looks at the methods and research of scientists who are studying the biodiversity of our planet. Understanding Biodiversity is the first step in learning how we can preserve earth’s intricate web of life while meeting human needs.

K4552DVD
UPC: 709629045521
17 min.
SRP: $44.95