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The Nature of Things

Season 24 1983 - 1984

  • 1983-10-06T00:00:00Z on CBC Television
  • 45m
  • 8h 15m (11 episodes)
  • Canada
  • English
  • Documentary
Hosted by the world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist, David Suzuki, every week presents stories that are driven by a scientific understanding of the world.

11 episodes

Season Premiere: Dr. David Suzuki profiles veteran Canadian swimmer Dan Thompson, the lifestyles of diabetics and the manufacturing of glass eyes.

Cobra: India's Good Snake: Ignorance and superstition surround the cobra, threatening the members of this species which is helpful to man. Blue Babies: David Suzuki talks with cardiologist Peter Olley of the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto concerning the pharmaceutical and medical treatment of infants born with a congenital heart defect. High Flight: Research is beginning to uncover the reasons why birds can fly at high altitudes that would cause brain damage in humans.

1983-10-20T00:00:00Z

24x03 Animal Imposters

24x03 Animal Imposters

  • 1983-10-20T00:00:00Z45m

The clever methods of various creatures either to hunt or to avoid being hunted are examined in locations including Central America and Australia.

1983-10-27T00:00:00Z

24x04 Spas: Magic or Medicine?

24x04 Spas: Magic or Medicine?

  • 1983-10-27T00:00:00Z45m

The host David Suzuki visit some of these stations in Japan and elsewhere in the world and lay eyes on the therapies that are available there. In addition, it will parallel between the American attitude toward this form of treatment and that of the inhabitants of other countries.

The Cathedral Engineers: Shot on location in France and New York City, the program looks at the history and philosophy of European gothic cathedrals. Neem: A Natural Insecticide: Products of the neem, one of the world's most useful trees, are used to make everything from soap to insecticide. Bluebird Trails: Pushed out of prime nesting sites by the introduction of the english sparrow and starling in 1900, the North American bluebird is making a comeback thanks to specially constructed bluebird boxes built across eastern North America.

1983-11-10T01:00:00Z

24x06 Salmon on the Line

24x06 Salmon on the Line

  • 1983-11-10T01:00:00Z45m

This hour-long program documents the reasons for the decline of some species of pacific salmon. The life cycles, spawning, and migration of various types of pacific salmon are studied.

Bishnois and the Antelope: a Hindu sect known as the Bishnois live on the edge of the Rajasthan desert in northwestern India. Strict vegetarians, they have an awareness of ecology which makes them protectors of their environment. Cyclosporin: A new anti-rejection drug cyclosporin is being used to treat transplant patients. Freezing Water: A look at what happens when water is frozen.

The moon's role in man's history, the anatomy of salamanders, and the discovery of an iron-age village are highlighted.

Featured: the snapping turtle is profiled; a look at technology which enables doctors to examine the interior of the body without surgical intervention, and a visit to a Japanese craftsman's workshop where Samurai armour is made.

Tonight's topics: Flight Simulators - A visit to Montreal where a Canadian company produces sophisticated devices to train pilots for normal flight and for a number of situations that can occur in the air, including the wind-Shear phenomenon and other emergency conditions. And, Beating The Blues - A report on the effects of severe depression and methods of treatment used to combat specific kinds of depression.

Maps: From Quill to Computer: The history of mapmaking, from early clay tablets to state-of-the-art renditions. Mountain Gophers: a look at the Columbian ground squirrel found in the area of the Rocky Mountains, their mating and territorial habits and methods of communication with each other. Japanese Silk Weaving: A look at the production of silk, from cocoon to fabric.

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