QUEST: 2004 Episodes
 Climate
Change: In Our Backyard
Sea levels rising? The end of the sugar maple? Tropical
diseases heading this way? We've heard a lot about
"climate change" and "global warming," but
how do we sort through the many terms and myths to see what
this
planetary issue means here in northern New England? QUEST takes
us from fishing on the coast of Maine to farming off-the-grid
in New Hampshire to living in-town in Burlington, Vermont.
Using close-to-home examples, the views of leading scientists
come alive as they show how climate change can affect almost
every aspect of our lives - and in turn, how we affect
the climate.
More Info: Follow
an ice core expedition; Calculate
your energy consumption; How's the air quality in your area?
Featured Scientist: Barry Rock
Video: View
a promotional clip
(894KB - QuickTime required)
Lesson Plans: middle
level | secondary level
 Download
the transcript (PDF)
 Bodies
In Motion:
The Biomechanics of Sports
Using athletics, QUEST takes a fresh look at the
way our bodies move. Bridging the gap between research and
the playing field, coaches, trainers and athletes themselves
discover how to optimize performance and what to do when
injury causes that performance to fail. Whether it’s
defying gravity on a diving board or repairing a broken wrist,
these coaches and trainers help us discover the science behind
the sports we love.
More Info: How does a curveball work?
Featured Scientist: Angel Soutuyo
Video: View
a promotional clip
(743KB - QuickTime required)
Lesson Plans: middle
level | secondary level
Download
the transcript (PDF)
 Spring
Spring comes so late to northern New England that it hardly
seems as though we have it at all. Yet each year, we get
to enjoy at least a few weeks of this wondrous season. But
because of our late start, things have to happen quickly
and profusely. Spring is the time of year that wildlife and
our plants come to life again and get right to the business
of creating new life. It’s the season for sex – not
just for animals, but also plants. We’ll see how the
natural world struts its stuff to advertise its availability.
It’s no wonder we feel so rejuvenated this time of
year.
Tree
Reproduction Quiz (Flash required)
Featured Scientist: Susan Sawyer
Video: View
a promotional clip
(1.3MB - QuickTime required)
Lesson Plans: middle
level | secondary level
Download
the transcript (PDF)
 Gulf
of Maine
“Out of sight, out of mind,” the ocean world
and the fate of its creatures are unknown to most of us.
Although a day at the shore has changed very little, life
beneath the waves is in crisis. Like the last buffalo, cod
may never return as a wild species. Right whales face extinction.
Invasive Asian crabs are killing native species. As QUEST takes
us into the Gulf of Maine, we see a dynamic web of life,
not as an extension of our world, but as its own ecosystem.
What is going on down there? Can more be done?
More Info: Research | Endangered Species | Fishermen & Scientists
Featured Scientist: Robert
Steneck
Lesson Plans: middle
level | secondary level
Download
the transcript (PDF)
 Bioinvasion
Is our environment evolving or under attack? Our modern
day ecology is under onslaught from spreading alien organisms.
Human activity is silently globalizing our world on an unforeseen
level. Our land, forest and waters are all at risk. Why?
Because these plants and animals are capable of moving aggressively
into a habitat and monopolizing resources to the detriment
of other species. Can scientists help us win the war against
this bio-invasion?
More Info: Think you've found an invasive? Who to contact. Featured Scientist: Linda Gregory
Lesson Plans: middle
level | secondary level
Download
the transcript (PDF)
 Inventors
of New England
From colonial times to the present, our famous “Yankee” ingenuity
has come into play when facing the demands of life in northern
New England. Meet some modern inventors who apply science
to life in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire – with
mind-expanding results. Watch wood products become stronger
than steel, hear doctors detect an early heartbeat in the
womb, and see a “living” machine turn waste into
food. Come inside the invention process with students who
figure out a way to de-ice their town sidewalks – then
jump into the wild world of a robot competition. Northern
New England inventors redefine the possible.
More Info: History
of Inventors in NE | Help for Start-ups
Interactive: Inventors
of New England (Flash required)
Featured Scientist: John Todd
Lesson Plans: middle
level | secondary level
Download
the transcript (PDF)
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