Dr. David Suzuki Movies

Statistics indicate that asthma is the most prevalent ailment in children, and the reasons for this troubling illness are explored in Asthma: In Search of Answers. Authorities in the field of asthma research point to the declining air quality all over the world as a leading cause, as more and more children struggle to breathe in dirty air. Another factor is cigarette smoke, with parents contributing to the polluted air in homes. David Suzuki hosts the program, and talks about methods of treatment for asthma, which include the use of inhalers and steroids. ~ Alice Day, All Movie Guide

Originally airing on PBS, this episode of NOVA details the events following the mysterious crash of Flight 111 on September 2, 1998. With none of the 229 passengers surviving and no information known about the aircraft's final six minutes available through flight data recorders, investigators were faced with a daunting task in determining what went wrong when the Geneva-bound flight attempted to make an emergency landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and plummeted into the ocean. With the aid of a special vacuum-equipped ship, the pieces of the airplane were recovered from the ocean floor so they could be reassembled and examined. NOVA: Crash of Flight 111 captures the drama as it unfolds. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

Edward Teller was one of the men responsible for the invention of the hydrogen bomb, but while he helped create one of the most fearsome weapons the world has ever known, he was somehow convinced that it could also have practical applications in peacetime. As leader of a group called "Project Plowshare," Teller believed that nuclear weapons could be used to power rockets, excavate oil wells, and dig a new Panama Canal in a matter of moments. However, while the dangers of radioactive fallout seemed a secondary concern to the men of Project Plowshare, the growing outcry over the health risks presented by such "planetary engineering" planted the seeds for the modern environmental and peace movements (though the use of "Peaceful Nuclear Explosions" was hardly limited to the United States, and became an issue of major concern in the Soviet Union). Nuclear Dynamite is a documentary on the history of Peaceful Nuclear Explosions and features interviews with Edward Teller and several of his associates, as well as Soviet scientists involved in similar experiments and American anti-nuke activists Barry Commoner and Ursula Franklin. Nuclear Dynamite was screened at several film festivals in 2000, while an edited version was aired the same year by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, who helped finance the film. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Adapted from the popularly and critically lauded PBS television program of the same name, The Secret of Life video series includes eight educational films, designed specifically for classroom use with secondary and post-secondary students of modern science. The video series as a whole spans areas as diverse as genetics, bacteriology , and reproduction, each episode covering a unique sub-arena within biology. With a running-time of merely fifteen minutes each, the videos primarily attempt to provoke thought and stimulate discussion by relaying gripping scientific accounts and raising key related questions in students' minds. The episodes of the series include - Segment 1: "The Basics of Life: What's in Stetter's Pond?"; Segment 2: Viruses: Nothing to Sneeze at"; Segment 3 - "Evolution: It's in the Genes"; Segment 4 - "Development: Sex and the Single Gene"; Segment 5 - "Genetic Medicine: Tinkering with our Genes"; Segment 6 - "Biotechnology: In the Land of Milk and Money"; Segment 7 - "Portraits of Modern Science: On the Brink"; and Segment 8 - "The Biodiversity Crisis: Gone Before You Know It." ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Co-directors Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners conduct interviews with some of the world's leading scientists and creative thinkers in a film that asks whether or not it's too late to avoid the ecological disaster that looms ominously on the horizon. In addition to exploring how the human race has arrived at this crucial point in history, conversations with 50 leading thinkers, scientists, and leaders including former Soviet prime minister Mikhail Gorbachev, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, and sustainable design experts Bruce Mau and William McDonough to find out just what humankind can do about the most pressing issues of our time. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This is part two of the Discovery Channel's five-part series on the brain. In this program, the complicated relationship between the brain and the mind is studied. By using MRI testing as well as other methods, the role of chemicals (such as serotonin) in the brain are explored. The series is hosted by David Suzuki. ~ Karla Baker, All Movie Guide

This is part four of the Discovery Channel's five-part series about the brain. This episode focuses on how the five senses function. It attempts to unearth how a person can interpret the information that the different senses take in. Why is a particular work of art beautiful to some but unsightly to others? How does the brain break down new information? These topics are discusssed in depth. ~ Karla Baker, All Movie Guide