African Civilizations

These videos follow Henry Louis Gates Jr. as he travels around the continent of Africa. He learns and gives information about Medieval African Civilizations and their connection to Europe, the Middle East, India, and China. There is a great deal of information here about different cultures, history, and art.
My only problem is the show does seem to focus more on how African cultures took things from these different places and reinterpreted them into their culture. This isn't a bad thing but I was thinking by the name of the title that it would focus more on the African Civilization themselves and would give more information about them before colonization by Europe and the encroachment of Islam.

First People: Africa

First People: Africa is a PBS special about the African origins of HUMANKIND. The show talks about how scientists use fossil evidence and genetics to trace back Modern Humans ancestry. They also learn that early mankind mated and had children with the other Human species. The product is, us. People today are hybrids with a small percentage of one or more different species of human in our DNA.

FRONTLINE The Trouble with Chicken

If you ever hear a free market person say... "We don't need regulations cause the free market will handle it". You say to them then, "Why didn't it with Foster Farms and it's year long salmonella outbreak".
This PBS Frontline special is one of the best examples that shows free markets don't correct the bad and dangerous behaviors of companies. This case shows the sad lack of regulators either not having the power to do anything to help and protect people from companies dangerous behaviors or not having the authority to do anything or worse not having the will to do. How weak the congress is... (Why are the same people in power that have been since the sixties, seventies, and eighties I have no clue cause the majority of them seem so inept at doing what is right for the people.) At one point in this documentary I thought the Secretary of Agriculture was speaking as a representative of Foster Farms not as a government official there to help and serve the people of America. The corruption through all of this is extreme.

Sidenote: I said this before but when you watch anything about the government and people start talking about how lobbyist are to strong. What they are really saying is politicians have been bought off. They are saying politicians are corrupted by money. That politicians have been bribed.

THE TROUBLE with ANTIBIOTICS

This Frontline Report is about how bacteria and viruses are becoming resistant to antibiotics. On America farms animals are fed antibiotics to keep them from becoming sick but this may be leading to dangerous new resistant bacteria. Also in hospital new superbugs are on the rise that are resistant to antibiotics and are highly infectious.
This report shows how the thinking "the markets will stop something bad" mentality is so wrong. Here we have a situation where people may be becoming sick, where worse situation and possible epidemic may be caused. But they can't or won't be stopped by people, or government because industry has too much money and therefor to much corrupting influence on politician, people and sadly the science. Because without a "smoking gun" many will happily allow themselves to be infected or allow the possibility. They will stop the science or allow it to not continue or be in depth so they can have cheap food and so the industry can continue to make fortunes.

FRONTLINE - THE UNITED STATES OF SECRETS PART 2

This is the second part of the PBS's Frontline investigative series on mass surveillance in America.

FRONTLINE UNITED STATES OF SECRETS PART 2
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5

Part two of this documentary tells the story of corporations and surveillance. The first thing of interest to me is how many internet providers, phone companies, and internet search engine companies are willing help the government giving much of the information they acquire. Second is none of them are willing to say no, that it is unconstitutional to give information about people. If corporations are people then aren't they also giving up their right to privacy as well. Third was even when these companies cooperated with the government it isn't enough and they would "hack" their system to get more information. These were the key things too me. To say the NSA has overreached is an understatement. But of course they still use fear. Fear that another attack will happen so of course they have to acquire everyone's information. It's ridiculous.

FRONTLINE - UNITED STATE OF SECRETS

If you want real investigative reporting on events happening in America I suggest you go to PBS Frontline. They take the time to get facts. They also will give in-depth accounts about a story you will not hear or at least not get a full description on from twenty four hour news.

FRONTLINE UNITED STATES OF SECRETS (PART 1)
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2 >
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8

Part one of this documentary tells the story after 911 in America. How fear lead those in the Bush administration to create "The Program" a National Security Agency operation to spy on American citizens. For decades the NSA by law and protocol would only spy on foreign services. The Bush administration would use half truth, faulty legal standing, and war powers to create and keep this unconstitutional and illegal system.

It also talks about the NSA and intelligence committee individuals that struggle with what they knew was wrong and how they wanted or did bring the program to the press and public view.

President Obama ran against these same programs but when Bush put before congress legislation to make the program law he voted for it as Senator. Then as President months later did nothing to pull back the program from spying on Americans. Everyone has the same fear. What if you take this system away and there is another 911? If I stop this and it happens my Presidency is over or hurt severely. People will die and it will be my fault.

It a simple situation in my eyes. The right to privacy is constitutional. People died to make this a law. To make it a right of the people. If people have to die to keep it law then so be it. One has to make a choice either privacy law matters even if others can use it to hurt you or it doesn't. If it doesn't then let the NSA spy on whomever but don't lie to yourself that you live in the same America anymore. You don't live in a constitutional America at that point. You live in an authoritarian America. Where those in power decide what is law and what isn't.

However my thinking changes on this if the people in question are not citizens of America. It doesn't matter if they are on American soil or not. They don't get the same constitutional protections at least I don't believe they should.

NOVA - BECOMING HUMAN

Nova documentary about how modern Homo Sapiens became what we are. What makes us human?

This video has three parts in one.
Part one, "First Steps" what are the factors that separated us from other great apes.
Part two, "Birth of Humanity" The first humans to look like us.
Part three, "Last Human Standing" What happened to the other humans that lived on the Earth.

NOVA scienceNOW with Neil deGrasse Tyson

NOVA scienceNow: Where did we come from?
Origins of the Solar System, the start of life, how head lice figures in human evolution, erasing memories.


NOVA scienceNow: Can we live forever?
Slow down Aging, replacement body parts, virtual replica of you.



NOVA scienceNow: How smart are animals?
How smart are dogs? How smart are dolphins? How smart are Octopus? Talking parrot Alex, how intelligent was he?


NOVA scienceNow: How does the brain work?
How does the brain pay attention? Magnetic mind control. Artificial Intelligence. Neuroscience and synesthesia.


NOVA scienceNow: What is the next big thing?
Robots, earthquake forecasting, automated vehicles, Smart grid, designer microbes (synthetic biology).

NOVA MAKING STUFF WILDER

This is a PBS Nova special called Making Stuff. This particular episode is about bioengineering looking at nature to inspire form, movement, behavior, materials, and manufacturing. If you are interested in engineering or what the future will possible look like this show is for you.