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PBS Titles
American Experience: The Great Transatlantic Cable 60 minutes By the middle of the 19th century, a network of telegraph poles was strung across America; Samuel Morse's invention made possible almost instantaneous communication between cities across the continent but messages to London were still being sent the old-fashioned way, aboard sailing ships that could take weeks to reach their destination. Though the need for a transatlantic cable was obvious, the physical challenges to laying one were enormous. The project would require making a 2000 mile long cable and laying it three miles beneath the Atlantic. Cyrus Field, an energetic, young New Yorker, committed himself to the task. It took twelve years of cajoling and massaging investors, abortive attempts to lay the cable, and millions of wasted dollars before Field and his team of engineers finally succeeded. On July 27, 1866, when the wire was finally in place, Field sent back the first message to Europe: "Thank God," he wrote, "the cable is laid." The physical link to Europe is still in use today.
NOVA: Einstein's Big Idea 60 minutesBased on David Bodanis's bestselling book E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation, this well acted dramatic program explores the lives of the men and women who helped develop the concepts behind each term in the equation.
Rx For Survival 1: Disease Warriors 60 minutes Before there was an understanding of infectious disease, few weapons were available to fight it. Disease Warriors chronicles the groundbreaking work of early researchers, such as the famed scientist Louis Pasteur, who unmasked germs as the source of illness. Pasteur went on to develop a rabies vaccine, a great scientific triumph. Today, vaccines have made huge strides against epidemics, conquering smallpox and bringing the global eradication of polio within reach. But the world still faces major challenges in getting basic vaccines to those who still need them, and in creating new ones to combat modern nemeses, like AIDS. Parts 2-6 of the series are titled: Rise of the Superbugs, Delivering the Goods, Deadly Mesengers, Back to the Basics, How Safe Are We?.
Frontline: Living Old 60 minutes A powerful and intimate journey into the uncharted territory of Americans living longer than ever -- and what it means for them, their loved ones and our society. For the first time in American history, "the old old" -- those over 85 -- are now the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Medical advances have enabled an unprecedented number of Americans to live longer, healthier lives. But for millions of elderly, living longer can also mean a debilitating physical decline that often requires an immense amount of care. And just as more care is needed, fewer caregivers are available to provide it. In "Living Old," FRONTLINE investigates this national crisis and explores the new realities of aging in America.
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