Horizon

It is Christmas Day in the house of Hastings. The time (the 1830s), the place (a suburban Victorian home), and the atmosphere (after the pudding with the children waiting to be entertained) are ripe for father to stun his audience with his knowledge of the world of natural philosophy. It is a world of exploding biscuit tins, unpredictable hard-boiled eggs, singing drainpipes, and enough amateur science to make young enthusiasts reach for their bunsen burners, and mothers for their smelling salts.

In this special episode, Horizon reports on Erich von Däniken and his theories about astronauts visiting Earth long ago.

This special episode of Horizon shows the latest advances in research into how the visual eyesight system of humans and animals work.

Horizon follows the work of R. Buckminster Fuller and his research of the geodesic dome.

Dr. Frank Darling and Dr. Eric Edson discuss different environmental priorities.

A reconstruction of a Michael Faraday lecture last given in December 1860.

At a time when the use of teaching machines is fast expanding, Horizon looks at the principles behind them and enquires into their success

Horizon profiles the Bell Laboratories in the United States. They are one of the most important research and development centers where more than 4000 scientists work with a budget of one hundred million pounds every year. Horizon investigates the possibility of setting up a similar research station in Britain.

Horizon explores American plans to launch a space observatory to map the universe and learn how stars are created.

Horizon follows experiments on the eyes being undertaken at the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. The purpose of the experiments are to discover if our eyes can tell us things we might prefer to keep secret. In Romania, more than forty thousand people have been given Gerovital H3, in the belief that it will make them younger.

Horizon explores an American mental hospital, observing schizophrenic patients under treatment with remarkable new drugs. The American equivalent of the British Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, met in Berkeley, California between Christmas and New Year.

A profile of Dr. Albert Copley, the famous hematologist, who is also known as an accomplished artist under the name of Alcopley. For a country striving to raise its productivity, the supply of applied scientists is tremendously important. Professor S. A. Tobias, an engineer, and Lord Todd, ex-chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council, discuss the problems of educating them and their importance in society.

Horizon probes into whether aggressiveness is our birthright and can society live without violence?

Medical advances have made it possible for 'life' to be maintained in an unconscious patient who has irrevocable brain damage and who might also be dependent on artificial aids to circulation and respiration. Is it now meaningless to define 'death' as the cessation of a heart beat? Why do so many people have difficulty In communicating, or in simply getting-on with other people? Psychologists have now begun to analyse aspects of social behaviour in a way which they believe will lead to more pleasant and more effective human relationships.

In this episode, Horizon looks at a new school of mathematics and physics near Novosibirsk in Siberia, Russia. This school uses a competition held for Russian school children to qualify new students.

Horizon reports on Prof. Sir John Baker who is a distinguished British engineer, tracing his career beginning from his early work on airships.

This episode covers interviews with surgeons and research workers discussing the need for animal experimentation in medical work.

In England addicts get their heroin, and often cocaine, on the National Health Service: our system has prevented the growth of a drug-based criminal world, but Americans say that our system only worked when we did not have a serious addiction problem. Now we do. Does our present system make it too easy for the casual drug experimenter to become a hard-core addict? Is there anything we can learn from the American situation?

Horizon probes into the problems of obesity and investigates cures for obesity using diets and drugs.

A report by Horizon examining animal intelligence and looking at the reasons why no other animal has matched man in mental ability.

Horizon investigates the importance of the eye, diseases of the eye, and current research on sight.

This episode of Horizon centers on the study of the moon rock samples brought back to the earth by the Apollo 11 flight to the moon.

Horizon investigates the history of the life and work of Sir Henry Royce, co-founder of the firm Rolls Royce Royce.

This is the first part of a two-part episode on diseases afflicting people today. Horizon looks at the issue of stress on the body.

In this episode, Horizon looks a the efforts of zoos to save animal species from extinction by breeding enough to ensure their survival in captivity

In this episode, Horizon looks at the renowned British hospital for children, Great Ormond Street, and the Institute of Child Health.

Horizon explores the island of New Guinea and its cultural changes going on there.

In this episode of Horizon, you find out how feasible it is to build a 35 mile long tunnel between Britain and France.

Horizon explores the American Navajo indian tribe of New Mexico, in the United States.

Why do humans have such a poor sense of smell as compared to animals? Horizon investigates why.

Horizon examines sources of infection that have, and could still, cause epidemics in Britain.

This episode of Horizon features Immanuel Velikovsky and his theories about the solar system.

Horizon examines the doctrines and military strategies of the rival alliances of NATO and the Warsaw Pact countries.

This episode of Horizon explains how our body fights infections and cancers and brings us up-to-date on recent research in immunology.

This episode of Horizon is about various experiments on migratory birds and homing pigeons to try and discover how they navigate.

Horizon reports on the British Open University and how it operates.

This investigative report by Horizon covers an investigation into the deaths of people who inhaled asbestos dust at Acre Mill, Yorkshire, England.

Investigates the growing tendency in hospitals to induce childbirth by injecting hormones into mothers. The practice has become increasingly widespread in recent years, and this film asks if induction is desirable, necessary, and safe.

This episode of Horizon examines the problems of ship safety in the English Channel.

Horizon investigates heart transplant research and techniques perfected and currently used by Dr. Norman Shumway in Britain.

This episode of Horizon is about symbiosis - the close association between two or more species for their mutual benefit.

Horizon reports on the country of Tanzania, a country that spends only one dollar per person on health services, and more than half of all children born there die before the age of five.

Horizon documents the life of crocodiles and alligators, and their breeding and exploitation.

Horizon traces the history of the oral contraceptive pill through the last 60 years as told by its pioneers.

Horizon looks at how recent excavations in Africa have changed the accepted ideas of man's origins and age.

Horizon investigates how biologists and engineers are pooling their ideas to understand how nature's machines work.

In this episode, Horizon examines the need for an objective approach to land management in Britain.

Horizon explores community and residential services available to the elderly in South Hampton, England.

Horizon presents an investigation into the potential and problems of using hydrogen as an alternative to existing fuels.

In this program, Horizon looks at the effort and money spent on the horse to produce the perfect specimen.

Horizon follows the discovery of a chemical in the brain which has morphine-like properties.

Documentary examination of the causes and conditions of the sinking of the Amoco Cadiz oil-tanker, in 1978.

Documentary examination on the process of ageing and some things that can be done about the problems of senility in old people.

Documentary which looks at the danger points in flying an airliner on a routine flight from Gatwick to Los Angeles. Danger points are identified and we see research into airtraffic control, aircraft design, the role of the stewardess, avoiding mid-air collisions, electronic flight desks, whirlwind vortices and a new fuel additive that may virtually eliminate the instant conflagrations.

Horizon presents a portrait of the renowned economist John Maynard Keynes, Cambridge Don, and Bloomsbury intellectual.

This episode of Horizon is about holistic medicine, health for the whole person, which uses unorthodox therapies.

Horizon explores the research of Egyptian doctors in trying to control bilharzia, a disease caused by parasitic worms.

Profile of the snake, which presents a close-up look at how it kills and digests it's prey. Also shows how snake venom could be used in the treatment of many human ailments.

An examination of computer-based communication aids for the severely speech impaired. Follows the trip to America of Dick Boydell, a cerebral palsy sufferer without the power of speech. At the Artificial Language Research Laboratory in Michigan, he tries out some of the machines developed the re to help him find his own voice.

Documentary which looks at the wildlife of Pleasant Bay in New England marshland s of the Eastern USA, and their habitat.