101. The mysterious occident (1:00:07)

Date:
1964
Summary:
In this program, Mr. Hoffer explains why he believes it is the West and not the East that demonstrates mysterious and unnatural behavior in times of stress and change. His interest in the East and Middle East began in 1955 with the emergence of the new nations of Africa and the East. Their desire for self-rule, for modernization, was, and still is, being accompanied by terrorism, riots and violence. The west, on the other hand, finds that it does not have to resort to these tactics of violence because change has taken place in an orderly way. Mr. Hoffer’s conclusion is that this was the unnatural way… this was not normal human behavior. This orderliness and practical sense that keeps us going is due, he feels, to the rise of the autonomous individual who has the ability to make his own decisions and who must save his soul by his own efforts. This individual did not rise in the Eastern societies mainly because the secular and political powers were one in much the same manner as communism is today. In this way, a man’s religion and political faith were one, and therefore, there was never a conflict. In our society, these faiths are “fighting each other.” It is this struggle within Western man to reconcile these forces that has given rise to the autonomous individual capable of controlling his destiny in an orderly and practical manner. Mr. Hoffer then discusses this practical streak in the Westerner and the antagonism between the practical and the intellectual. Our society, unlike that of the Greeks, is dominated by the masses or the practical man, not by the intellectual as is the general belief. “Any society shaped and dominated by the intellectual,” Mr. Hoffer concludes, “Will not allow practical actions to be a gateway to man’s feeling of a sense of worth. Since our society is governed by practical considerations, it is dominated by the masses and not by the intellectuals.”

102. The new age (1:01:35)

Date:
1964
Summary:
Mr. Hoffer begins his discussion of “The New Age” by pointing out that it is generally, though falsely, referred to in America as the “Age of the Masses” (i.e. mass communications, mass consumption, mass production). He explains that it is no longer the masses who control the political and economic life of the country. In politics, it is the intellectual who is the general, the diplomat, the ruler. Economically, with the rise of automation, it is the intellectual with the machine who is replacing the many laborers and their hands. Mr. Hoffer then compares the intellectual of the past and present in this country. In the past, the intellectual of America, in much the same manner as today’s European, Asian and African intellectual, was a colonial and ruled with the attitude of a colonial. He demanded absolute obedience and power, and his interests were not so much with the needs of the masses as with the construction and initiation of imposing works and great ideas. In contrast to the “Old Colonialism” of America’s intellectual of the past, the “New colonialist” intellectual of America today rose from the masses and his interests lie with the needs and demands of the masses. Mr. Hoffer describes the “New Colonialist” intellectual as “the man in the business suit who looks like everyone else.” Economically, he is interested in wages, clothing and feeding the people. Politically, he wants not blind obedience but the enthusiastic approval and support of the masses for his projects and ideas. He concludes by stating his believe that the “Old Colonialism” of today’s European, Asian and African intellectual leaders should learn from the “New Colonialism” of America.

103. Man's Struggle for Uniqueness (30:18)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Reviews Eric Hoffer's views on man as a truly free being. Describes check of absolute power and struggle away from the animal in man as prerequisites to freedom. Reveals play as one of the best times for man to receive insight.

104. Role of the weak (29:29)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Reveals the intense feeling for the weak individual and the place in society which Eric Hoffer has achieved. Describes working as source of power for these people. Focuses on Hoffer's systematized mode of living with its inherent difficulties for the weak individual.

105. Sometimes harmonious, sometimes not (29:38)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Presents, in fable form, the philosophical question of free will versus determinism. The mannequins in a store window come to life and threaten the window dresser. Cartoon figures--symbolizing man--watch the action in the window and react in various but accepted ways.

106. The control revolution (29:04)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Explains how the development of the computer has made possible the automatic control of routine tasks in government, industry, and general business. Includes demonstrations of the use of computers by the Social Security Administration, by a medium-sized industrial plant, by a machine corporation, and at an oil refinery. Comments on the value of computers in administration and management.

107. The department of health, education and welfare (14:36)

Date:
1963
Main contributors:
Erling M. Hunt, Wade Arnold, Abraham Ribicoff, Center for Mass Communication, Columbia University Press
Summary:
Discusses the purposes and functions of the five major divisions within the department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Describes the several offices, agencies, and bureaus, and indicates how these deal with foods, drugs, social security, vocational rehabilitation, and education. Emphasizes that the major concern of the department is to benefit individuals in their living. Narrated by Abraham Ribicoff, a former secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.

108. The dynamics of the circle (14:20)

Date:
1963
Main contributors:
Mannis Charosh, Pelican Films
Summary:
Describes a geometric circle and defines and illustrates such terms as radius, congruent circles, chord, diameter, major and minor arcs, semicircles, and central angle. Shows the relationship between a central angle and its arc; presents methods for proving arcs equal in degrees and length; and describes the relationships of a diameter, a chord, and its intersected arcs.

109. The Expressive Society (29:22)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Focuses upon actress Ingrid Thulin and producer-director Ingmar Bergman. Shows Miss Thulin at home and at work as she comments upon the acting profession in Sweden. Presents background to the development of Bergman. Contains scenes from some of his work, including "Winter Light" in which Miss Thulin played the leading female part.

110. The Nature of Man (29:50)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Presents Eric Hoffer in an extended dialogue on man's weaknesses and how they relate to the total process of learning to become human. Describes human nature as highly unnatural in comparison with the simplicity of the physical sciences. Reviews man's struggle to survive by attempting the impossible and overcoming his weakness.

111. The ordeal of change (1:00:11)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Mr. Hoffer discusses with Mr. Day how change affects an individual’s self-esteem. He considers change in relation to the problems of African-Americans, the under-developed countries of Asia and Africa, and popular upheavals in communist countries. He says: “Times of drastic change are times of passion. We can never be fit and ready for that which is wholly new. We have to adjust ourselves, and every radical adjustment is a crisis in self-esteem. We undergo a test; we have to prove ourselves. A population subjected to drastic change is thus a population of misfits, and misfits live and breathe in an atmosphere of passion.”

112. The regional campuses of Indiana University (16:32)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Pictures and describes the regional campuses of Indiana University, pointing out their function and relationship to the University as a whole. Shows activities at the campuses, both inside the classroom and out. Emphasizes the educational opportunities offered the citizens of Indiana through the regional campuses.

113. The role of the intellectual (1:00:07)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Mr. Hoffer discusses with Mr. Day the question of what happens when intellectuals gain control of a country. He explains why he believes that Asian and African intellectuals fear America, suggests that a society controlled by intellectuals is not conducive to creative activity, and explains his view that a scribe – a man of words – is a dangerous man when he becomes a man of action. Mr. Hoffer maintains that an intellectual is not at home in a free society.

114. Venezuela : the making of a government (59:23)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Records highlights of the emergence of democratic government in Venezuela. Shows that the Venezuelan election of December 2 1963, allowed for the first transfer of office from one democratic administration to another in that nation's history. The film documents numerous national problems and aspects of the political campaign. Factors included for examination are the importance of the military, the terrorists' campaign to prevent the election, and the problems of illiteracy and poverty. Refers to the large political setting of Venezuela within Latin American history. Shows the failure of the Cuban-backed terror campaign to keep the people from voting. Includes interviews with Past-President Betancourt and President-Elect Leoni.

115. Why communication satellites? (12:25)

Date:
1963
Summary:
Uses animation and live-action photography to explain the need for satellites in long distance radio and television communication. Compares three types of communication satellites which have been launched--Echo, Telstar, and Syncom--explains their capabilities, and suggests future uses of satellites for space communication.

116. A universe of numbers (28:55)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Traces the history of computer development from the first mechanical calculators to ENIAC, the first electronic computer. Explains in lay terms how a modern digital computer stores both data and instructions in number form.

117. A World to Perceive (1:01:59)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Demonstrates the role of perception in handling the processing information from the environment and the way in which our personalities affect our perception. Reviews the research of Dr. Herman Witkin of the State University of New York Medical Center, Dr. Eleanor Gibson of Cornell University, and Dr. Richard D. Walk of George Washington University.

118. Agriculture's showcase abroad (14:07)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Visits a number of international trade fairs and identifies their purposes and contributions to the United States agricultural program. Illustrates ways United States agricultural products are introduced to actual and potential customers. Studies some of the agricultural export items which have been favorably influenced by the trade fair. Proclaims the importance of foreign markets as an outlet for our agricultural surplus.

119. Atomic furnaces (29:19)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Describes the operation, principles, and scientific use of reactors. Shows types of research reactors make possible. Describes the Gamma Ray Spectrometer, the Neutron Chopper, and the new Janus reactor which is designed specifically for high and low level radiation experiments in biology.

120. Challenge of change : the case for counseling (29:02)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Presents a view of the guidance process and indicates the great number of individuals involved. urges efforts to estimate the potential of each individual, to interpret to him and his parents the opportunities available to him, and to provide him with educational experiences which will assures his best development.

121. Christian Huyghens (1629 to 1695) (29:25)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Huyghens (HY-gunz) discovery that Saturn is surrounded by rings which look different on earth at different times led to considerable speculation as to the nature of the rings. Some scientists believed they were solid, others maintained they were made up of particles of matter, as is actually the case. Among Huyghens’ other discoveries was the triangular expanse on Mars (“Syrtis Major”), which may be an expanse of vegetation. He also invented a very fine eyepiece, still used by physicists, which overcomes color spread. And “Huyghens Principle” regarding light spread is also constantly in use. Despite early illness and his resulting weak constitution, Huyghens was able to make discoveries that have been inestimable use to scientists who came after him.

122. City bus driver (10:52)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Shows from the point-of-view of a bus driver on the job what happens during a day's run in a well-equipped city bus. Covers all aspects of the driver's job, including his preparations of the trip, his driving skills, his courtesy in dealing with passengers, and his responsibility for their comfort and safety. Uses scenes in the garage and the office of the bus company to illustrate problems involved in maintaining an efficient transportation system.

123. Computers and Human Behavior (29:13)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Discusses research being conducted at the Carnegie Institute of Technology to evolve new theories about mental processes. Shows Dr. Bert Green demonstrating his computer experiments with the perception of motion and depth, Dr. Herbert Simon using the computer to present his theory of how human beings memorize, and Dr. Allan Newall showing how the computer was responsible for creating a new theory about human problem solving.

124. Copernicus (1473-1543) (29:28)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Indicates that the problem of getting to Mars of Venus, heretofore a concern only to science fiction writers and afficionados, has now become an international obsession. Shows that the strides being made in the space race would not be possible were it not for the work of Copernicus and other scientists of his stature. States that it was Copernicus who realized that the earth is not the center of the universe but merely one of many heavenly bodies, all moving according to a definite system.

125. Diversity in Plant and Animals (30:26)

Date:
1962
Main contributors:
Dr. Ray Koppelman, University of Chicago, American Institute of Biological Sciences
Summary:
Diversity of life resulting from evolution: recognition and treatment of diversity –definitions and taxonomic approaches; results of diversity in the plant kingdom; results of diversity in the animal kingdom, with particular emphasis on the evolution of man; diversity in time –divergence, convergence, extinction, the fossil record diversity in space –ecological relations in a habitat.

126. Dynamics of solution (14:57)

Date:
1962
Main contributors:
Ellis Katzman, Elbert C. Weaver, John A. Skarulis, William H. Pasfield, Ross Lowell, Herman J. Engel, Robert Braverman, Peter Robinson, Geraldine Lerner, Max J. Rosenberg, Fisher Scientific Company
Summary:
Demonstrates the differences between saturated, unsaturated, and supersaturated solutions; that solutions are dynamic, not static in character; and also shows suspensions and colloidal dispersions. Presents characteristics of solutions and explains insolubility, solutions without chemical reactions, mixtures, suspensions, and the Tyndall effect in colloidal dispersions.

127. Edward Steichen : part I (29:48)

Date:
1962
Summary:
The first program deals largely with Steichen’s life and his development as a photographer. He comments on the first camera he use (a Kodak), the years before he came to New York City, his “romantic” period in the 1890’s, his work with photography for advertising, his stay in France when he was for a while very active as a painter, his reactions to modern art, and his feelings about the influence of painting on his photography. Steichen’s photographs are used throughout the program to complement his description of life and work, and he often gives detailed analysis of these photographs.

128. Edward Steichen : part II (29:42)

Date:
1962
Summary:
The first part of the program is devoted to Steichen’s memorable and world-famous exhibit, “The Family of Man.” Steichen explains his preoccupation with the forms and development of human life; the exhibit, and many of the photographs shown during the course of the program, emphasize the preoccupation. Steichen and Rene d’Harnoncourt also discuss his association with the fashion magazine Vanity Fair, his ideas on journalistic photography, and his work in Hollywood and in advertising, his photographic experiments, his experiences during World War I, his exhibitions and the ideas governing them, his work now in progress, and his plans for future exhibitions.

129. Edward Steichen : part III (29:41)

Date:
1962
Summary:
The third program consists of a detailed analysis of photographs. Steichen and a young photographer move from picture to picture while Steichen explains the mechanical and technical problems they presented and the ideas or interests that prompted his focusing on one or another subject. They also examine pictures taken by such noted photographers as Lewis Hines and Edward Weston. Of particular interest are Steichen’s comments on symbolist photography and his reasons for abandoning experiments he began in this area. At the program’s end, Steichen speaks generally about the future of photography, and of the things we have to learn about and from our fellow man.

130. Edward Steichen, part IV (29:22)

Date:
1962
Summary:
The format of this final program is different from that of the preceding three. On the sound track is a pre-recorded conversation with Steichen, and on the screen is a series of Steichen’s own photographs, and those of other photographers, from the “Family of Man” collection. Steichen’s remarks form a commentary explaining and describing some general principles of photography, and the details of completing this particular exhibit.The basic element, says Steichen, is love: love of life and of mankind.

131. Engine at the door (29:31)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Considers the question, "Will machines ever run man?" Concludes that although the computer is the machine most like man himself, it is not the machine but man who determines what is to be done.

132. Foundations for the future (29:37)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Discusses the future in terms of the areas that now interest scientists at the Argonne National Laboratories. Indicates problems that are still to be solved concerning the effects of radiation, the peaceful use of radiation, and the dangers of radiation.

133. Hipparchus (146 to 127 B.C.) (29:26)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Much of today’s exploration of space would be impossible without the early astronomical discoveries of Hipparchus (hih-PAR-kus). According to Dr. Posin, the greatest of these discoveries was that“the tip of the axis of the earth, through the centuries, make a circle in the heavens.” With the help of work done by scientists before him, such as Archimedes, Hipparchus was able to find ways of determining longitudes on earth and in the sky, thereby laying important groundwork for astronomical discoveries through the ages.

134. Invisible bullets (29:39)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Introduces the series and establishes some basic knowledge about radiation which is necessary for a clear understanding of the following programs. Discusses the meaning of radiation, its natural sources, and the various forms it takes. Using a variety of devices points out the difference between alpha and beta particles and between gamma and X-rays.

135. Isaac Newton (1642-1727) (29:16)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Discusses the work of Newton, who was born the day Galileo died, and was a contemporary and friend of Huyghens. Describes Newton's Principia Mathematica, one of the greatest scientific books ever written which was published through his friendship with Halley, another outstanding scientist of the time. Briefly discusses Newton's most important contributions to science which were his theories of light and prisms, and of motion and bodies in space.

136. James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) (29:07)

Date:
1962
Summary:
As a boy, Maxwell was subject to the brutal teasing of his classmates. As an adult he met and solved several scientific problems that had been perplexing his contemporaries. He won a prize for demonstrating mathematically the nature of the rings around Saturn. But his most important achievement, which was at once the result of Faraday’s experiments and the beginning of much important new work by later scientists in physics and electricity, was his contribution to the study of electromagnetics and his predictions of the existence of electromagnetic waves. The processes and apparatuses he used are sketched in detail by Dr. Posin. The topic is a complicated one, but worth the attention of anyone who intends to pursue modern physics on his own.

137. Leonardo Da Vinci (1452-1519) (28:56)

Date:
1962
Summary:
States that only a lack of engineers and adequate materials kept the helicopter from being an actuality during da Vinci's lifetime. Pictures this great inventor creating workable plans for the helicopter, the submarine, and hundreds of other "modern" inventions--all backed by scientific data. According to Dr. Posin, Leonardo "was always lured by the subtle, the fleeting, the unknown--this was the artist in him. Yet he searched for exact reasons and causes and logic--this was the scientist."

138. Michael Faraday (1791-1867) (30:08)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Scientists discover things either by making plans for experiments and then following them doggedly, or by pursuing the implications of unexpected events or findings. It was in the latter way that Michael Faraday made one of his most important discoveries in the field of electricity. Dr. Posin discusses the men preceding Faraday, who had worked with electricity -- Volta, Benjamin Franklin, the Danish scientist HC Oersted (1777-1851) -- and the discoveries each made. He then turns to the work, and some pictures and models of the apparatus, for which Faraday is best known. In particular, he demonstrates the experiment by which Faraday proved that magnetism can produce electricity. He also performs an experiment with electrically charged fish like the electric eel or the Gymnotus.

139. Pegasus without wings (29:31)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Discusses whether the artist is free to express himself regardless of public understanding, public acceptance, or public rejection. Dramatizes the incidents surrounding a citizen's donation of a statue for a town square. The artist commissioned to do the work has fashioned a piece of iron sculpture which depicts what he feels is the horse's spirit instead of its outward form. At the dedication of the statue in the town square, the crowd voices mixed reactions to the sculpture. More and stronger objections are climaxed in attempt to destroy the iron horse. The donor finally removes the iron horse to his own estate where, on top of a rise, it dominates the landscape in splendid exile.

140. Radiation and the population (29:34)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Points out that genetic damage is one of the most serious effects of radiation and shows how the Atomic Energy Commission's genetics research program is geared to learn how radiation damages cells and what the long term effects of such damage might be. Presents Douglas Grahn, a geneticist in the Division of the Biology Medicine, explaining how radiation causes mutations and how these mutations are passed on to succeeding generations. Describes the work of Herman Slatis, also a geneticist in the Division of Biology Medicine, with fruit flies and induced mutations. Discusses fallout and its implications.

141. Searching for the ultimate (29:33)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Describes research related to atomic structure through which the scientist is attempting to discover the structure of the universe. Shows how particle accelerators produce intense beams of radiation which enable study of the structure of the atom, the nucleus, and the basic components of the nucleus. Explains how accelerators operate and shows one of the world's largest particle accelerators, the Zero Gradient Synchrotron, a $50,000,000 machine still under construction. Describes the sub-nuclear particles in which the high energy physicist is interested and briefly discusses the concept of matter and anti-matter.

142. Technological development (29:16)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Explores the nature of technology itself and demonstrates its use, both to increase the competitor's share of the market and to expand the range of the market. Shows that industrial technology's first attempt is to reduce production costs or to give the product an edge over its competition with the hope of greater profits. Shows, too, that technology has served to create whole new markets--for example, the harnessing of electricity. Demonstrates that industrial research and development have progressed from the stage of the lone inventor to that of the highly-organized corporate effort.

143. The challenge of management (29:11)

Date:
1962
Summary:
This program is concerned with the role of the business manager, the person who brings together the land, the resources, the necessary labor, and the capital or means of production and sets all these turning to manufacture the things that people need or want. To indicate the functions of the business manager, the program visits a laundry – operated as a proprietorship, a filling station – operated as a partnership, and a large corporation. In dealing with the corporation, the program shows the varied responsibilities of Donald Douglas, general manager of the Reflective Products Division of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.

144. The dairy belt (1:07:31)

Date:
1962
Main contributors:
Thomas F. Barton, Daisy M. Jones, Roger Niemeyer, James W. Taylor, Indiana University Audio-Visual Center
Summary:
Compares two dairy farms--one in Southeastern Wisconsin and the other in Central New York State. Shows the land use and cultural practices which reflect adaptation to such elements of the physical environment as topography, soil, precipitation, temperature, and length of growing season. Describes such man-made conditions that influence the marketing of milk as the proximity of farms to urban areas, sanitation requirements, and transportation and refrigeration facilities.

145. The living solid (29:35)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Shows bone to be active, living substance, constantly remodeling and reforming itself. Emphasizes the importance of bone to the entire body as a supplier of calcium and illustrates the systems by which this calcium gets from bone to blood and vice versa. Effects of radiation are illustrated in photographs of bone cross-sections.

146. The Universal Machine (28:50)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Comments on the fact that the computer revolution represents a fundamentally different kind of advance because, unlike past industrial advances, the computer manipulates processed information at incredible speeds. Explains the problem of what to use as a universal "machine language."

147. Time : the surest poison (29:35)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Explores the natural process of aging and the methods used in its study. Indicates that aging might be considered one of the deleterious side effects of radiation. Shows that since radiation injury resembles natural aging in so many ways, radiation has proved one of the best ways of studying the aging process. Points out how research on aging is conducted in the Argonne National Laboratory's animal quarters and in low level gamma irradiation room.

148. Tracing airborne radioactivity (1:00:59)

Date:
1962
Summary:
How does the air cleanse itself of poisonous substances, including radioactive substances? Philip Gustafson, a biologist in the Division of Biological and Medical Research, and Henry Moses of the Division of Radiological Physics, examine atmospheric fallout and methods now being used to determine and study such fallout. They relate current fallout studies to man and to his environment.

149. Tracing living cells (29:28)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Illustrates how the use of radioactive isotopes in the study of cell division and in medical therapy has helped man overcome disease. Demonstrates some of the many helpful and healthful uses of atomic energy.

150. Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) (29:00)

Date:
1962
Summary:
Acknowledge as one of the greatest observational astronomers who ever lived, Tycho (TY-ko) Brahe (BRAH-ee) managed to make enormous strides without the help of telescopes. During his lifetime he discovered that comets are the product of interplanetary space rather than of the earth, as had long been believed. His inventions included a number of highly accurate instruments, and among his publications was a most valuable table of refractions. Toward the end of his life, he was joined by Johannes Kepler, who functioned as Brahe’s assistant and, after the great astronomer’s death, continued the work his friend had begun.