The WORST episodes of The Nature of Things
Every episode of The Nature of Things ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Nature of Things!
Hosted by the world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist, David Suzuki, every week presents stories that are driven by a scientific understanding of the world.
#1 - Japan: The Superachievers (1)
Season 23 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/24/1982
The landmarks of Japanese science and technology since the end of World War II are highlighted in the first of two related programs. The ancient craft of Samurai swordmaking and computer based steel production are also examined.
#2 - Survival Instincts of the Insect World / Sickle Cell Anemia
Season 21 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/26/1980
A magazine edition features items about the survival instincts of the insect world and the research currently being conducted in regard to sickle cell anemia.
#3 - Invisible Astronomy
Season 21 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/3/1980
Host David Suzuki visits the Algonquin Park Observatory and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as he reports on the use of radio astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. The work of the National Research Council in studying unusual wave formations, recent developments in the exploration of outer space through radio astronomy, and a visit with scientist Joel Hildebrand of the University of California are featured.
#5 - Blackfly / Desalination / Memory - Come to think of it / Dr. Karl Illmensee
Season 21 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/11/1981
Blackfly: A look at the life cycle of the blackfly, and its effects in northern Canada and Africa. Desalination: A practical method of desalination using reverse osmosis is presented. Memory - Come to think of it (repeat): A look at recent research into the brain's memory capacities. Dr. Karl Illmensee: A look at the work being done by Dr. Karl Illmensee (de) at the University of Geneva to study the possibility of causing cancerous cells to revert back to normal cells.
#6 - The Foxes' Earth
Season 21 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/25/1981
For centuries the people of the village of Huasicancha in Peru lived under the domination of others, from the last of the Inca rulers to the Spanish conquerors and subsequent regimes. How the people finally rose up to reclaim the poor land they farmed at a subsistence level is told in this documentary.
#7 - The Last of Life / The Cajuns
Season 21 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/1/1981
The Last of Life: A look at geriatric medicine and some aspects of research into the biology of aging. The Cajuns: The descendants of Nova Scotia's Acadians and their lifestyle are profiled at their adopted home, the Bayou Lafourche in southern Louisiana.
#8 - Reconnective Surgery / Shark Vision / Batteries
Season 22 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/14/1981
David Suzuki examines reconnective surgery and the vision capabilities of sharks, visits an irrigation project in India and explains the functions of batteries. The micro-surgery segment was taped in China and features Dr. Chen Chung Wei of the 6th People's Hospital in Shanghai. Dr. Chen is credited with pioneering the techniques now being practiced at Toronto's General hospital.
#9 - Rabies in Ontario / Island of Coral / Hazards of Microwave Ovens
Season 22 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/21/1981
Steps being taken to combat rabies in Ontario, an Island of Coral which provides a home for some of the world's most unique creatures, and the advantages and hazards of microwave ovens.
#10 - Edge of the Cold
Season 22 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/28/1981
David Parer's Australian examination of the wildlife on Macquarie Island, narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary.
#11 - The Thoroughbred : A Magic Way of Going
Season 22 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/11/1981
A study of the genetic and biological development of thoroughbred horses, tracing the history of the animal from the time that horses were small creatures to the sleek, larger size animals they are today.
#12 - Twins - And Then There Were Two
Season 22 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/18/1981
This is a special edition based on two half hour programs that first aired in 1978. Producer Heather Cook has revised and updated the original programs to include the latest research data in studies that have been continuing over long periods at various medical centres and universities in North America. The program explains how cells divide to produce twins and the differences between fraternal twins and identical twins.
#13 - Gutenberg Revisited / Diving Birds / Tulips
Season 23 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/20/1982
Gutenberg Revisited: A look at new developments in microelectronic information processing, focusing on the Telidon system, a Canadian invention offering two-way interactive television. Diving Birds: A look at adaptations in aquatic birds such as ducks and geese which allow them to make long dives under water. Tulips: An overview of the tulip industry in Holland.
#14 - Northern Games / Geothermal Energy / Ships of the Desert / Coriolis Effect
Season 23 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/27/1982
Northern Games: A look at the traditional games of the Inuit as they are practised 800 km north of the Arctic Circle, by youth in competition from communities across the North. Geothermal Energy: A look at how geothermal energy has been adapted to supply human needs on Iceland. Ships of the Desert: An exploration of the dromedary camel, adapted for life in the desert. Coriolis Effect: A brief explanation of the coriolis effect - what it is, how it is demonstrable, and its effect on weather.
#15 - Bring Back My Bonnie
Season 23 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/3/1982
A look at recovery after strokes. In previous years, strokes were frequently fatal, and brain damage was seen as permanent. Now, all this is changing. It has been found that with therapy many stroke victims can recover some or even most of the functions they have lost.
#16 - Long Point
Season 23 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/10/1982
Long point marsh is a sandspit on the Northern shore of Lake Erie. Discovered in 1670 by French explorers, this wildlife area has kept many of it's original features and is now an important habitat for many species of animals and migrating birds.
#17 - Modern China (2)
Season 21 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/19/1980
The professional and recreational activities of the Chinese people are examined in a tour of their homes, factories and parks, as well as the palaces which were formerly the homes of Emperors.
#18 - Japan: The Nation Family (2)
Season 23 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/1/1982
The everyday life of Japanese workers is traced through their values, their leisure activities and the mechanization of their factories.
#19 - Edge of the Cold (2)
Season 23 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/15/1982
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation produced four half-hour films about the Macquarie Islands. This episode of The Nature of Things compiles two of them. The first was originally entitled 'Man the Hunter, Man the Keeper.' The second was originally entitled 'The Dominant Male.' The program looks at the delicate ecological balance which must be maintained for the populations of elephant seals and seabirds on the Macquarie Islands. Narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary.[347] The other two episodes were compiled into a Nature of Things broadcast of 28 October 1981.
#20 - Newborn
Season 23 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/12/1983
A look at the first moments of an infant's life and its adaptation to the outside world.
#21 - Decade of Delay / RH Laboratory / Hawaii Telescope
Season 23 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/19/1983
Decade of Delay: A look at what can be done to make cars safer, and an inquiry into why it is not being done. RH Laboratory: A visit to the special Rh. laboratory in Winnipeg, which was the world pioneer in combating Rh disease, an infant condition that results from the presence or absence of the rhesus factor in individual blood cells. Hawaii Telescope: A look at the telescope and observatory erected by a joint venture of Canada and France on Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii.
#22 - Water: Friend or Foe?
Season 23 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/27/1983
Holland's Delta Project, a task involving difficult measures to reclaim land from the sea, is detailed.
#23 - Magnet Earth
Season 23 - Episode 15 - Aired 3/2/1983
A one-hour film from the BBC series Horizon exploring the effects of the Earth's magnetic field on animals and, to a lesser extent, humans.
#24 - Spas: Magic or Medicine?
Season 24 - Episode 4 - Aired 10/26/1983
The host David Suzuki visit some of these stations in Japan and elsewhere in the world and lay eyes on the therapies that are available there. In addition, it will parallel between the American attitude toward this form of treatment and that of the inhabitants of other countries.
#25 - On The Track of the Wild Otter
Season 23 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/30/1983
The social life of one of nature's shyest creatures is examined in a year-round study of its behavior.