SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS: LIFE'S BIG QUESTIONS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of science documentaries hosted by Alan Alda. This episode focuses on evolution -- from the beginning of the universe to the future of advanced technologies. In the first segment, "How Did the Universe Begin?", Alda speaks with astronomers Sandy Faber and Alan Dressler, who are using the Keck telescope in Hawaii to test the big bang theory. They are comparing the orbital Hubbell telescope's images of galaxies that are forty billion light years away with images of much closer galaxies in an effort to discern changes in the shape of galaxies over time. In the next segment, "Where Did Life Come From?," Alda looks into the idea that life can exist at much higher temperatures than was ever thought possible. Biologists Norman Pace and Sue Barnes take Alda to Yellowstone National Park, where they investigate microorganisms which live in the hot springs and have DNA surprisingly similar to "every plant and animal on earth." In segment three, "How Did the Earth Get Animals?", biologists Andy Knoll and Yin Leiming head to China in an attempt to discover when microscopic creatures evolved into animals -- the "biological big bang."
Then, in "Are We Alone?", Alda takes a look at the exploration for extraterrestrial life. He visits Carl Sagan, who calls it "laughable arrogance" for humans to think that they are the only sentient beings in the universe; Alda also speaks with Paul Horowitz, who is using a giant radio-telescope to try to detect signals from outer space. Alda then examines the work of Jack Farmer of NASA and Sasha Basilavsky of the Russian space program, who are working on the details of a robotic exploration of Mars which would be used to find evidence of extraterrestrial life. And in the final segment, "Will the Robots Take Over?", Alda meets Flakey, a robot at the Stanford Research Institute, and Kurt Konolige, the head of Flakey's design team. Flakey's ability to learn and process abstract ideas and instructions is demonstrated, and Alda speaks with Karl Sims about his experiments with artificial evolution.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Alan Alda.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: November 30, 1993
- RUNNING TIME: 0:56:02
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:62040
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries; Science/Nature
- SUBJECT HEADING: Big bang theory; Cosmology; Extraterrestrial beings; Galaxies - Evolution; Mars (planet) - Exploration; Microorganisms - Evolution; Robots
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1990-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Graham Chedd … Executive Producer
- John Angier … Executive Producer, Director, Writer
- Andrew Liebman … Producer, Director, Writer
- Laura Russell … Associate Producer
- George Christopher … Associate Producer
- Laura DeBonis … Associate Producer
- Wang Shukai … Associate Producer
- Sara Finkelstein … Researcher
- David Grimes … Music by
- Randy Roos … Music by
- Alan Alda … Host
- Sue Barnes
- Sasha Basilavsky
- Alan Dressler
- Sandy Faber
- Jack Farmer
- Paul Horowitz
- Andy Knoll
- Kurt Konolige
- Norman Pace
- Carl Sagan
- Karl Sims
- Yin Leiming