About this season
The Nature of Things is a Canadian television series of documentary programs. It debuted on CBC Television on November 6, 1960. Many of the programs document nature and the effect that humans have on it. The program was one of the first to explore environmental issues, such as clear-cut logging. The series is named after an epic poem by Roman philosopher Lucretius: "Dē Rērum Nātūrā" — On the Nature of Things.
Episodes (10)
1. Banting, Best And Insulin
Aired 4 October 1971
Season opener: The Nature of Things looks at discovery of insulin by Dr Frederick Banting and Dr Charles Best and deals with current Canadian research into diabetes.
2. Cancer In Canada
Aired 11 October 1971
Chances of recovery by a cancer patient in Canada are examined. Guests: Dr James Till, Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital, and Dr Robert Taylor of National Cancer Institute.
3. Parkinsonism
Aired 25 October 1971
A look at research which may bring hope to sufferers of a crippling disorder that affects those on the older side of the generation gap. Guests include Dr. Oleh Hornykiewicz, a pioneer in the discovery of the drug L-DOPA.
4. The Fur Trade
Aired 13 December 1971
A look at the endangered species of animals used in the fur trade, focusing on the Canadian market
5. The Harp Seal
Aired 3 January 1972
The life history of the seal, currently the object of the great spring seal hunt; the physiology and behavior of this unusual Arctic animal, plus an examination of its 8,000-mile migration from Hudson Strait to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and back. Also a look at the seal's unique adaptation for deep diving, currently under study by biologists at the University of Guelph in Ontario
6. Grouse Country
Aired 10 January 1972
The world of the colorful bird family admired by hunters and birdwatchers alike.
7. The Polar Bear
Aired 17 January 1972
Pictorial life history of the Arctic animals throughout the seasons.
8. Lobsters and the Sea
Aired 24 January 1972
A glimpse into the world of an unusual and amusing ocean inhabitant.
9. Vanishing Peoples: Yanomami
Aired 31 January 1972
Documentary look at the Yanomami, a fast-vanishing Indian tribe inhabiting the tropical rainforest of the Upper Orinoco River in southeastern Venezuela and Northern Brazil.[
10. The Blue Holes of Andros
Aired 15 May 1972
A visit to a deep network of underwater caves found offshore from the island of Andros, with Dr. George Benjamin, a Canadian research chemist and the world's foremost authority on the Bahamas' "blue holes" (underwater caves)