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 (17)
1. The Sun
Aired 20 June 1966
An examination of sun from various points of view. Includes discussion with illustrative film footage of: archeological remains.
2. Natural History Of The Niagara Gorge
Aired 27 June 1966
The famous Niagara Falls had their origins at Queenston 12,000 years ago. Since then.
3. Air And Water Pollution
Aired 4 July 1966
This program explores serious problem of pollution, which results when more waste materials are poured into air and water than these elements have capacity to deal with.
4. The Battle Against Biting Insects
Aired 11 July 1966
An examination of some of most sophisticated methods of pest control such as: unbalancing insects' nutrition.
5. Air Conditioning - Natural And Man-Made
Aired 18 July 1966
This program considers many aspects of controlling human environment to regulate pressure, humidity, and temperature.
6. The Physics Of Sailing
Aired 25 July 1966
The scientific study of physics of sailing, is a fairly new field. This program looks at scientific efforts to understand why sailing ships do what they do.
7. Epidemics
Aired 1 August 1966
Not so many years ago, summer's warmth brought chilling fear of polio and typhus epidemics.
8. Summer Storms
Aired 8 August 1966
A look at activities of Stormy Weather Group, scientists at Montreal's McGill University and Macdonald College who study pheonomena of summer storms.
9. Fishing And The Splake
Aired 15 August 1966
Science is developing new and better fish, splake for instance, a product of cross-breeding of lake.
10. The Value Of Our Parks
Aired 22 August 1966
This program examines Canada's great national parks and their ecological importance in maintaining habitats vital to various plants and animals.
11. Forest And Fires
Aired 29 August 1966
This program deals with forest succession. Scientists have recently learned a great deal about way.
12. Water On The Level
Aired 5 September 1966
There has been great alarm recently over declining level of water in bodies of water as enormous as Great Lakes.
13. Galapagos: Darwin
Aired 4 September 1966
First episode of a five-part series on Galapagos islands. This looks at life and work of Charles Darwin.
14. Galapagos: The Islands
Aired 11 September 1966
A survey of animal and plant life of Galapagos archipelago including: a look at geological origins of islands.
15. Galapagos: New Beings
Aired 18 September 1966
An exploration of scientific phenomenon known as "adaptive radiation", way in which a small founding group of a plant or animal species can give rise to a number of new species
16. Galapagos: Ways Of Survival
Aired 25 September 1966
Apart from their external appearance, animals go through behavioural and physiological changes to adapt themselves to different environments: for example.
17. Galapagos: Living Laboratory
Aired 2 October 1966
This final program in series looks at some of endangered species in Galapagos islands, and at impact of human settlement on native creatures.