Ebola: story of an epidemic--What is epidemiology?--The earliest epidemiology--Worldwide diseases--Scientific study of disease--New weapons against epidemics--modern epidemiology--getting a handle on pandemics--Epidemiology present and future.

A link between autism and the Measles-Mumps-Rubella shot has been largely refuted by the medical establishment. But some doctors, along with many parents of autistic children, remain convinced of a connection. This program sifts through both sides of the issue, fully explaining both the link theory and the epidemiological research that vindicates the MMR. Interviews with Dr. Andrew Wakefield-the gastroenterologist who first asserted that the vaccine...

If you don't know your prokaryotes from your protozoa, or learning about fungi puts you in a funk, look no further--Microbiology Demystified, Second Edition is your cure for learning this topic's fundamental concepts and theories at your own pace. This practical guide eases you into this field of science, starting at the cell level. As you progress, you will master microbiology essentials such as bacteria, algae, viruses, pasteurization, and more....

While epidemiologic evidence has clearly shown that people who drink alcohol heavily are at increased risk for a number of health problems, this video presents new research that suggests that consuming alcohol at a lower rate may provide some health benefits.

In Los Angeles, a remarkable experiment is underway; the police are trying to predict crime, before it even happens. At the heart of the city of London, one trader believes that he has found the secret of making billions with math. In South Africa, astronomers are attempting to catalog the entire cosmos. These very different worlds are united by one thing - an extraordinary explosion in data. Horizon meets the people at the forefront of the data revolution,...

The last few decades have seen a dramatic increase in cases of low sperm count, sperm abnormalities, and testicular cancer - while, in more than 20 industrialized nations, the male birth rate has steadily declined. This program examines the phenomenon and its likely cause: synthetic chemicals found in everything from common plastics to meat and dairy products. Investigating these so-called "hormone mimicking" or "endocrine disrupting" chemicals, the...

Is there order in randomness? When we observe random phenomena in our lives, we often suspect some key that unifies them. While this impulse may be a foundation of superstition, it is also a motivation for mathematicians. In this video from the 2009 Falling Walls Conference, Wendelin Werner analyzes the large-scale behavior of random systems such as random walks, the mathematical formalization of a trajectory that consists of taking successive random...

In 1543, a diagram drawn by a Polish priest revealed to the world a new idea which forever changed our understanding of the cosmos and our place in it: the concept of a sun-centric universe. A plaque was put aboard the unmanned Pioneer space probe in 1972 to communicate fundamental facts about Earth and its inhabitants to life on other planets. How did a single diagram fit everything in?

As a result of the strong economic growth in many African countries, the continent has a growing demand for young professionals, particularly in mathematics, IT, and engineering, in order to ensure rapid and stable economic, social, and political development. Yet only 6 percent of post-secondary-age Africans are enrolled in apprenticeships, colleges, or universities, compared with the global average of 26 percent, and the European and North American...

A dazzlingly erudite synthesis of history, philosophy, anthropology, genetics, sociology, economics, epidemiology, statistics, and more" (Frank Bruni, New York Times), Blueprint shows how and why evolution has placed us on a humane path -- and how we are united by our common humanity. For too long, scientists have focused on the dark side of our biological heritage: our capacity for aggression, cruelty, prejudice, and self-interest. But natural selection...