Using animated diagrams, time-lapse photography, and scanning electron microscopy, this program concisely examines several key areas of plant biology. Topics discussed include cyclical and predatory plant movement, the role of stomata in transpiration and the diffusion of carbon dioxide, the mechanics of "light reaction" photosynthesis, the regulation of plant growth through hormones such as auxin and cytokinin, and hormonal growth responses to environmental...

Transcending the boundaries between chemists and physicists, multidisciplinary academic Daniël Vanmaekelbergh has developed a new way of understanding atoms and molecules. This 2010 Falling Walls lecture video highlights Vanmaekelbergh's mission to discern completely new classes of materials based on interacting colloidal building blocks that are crucial to the functionality of solar cells, lasers, and LEDs. Vanmaekelbergh's work, which has been...

It was plants that first harnessed light from the sun to create a life-giving atmosphere, transforming a barren rock into the lush world we know today. In this program, geologist Iain Stewart journeys from a spectacular rain forest growing inside a cave to remote African deserts to explore the crucial role of the plant kingdom in the development of life on Earth. He also uncovers the epic battle between the dinosaurs and the planet's tallest trees,...