Catalog Search Results
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Explore the multifaceted phenomenon of birdsong, distinguishing between birds' songs and calls. Grasp the physics of song/call production, and how some birds can actually sing two songs at once. Learn about the innate versus the learned components of birdsong, how birds need to practice and perfect their songs, and the amazing variety of the individual and social functions of birdsong.
Publisher
Collective Eye Films
Pub. Date
2002.
Language
English
Description
We call them o-rang-u-tans, which literally means "forest persons" in the Malay and Indonesian languages. They are the only great apes native to Asia. Of all the apes, they are the closest to man in genetic makeup. And they face extinction. Two years in the making, The Disenchanted Forest is an intimate portrayal of the world of orangutans, the threats to their survival and the people committed to help them thrive. The film focuses on a recent discovery...
63) Why Insects Matter: Earth's Most Essential Species: Episode 21,Insects in Art, Literature, and Film
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Throughout our history, we have experienced admiration for insects and their unique abilities, as well as fear and disgust. Explore how those conflicting emotions have been reflected in our arts, from Aesop's fables to Kafka's Metamorphosis, from the films Alien to A Bug's Life, and characters from Jiminy Cricket to Ant Man.
Publisher
ABC
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
This is the story of Tyke, a circus elephant that went on a rampage in Honolulu in 1994, killed her trainer in front of thousands of people and died in a hail of gunfire. The incident traumatized a city and raised profound questions about our relationship to other species.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Insects play a crucial role as decomposers of dead organic matter, recycling the chemicals and making them available for other organisms. Explore the feats of one of homeowners' most dreaded pests—termites. These insects not only clear forests of dead wood, but are also stellar engineers.
66) Why Insects Matter: Earth's Most Essential Species: Episode 3,Insect Life Cycles and Reproduction
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Insects have contributed to the human economy since the beginning of our civilization. Consider the humble silkworm moth creating its cocoon from one continuous thread of silk. Discover how this caterpillar creates one of the strongest and most durable materials in nature, and explore the fascinating lifecycle and migration journey of the beautiful monarch butterfly.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Discover the properties of insects that distinguish them from mammals and all other animals. They all have exoskeletons for strength and protection, six legs to propel their movements, compound eyes, antennae, and even more attributes in common with one another. But within this framework, their astonishing variability has allowed them to live in almost every ecological niche on the planet.
Publisher
Kirschenbaum Productions
Pub. Date
2001.
Language
English
Description
A Dog’s Life: A Dogamentary is a quirky yet poignant documentary about the positive effects of the intense bond between dogs and humans, as told through the story of Emmy-winning television producer Gayle Kirschenbaum and her dog Chelsea. Using humor and pathos, this film explores Chelsea's role in her owner's life, and how it expanded when Chelsea was certified as a therapy dog after the horror of 9/11. It's a story of seeking love – and finding...
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Few terrestrial organisms can be as comfortable in the water as insects. Look at the unique respiratory physiology and fascinating adaptations that make it possible for them to maintain oxygenation underwater, as well as the adaptations that allow water striders to take advantage of water's surface tension to skim along its surface.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
While the vast majority of insects pose no threat to humans, there are a few that compete with us for food, destroy our construction materials, and threaten both our natural and cultivated environments. Learn about the best and latest tools we can employ to control those insects, and why developing an understanding of the insect lifecycle is almost always a better investment than pesticides.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
The beetles seem to have it all—from the incandescent beauty of the jewel beetles, to the unmatched speed of the tiger beetles, to the burning hot, noxious defense mechanism of the bombardiers. Explore why beetles are more diverse than any other group of insects, and one of the most successful groups of any organism alive today.
72) Why Insects Matter: Earth's Most Essential Species: Episode 6,Pollinators We Cannot Live Without
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Insect pollinators contribute about {dollar}195 billion to the global economy, pollinating approximately 80% of the most important crops worldwide. Explore the complexities of these insects, the many types of pollination they perform, and the coevolutionary dance that continues today between these animals and their plants.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
You might never have eaten beetle larvae, locusts, ants, or termites, but chances are your ancestors did—just as many people do today. Explore the insect-rich diets of people around the world and learn why many scientists and dietitians believe insects just might be the food of our future.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Although we tend to think of rats and mice as lab animals, insects—particularly the fruit fly—have played critical roles in research. Explore the many discoveries made in the field of genetics using fruit flies, as well as the fascinating opportunity to watch natural selection in action thanks to the peppered moth and smoke from the Industrial Revolution.
75) Dog Training 101
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Cutting through the clutter of ineffective techniques, and debunking myths and theories about dog cognition, Dog Training 101 brings you a training method validated by the latest scientific research on dog behavior. This course delves into dog cognition, behavioral science, husbandry, and more to give you have a better understanding of - and a stronger relationship with - your best friend.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
Insects are the most significant herbivores worldwide. Along with the rise of the forests about 300 million years ago, insects evolved the ability to feed on and digest plants. Discover the diversity of strategies these animals have developed to feed on the many parts of plants—and how some have developed their own specialized microbiome to help them do the job.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
In addition to being food for others, insects are also predators—and quite efficient ones at that. Discover the predatory adaptations of a variety of insects, including mantids who can strike their prey in one-twentieth of a second with a head that can turn 360 degrees, and the assassin bugs whose beaks can impale their prey, deliver enzymes to liquefy the tissues, and suck them out.
78) Why Insects Matter: Earth's Most Essential Species: Episode 14,Insects as Parasites and Parasitoids
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
While some insects are herbivores and others are predators, a third group gets their energy and nutrients as parasites and parasitoids. Grisly though it might sound to us, you'll discover that some insects inject their eggs into the bodies of insects and other animals, and some even insert their eggs into others' eggs. Sometimes the hosts live through this process, but sometimes they do not.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2017.
Language
English
Description
Birding offers direct contact with one of our primary treasures of wildlife. Learn core elements of birding and methods for observing birds in the field. You’ll also take a panoramic look at the bird species of North America, and visit 23 of the top North American birding sites. These lectures are your doorway to an endlessly rewarding pursuit, and a lifetime of enjoyment and discovery.
80) Why Insects Matter: Earth's Most Essential Species: Episode 24,Sharing Planet Earth with Insects
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2022.
Language
English
Description
What can we learn from this amazing group of animals? Biologists and engineers believe we can learn quite a bit—especially about our own future. Discover some of the exciting work that's being done today to learn from insects in a wide variety of fields, from organizational structure to the significance of biophilia.
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