Crisscrossing the geographically diverse nation of Ecuador, this program follows the travels of a radio journalist who, while making his living in Quito, the capital city, has always dreamed of visiting remote places in which his broadcasts are heard. Viewers discover ways to ask for and discuss travel information in Spanish, as well as helpful words and phrases for marketplace bargaining and for appreciating the craftsmanship with which many rural...

Discusses the rifles, pistols and shotguns developed and produced by gunmakers like Derringer, Winchester, Colt, and Hawken. Presents the role of the gun in the history of the American West.

Should American money be issued as a public utility instead of as credit? In this program Hazel Henderson explores monetary restructuring with Ellen Brown, author of Web of Debt: The Shocking Truth about Our Money. Brown's premise is that because dollars are no longer backed by gold they are actually being loaned as freshly-created money, a practice she finds deceptive and destabilizing. Using the Bank of Australia as an example, Brown outlines a...

Physics professor Jim Al-Khalili visits Italy, Egypt, and Syria to show how the spirit of inquiry among Islamic astronomers helped bring about the Copernican Revolution in Europe. Begins with an examination of Copernicus and his Islamic influences, Al Battani a medieval Islamic astronomer and Al-Tusi (the Tusi Couple), among others. Looks at the work of Ibn Al-Haytham, who challenged the scholarly establishment in the 11th century with his paper "Doubts...

Remote and isolated, the Kingdom of Bhutan measures its economy on Gross National Happiness. Host Will Studd travels to a small farm in Bhutan where he samples some local cuisine and learns how the locals churn butter for cooking and ceremonial purposes by hand. He is then invited to visit one of the oldest monasteries in this devoutly Buddhist country, where he lights candles to guide the souls of the dead before sampling a cheese and chili dish....

Like its sister organization the World Bank, the IMF was created after World War II with the goal of stabilizing the economy of nations in need, and like the World Bank, faced an onslaught of criticism by the dawn of the 21st century. Developing countries were going deeper into debt by following the prescriptions of the IMF, at the expense of their citizens' day-to-day quality of life. In this program Hazel Henderson discusses the ethics of debt restructuring,...

Provides a re-enactment of the fatal fire aboard Russian nuclear submarine K219 in the Atlantic Ocean in October 1986; a ballistic missile exploded on board the Soviet nuclear submarine, fifty meters below the surface of the ocean. Prior to the incident the Russians and Americans were set to hold talks on reducing nuclear arms; the Russian government decided on one last show of force, sending all its forces out but much of its equipment was inadequately...

Costa Rica prides itself on being one of the most peaceful and democratic countries in all of Latin America. Now tourism has become the nation's number-one revenue earner-and the country's ecology could be under threat. Looking at ecotourism in Costa Rica, this program helps beginning Spanish speakers learn how to describe and compare things. Viewers are introduced to a biologist and tour guide who wants to see Costa Rica balance economic demands...