San Antonio College Library

In The Tide, celebrated science writer Hugh Aldersey-Williams weaves together centuries of scientific thinking with the literature and folklore the tide has inspired to explain the power and workings of this most remarkable force. Here is the epic story of the long search to understand the tide: from Aristotle, who is said to have drowned himself in his efforts to figure out the Greek tides, to the pioneering investigations into the role of the moon...

This program goes from July to the December solstice, when the planet experiences spectacular weather and the largest tides on Earth. To show how the Earth's orbit affects human life, Helen Czerski jumps out of an airplane and Kate Humble briefly becomes the fastest driver in the world.

We are now well aware of the influence of sunlight on patterns of activity in animals. These circadian rhythms, roughly matching day and night, are embedded in our genes, and their moleculars mechanisms are now increasingly understood. But what about the light of the Moon? From ancient times, the Moon has exerted a powerful hold on culture. Legends and folklore about the influence of the Moon abound, from werewolves to the best times for fishing....

The biosphere reserve coordinator in North Devon, England, wants people to know that a biosphere is not an arcane experiment conducted under a dome, but a living lab where environmental changes are studied with the goal of resolving conflicts between humans and nature. This program looks at the economic realities of two distinct populations that share similar ecological problems by visiting biospheres in the U.K., where shore areas are threatened...

Off the easternmost coast of India lies the immense archipelago of tiny islands known as the Sundarbans. Life here is precarious, ruled by the unforgiving tides and the constant threat of attacks by Bengal tigers. Into this place of vengeful beauty come two seekers from different worlds, whose lives collide with tragic consequences. The settlers of the remote Sundarbans believe that anyone without a pure heart who ventures into the watery island labyrinth...