A Science Odyssey: In Search of Ourselves
by -
List Price:
Our Price: $17.99
You Save: $1.96 (10%)
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Edwin Hubble; George Ellery Hale; Frederick Banting; Charles Osgood; J.B. Collip; Charles Best; Alexander Fleming; Henry Ford; Sigmund FreudDirector: -
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-09-06
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: WGBH Boston
Movie Reviews of A Science Odyssey: In Search of Ourselves
Movie Review: Superb documentary on understanding of the human mind in the 20th century
Summary: 5 Stars
(This review applies to the entire boxed set of Charles Osgood's "A Science Odyssey" with some comments directed towards this specific title in particular.)
We all hated science in school, right? Science was boring. Science was for nerds. Science was dry and dusty facts about rocks and larvae and the solar corona, which sounds kind of like a beer from the tropics.
Well, Virginia, science doesn't have to be dull, and this series is proof. "A Science Odyssey" is a superb, fascinating set of documentaries on the science *and* the humanity behind the science. It's all extremely literate, doesn't dumb-down its subject one bit, and is chock full of interesting scientists who are enthusiastic about their fields of endeavor. Yet this is science your grandmother could understand. These shows strike the perfect balance between being substantive and being accessible to the lay person.
"A Science Odyssey" ran on PBS late in 1999, and dealt with scientific learning through the 20th century, each episode starting in an appropriate 1900 location for that show's theme and ending in its modern counterpart. Rather than just deal with one narrow topic for two hours, each episode has a broad conceptual theme, and shows connections between each that are often not readily apparent: for example, "In Search of Ourselves" is about breakthroughs in behavioral understanding throughout the 20th century. Once upon a time concepts such as battlefield trauma were unknown and not understood. As soldiers coming from the front of World War I were seen to act in ways never before witnessed, a new field of study was born as doctors filmed these strange cases of battle fatigue. This footage is shown here and is fascinating if you've never seen it. Soon a whole range of behavioral theories bloomed, and commercial fields--advertising in particular--began utilizing their findings to more effectively sell Americans cars and toothpaste. It's always fascinating how new knowledge winds up affecting us in ways we cannot fathom at first.
Charles Osgood hosts, and fortunately does not talk in rhyme here. The scripts are extremely well-written, the "theatrics" are kept to a minimum and the historical footage is fascinating. It all moves very quickly, appropriate for this television sound-bite age, but you come away smarter after each one. This should not be out of print. In fact, it should be on DVD, but I'm not holding my breath. These shows were made for the millenium, and are probably considered too "dated" to be of interest today.
(P.S. 10/20/05: I'm happy to report I was wrong about my prediction--PBS has finally put these on DVD! [It's about time. What's the matter, PBS, did you run out of cooking videos and Andre Rieu?]
Also, a note if you do get these on DVD: For some unimaginable reason [other than stupidity], if you choose "Play" from the menu, THE DISCS DO NOT START AT THE BEGINNING. They start either after the Prologue, or after the Prologue and Introduction depending on the disk. You thus miss the whole "set up" of each episode, the central question or issue. So instead of pressing "Play" in the root menu, go into the chapter selections and start with the first chapter, "Prologue.")
Summary of A Science Odyssey: In Search of Ourselves
It's all in the genes. Or is it? In Search of Ourselves traces the pendulum swing of psychological theory from nature to nurture and back again. Case studies, classic experiments, and research on the brain blaze this trail of discovery, revealing what we have learned about ourselves and what still remains a riddle. We also see the dark side of our faith in the perfectibility of human nature, as scientific ideas are twisted to fit political agendas. In Search of Ourselves is a story of the lessons learned, as well as the ways which we have learned them. As the century draws to a close, human behavior remains an irresistible frontier.Highlights include: Jean-Martin Charcot and hysteria. Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis. Shell shock. IQ tests. Eugenics. Scientist-turned-ad-man John B. Watson and the behaviorist movement. Conditioning. B. F. Skinner. Harry Harlow and the power of love and comfort. Frieda Fromm Reichmann and the treatment of schizophrenia at Chestnut Lodge. Mental institutions. Drug therapy. Alzheimer's disease.
Documentary DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in Wake Up! and Watch your way to ENLIGHTENMENT!
Gandhi (Widescreen Two-Disc Collector's Edition)Sony; Release date: 2007-02-20; DVD
Best price: $11.84
Price in other shops:
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and SpringSony; Release date: 2004-09-07; DVD
Best price: $7.52
Price in other shops:
SiddharthaRelease date: 2002-12-10; DVD
Best price: $17.08
Price in other shops:
PiLions Gate; Release date: 1999-01-12; DVD
Best price: $4.99
Price in other shops:
Water Crystals in Motion- Messages From WaterRelease date: 2004-05-05; DVD
Best price: $16.13
Price in other shops:
Stephen Hawking's UniverseRelease date: 2004-09-07; DVD
Best price: $32.89
Price in other shops:
The Creation of the UniverseRelease date: 2004-09-07; DVD
Best price: $12.02
Price in other shops:
The CorporationMOORE,MICHAEL; Release date: 2005-04-05; DVD
Best price: $17.05
Price in other shops:
Vice Guide to TravelRelease date: 2006-10-03; DVD
Best price: $10.42
Price in other shops:
The Secret of Nikola TeslaUFO TV; Release date: 2003-11-04; DVD
Best price: $22.89
Price in other shops:
Similar DVD Movies
Ghost in Your GenesRelease date: 2008-01-14; DVD
Best price: $14.36
Price in other shops:
ConsciousnessRelease date: 2005-05-01; DVD
Best price: $35.87
Price in other shops:
1940's Child Psychology & Sociology Tests on Film: History of Child Development & Human BehaviorQuality Information Publishers Inc.; Published: 2006; DVD
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops:
NOVA - Cracking the Code of LifeWGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2004-06-29; DVD
Best price: $10.32
Price in other shops:
ABC News 20/ 20 SchizophreniaRelease date: 2007-05-14; DVD
Best price: $9.95
ABC News 20/ 20 Obsessive Compulsive DisorderRelease date: 2007-05-14; DVD
Best price: $9.95
NOVA: Puzzling Minds: Fascinating True StoriesWGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2007-01-09; DVD
Best price: $24.95
Price in other shops:
NOVA: Secret of the Wild ChildWGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2007-01-09; DVD
Best price: $10.33
Price in other shops:
ABC News Primetime Basic Instincts 5: The Milgram Experiment Re-VisitedRelease date: 2007-08-27; DVD
Best price: $17.99
Price in other shops:
NOVA: Secrets of the MindWGBH BOSTON VIDEO; Release date: 2007-01-09; DVD
Best price: $10.99
Price in other shops: