10) The Amazing Spider-Man and Power Pack on Sexual Abuse (1984)

In this “very special” Spider-Man adventure, the masked web-slinger discovers that the boy who lives next door is being touched inappropriately by his hot teenage babysitter. Poor kid. Spider-Man reveals that as a boy, he too was molested by a…slightly older boy. He teaches his neighbor the value of reporting such crimes, imparting the lesson that you should trust a spandex-clad masked man climbing through your window more than your babysitter.

9) If an A-Bomb Falls (1951)

This Cold War-era comic  no doubt caused many a sleepless night for 8-year-olds back in the ’50s — see the drawing of a schoolboy cowering in a ditch under a newspaper as everything behind him is blown to kingdom come or the handy chart that explains that even with adequate preparation, the mortality rate of anyone within a half mile of an a-bomb blast is 75%. Dubious advice: “If you see a brilliant flash, leap behind a bank, sturdy building or in a doorway.” Apparently, a bank isn’t a sturdy building, and apparently, no one thought that a brilliant flash could be a bug zapper, someone’s high beams, the sun, a paparazzo, a cigarette lighter, a firefly, lightning, the Rapture or the Terminator’s time machine. Or maybe you’re just having a seizure.

8) Bobby Gets Hep (1946)

The folks at Bell Telephone delivered this oh-so-dated comic  that instructs groovy, hep kids on the etiquette of using party lines. Somehow, Bobby’s overuse of the line leads to him almost burning to death. Sounds like an appropriate punishment.

7) New Uses for Good Earth (1960s)

Apparently, strip mining is awesome for the environment. The Mined-Land Conservation Conference wouldn’t steer us wrong, would it?

6) The Secret of the Happy Pig! (1962)

This social engineering from the National Social Welfare Assembly comes with a vague goal of making kids feel good about themselves, basically implying that you can cure clinical depression with a two-minute conversation.

5) Foreskin Man (2010)

This anti-circumcision propaganda piece from a group seeking to pass legislation against “male genital mutilation” inadvertently (or perhaps not so inadvertently) veers dangerously close to anti-semitism, with its Aryan “intactivist” superhero taking on the evil Jewish supervillain Monster Mohel. Oy vey.

4) Dangerous Playgrounds (1950s)

With this comic, the Association of American Railroads aimed to show children the dangers of playing around railroad tracks, but it ends up making the rails look like the coolest playground ever, giving kids ideas for pastimes like racing trains across the tracks, tossing rocks at passenger cars, riding bikes between the tracks, flipping railroad switches and putting spikes on tracks.

3) What’s Your B.Q.? (1966)

This well-meaning one-pager from the National Social Welfare Assembly tests your Brotherhood Quotient — i.e., your propensity to commit a hate crime — by asking you to rate how much you like or dislike a series of seemingly innocuous items (alligators, cabbage, detective stories, “long-hair music,” spiders) but tricks you when you let your guards down by slipping in “foreigners,” “Catholics,” “Indians,” “Jews” and “Negroes.” One misstep and oops, you’re a racist!

2) There’s a New World Coming (1974)

Doomsday Christian evangelist Hal Lindsey, who incorrectly predicted the apocalypse would occur in the ’80s and then again the ’90s (more on that type of stuff: here), created this comic as a “hip” way to explain the book of Revelation to kids. The end result is a confusing onslaught of images, pseudo-cool yet inadvertently sexual phraseology (“THE GREAT SNATCH!!!”) and “facts” about Jews being “God’s chosen race,” kids today taking part in “drug-related occult activities” and the subtle implication of the artwork that non-hot, buxom, nubile, Caucasian youths need not apply for admission into Heaven.

1) The Perils of Pip Preventing Poisoning (1978)

This comic from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission introduces Pip the Magic Safety Elephant, a mascot who’s supposed to teach kids about the dangers of swallowing poisons and other harmful substances. Instead, he ends up giving a lesson in socioeconomic discrimination, as he allows an “inner city” child to eat lead paint flakes for MONTHS before stepping in to explain to his parents why Johnny is approaching death’s door. Meanwhile, in other story lines, he steps in before any of the kids ingests even a drop of poison. He explains to the “inner city” parents (as their son lies unconscious) that they should take Johnny to the emergency room right away because “lead poisoning must be treated early if it is to be cured.” Gee, thanks a lot, Pip.

Sophomore Cristina Lara thinks that for over $50 grand a year spent on tuition you should be allotted more than the current 50 gigs a month.  “With a pricetag $57,000 per year, Cornell University should give it’s students unlimited internet usage.”

Especially since the college is located practically in the middle of nowhere (according to Cristina) and that for many students, herself included, internet is more of an ‘anti-drug.’

“If Cornell was situated in a major metropolitan area with a vast nightlife that could accommodate(sic)  the interests of most, if not all, our undergraduates, then many Cornellians wouldn’t be so inclined to stay in their rooms and get on the internet…While some students opt to partake in drug-related pastimes, other students stay in and watch movies, talk on Skype or iChat, or even just surf the web. We should not be penalized for this.”

It would seem that a growing number of colleges and universities are now requiring students to write personalized ‘thank-you’ notes to their benefactors before they can actually receive the funds. With the economy in its current state, colleges are realizing just how precious such endowments are – for both themselves and the students.

“Advancement officers frame the policy as part fund-raising strategy, part education. Donors who feel connected to the college are more likely to continue to give, these officers say, and they love hearing from students.”

It’s not exactly a new practice to ask students to write out these notes but rarely has the release of funds been contingent upon their mailing. Now, schools like La Sierra University, Barton and St. John’s University, in New York have all begun instituting such a policy and many more are expected to follow suit. And for good reason!

“People will say, ‘I want to increase my gift this year, I was really moved by Tom’s letter.’ ” said Saskia DeCaires, director of donor relations for St. John’s University.

10) Billy Crystal

Before he witnessed Meg Ryan fake a mind-blowing orgasm in When Harry Met Sally, Billy “The Face” Crystal was a substitute gym teacher at an all-girls middle school in Long Island. He learned how to actively engage an audience that was catty, self conscious, and desperate for attention. This skill eventually carried over to a successful Oscar hosting career. If only Anne Hathaway had taken his class…

9) Art Garfunkel

In middle school, I had a curmudgeonly physics teacher named Mr. Enis; naturally, his name provided a lot of material for our budding poetic minds.  Our next famous teacher followed in the grand tradition of tragically rhyming teacher names and certainly inspired a lot of back-row snickers. After college, Art Garfunkel taught at Litchfield Preparatory School in Connecticut, during which time “Bridge Over Troubled Water” became a hit.* The rest is rock history.  So congratulations Mr. Fart Barfunkel, you will always have the last laugh.

*I wonder if Clay Aiken’s students reacted the same way when “I Was Invisible” dropped?

8)    Mr. T

A “hip” teacher will allow students to abbreviate his or her last name to a simple one-letter moniker.  For example, Boy Meet World’s avuncular Mr. George Feeny (everyone’s favorite neighbor, high school teacher, college professor, principal, mentor, friend, and co-dependent) let the occasional F-word slip. However, our next famous teacher took his abbreviation very seriously.* In the mid-1970s, long before he pitied fools, Laurence Turead taught  gym in the south side of Chicago. He also worked as a nightclub bouncer, where he cultivated his alter-ego “Mr. T.” Even after reaching fame and fortune, Mr. T continued teaching, producing self-help videos aimed at high-risk youth.**He left his original teaching job when Sylvester Stallone discovered and cast him in Rocky III. Which brings me to my next point:

*When someone asks him what his real name is, he responds “My first name is ‘Mr,’ my middle name is ‘period,’ last name is ‘T’.”
**Rent Mr. T’s Be Somebody or Be Somebody’s Fool. Just trust me on this one.

7)    Sylvester Stallone

Was also a gym teacher. At least he didn’t teach rhetoric.

6)    Sting

Before his lyrics romanced Generation X, Gordon “Sting” Sumner taught English, music, and soccer at St. Katherine Convent School in England. He recalls, “I was the only man on the faculty. In fact, I was the only teacher not in a habit.”  Does that mean he went naked?*

*Please, God…

5)    Sir William Golding

Now, Sir William Golding might seem out of place among the pop-culture icons listed above. However, his story is both haunting and incredibly badass. After earning his degree from Oxford University in 1935, Golding taught English and Greek literature in translation at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury, UK. When WWII broke out, he joined the Royal Navy and became a commander of a small rocket-launching ship that helped sink the German ship Bismark as well as advance British forces on D-Day.  He returned to his teaching position after the war, but maintained a “dark view of people’s ability to destroy one another.” He once allowed a class of boys complete freedom in a debate, but had to intervene as mayhem and violence broke out. He drew inspiration from his students and his grizzly war experience to write The Lord of the Flies. If only the ubiquitous “Edward vs. Jacob” debate inspired the next great American novel…

4)    JK Rowling

Long before Quidditch became a respectable sport in American colleges, JK Rowling was a struggling writer and English teacher. She taught abroad for a year in Portugal, where she wrote the first chapter of Harry Potter and the Philsopher’s Stone (Sorcerer’s Stone in America). She came back to England, where she taught full-time, stayed up at night writing, and took care of her infant daughter without any help. Bloomsbury Publishers eventually picked up Philosopher’s Stone, and now Rowling is one of the highest-paid women in history.

I wonder: if Sir William Golding got ideas for the characters in Lord of the Flies from his students, did Rowling do the same? Are her Hogwarts students direct reflections of her muggle students? If I had been her student, what character would I have inspired? Hermoine Ganga?

3)    Stephen King

Before he made me piss my pants, Stephen King taught at the Hampden Academy in Hampden, Maine. He used is spare time to write short stories, but developed a heavy drinking problem during his teaching station. We’ve all had that teacher who hid a flask somewhere in his desk and smelled a little like a distant uncle. However, the unholy trinity of alcoholism, Maine, and elementary school teaching eventually worked out for King, who became the third-highest paid writer in history (just behind James Patterson and JK Rowling).

2)    Barack Obama

Although his words were deemed “too professorial” for the American public, Barack Obama was one of the most lauded instructors in Constitutional Law in the history of the University of Chicago. At the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, He remarked, “Some people now suggest that I’m too professorial, and I would like to address that head-on: by assigning all of you some reading that will help you draw your own conclusions.” Burn. He would be my RateMyProfessor.com top pick of the week.*

*He also very much deserves a “chili pepper.”

1)    Gene Simmons

Carrying on the rabbinic scholarly tradition, Chaim Witz devoted himself to his studies, becoming fluent in English, German, Hungarian, Spanish, and Hebrew. He considered becoming a rabbi, but decided to explore other careers and focus on his music. He ended up teaching sixth grade at PS 75 in Spanish Harlem, where he was reportedly fired for, among other things, replacing the Shakespearean play in the curriculum with a Spiderman comic (what a shanda!) This might have been the greatest thing to ever happen to Chaim; he changed his name to Gene Simmons and become the Jew with the second-most amount of sex partners in history (right after King David). I would like to take a moment to thank Chaim for all he has done for my tribe, giving hope to pre-adolescent Bar Mitzvahs with cracking voices and no game. What a mensch!

There we have it: ten famous people who once immersed themselves in academia. Next time you see a teacher, thank them for living the dream.

Bill Nye “The Science Guy” was in town for the McLennan Community College’s Distinguished Lecture Series giving speeches on Mars exploration, climate change and energy consumption. Everything was apparently going fine until Nye made the cardinal mistake of suggesting that the moon itself does not emit light but rather reflect the light from the sun.

Nye couched this in a way however that was quite troublesome for most of the God-fearing denizens of Waco. Nye mentioned that in Genesis 1:16, it reads: “God made two great lights — the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.”

He then pointed out that the lesser light was actually just a reflector and not an actual light itself to the audience responded with a giant gasp of “Oh no he di’int” and presumably hundreds of waving fingers.

The citizens of Waco were “visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence,” according to the Waco Tribune.

At one point an angry woman stood up with her three children and screamed “We Believe in GOD!!!11one” (punctuation is ours) before rushing out of the room. No word as to whether or not she was headed to buy herself a Fat Ho Burger.

For what it’s worth, the original article has already been scrubbed from the Waco Tribune website (mostly because hey, how much bad publicity does one place really need?).

Eat and Drink. Stimulation of any kind helps to keep your brain awake and focused, and not daydreaming about butterflies and bunny-filled fields. Protein-rich foods (meats, cheese, soy) are known for promoting brain function, fruits like blueberries and bananas give you antioxidants and happy, wakeful nutrients, and anything spicy will give your mouth something to think about other than your pillow. To be avoided: milk, turkey, sugary stuff and excessive caffeine, since those either contain the food-coma inducing tryptophan or cause catastrophic brain crashes further down the road. EduBook has a few other ideas you might use.

Move Around. Should you feel your concentration slipping midway through a PowerPoint lecture, one of the best solutions is physical activity. Getting up and walking around the room, going outside, or simply looking around at your immediate surroundings will make your sleepy brain start churning again. Jumping-jacks, push-ups and jogging in place will jump-start your tired muscles and get the blood flowing again, if you can handle it in your sleepy state. eHow has some pointers for office-style exercises you can use. At the very least, tapping your feet while working will keep you from falling into red-zone relaxation.

Stretch a Lot. Doing the early-morning stretch-and-yawn is surprisingly effective at restoring blood flow to the space between your ears, and more active stretches are even better. Touching your toes, twisting your back, swinging your arms, and craning your neck side to side will all help you stay alert, so you can actually remember the subjects you’re learning about. Here are some good ones from Career-Intelligence.

Listen to Music. It doesn’t have to be rowdy music. All it has to do it add something your brain can use as fuel so it can handle the accounting lecture you’re slothing your way through. Listening to your favorite band, composer or even nature sounds can instantly put you in wakeful spirits and help you concentrate. Grooveshark is a good place to play streaming music while you study, and NatureSoundsFor.me has nature sounds you can mix together and stream through headphones. Now audiophiles may have a problem, since your brain may become too absorbed in the music to concentrate on the reading. Be careful with this one.

Get Fresh Air. Opening the window or stepping out onto the porch is a good way to get more of the oxygen your brain needs to breathe. A chilly breeze also has a definite way of keeping you awake and active — which is why corporate offices tend to crank the A/C. A graph posted on Productivity Science shows about 70 degrees Fahrenheit to be the best temperature for productivity.

Chat. Your online school’s resources should give you access to Web chat and message boards, so make use of them. Human interaction is a proven method of staying alert, so even if you’re IMing a classmate or responding to posts on the class message board, pausing your work for a little interaction can help keep your mind sharp and refreshed. No one online right now? Try some of these chat bots for an entertaining break.

Take Online Study Breaks. Besides chatting with classmates (or bots), taking a general study break is always a good idea for an online student chasing the dawn. You can jolt your mind awake pretty quickly with social media sites like Reddit and Digg. Clicking a few links can lead you to any number of blogs where you could knock out a few minutes of recharging time (theoatmeal.com is always good for a random laugh). You may want to set a timer if you’re the type of student who forgets to get back on task.

Sit Up Straight. Posture is important when studying, especially if you use a laptop. At all costs avoid laying down, because you are a head-nod away from dreamsville — put that laptop on a desk or table. The best way to stay awake in front of the computer is to sit up straight and relaxed, with both feet flat on the floor. This position is best for ergonomic reasons as well, as it won’t cause long-term spine damage or eye strain. The posture experts at Fitness Programs For Life give you an overview of healthy office chair posture.

Chew Gum. Besides being fun (layers!), chewing gum gives you a lot of the same facial stimulation eating food does, without any of the side effects of food, such as getting full and sleepy, having to watch out for nutrition, etc. Strong-flavored gum can even snap you awake by giving your tastebuds the same sharp ring you get from sour foods. Fruity gum is best for staying awake, and sharp mint comes in close behind with its wintery coolness. For crazy gum warriors, there’s always caffeine gum, but overdoing it can lead to that crash we talked about earlier.

Do Not Nap! If there’s one thing you should definitely not do to stay sharp during your online class, it is power napping. Yes, taking an online class means you can be in and out of class as you see fit — but the danger of napping, even with an alarm, is extreme reluctance to rejoin the world of the wakeful. From a blissful semi-slumber it is far too easy to rationalize your way out of leaving your horizontal state. Then before you know it you’ve put off class until next time … when you will have twice as much work to do. Use the tips in this article wisely, and keep your focus strong during class. Your online education is, uh, on the line.

Via

Anthropology:

Ape to Man

From the 1856 discovery of Neanderthal man’s ancient bones in Germany to elaborate hoaxes and theories ahead of their time, this History Channel video examines key breakthroughs in the quest to determine humanity’s origin. For more than 150 years, scientists have sought the missing link, and this documentary chronicles the search fueled by Charles Darwin’s controversial hypothesis, stunning archaeological finds and compelling scientific data.

Archaeology:

Egypt: Engineering an Empire

Peter Weller takes audiences back 5,000 years to meet the world’s first structural engineers — the architects of Egypt’s great pyramids — in this presentation that provides a revealing look at the world’s first superpower. Bringing ancient civilization to life with cutting-edge digital graphics and interviews with Egyptologists, the program examines these freestanding marvels through the eyes of the pharaohs who commanded their construction.

Architecture:

American Castles: The Homes of Frank Lloyd Wright

This edition of the series from the A&E Channel gives you an inside look at the homes created by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Wright designed many structures throughout the country, but the homes he built for himself are widely considered to be his crowning glory and truly representative of his unique style and vision. This vision and creativity are on display as you tour these magnificent dwellings.

Art:

Sculptures of the Louvre

If you really want to see the sculptures in the famed Louvre museum but can’t quite afford the airfare, this interactive tour is a decent substitute. This program explores the most prominent sculptures in detail and talks about the cultural circumstances surrounding their creation. Works include “Slaves of Michelangelo,” “The Horses of Marly,” “The Venus de Milo,” “Bulls of Khorsbad,” “Cupid and Psyche,” “Ramses II” and “Mary Magdalene.”

Astronomy:

Cosmos: The Complete Collection

Renowned astronomer and author Carl Sagan explores the mysteries of the universe in this award-winning series, presenting fascinating and controversial insights into astronomy, biology, religion, evolution and more. With a focus on mankind’s place in the grand scheme, universally speaking, Sagan takes viewers on an educational intergalactic journey through topics such as the Big Bang theory, early civilizations, purported UFO abductions and more.

Biology:

What Are Dreams?

The stuff of dreams — not just the content, but the circuitry and neurological coding, too — is the subject of this penetrating “Nova” inquiry into the most mystifying of human activities. Researchers are taking a variety of investigative tacks, from “eavesdropping” on sleeping rats to methodical studies of thousands of dreams, in an effort to fill in the blanks of understanding. Their findings give tantalizing glimpses of the mind at rest.

Communication:

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism

Filmmaker Robert Greenwald delivers a no-holds-barred documentary on Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News cable channel, which has been criticized in certain quarters as running a “race to the bottom” in television news. Featuring interviews with a range of media experts, the film offers an in-depth look at the dangers of burgeoning corporations that take control of the public’s right to know and explores Murdoch’s ever-expanding media empire.

Criminal Justice:

Cocaine Cowboys

This penetrating documentary from director Billy Corben pulls out all the stops to explore the many dimensions of Miami’s cocaine-trafficking boom of the 1980s, as told by the smugglers, cops and average citizens who were there. The film is an unflinching study of Miami’s most notorious and lethal vice — from how the drug was moved and its financial impact on the city to the havoc and violence that followed in its wake.

Culinary Arts:

How to Cook Your Life

German filmmaker Doris Dörrie documents a summer in the life of renowned Zen practitioner and cook Edward Espe Brown as he teaches culinary classes in Zen centers in Austria and California, revealing the role food plays in our bodies and spirits. Informative, provocative and funny, Brown serves up a unique combination of inspiring wisdom and kitchen skills that will raise even the most demanding foodie to new spiritual and gastronomic heights.

Dance:

Ballerina

Filmmaker Bertrand Normand’s fascinating documentary profiles five outstanding Russian ballerinas from the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre (the renamed Kirov Ballet), following them from grueling rehearsals to flawless performances around the globe. Dancers in the spotlight include gifted 18-year-old Alina Somova, the newest Mariinsky ballerina, along with Svetlana Zakharova, Evguenya Obraztsova, Diana Vishneva and Uliana Lopatkina.

Ecology/Oceanography:

Coral Reef Adventure

By way of IMAX technology, be transported below the ocean’s surface to an amazing underwater world, as explorers Howard and Michele Hall dive on a coral reef in the pristine waters of the South Pacific. With Jean-Michel Cousteau, deep reef scientist Richard Pyle and Fijian diver Rusi Vulakoro, the team explores and captures on film one of the most beautiful places on Earth…in all its fragile splendor. Liam Neeson provides narration.

Economics:

Frontline: Ten Trillion and Counting

What do you do when you’re hundreds of billions of dollars in debt and still counting? That’s what “Frontline” seeks to find out in this episode that explores the impact of the growing national deficit on President Obama’s plans for this country. Enlisting commentary from financial experts and government finance insiders, the program explains why our national debt has soared and offers solutions for reducing it.

Education:

Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Debunking commonly held notions about the rite of passage known as the college experience, this PBS documentary follows 30 students and their teachers along the path of higher education, from admission to graduation, and exposes the disappointment, disorientation and deflation many students feel — in both public and private schools. This revealing study also addresses the quality and readiness of America’s future work force.

Engineering:

Extreme Engineering: Collection 1

You’ll marvel at some of the most impressive engineering feats from around the world with this fascinating Discovery Channel series. Each episode features a major project involving moving massive amounts of earth or erecting enormous structures. Topics include widening the Panama Canal, tunneling under the Alps, building a network of immense floodgates in Venice, constructing a gigantic Danish container ship and rebuilding the Oakland Bay Bridge.

English:

Great Expectations

Charles Dickens’s timeless tale of love and ambition is brought to life in this “Masterpiece Theatre” adaptation of Great Expectations. Pip (Ioan Gruffudd) grew up under very difficult circumstances, but strives to become a success as an adult, even if it means betraying those who secretly care for him. He also wants to woo the distant Estella (Justine Waddell) with the help of the eccentric Miss Havisham (Charlotte Rampling), but is she worth it?

Foreign Relations:

Discovery Atlas: China Revealed

Through breathtaking cinematography and personal stories from locals, delve into the people, culture and landscape that make up China, and witness the enormous changes happening in a civilization that dates back more than six millennia. From a rice farmer in a rural village to a construction magnate in Shanghai, viewers will meet a broad cross section of China’s people that will illuminate the richness of modern life in this wondrous country.

History:

The American Soldier: A Complete History of U.S. Wars

As William Tecumseh Sherman memorably said, “War is hell” — no matter what the era. George Kennedy hosts this comprehensive study of U.S. wars that moves chronologically from the 1700s to the 21st century. Using a variety of illustrative techniques — including animated maps, film clips, costumed reenactments and period paintings — together with straightforward narration, the program examines the origins and outcomes of each conflict.

Law:

A Lawyer Walks Into a Bar…

Director Eric Chaikin’s insightful documentary explores the complexities of the U.S. legal system while tracing the journey of six prospective attorneys who are preparing for their fearsome bar exams. Chaikin talks with legal eagles Alan Dershowitz and Mark Lanier to help demystify the judicial process. In addition to high-profile lawyers, the film also features commentary from television’s Nancy Grace and comedian Eddie Griffin, among others.

Medicine:

Modern Marvels: In Search of the Polio Vaccine

The search for a vaccine that would eradicate polio was a quest that frustrated the brightest minds in medicine. But in the early 1950s, a young American doctor named Jonas Salk made a revolutionary breakthrough that forever changed the world and ultimately saved millions of lives. Through interviews with both polio victims and scientists, this installment of the History Channel’s “Modern Marvels” series illuminates Salk’s dramatic discovery.

Music:

Jazz

Acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns celebrates jazz, the “most American art form,” in all of its incarnations over the decades — from its origins in blues and ragtime through its evolution into swing, bebop and fusion. The series follows the growth and development of jazz from the gritty streets of New Orleans to the Lincoln Gardens on Chicago’s Southside, the hallowed place where Louis Armstrong first won fame.

Paleontology:

Walking with Dinosaurs

Using cutting-edge computer-generated imagery to recreate prehistoric times, this Emmy-winning miniseries was originally shown on the BBC. Combining science, art and a goodly amount of imagination, the series, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, brings to life the Cretaceous, Triassic and Jurassic periods, showing the world through the eyes of the dinosaurs that roamed the earth. Each episode focuses on an individual dinosaur or family of dinosaurs.

Political Science:

The Congress

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Ken Burns directs this look at the most important and least understood branch of American government — the U.S. Congress. The film takes an in-depth look at the popularly elected Legislative branch of our government and explores how it functions, outlining its past and present strengths and weaknesses. You’ll also learn about some of its famous historical figures, as well as contemporary members and events.

Psychology/Sociology:

The Mystery of Love

A thorough examination of love in all its forms, this captivating PBS documentary endeavors to counteract the misconception often expressed in our culture of passionate romance as the highest or most important type of love. Hosted by actor-playwright-author Anna Deavere Smith, a series of interviews and personal stories explore the parent-child bond, brotherly love, divine love, marital love, love of community and more.

Zoology:

David Attenborough: Wildlife Specials

World-renowned naturalist David Attenborough — considered the father of the modern nature documentary — headlines this collection of programs that explore the planet’s most fascinating animals and most breathtaking landscapes. Attenborough travels around the world to get up-close footage of polar bears, leopards and other amazing creatures, and visits stunning locations such as the ice caves of Europe and South America’s Angel Falls.