Popular Science J-7-1

Cuba's Cancer Hope

April 2020 •English

When the U.S. trade embargo left Cuba isolated from medical resources, Cuban scientists were forced to get creative. Now they've developed lung cancer vaccines that show so much promise, some Americans are defying the embargo and traveling to Cuba for treatment. In an unprecedented move, Cuban researchers are working with U.S. partners to make the medicines more widely available.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat

June 1896 •French

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

Woman Draped in Patterned Handkerchiefs

August 1908 •English

Woman Draped in Patterned Handkerchiefs is a 1908 British short silent documentary film, directed by George Albert Smith as a showcase his new Kinemacolor system, which features a woman displaying assorted tartan cloths, both draped on her body and waved semaphore-style. The patterned handkerchiefs are, according to Michael Brooke of BFI Screenonline, “presumably the same cloths featured in Tartans of Scottish Clans (1906), this time shown from various angles.”

Earth: Seen From The Heart

April 2018 •French

For more than twenty years, Hubert Reeves has put science, his media influence, and his energy at the service of a cause: biodiversity.

The Fantastic Mr Feynman

May 2013 •English

Richard Feynman is one of the most iconic, influential and inspiring scientists of the 20th century. He helped design the atomic bomb, solved the mystery of the Challenger Shuttle catastrophe and won a Nobel Prize. Now, 25 years after his death - in his own words and those of his friends and family - this is the story of the most captivating communicator in the history of science.

The Secret Life of Plants

December 1979 •English

A documentary about the study of plant sentience with original music by Stevie Wonder. Utilizing time-lapse photography, the film proposes that plants are able to experience emotions and communicate with the world around them.

An Inconvenient Truth

May 2006 •English

A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.

Spiders on a Web

August 1900 •English

Consisting of a single shot, Spiders on a Web is one of the earliest British examples of close-up natural history photography. Made by one of the pioneers of the British film industry, G.A. Smith, this short film details spiders trapped in an enclosure, and despite the title, does not actually feature a web.

The Blob: A Genius without a Brain

October 2019 •French

This documentary outlines the unique properties and latest studies of "Physarum Polycephalum", also known as Blob.

Bacterial World

February 2016 •English

Coming in all shapes and sizes, bacteria are present in every corner of the Earth. Their purposes and types are even more diverse, with only 1% being truly harmful. Dive into the world of Bacteria to experience the latest discoveries and scientific knowledge surrounding these plentiful and necessary microbes.

Rocketships

January 1998 •English

A look back at the origins of rocket science and forward to the cutting edge technology of reusable rockets and shuttles. Using computer animation, the program also explores the future of space travel that may some day carry commercial passengers or "tourists" into space.

The Way to the Sea

September 1936 •English

A 1936 documentary film about the London to Portsmouth railway. A lesser known contemporary of Night Mail, also featuring the music of Benjamin Britten and poetry of W.H. Auden.

The People's Land

January 1943 •English

A short documentary about the work of the National Trust in Great Britain

Sacred Site

January 1986 •English

High-speed film and time-lapse photography combined to create breathtaking images of the night sky and Halley's Comet in this astronomical short subject.

The Heart of 'The Natural'

April 2001 •Dutch

Brush of Baphomet

March 2009 •English

A look at the artwork of Aleister Crowley.

Carmencita

March 1894 •

The first woman to appear in front of an Edison motion picture camera and possibly the first woman to appear in a motion picture within the United States. In the film, Carmencita is recorded going through a routine she had been performing at Koster & Bial's in New York since February 1890.

Danse japonaise, III : Gueichas en Jinrikcha

March 1902 •French

Women getting onto a rickshaw.

Mystery of the Nile

February 2005 •English

Filmed in IMAX, a team of explorers led by Pasquale Scaturro and Gordon Brown face seemingly insurmountable challenges as they make their way along all 3,260 miles of the world's longest and deadliest river to become the first in history to complete a full descent of the Blue Nile from source to sea.

NASCAR: The IMAX Experience

March 2004 •English

A big-screen look into one of America's most successful entertainment industries, NASCAR racing.