June 30, 2000

Sailboat Racing: Wind

If you’re going to win a sailboat race on Iowa’sLake Okoboji, you have to know how to “see” the wind.

June 29, 2000

Sailboat Racing: History

Sailboat racing may sound like a strange sport to pursue in the corn country of the Midwest, but in fact it’s an enduring tradition on Lake Okoboji in northern Iowa.

June 28, 2000

Bees/Mines: Train

Scientists are training bees to home in on explosives like TNT and point the way to hidden landmines, which leak explosives into soil and the plants that grow in it.

June 27, 2000

Bees/Mines: Detectors

Scientists are hoping to use bees to detect landmines, by training the insects to fly toward TNT and by testing beehives for explosive residue.

June 26, 2000

Bees/Mines: Hives

Bees pick up pollen and other airborne particles on their fuzzy bodies and carry it back to the hive. Now scientists are trying to using these little flying dust mops to find hidden landmines.

June 23, 2000

Ham Radio: Field Day

Ham radio operators hold a national field day the last weekend in June, to practice for emergencies when they often provide a crucial communications link.

June 22, 2000

Ham Radio: Intro

On the last weekend in June, millions of amateur radio operators hold a national field day to see how many other “ham” operators they can contact within a 24-hour period.

June 21, 2000

Farming by the Stars: Science

Farmers in South America’s Andes mountains have apparently been able to predict the El Nino weather phenomenon for hundreds of years.

June 20, 2000

Farming by the Stars: Intro

Today is the June solstice, when farmers in the Andes Mountains of South America decide when to plant their crops later in the year. They use the stars as their guide.

June 19, 2000

Tomato Harvest

It’s harvest time at a Virginia tomato farm, and after a year of hard work, the sound of tomatoes plopping into the pickers’ buckets is music to a farmer’s ears.

June 16, 2000

Hollerin’ Contest: Tradition

The National Hollerin’ Contest celebrates a time-honored form of communication in the rural south.

June 15, 2000

Hollerin’ Contest: Intro

This weekend, Spivey’s Corner, North Carolina, is truly the Olympics of hollering.

June 14, 2000

Beetles

Beetles form the largest single order in the entire animal kingdom, with more than 350,000 known species. Apparently, they owe this evolutionary success to their eating habits.

June 13, 2000

Fly Fishing: Art & Science

It’s the height of fly fishing season in New York’s Catskill Mountains, home to some of the finest trout streams in the world.

June 12, 2000

Fly Fishing: Tying

The goal of fly fishing is to attract fish with an artificial fly that looks like a real insect. These flies can be bought, but serious anglers tie their own.

June 9, 2000

Insects: Bees

Honeybees can work together as heaters or air conditioners to keep their hive at the optimum temperature.

June 8, 2000

Insects: Silent Crickets

The familiar chirping of crickets is the sound of males trying to attract females. But some male crickets use silence to their advantage.

June 7, 2000

Insects: Cicada Chorus

A deafening chorus of cicadas is actually a well-orchestrated performance by three different types of cicadas, joining forces to attract females by being loud.

June 6, 2000

Vision Chip: Types

Scientists are developing a microchip that can be implanted in a blind person’s retina or brain and can receive images from a tiny camera mounted on eyeglasses.

June 5, 2000

Vision Chip: Intro

Implantable microchips may soon allow the blind to see. One type of chip could be implanted in the brains of people who were born blind.

June 2, 2000

Sonoran Desert: Cactus

The prickly pear cactus is one of the most valuable ingredients in a desert herbalist’s kitchen. It’s rich in nutrients such as potassium, and makes a great salsa.

June 1, 2000

Sonoran Desert: Cooking

When a New Mexico herbalist cooks for you, you may be eating pancakes made from mesquite flour or barbecue sauce made from prickly pear cactus. Producer recorded sounds as part of interview.