Timely ideas and information, with daily updates. Frequently Asked Questions Thousands of web sites for educators and students. Support for long-term classroom planning and professional development. Information covering important topics for today's educators and parents. The authors and program creators sought to target a general audience by explaining the role of microbes through stories and using nontechnical terms.
Viewers can follow the thought processes the scientists use as they work through their hypotheses.
The programs emphasize the importance of creativity and perseverance. Scientists are seen gathering information from nontraditional sources, such as Native American medicine men and parish records. In one segment Carl Woese explains how he decided to arrange organisms on an evolutionary tree based upon gene sequences. The microbial influence on the failure of the Biosphere II project is discussed. Viewers learn about how the ecological cycles are caused by microorganisms and how viruses and bacteria can cause disease.