Media Distribution

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Subject)

As The Lab Turns: How Do You Use A Calliper?
A demonstration by David Harrison of the University of Toronto Physics Department on the use of the micrometer callipers and the vernier callipers.
16 minutes / 1981

As The Lab Turns: How Do You Use An Oscilloscope?
A demonstration by David Harrison of the University of Toronto Physics Department on the use of the oscilloscope.
16 minutes / 1981

The Bread We Live By
This programme details the evolution of bread. Various grains and grasses are illustrated and examined under the microscope to reveal their nutrient and protein content. The biological process of leavening and the effects of yeasts are examined. Also included are laboratory experiments and time-lapse photography.
27 minutes / 1982

Carthage: Witnesses To The Past
This program takes us into the world of archaeology and materials science to investigate a unique collaboration the University of Toronto and the Museum of Carthage--the preservation of artifacts from the ancient Phoenician burial site in the city of Carthage.
20 minutes / 1992 / A Tunisia-Canada co-production in collaboration with the University of Toronto and the Museum of Carthage

Chemotherapy: Procedures For The Safe Preparation Of Parenteral Antineoplastic Agents
Through live action photography, this program presents guidelines for hospital personnel and patients involved in the handling and administration of potentially hazardous cancer chemotherapeutic agents. The program was produced in conjunction with the Department of Pharmacy at the Toronto General Hospital with the assistance of Lederle Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Also available in French.
21 minutes / 1982

Discovering Science: Encouraging Women In Science And Engineering
This program is designed to encourage Grade 7, 8 and 9 girls to consider science as a career. It focuses on a group of friends who decide to find out about science careers by visiting scientists and engineers at the University of Toronto. Includes viewers' guide.
22 minutes / 1993

Fracture Toughness: Its Roles In Engineering Design
Dr. David Hoeppner, of the Cockburn Centre, University of Toronto, Dept. of Engineering, explains the role of toughness in engineering design. Through the use of lab experimentation, graphics and field explanations, Hoeppner examines the correlation of toughness vs. strength, in order to obtain a relationship between the two principles.
22 minutes / 1982

Instructional Technology: The New Message
Experts in the field of mathematics, library science, medicine, psychology and other areas at the University of Toronto demonstrate, with concrete examples, just how positively the new technology has affected their ability to communicate new and complex ideas.
22 minutes / 1993

The Moulds We Live With
This program explains the nature of fungi and the ways in which they influence our daily lives. It demonstrates basic techniques by which fungi are isolated for study and research in the laboratory. Written and narrated by John F. Morgan-Jones.
22 minutes / 1977

Old Art For A New Science
The ancient art of glassblowing has found many applications in 20th century science. This program illustrates some of the modern-day methods and techniques developed by John Legge, glassblower for the Physics Department at the University of Toronto.
28 minutes / 1973

Penicillin: First Of The Miracle Drugs
This program traces the penicillin story from Fleming's chance observation of bacterial inhibition by a mould, 'Penicillium notatum', through to the isolation of the antibiotic by Florey and Chain, and then to its triumphant role as a war weapon during the invasion of Hitler's Europe. Written and directed by Botanist, Prof. John F. Morgan Jones, University of Toronto.
30 minutes / 1987

Sorting Out Sorting
Internal sorting techniques or algorithms are various methods by which a programmmer sorts sequences of data stored in the main computer memory into some desired order. Some are extremely easy to understand but inefficient in terms of computation time; others are much more efficient but are difficult to understand.

Sorting Out Sorting is an entirely computer-generated video program which uses animation to teach a variety of sorting techniques. Sorting Out Sorting presents nine sorting techniques, grouped into three classes: Insertion sorts, Exchange sorts and Selection sorts. The narrative soundtrack explains each technique during its animation. The techniques are compared for efficiency with animated colour graphs of their respective resource requirements and through "races" of an entire group of techniques at once.

This program is designed to be useful for all levels of computer science instruction. In a beginners' course, it presents the fundamental concepts of efficiency versus simplicity in a dramatic fashion. For an advanced course, whether a course on sorting and searching, on data structures or on efficiency and optimization, it animates even the most complex algorithms so that they are easy to understand.
The unique portrayal of the algorithms through computer animation combines the explanation of how they work with an intuitive demonstration of why they work.
30 minutes / 1981 / colour