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Hi, thanks. I'm a big user of ILL here in our small town.  There are an 
increasing number of science videos available on the internet from 
various universities. I believe both MIT and Berkeley have open 
classrooms where a viewer can listen into lectures. Both have complete 
very good courses on physics available on the internet. Interestingly, 
the MIT lectures, over 30 hours, were paid for my the professor who 
teaches the course. The UC Berkeley physics classes are titled Physics 
for (Future?) Presidents.  Although for a broader audience than the MIT 
course, it's very good. I've only watched a sampling of these, but found 
them quite good. The Berkeley segment on waves has a fascinating story 
that he tells about naval secret, two actually, used by the US during WWII.

I've recently found three 1 hour videos on spectroscopy that are quite 
good, and aimed at advanced amateur astronomers. I'm drawing that 
conclusion on the basis of the first one, and just recently found two 
more by the same presenter.

Of course, there's hulu (hulu.com), which has a lot of old TV programs, 
but those aren't necessarily science programs--probably none. 
Nevertheless, some video 30-60 min hour programs are starting to appear 
on the internet. hulu may be the wave of the future for TV. That is, 
everything may be on the internet.

It's too bad or someone doesn't have a documentary category. I really 
asked that question for an elderly neighbor who doesn't get around well. 
His family has set up a weekly delivery of various videos for him. He's 
getting a bit tired of seeing some of them, and has expressed an 
interest in other material. I loan him some of mine from time to time, 
but don't have enough to keep him going for long periods of time. I 
loaned him Cosmic Voyage recently, and he thought very highly of it. He 
was right.

Maybe there's a business opportunity out there.

Diane Peapus wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
> *****************************************************************************
>
> Hi Wayne:
>
> Ref: The Teaching Company.
>
> I haven't seen the particular series mentioned, nor have I listened to
> the particular person doing that series, Steven L. Goldman, but...
>
> ...I am always happy with The Teaching Company. I always learn something
> completely fascinating. 
>
> I have listened to Teaching Company general science series by Robert
> Hazen, and he's very interesting to listen to...
> http://www.teach12.com/store/professor.asp?id=18&d=Robert+M%2E+Hazen
>
> I've also liked Barbara King...
> http://www.teach12.com/store/professor.asp?id=205&d=Barbara+J%2E+King
>
> However, The Teaching Company and the other documentary producers you
> mention (Nat Geo, Science Channel, PBS, etc) are in two different ball
> parks. 
>
> The Teaching Company records professors giving lectures in very long
> series and provides lecture notes. Their target audience seems to be the
> college educated adult. Their material is appropriate for professional
> development for your educational staff, but I wouldn't show these DVD's
> to a public audience or a classroom and expect huge numbers of them to
> return for the 2nd lecture. 
>
>
> Ref: Other science documentary producers
>
> The commercial studios you listed produce documentaries for TV or Cable
> and sell DVD's for about $20 - $40. There are other companies that
> produce documentaries _solely_ for classroom and those can be up to $159
> for a 30 minute video. Those companies market aggressively to community
> college professors, so you can ask any college in your location to pick
> a catalog out of the garbage for you and you scan the titles. 
>
> Once you scan the titles and pick one you want to see, you can sometimes
> get them via InterLibrary Loan (ILL)...
>
>
> Ref: Netflix for science documentaries
>
> There are a number of sources, but I haven't found one-stop-shopping.
>
> - You can get some science documentaries via online streaming. Some are
> free (not great quality, some are even on UTube), and others are offered
> on a subscription basis. I can't remember the companies that offer
> streaming video subscriptions, but if you surf for "science
> documentaries streaming" you can start there. Those companies also
> market to Community Colleges, so you can possibly get that info from the
> same place you get a catalog suggested above. 
>
> - I get a lot of stuff via InterLibrary Loan. Public libraries often
> don't ILL their DVD's, but if all your staff have library accounts in
> all the different places they live, then you have more access. Also, if
> you have any affiliation with any college it's more likely that you'll
> get the videos from college libraries. 
>
> - I also share stuff with other institutions... friends who work at
> different institutions, especially colleges, can often take out a video
> for me even if their library won't send it by InterLibrary Loan. 
>
> - Check out your local "independent media" or "indy media" networks.
> There are likely a number of independent documentary producers in your
> city who will show their film and discuss the topic to an audience. I've
> seen some really top-notch stuff produced by local people. 
>
>
> happy viewing
> diane 
>
>
> <-----Original Message-----> 
>   
>> From: Wayne Watson [[log in to unmask]]
>> Sent: 4/4/2008 4:54:41 AM
>> To: [log in to unmask]
>> Subject: Re: Netflixs for Science and Teaching Co. Science Wars
>> ***********************************************************************
>>     
> ******
>   
>> Is there some company like Netflix that provides DVDs for science 
>> subjects at modest costs? I'm thinking of somewhat short topics like 
>> those one hour shows on the PBS, National Geo or Science channels, as 
>> opposed to complete series like Cosmos or Planet Earth. Maybe there's 
>> such a company that even copies Netflix in that one can sign up for a 
>> category, and they more or less send random selections every month or
>>     
> week.
>   
>> The Teaching Company, Great Courses, offers a set of DVDs titled
>>     
> Science 
>   
>> Wars (what scientist know and how they know it) on sale until April 6. 
>> Has anyone seen it and can comment on it? <www.teach12.com>
>>
>> -- 
>> Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
>>
>> (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
>> Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
>>
>> "The only laws of matter are those which our minds must
>> fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated
>> for it by matter." -- James Clerk Maxwell
>>
>> Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>
>>
>> ***********************************************************************
>>     
>
> ***********************************************************************
> For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
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>   

-- 
           Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)

             (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
              Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet
            
               "Philosophy is questions that may never be 
                answered. Religion is answers that may never 
                be questioned" -- Anon
             
                    Web Page: <www.speckledwithstars.net/>

***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

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