Before the mid-19th century patients dreaded the anticipation of surgery and the intense pain that was surely to come. In 1846 ether was used for painless tooth extraction and a surgical procedure. Many other gases used have been chloroform, nitrous oxide, ethylene, cyclopropane, ethyl chloride, vinethene, trichloroethylene, and xenon. These gases affect only the nerve center in the brain and not the rest of the body are are temporary or transient in nature. Intravenous barbiturates can also be used, and have the benefit of reducing nausea upon awakening. Local anesthetics can be used in some surgeries. A film of an actual surgery performed at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center with modern anesthetic procedures is shown.

Convulsive seizures or epileptic fits can be caused by problems in the heart, pancreas, kidney, or febrile conditions, but by far the most common causes are problems in the brain, although many have unknown causes. Some epileptics can be assisted through surgery, while others can be helped my medications such as phenobarbital, dilantin, or tridione. Epilepsy can be reproduced in monkeys to help study the disease and develop further methods of treatment.

The sixth grade summer school class at Johns Hopkins University presents an episode of the Johns Hopkins Science Review to illustrate what they have learned from Johns Hopkins scientific researchers during the summer. Highlighted are discussions on hydrology, airplane wing design, weather forecasting, electromagnets, and nursing. The students portrayed the roles of Mr. Poole and the researchers of Johns Hopkins University and the jobs of producer, director, stage manager, and camera operators on the simulated show "Kids look at science."

Air temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity in the upper atmosphere can be measured by instruments inside a radio sound box that is carried into the air by balloon. The measurements are carried back to earth by a radio transmitter in the box. Radar is used to track hurricanes and tornadoes through a network of weather stations throughout the United States. These data are used to provide early warning to residents that are in the paths of tornadoes and hurricanes.

Beams of light can be controlled by polarization, by rotating polaroid filters to focus or block out light. Cross polarizer filters can eliminate car headlight glare at night, and reduce reflection on camera lenses, microscopes, compasses for polar navigation, and the brightness of white paper. Sunglasses also use polaroid lenses that aid drivers by cutting down on pavement glare.

In this unhosted and non-credited program, photography is defined as a graphic record of light or radiant energy. Chemical development makes a photograph into a visible image. Scientific uses of photography include many military applications including rocket research, airplane instrumentation, ship hull performance, and underwater sound. The growth and structure of matter is tracked on film as well as blood flow and cosmic rays. Photography provides a visual record on scientific research and experimentation.

The stereoscope was a popular entertainment and educational object in use in the late 19th century. Stereovision or 3-D is the natural way that we see nature, since we see two images, one with each eye that are processed into one image in the brain. When we look at pictures we coordinate the image with what we see in real life. Cameras can be arranged to simulate this effect. 3-D effects can be used in aerial photography, x-rays, microscopes, astronomy, eye therapy, and testing driver's vision. Television production companies are working on the development of 3-D television.

Lynn Poole welcomes station WFIE-TV in Dayton, Ohio, where Paul Kane, former Science Review Director, is the new station's manager. Then, using a diagram, Dr. Firor explains that sutures are necessary when a wound is deep and tissues cannot be brought together with a Band-Aid. A film illustrates the healing process in a microscopic view of white blood cells carrying out phagocytosis, destruction of bacteria. Dr. Firor then summarizes the history of wound closure techniques, from the Edwin Smith papyrus detailing the Egyptians' procedures in 1600 BC to the introduction of gold thread by Fabricius in 1550 to South American Indians' use of soldier ants' bites to clamp wounds closed. A film dramatizes late nineteenth century improvements on Lister's methods of surgical cleanliness and the use of violin strings and cat gut as sutures. Dr. Firor shows current sutures made by commercial firms of nylon, linen, silk, and stainless steel wire and the needles used with them.

Dr. Shaw defines fear as a strong desire to escape from perceived danger to which the autonomic nervous system responds. As an example of one way to measure the extent of the fear response, Dr. Shaw shows a film of Dr. Charles Eriksen throwing a live snake at a woman to record her galvanic skin response and heart rate. Dr. Eriksen later demonstrates that familiarity and experience can be used to overcome a fear. Dr. Shaw describes the difference between fear and caution and explains that fears are more likely to become pathological than other emotions. Phobias are irrational fears associated with specific objects, usually associated with an intense or unusual experience in childhood. Examples of typical phobias include acrophobia, claustrophobia, xylophobia, dromophobia, agoraphobia, monophobia, zoophobia, ailurophobia, topophobia, and myctophobia. In an experiment to learn if a person could be conditioned to fear, J. B. Watson and Rosalie Rayner taught a child to fear a harmless object.

BBC Producer Andrew Miller-Jones introduces this second exchange program produced in Baltimore and sent to Great Britain. Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab, sponsored by the Navy's Bureau of Ordinance, is featured. Dr. Gibson discusses cosmic rays and instruments used to do research on the effects of high altitude flying. Mr. Riblet explains how telemetering works and shows instruments used to transmit information from a distance. Mr. Miller-Jones exhibits cameras developed by Clyde T. Holiday to take photos in outer space and some of the pictures and films taken by these cameras. A chart shows the current maximum altitude of flight (nearly 80,000 feet) and the effects of altitude on pilots. A pilot tests the U. S. Air Force-developed pressure suit, and pictures show the U.S. Navy full-pressure suit.