Great scientists and their research are discussed including: Elmer V. McCollum and his discovery of vitamins A, D, and B1; John Boswell Whitehead and his work on dielectrics; Alexander Graham Christie's work on power plant design; the philosophy of George Boas applying the world of ancient Greece to modern thought; archaeology in the Near East by William Foxwell Albright; and Robert Williams Wood and his research into diffraction gratings and infrared filters. There is also a discussion of operations research and its applications in the American military effort.

Research underway at the School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas investigates the effect of oxygen deprivation at high altitudes, night vision, motion sickness, and the effect of low temperatures.

Production of sugarcane in Hawaii, from planting, cultivation, harvesting, and processing is discussed. Cross-breeding sugarcane varieties from throughout the world improve the crop and create hybrids that will be more resistant to disease and insect pests and produce a higher yield of sugar.

Famous ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson discusses bird watching opportunities in North America and presents several examples of birdsongs. Many species of birds migrate throughout the year. The arctic tern can travel over 10,000 miles between its winter and summer homes. Birds that are calendar migrants arrive in the same place around the same time each year.

Many different species of insects and animals can be found in your own backyard. Charles Kolb shows live specimens of these species: turtles, lady beetles, aphids, grasshoppers, Japanese beetles, pill bugs, earthworms, spiders, toads, and snakes.

Beginning with a summary of the previous three programs filmed in Britain, this episode of the Johns Hopkins Science Review continues the discussion of recent scientific research in Britain. Highlights are research into the common cold and crystals, and developments in laundry washing and time lapse photography.

Little known metals with valuable applications are discussed. Titanium being much lighter than steel has important military applications; vitalium, an alloy of cobalt, chromium and molybdenum, is used to join and strengthen bones; tantalum is used in skull plates; mercury has many applications including: lipsticks, television vacuum tubes, antiseptics, insecticides, and photographic developing; selenium is used in light meters and to conduct electricity; cerium emits sparks and is used in cigarette lighters; germanium is used to make transistors, which can replace vacuum tubes in the telephone, radio, and television industries.

To show how isotopes can be used to locate elements in the body, Dr. Robert Ballentine drinks radioactive iodine 131 at the start of the program. Later he uses a Geiger counter to show the level of radioactivity in his stomach and thyroid, where it accumulated. Such a tracer can be used in biological research and as a medical diagnostic tool. Dr. Ballentine further describes the characteristics of isotopes, the Brookhaven Pile at Brookhaven National Laboratories, and how isotopes are obtained.

Photogrammetry is the science of obtaining reliable measurements through the use of photography. It is the most efficient, accurate, and economic method for mapping large land areas. Aerial photographs are analyzed through triangulation methods to accurately determine terrestrial and hydrographic mapping to aid in navigation.

The program begins with the presentation of the 1951 Television Award from the National Association for Better Radio and Television to the Johns Hopkins Science Review as the best educational program on television in 1951. The study of old bones can indicate the gender, height, race, age at death and the cause of death of the individual. Examination of bones can also assist in crime detection and identifying missing persons.