Donald S. Coffey was born on October 10, 1932 in Bristol, Virginia. He attended King College there before transferring to the University of East Tennessee. In 1957, Coffey moved to Baltimore to work for Westinghouse, after which he took night classes at the Hopkins night school (McCoy College) and eventually began to work for the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Brady Research Laboratory. This led Coffey to apply to the Department of Physiological Chemistry in the medical school for his graduate education. Coffey subsequently received his Ph.D. in 1964, became a professor of urology in the School of Medicine, and served as editor for many scholarly journals. In this oral history, Coffey discusses his early life, how he came to work at Hopkins, and his colleagues and work in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. This oral history is part of the Mame Warren oral histories series.

Dr. Andrews compares the irregular molecules of water to the regular ones of ice and explains that ice floats because it is less dense than water. He then shows a diphenyl oxide molecule model and explains that it freezes at room temperature and sinks and is therefore used to remove impurities from a liquid. He demonstrates how skating on ice creates pressure causing ice to melt enough to allow gliding on water, which couldn't be done if the water froze at a lower temperature. Dr. Andrews points out that the molecules of iron in a drill and sodium chloride in salt are arranged in a regular pattern and are therefore "frozen." He then adds liquid nitrogen to water, alcohol, glycerin, and molasses to compare the differing results. Ways of measuring temperatures include household thermometers, Beckmann thermometers (accurate to 1000th degree), and electrical thermometers such as platinum resistance, thermocouple, and bolometer (measuring to the millionth of a degree).

In this program, the history, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of tuberculosis, or the "white plague," are discussed. Teamwork between the radiologist, x-ray technicians, and other doctors is stressed. Dr. David M. Gould shows examples of both healthy and diseased lungs on an x-ray and explains that TB can be treated by collapsing the diseased lung, removing some ribs, or prescribing streptomycin. A recovered TB patient is introduced, and viewers are encouraged to request pamphlets provided by the National Tuberculosis Association.

This program originates from station WDTV in Pittsburgh, PA., and begins with a visual history of glass beginning with obsidian, natural glass. Lynn Poole shows the ingredients of glass: silica, soda, and lime. Dr. Davies, of the Mellon Institute, discusses the states of matter, focusing on solids. He then explains the random structure of glass and why lenses are made from this substance. Using a petrographic microscope, Dr. Davies shows three samples of glass fibers under both ordinary and polarized light. He notes that because the density of glass varies with temperature and within the same piece of glass, it breaks under pressure. He hammers squares of regular and tempered glass to show the difference in their shattering. Dr. Davies also demonstrates the chemical resistivity of glass and explains that because glass is a versatile solvent, it can be used to make such products as goggles for glassblowers. Also silver salt can be dissolved in glass to develop an inexpensive and wearable radiation meter.

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.

Most pollsters incorrectly predicted the 1948 United States presidential election. Political scientists try to determine political trends in the U.S. by tracking the party affiliation of the House of Representatives. Local and regional differences can be seen by analyzing election results over the years. Most states show trends that mirror overall national results. Analysis of these factors can help predict future elections.

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.

The workings of an atomic bomb are explained through atomic reactions and fusion. Comparisons are made to TNT and hydrogen explosions, and some peaceful applications for nuclear energy are discussed.

This program describes the atom as the smallest structure in the universe and how they combine to form molecules. Molecules combine together to create larger structures that can react and combine with each other.

This program is the first public showing of a film (whose title is from a line in Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn") made by Donald H. Andrews and funded by Mrs. William Hale Harkness. Dr. Andrews hypothesizes that all matter is music since all matter in the universe vibrates, and tones and harmonies are made by vibrations. The motion of a plucked violin string and its adjacent string (sympathetic resonance) are shown in slow motion and on an oscilloscope. Dr. Andrews discusses one dimensional harmony, as described by Pythagoras. Two dimensional harmonies are indicated by the fractional overtones of a drum head membrane, which is shown in slow motion and heard electronically enhanced. Three dimensional harmonies result from the contraction and expansion of a sphere; however, differently shaped solids, such as statues, have fractional resonances that produce unique chords or harmonic patterns when vibrating. Four dimensional harmonies come from atom vibration, a wave whose harmonic pattern is displayed by a vibrating sphere. Thus, Dr. Andrews concludes that since an atom is not a particle that vibrates in space, but rather the vibration itself, all matter is in dynamic form or all matter is music. He continues by playing on a piano the chords of tones of atoms produced by different chemical compounds. He also shows and discusses the pattern of Bach's music on an oscilloscope and music composed by Rebekah West Harkness. In conclusion, Dr. Andrews discusses the dynamic form of the human body's symphony and its small chords in the larger universe.