The program opens with the announcement that last week in New York City The Johns Hopkins Science Review was awarded its second George Foster Peabody Award for outstanding educational and informational programming. Lynn Poole honors the scientists currently attending the 90th annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), presided over by Johns Hopkins University's president, Detlev Bronk. Poole describes highlights in the history of the organization, such as Congress' legalization of use of the metric system in 1866 and creation of the U.S. Forest Service in 1896, both based on recommendations of NAS. In 1916 NAS established the National Research Council, and through the efforts of its first chairman, George Ellery Hale, and Dr. Robert A. Millikan, President Woodrow Wilson requested NAS to perpetuate the Council. The remainder of the program explains and demonstrates misconceptions about scientific facts: a copper penny can not substitute for a burned out fuse; small flies are not offspring of large flies (houseflies, blow flies, and stable flies are all in their adult stages); spontaneous generation of rags into mice or horse hair into worms does not occur; people can not be hypnotized against their will; frozen body parts should not be rubbed with snow; ice does not make anything near it very cold (as an experiment with liquid nitrogen shows); water will not put out any fire (water on potassium will start a fire); oysters are also edible in months not containing "r"; mentally ill people can be cured; and mothers do not "mark" their babies before birth. Lynn Poole concludes the program by asking viewers to send him their requests for previous programs they would like repeated in June.

Lynn Poole offers a definition of cancer in this third program in the series. Dr. Samuel P. Asper, Jr. describes the thyroid gland and the characteristics of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. William S. Halsted's operation is still used for surgery on the thyroid to remove a goiter or cancer, and both the incision and the gland are shown in photos. A recovered surgery patient, operated on by H. William Scott of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, is shown on film. Radiation of the thyroid and radioactive iodine taken internally are considered treatments rather than cures. Additional films show Dr. George O. Gey's cancer cell labs at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Frederik B. Bang using the electron microscope to detect cervical cancer, and the U. S. Public Health Service's National Cancer Institute's use of mice in cancer research and treatment. Dr. Isaac Berenblum's book, "Man Against Cancer," the basis of this series, is promoted. Mr. Poole reminds the audience once again, early detection is the key to a cure.

In this second program of a three-part series on cancer, based on the book by L. Berenblum, Dr. Richard Te Linde, of the Johns Hopkins Medical School and Hospital, discusses cancer of the cervix. Dr. Te Linde notes that although three-quarters of women afflicted with this cancer die from it, it is curable if treated in its early stages. He answers commonly asked questions about the development of cervical cancer and describes typical symptoms. He cites Dr. Norman Miller's study on how the loss of time in treating cervical cancer can make a difference in curability. Dr. Te Linde draws a uterus, cervix, and vagina and shows how a speculum, biopsy forceps, and a spatula are used to detect early cases. Drs. Trout and Papanicolaou's pap smear test can reveal both normal and malignant cells from the cervix. Dr. Telinde shows several slides of cervical cancer cells in various stages of malignancy and says that at the pre-invasive stage, this cancer can be cured with either surgery (hysterectomy) or irradiation.

In this program Lynn Poole asks local alumni of national universities to introduce the scientific research occurring in their alma maters. Dr. Brownlee Corrin, a professor at Goucher College and alumnus of Stanford University, describes the campus and its electron linear accelerator. Photos show Director Edward Ginzton and the operation of this new atom smasher. Alumnus of the University of California, Dr. Richard McQuaid, tells about the university, and photos show Dr. George H. Hart and his research on cattle grazing. Carl Foster, alumnus of Indiana University, lists some of that university's famous scientists. A film documents the work being done there by Dr. Joseph C. Muhler, Dr. Harry G. Day, and Dr. William H. Nebergall on the effects of fluorides on children's teeth. Baltimore Judge Joseph Kolodny describes Boston University, and photos from that institution show staff of the Physical Research Lab demonstrating an aerial camera, which uses glass spherical negatives. Assistant dean and alumnus of New York University Dr. F. K. Teichman describes that school's programs. To research air pollution, NYU's engineering research division has constructed a smoke tunnel to observe the behavior of plant emissions based on stack speed and wind velocity and a wind tunnel to determine how building design affects smoke flume behavior. Current scientific activities at The Johns Hopkins University include diffraction gratings used in a spectroscope, research on cancer, and trace element studies, all of which will be featured on forthcoming programs. In closing, Lynn Poole announces that Brookhaven National Labs opened their cosmotron today.

This program opens with a dramatization of Max Brodel as a student trained in art and medicine discussing his future with Dr. Carl Ludwig. Brodel subsequently founded the Department of Art as Applied to Medicine at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Annette Burgess, medical illustrator at the Hopkins Wilmer Eye Clinic, demonstrates a slit lamp to examine the iris and cornea of the eye and then sketches them. She also uses an ophthalmoscope to see problems with the eye's retina. The drawings she displays are often used as teaching tools. Leon Schlossberg, of the medical arts staff, sketches the heart of a blue baby for use in medical journals and textbooks and shows an illustration of fetal circulation drawn for a pharmaceutical company. Other drawings show a cross-section of a head with sinus and nasal passages, a brain, and the lungs of an asthmatic. Chester Reather, a medical arts photographer, documents various views of such medical procedures as rebuilding a chin, brain surgery, and treating arthritic hands. Reather also demonstrates and explains photomicrography: photographing such anatomical objects as a forty-day old human embryo or thin slices of human intestinal tissue, both shown to the viewers. Elizabeth Blumenthal, also in medical arts, demonstrates the process of "moulage" by molding a wax hand and casting a nasal portion of a human head.

Lynn Poole displays a section of coaxial cable and shows on a map the 67 U.S. cities using this and microwave relays to service 109 television stations. Dr. M.E. Strieby, Director of Demonstrations for AT&T, explains the two ways to carry television programs: by coaxial cable and transcontinental radio relay. He tells how coaxial cable works and shows an amplifier, Bell Labs radio tube, and other electronic devices used in television transmission. Using a phototransistor, electromagnetic wave generator, crystal detector, and a phonograph, Dr. Strieby experiments with various materials to show how microwave signals can be disrupted, reflected, and polarized. Photographs show the lenses of a microwave system and typical metal and concrete relay towers with television transmitters and receivers.

Lynn Poole briefly describes the natural resources of the United States and shows their location on a map as an introduction to this program on the Materials Policy Commission, appointed by President Truman, which has just published its five volume report of facts and recommendations for the future. According to the report, the projected 1975 demand for raw materials will be an increase of 64%. A chart compares consumption of raw materials in 1900, 1950, and 1975 and the resulting production surpluses and deficits. Dr. Arnold C. Harberger, Johns Hopkins University economist and staff consultant on the Commission, explains how projections on zinc and steel demands are calculated. He assumes that although the 1975 GNP will be twice that of 1950, demand for many goods, such as automobiles and televisions, won't grow at the same rate. A chart shows the general demands of all natural resources in 1975. Harberger says that to meet these demands, the Commission recommends efficient production of coal and petroleum, geological surveys of the United States, and mass production of such new materials as tantalum and germanium. Further recommendations include buying materials abroad to boost the world economy, studying the rising real costs, and conservation of natural resources.

Lynn Poole discusses abnormally conjoined twins and shows a poster of the Biddenden Maids of England and a photo of Chang and Eng Bunker, Siamese twins. Dr. Francis Schwentker of Johns Hopkins Medical School, explains the odds of having twins, triplets, and quadruplets and the heredity factor of twinning. Two pairs of twin nurses at the Johns Hopkins Hospital exemplify the difference between identical and fraternal twins. Using charts, Dr. Schwentker explains how conjoined twins occur when the germplasm fails to cleave, and he shows examples of posterior, anterior, lateral, and cranial connections. Dr. A. Earl Walker, Director of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, describes the December 17, 1952 surgical separation of the Brodie twins in Chicago. Using a diagram, X-rays, and a medical model, Dr. Walker offers a general explanation of the procedure and considerations in separating these boys joined at the top of the head. The stronger twin was given the venus sinus, which they shared, and a tantalum plate was used to cover the exposed brain. Both twins were still alive at the close of this program.

To introduce this program on poisonous plants, Lynn Poole exhibits a quiver of poisonous blow gun arrows used by primitive Ecuadorian Indians. William A. Dayton, chief of the Division of Dendrology for the U.S. Forest Service, recounts the superstitions and myths about poisonous plants and notes allusions to them in the Bible and in Shakespeare's works. He shows sketches of two groups of particularly virulent plants: water hemlocks and amanitas mushrooms. Mr. Dayton says that there are more than 500 species of poisonous plants in the United States, and some cause the loss of 4% of livestock each year. Two such classes of plants are the alkaloids, which contain nitrogen, and the glycosides, which produce prussic acid. He shows photos of toxic plant specimens and their reactions when ingested by animals. Cattle are susceptible to larkspur and St. John's wort; sheep to pingue, lupine, horsebrush, and halogeton; horses to locoweed and death camas. Mr. Dayton recommends various ways of controlling poisonous plants. A film shows poison ivy identification, and a man displays the poison ivy blisters on his arm. Mr. Dayton concludes with a description of nettles, burrs, and poison ivy/oak/sumac.

Lynn Poole briefly interviews Howard Ross, Director of Broad Creek Memorial Scout Camp serving the Baltimore Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Ross notes that the camp promotes scouting skills more than athletics. To demonstrate this, Mr. Poole talks with several scouts who discuss and/or demonstrate how to build a lean-to, handle an axe safely, build a fire with a flint, find and prepare food in the wild, use a watch as a compass, tie artificial flies for fishing, and create and use decorative wooden neckerchief slides. An older scout demonstrates butterfly collecting for species identification, the use of leaves for making decorative splatter prints, and identification of birds by sight and song.