This program uses authentic photos and drawings made on the scene as the backdrop to the story of the initiation of, preparation for, and fighting of the Spanish American War. Walter Millis, military historian and author of "The Martial Spirit; a study of our war with Spain", sketches the events and personalities of the U.S. intervention into Cuba's revolt against Spain, beginning with the mysterious explosion of the battleship "Maine" in Havana Harbor. Mr. Millis highlights the various roles played by Theodore Roosevelt throughout the episode as well as the military strategy of such leaders as Spanish Admiral Pascual Cervera and U.S. Army General William Shafter. He explains how the scope of the war extended to Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines and resulted in the annexation of the Hawaiian Islands.

In this program the United States Naval Academy gymnastics team performs at the Johns Hopkins University gymnasium. Friedrich Jahn, the father of gymnastics, developed the sport in Germany in 1910. Head gymnastics coach Chet Phillips says that gymnastics requires coordination, form, and grace and that fluidity or elegance, without breaks, is critical. A Naval Academy team member demonstrates a routine on the side horse, the least hazardous of the apparatus. Assistant coach John Rammacher describes the swings, releases and catches, somersaults, and holds required in a routine on the parallel bars, the easiest piece of equipment to start. Members of the gymnastics team demonstrate swings, vaults, and somersaults on the high bar, the most dangerous event, and Mr. Phillips explains the importance of chalking hands to perform well. Tumbling team members demonstrate the variations of somersaults, including roundoffs, required for a routine in this event.

Rear Admiral John Quinn of the U.S. Navy's Bureau of Ordinance substitutes for Lynn Poole as host of this program about the Terrier surface-to-air missile developed by the Applied Physics Lab of Johns Hopkins University for the U.S. Navy. He asks a member of that Lab, Dr. Richard Kershner, to explain how the missile works and how it was developed. Dr. Kershner shows a film of the missile in action, noting that it doesn't actually hit the target but explodes within close proximity of it. On a mock-up he identifies the payload or warhead and the solid fuel rocket engine with booster rocket. The guidance control system allows "beam riding" as the onboard computer corrects the missile's course, and the missile's antennae pick up the intensity of the radar beams' mutations. A transmitter on the ground sends a reference signal to the receiver on the missile, a signature beam that prevents jamming by other radar beams. The electronic information received permits the four hydraulic tail fins to control its flight altitude. Dr. Kershner also explains a model of one of the terrier's control units. The first beam-rider missile was begun in 1947, and its problems were gradually eliminated, as shown in a film shot from a booster section showing "flutter." Development of such complex missiles requires not only a team of specialists in many fields but also systems engineers or specialty generalists to produce an integrated final product. A final film clip from 1952 shows target drones hit by Terrier missiles with warheads.

Lynn Poole sets the scene of Shays' Rebellion in 1787 Massachusetts, and American history professor Charles Barker, with the assistance of costumed actors, fills in the details. This first political protest after the American Revolution was a precursor of Jacksonian democracy and led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution. At issue were the farmers caught between mounting debts and insufficient gold-backed paper currency in circulation. In numerous towns in western Massachusetts, such as Northampton, Worcester, Great Barrington, armed mobs prevented the supreme judicial courts from sitting and sending debtors to prison. They were led by Capt. Daniel Shays, a veteran of the Revolution and farmer from Pelham, MA. Gen. Lincoln's army was sent to suppress the insurrections and protect the judicial courts. On January 25, 1787, Shays' rebels attacked the arsenal at Springfield, MA, but were rebuffed by Gen. Shepard's troops. With the exception of two, the rebels were pardoned after asking forgiveness, and the government made the reforms they sought. Dr. Barker recommends two books about the incident: George Richard Minot's famous "History of the Insurrections in Massachusetts" and the historical fiction "Duke of Stockbridge" by Edward Bellamy.

Lynn Poole summarizes the history of the period in which Chaucer wrote "The Canterbury Tales." Dr. Richard Green, assistant professor of English at Johns Hopkins University, summarizes Chaucer's life and the basic plot of the work, noting that Chaucer was a civil servant primarily rather than a writer but was a satirical observer of human folly. The thirty pilgrims of "The Canterbury Tales" thus represent all types of human beings. Dr. Green maintains that Chaucer was an early popularizer of romantic love and ideal marriage and that the moral purpose in Chaucer's love stories was that man should love God first and all other things only in so far as they lead him to love of God. While costumed actors interpret, Dr. Green reads passages from the Wife of Bath's account of five marriages, the Clerk's tale of Walter and Grisilde, and the Nun's Priest's story of Chauntecleer and Pertelote to show that a wife's submission to her husband is symbolic of reason over passion and of man's love of God, but a domineering woman turns this upside down and causes reason to be governed by passion.

With the assistance of sketches, photos, and a reenactment of John Brown's trial and indictment, Dr. C. Vann Woodward, history professor at Johns Hopkins University, describes the details of John Brown's failed slave insurrection of 1859 and sketches in the historical and biographical background. A copy of Brown's "Provisional Constitution and Ordinances" is shown and Brown's famous trial speech is recited. Dr. Woodward concludes with comments on whether the end justified the means.

Lynn Poole points out the country's increasing need for engineers, scientists, technicians, and researchers. Dr. John Woodburn, assistant director of the Johns Hopkins masters in teaching program, offers courses to working teachers wanting an advanced degree. He maintains that teachers can interest children in science by exposing them to the phenomena of nature, asking questions, teaching them to notice things around them, and showing them the scientific principles in everyday things. To illustrate, teacher Jacqueline Wolfe performs a simple experiment, and students in her fifth grade class from Woodmore School in Baltimore, MD, observe, hypothesize, test tentative hypotheses, and verbalize final conclusions. Dr. Woodburn suggests that other teaching aids, such as microscopes, telescopes, blocks, and models, also stimulate young minds.

Lynn Poole shows photos of a variety of computers from desk-size to house-size. Dr. Robert Rich, supervisor of the computer center at Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Lab, explains the workings of an electromechanical punch card accounting system, which is an externally programmed device. He shows an oversized punch card and photos of keypunch, sorting, and accounting machines. He notes that this process has speed limitations, but internally programmed computers have both speed and versatility of input. Dr. Rich describes the operation of a model of a UNIVAC business computer, which he says resembles an IBM 700 or Datamatic 1000. Such a computer is most efficient in routine computations on large numbers of data for such purposes as banking, weather forecasting, inventory control, etc. Scientific applications, such as missile flight paths, require a human programmer to write complex sets of instructions for the computer.

This program details the history and activity of the American whale fishing industry. Edouard Stackpole, curator and marine historian at Mystic Seaport, CT, describes the size and characteristics of sperm whales and right whales and how they were hunted, killed, and processed. He shows examples of products made from whale oil, in lieu of petroleum, and whale bone, later replaced by light metals and plastics. Photos and films taken aboard the wooden whaleship "Charles W. Morgan" show her last whale hunt, in 1921, including a "Nantucket sleigh ride." The "Morgan," which made 37 voyages in 80 years, was built in 1841 and is now restored at Mystic Seaport. Mr. Stackpole notes that the last whaler to set sail out of New Bedford was the "Wanderer" in 1924, but she wrecked fifteen miles out of port.

Dr. Eisenhower, Johns Hopkins University president, opens this tenth season of Johns Hopkins television. Lynn Poole discusses increasing U. S. energy needs and predicts that the world may run out of coal in 1000 years and oil in 100 years, making solar energy a critical commodity. A film clip shows the sun's surface and its energy generation is discussed. John Yellott, executive director for the Association for Applied Solar Energy, says that space heating will be the first large use of solar energy. He explains the workings of a solar-heated house with auxiliary heat pump designed by University of Minnesota architecture student Peter Lee and engineered by Bridgers and Paxton. According to Mr. Yellot, the basic instruments of solar energy are collectors, concentrators, photoelectricity, and photochemistry. He shows how solar stills can convert salt water into fresh; solar furnaces can be used for metallurgy and other research; and solar stoves can be designed for arid countries where fuel is scarce. Mr. Poole uses a photo flood light to light a cigarette and shows how selenium cells operate a photoelectric exposure meter and 8mm movie camera. Mr. Yellott demonstrates a radio/phonograph developed by Admiral Corp. to run on solar cells with backup storage batteries. Mr. Yellot concludes that at this time large scale uses of solar energy are too expensive, but solar is ideal for small amounts of energy in isolated places. More research is needed in harnessing this inexhaustible source of power.