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.

Drs. Ted Byerly and Wade Brant, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in Beltsville, MD, discuss nutrition research on eggs and poultry. Dr. Brant demonstrates how diluted B-12 is injected into eggs for improved growth and vigor in the resulting poultry. He and Dr. Byerly explain the grade labels on egg cartons, including size determination, and they demonstrate a candling device to determine the quality of eggs. Marge Holloway, a home demonstration agent in Baltimore, fries eggs to show the differences in high and low quality eggs. Dr. Byerly discusses breeding experiments with Rhode Island Red hens for improved quantity and quality of eggs. Dr. Byerly explains the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP). A film promotes the NPIP's mission and its benefits for raising healthy, thrifty chicks.

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.

Lynn Poole describes various historical accounts of flying saucers and reads from an article in the 1893 "Nature" magazine about mysterious lights. Although Harvard's Dr. Donald H. Menzel was unable to appear on the program as planned, he permitted Johns Hopkins Science Review to tell his story using his photos from "Life" magazine. Dr. Menzel has actually seen these mysterious lights or flying saucers and attempted to recreate them in his lab. An explanation of temperature inversions shows how they can produce optical mirages by reflected sunlight, and Menzel's lab experiment reproduces this phenomenon. Lynn Poole shows viewers a home experiment to simulate the gradual bending of reflections to make them appear as mirages. A film shows another explanation of flying saucers, offered by Noel Scott, Army physicist. Believing that "flying saucers" are created in the same way as lightning and the northern lights, he simulated the atmospheric conditions in a bell jar, producing tiny "saucers" of ionized gas from charged particles sensitive to magnetic movements.

Lynn Poole pays tribute to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, founded in 1848, and dedicates this program to the men of science. Tools used by scientists in their labs are shown and explained: glassware, such as test tubes, beakers, mortar and pestle, graduated cylinders, condensers; microscope, to magnify specimens such as the ganglion shown; leak detector, such as the teslacoil, to determine sources of leaks; recording potentiometer, to accurately measure voltage; strobotac, whose flash appears to slow the action of a moving object so the eye can study it; arc lamp, to study optical instruments; dial indicator, to measure minute movements accurately; cathode ray oscillograph, to record electrical impulses of circuits; supersonic wind tunnel at Johns Hopkins University, to study the problems of air turbulence; Van de Graaff generator at Brookhaven National Lab, to study the acceleration of particles and explore the atom; cosmotron nearing completion at Brookhaven, to accelerate particles; Van Slyke gas analyzer, to measure body tissues and fluids for compounds; hand and foot counter, to detect and indicate radiation in humans; mass spectrometer, to analyze heavy elements in body tissues; remote control tongs, to place items safely near radiation; and stereoscopic microscope at Brookhaven, to protect observers from radiation and keep colonies sterile.

On this fourth anniversary program, Lynn Poole reads a few congratulatory telegrams from stations around the country and from Colorado Senator Edward C. Johnson. This program also celebrates the 157th anniversary of the U.S. Navy Supply Corps and reviews their recent research and development in clothing and food. Navy Lt. Philip Crosby shows photos of old uniforms and then explains the new fabrics and design features of improved cold weather gear, such as the Navy's A-2 ensemble, which is modelled. He also compares various vintages of rubber boots, including the new insulated, waterproof ones used in Korea to eliminate frostbite. A waterproof submarine suit is also modelled. Lt. Commander J. A. Corrick, Jr. shows the list of foods on a 1794 Naval ration card and explains the space problem of carrying large quantities of food, such as potatoes, for the crew. Lt. Charles Shulman describes the cooperative project between the Navy and private industry to manufacture a "radar range," which cooks a frozen turkey in eighteen minutes.

This program is a behind-the-scenes film featuring the people and activities at Johns Hopkins Hospital between 9:00 PM and 9:00 AM. Lad Grapski, assistant director of administrative services at the hospital, discusses the various roles of the hospital staff: guards, accountants, switchboard operators, cleaning crew, and maintenance men. Electrician Vincent Tomasetti demonstrates his procedure in making an electrical repair in the operating room of the Halsted Clinic. Pediatrician Dr. Thomas Reichelderzfer represents the professionals at the Harriet Lane Home children's hospital. Members of the emergency accident room staff include the registrar, x-ray technician, operating room nurses, and surgeons. In the obstetrics ward of the Women's Clinic, nurses tend to newborn babies. Cook Waverly Jennings notes that the hospital's food staff prepares 4,200 meals a day for patients and employees. Dr. Harry L. Chant, assistant director for professional services, comments on other continuous hospital functions, such as preparing for skin grafts or other surgeries.

Lynn Poole briefly explains Copernicus's theory and the difference between revolution and rotation. Malcolm Davies, author of "A Geographic Gadgeteer" and instructor at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, proves to viewers that the earth rotates and revolves. He starts a pendulum swinging along a line in the studio, like Foucault's 1851 experiment, and returns to it at the end of the program to show that the room has rotated about 3 degrees during the half hour. During the rest of the show, he demonstrates a Trippensee planetarium, explains why water funnels in a counter-clockwise spiral in the northern hemisphere, and describes how a monkey wrench dropped into a mine shaft drifts to the east before landing because of the earth's rotation. He then explains how the earth revolves in orbit around the sun, mentioning Frederich Wilhelm Bessel's 1838 theory of stellar positions based on astronomer James Bradley's observations. Davies also simulates the approach of meteors at difference times of the day to demonstrate the earth's revolution around the sun.