With the courtesy and permission of the Dept. of Navy's Bureau of Ships, the Dept. of Defense, and the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), this program unveils the Nautilus, an atomic submarine that can dive deeper and travel faster and further than any previous vessel. Lynn Poole describes the cramped conditions of a submarine crew and how they must be both physiologically and psychologically fit. Capt. Whelchel, from the Office of Chief Naval Operations, describes the disadvantages of a conventional submarine: inefficient design for operating beneath water, need to surface frequently to recharge batteries, and noise of its engines. He explains how the atomic submarine overcomes these inefficiencies. Mr. Poole reads from the Dec. 1944 Wartime Atomic Project report that suggested the government should initiate and push research and studies for nuclear sources for propulsion of Naval vessels. Film footage shows President Harry Truman speaking at the keel laying of the Nautilus. Donald Lockridge of the Atomic Energy Commission discusses the workings of the nuclear reactor in the Nautilus. This technology has major applications for new developments in the powering of many other operations in the future.

Using a skeleton, Dr. Nachlas discusses the body's skeletal system and explains how bones' rigidity protects the body's vital organs and offers attachment for muscles. He shows how a broken bone must have approximate broken edges, proper alignment of broken pieces, and immobilization of the bones in order to heal properly. Since plaster casts cannot always accomplish this, Dr. Nachlas details how bones can be splinted and immobilized internally with such metals as vitalium, tantalum, and stainless steel, which do not corrode or cause infection. He shows an x-ray of fractured leg bones held in place by long, stainless steel rods running down the marrow cavities. He also describes the correction of a difficult forearm fracture using a rod and interviews the woman who had the operation to correct this problem to prove how the metal rod strengthened and straightened her arm. Dr. Nachlas gives another example of how a fragment of bone was replicated with vitalium.

Using a rocket model, Lynn Poole reviews how, as fuel is consumed, it lifts in stages and ultimately goes into free flight. He then shows a film of the rocket crew's view from space. Colonel Flickinger, Director of Human Factors of the Air Force Research and Development Command, explains selection and training of the crew for outer space. He then shows an artist's conception of a space flight simulator that will monitor the crew's vital signs under physiological stress. He discusses the importance of the crew's emotional durability and shows an artist's rendering of a sealed cabin simulator and a five-crew centrifuge. Commander Phoebus, of the Medical Corps of the U. S. Navy, explains explosive decompression and describes the differences between partial and full pressure suits, as worn by such fliers as Charles Yeager and modelled by servicemen in the studio. He also shows a navigation simulator particular to space flight and discusses how crew train to move outside the space vehicle.

This program consists of experiments to prove the facts of science and disprove the myths. For example, a copper penny is not a good substitute for an electrical fuse because the fuse is insurance against an overload, and a penny will overheat the wires and cause a fire. Dr. Richard Lazarus points out that not all psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental illness and abnormal behavior. He explains the difference between a psychiatrist and a psychologist and the various interests in the latter's field, such as market research, human engineering, learning styles, and stress reactions. Other misconceptions this program seeks to dispel are that small flies are "baby" flies (they're all in the adult stage); that spontaneous generation occurs, as believed by Hermann von Helmholtz in the 19th century; that people can be hypnotized against their will; that frozen body parts should be rubbed with snow; that ice always keeps things cold; that water can put out any fire; and other superstitions mentioned briefly.

In this first in a series of programs on space exploration, Dr. John Strong describes the layers of the earth's atmosphere. Heinz Haber discusses the problems that humans must overcome to travel in space. They will need to surmount oxygen deprivation, depressurization, ultraviolet and cosmic radiation, and zero gravity and weightlessness. Protecting man from these elements must be solved before manned space travel can occur.

In this third in a series of programs on space exploration, Dr. Wernher von Braun, rocket expert, explains and demonstrates a three-stage rocket and its role in the construction of a three-story space station, which will be a launch pad for trips to the moon. He shows viewers both a prototype space station model and moon rocket model and an animated version of the workings of the two.

Explorations of the upper atmosphere are made through telemetering or the measuring of remote objects from afar. Rockets take these measuring devices into the upper atmosphere to measure cosmic ray intensity, fuel consumption, oil pressure, air speed, altitude, and the magnitude of the earth's magnetic field. Receivers on earth will retrieve the measurements transmitted from space through a radio link. Current uses of this information aid in the development of guided missiles.

This program discusses the scientific and business uses of computers, such as calculating 1950 census data for the U. S. Bureau of Census. It also shows the assembly of UNIVAC (universal automatic computer) at the Remington Rand plant. Dr. John W. Mauchly explains and demonstrates how a computer works, including creation of the magnetic tapes that give instruction to a computer. The program concludes that no, a computer cannot think.

This program tells the story of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, the men who drafted the document, the printing of it, and its travels between states under adverse conditions, including its transference to Fort Knox during World War II. Finally, Dr. Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress, asked for construction of a display case. On Constitution Day, September 17, 1951, the Constitution and Declaration of Independence were finally sealed in helium in an airtight glass envelope. Film clips show the ceremony and speakers, including President Harry S. Truman, Senator Theodore F. Green of Rhode Island, Chief Justice Fred M. Vincent, and Rev. Frederick Brown Harris, chaplain of Congress. The National Bureau of Standards developed the method for preservation after researching conditions promoting deterioration of parchment, and a reconstruction of their preservation process is explained.

Gravitational forces affect humans in air flight by restricting blood flow. The human centrifuge is used to conduct studies on the effect of gravitational forces on airplane pilots, which can lead to developments in airplane design.