Small amounts of money invested in scientific research have led to great benefits for mankind worth many times the initial investments. Great strides in research have brought about the development of the magnetic recorder, silica gel as a drying agent, coal power as an energy source for large motors, and the use of the spectroscope in the steel industry and astronomy.

Researchers design propellers for torpedoes so that they can go faster, farther, quieter and travel more accurately. Use of a water tunnel helps measure cavitation that aids in the design of propellers that will reduce cavitation to benefit U.S. naval operations.

The process of blood transfusion is explained as it passes from the donor to the blood bank to the recipient. The discovery that the addition of sodium citrate to blood will preserve blood and keep it from coagulating, led to the development of blood banks.

Fluorine is needed for healthy tooth growth and to prevent tooth decay. Studies show that areas with fluoridated water supplies have much less incidence of tooth decay in children. One part of fluorine added to a million parts of water is the optimum amount. Addition of fluorine does not affect the color, taste, odor, or turbidity of the water.

Scientific research at American universities has led to many important discoveries and applications during the first half of the twentieth century. Research on botulism, kidney function, human heat tolerance, x-rays and other topics from the University of California at Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, Indiana University and other institutions are featured.

Solar power is used by plants for creation of starch and sugar which releases oxygen into the air. This process is known as photosynthesis. Research into solar energy will lead to harnessing the energy from the sun to become a reliable source of power.

Dr. Abel Wolman describes the purpose of a university as a place to search for truth without interference. When research is in its initial stages, the information generated does not appear to have any useful application. By using case studies, the show demonstrates that basic research can have profound implications. Dr. Wolman provides some examples of how seemingly insignificant research can lead to important discoveries: Josiah Willard Gibbs, professor of theoretical physics; Henry A. Rowland, builder of the engine for ruling diffraction gratings; and Ira Remsen, developer of saccharine. Next, Dr. Francis Schwenkter describes recent medical inventions, instruments, and investigations that revolutionized the world: the circulation of spinal fluid, the properties of folic acid, and the treatment of blue babies, cancer, and rickets.

This program takes place during the meeting of the American Roentgen Ray Society in Washington, DC, where new developments in X-ray technology are exhibited. After Lynn Poole explains x-rays' discovery by William Roentgen (1895), their definition, and their use, Dr. Russell Morgan interviews three scientists from the conference. Dr. E.S. Gurdjian, a Wayne State University radiologist, describes types of automobile accidents and shows how x-rays can demonstrate the severity of skull fractures at different speeds. Dr. Wallace Tirman, of Caylor Nichol Institute in Bluffton, Indiana, demonstrates a technique for using fine-grain film to make x-rays viewable under a microscope. These microradiographs show thin slices of body tissue for analysis on a diffraction x-ray unit. Dr. Jeffrey P. Moore, of Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, shows that inserting a needle into a patient's back and injecting an opaque material is a more direct method for x-raying the spinal column to diagnose cartilage problems.

A demonstration of automatic door openers powered by photoelectric cells highlight this presentation. The uses of the electric eye include the detection of impurities in food products and the separation of vegetables for size and quality.

Early detection is stressed throughout this series on cancer. In this program, Dr. Warfield M. Firor shows cross sectional slides of cancerous breasts, explains the nature of the disease in female breasts, and discusses research being done in this field. He guides the viewers through a film of breast surgery as it is being performed and discusses William S. Halsted's 1890 surgical procedure. Breast cancer survivors demonstrate their range of motion and muscle tone. For cancer recurrence, Dr. Firor recommends excision of the growth, hormone therapy, or x-ray therapy. He also addresses male cancer of the breast. The program concludes with a brief description of three cancer experiments being conducted by Johns Hopkins University researchers.