The WORST episodes of The Nature of Things

Every episode of The Nature of Things ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of The Nature of Things!

Hosted by the world-renowned geneticist and environmentalist, David Suzuki, every week presents stories that are driven by a scientific understanding of the world.

Last Updated: 11/12/2024Network: CBC (CA)Status: Continuing
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#1 - Gutenberg Revisited / Diving Birds / Tulips

Season 23 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/20/1982

Gutenberg Revisited: A look at new developments in microelectronic information processing, focusing on the Telidon system, a Canadian invention offering two-way interactive television. Diving Birds: A look at adaptations in aquatic birds such as ducks and geese which allow them to make long dives under water. Tulips: An overview of the tulip industry in Holland.

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#2 - Hypnosis / India's Sacred Cows / Ultra Sound Scanner

Season 20 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/31/1979

Dr. David Suzuki reports on the use of hypnosis as a medical application and the use of ultra-sound waves for X-rays, and presents the film "Sacred Cows," dealing with the importance of domestic cattle to the Indian economy.

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#3 - Mount St. Helen

Season 21 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/8/1980

(Season Premiere) David Suzuki highlights the eruption of the Mount St. Helens volcano, the uses of hovercraft by the Canadian Coast Guard, new types of radar and the effects which a baseball has when it spins through the air.

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#4 - The Bare Necessity / Manatees / Ludhiana

Season 21 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/22/1980

Three films are featured: The Bare Necessity, dealing with the human skin; Manatees, concerning a unique vegetarian creature which lives in coastal waters, and Ludhiana, a profile of an Indian city which serves as the home base for 12,000 different business enterprises.

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#5 - Modern China (2)

Season 21 - Episode 7 - Aired 11/19/1980

The professional and recreational activities of the Chinese people are examined in a tour of their homes, factories and parks, as well as the palaces which were formerly the homes of Emperors.

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#6 - Survival Instincts of the Insect World / Sickle Cell Anemia

Season 21 - Episode 8 - Aired 11/26/1980

A magazine edition features items about the survival instincts of the insect world and the research currently being conducted in regard to sickle cell anemia.

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#7 - Invisible Astronomy

Season 21 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/3/1980

Host David Suzuki visits the Algonquin Park Observatory and the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as he reports on the use of radio astronomy and the search for extraterrestrial intelligent life. The work of the National Research Council in studying unusual wave formations, recent developments in the exploration of outer space through radio astronomy, and a visit with scientist Joel Hildebrand of the University of California are featured.

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#8 - Tar Sands

Season 21 - Episode 16 - Aired 3/4/1981

Documentary about the oil sands.

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#9 - Blackfly / Desalination / Memory - Come to think of it / Dr. Karl Illmensee

Season 21 - Episode 17 - Aired 3/11/1981

Blackfly: A look at the life cycle of the blackfly, and its effects in northern Canada and Africa. Desalination: A practical method of desalination using reverse osmosis is presented. Memory - Come to think of it (repeat): A look at recent research into the brain's memory capacities. Dr. Karl Illmensee: A look at the work being done by Dr. Karl Illmensee (de) at the University of Geneva to study the possibility of causing cancerous cells to revert back to normal cells.

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#10 - The Foxes' Earth

Season 21 - Episode 18 - Aired 3/25/1981

For centuries the people of the village of Huasicancha in Peru lived under the domination of others, from the last of the Inca rulers to the Spanish conquerors and subsequent regimes. How the people finally rose up to reclaim the poor land they farmed at a subsistence level is told in this documentary.

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#11 - The Last of Life / The Cajuns

Season 21 - Episode 19 - Aired 4/1/1981

The Last of Life: A look at geriatric medicine and some aspects of research into the biology of aging. The Cajuns: The descendants of Nova Scotia's Acadians and their lifestyle are profiled at their adopted home, the Bayou Lafourche in southern Louisiana.

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#12 - Reconnective Surgery / Shark Vision / Batteries

Season 22 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/14/1981

David Suzuki examines reconnective surgery and the vision capabilities of sharks, visits an irrigation project in India and explains the functions of batteries. The micro-surgery segment was taped in China and features Dr. Chen Chung Wei of the 6th People's Hospital in Shanghai. Dr. Chen is credited with pioneering the techniques now being practiced at Toronto's General hospital.

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#13 - Rabies in Ontario / Island of Coral / Hazards of Microwave Ovens

Season 22 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/21/1981

Steps being taken to combat rabies in Ontario, an Island of Coral which provides a home for some of the world's most unique creatures, and the advantages and hazards of microwave ovens.

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#14 - Edge of the Cold

Season 22 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/28/1981

David Parer's Australian examination of the wildlife on Macquarie Island, narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary.

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#15 - The Thoroughbred : A Magic Way of Going

Season 22 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/11/1981

A study of the genetic and biological development of thoroughbred horses, tracing the history of the animal from the time that horses were small creatures to the sleek, larger size animals they are today.

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#16 - Twins - And Then There Were Two

Season 22 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/18/1981

This is a special edition based on two half hour programs that first aired in 1978. Producer Heather Cook has revised and updated the original programs to include the latest research data in studies that have been continuing over long periods at various medical centres and universities in North America. The program explains how cells divide to produce twins and the differences between fraternal twins and identical twins.

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#17 - Flying Circus of Physics

Season 20 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/24/1979

Dr. David Suzuki visits an unusual professor who conducts a Flying Circus Of Physics, examines soft contact lenses made for extended periods of use and reports on the latest immunological efforts to treat severely afflicted children. - Premiere with David Suzuki as Host.

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#18 - Northern Games / Geothermal Energy / Ships of the Desert / Coriolis Effect

Season 23 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/27/1982

Northern Games: A look at the traditional games of the Inuit as they are practised 800 km north of the Arctic Circle, by youth in competition from communities across the North. Geothermal Energy: A look at how geothermal energy has been adapted to supply human needs on Iceland. Ships of the Desert: An exploration of the dromedary camel, adapted for life in the desert. Coriolis Effect: A brief explanation of the coriolis effect - what it is, how it is demonstrable, and its effect on weather.

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#19 - Bring Back My Bonnie

Season 23 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/3/1982

A look at recovery after strokes. In previous years, strokes were frequently fatal, and brain damage was seen as permanent. Now, all this is changing. It has been found that with therapy many stroke victims can recover some or even most of the functions they have lost.

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#20 - Long Point

Season 23 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/10/1982

Long point marsh is a sandspit on the Northern shore of Lake Erie. Discovered in 1670 by French explorers, this wildlife area has kept many of it's original features and is now an important habitat for many species of animals and migrating birds.

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#21 - Japan: The Superachievers (1)

Season 23 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/24/1982

The landmarks of Japanese science and technology since the end of World War II are highlighted in the first of two related programs. The ancient craft of Samurai swordmaking and computer based steel production are also examined.

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#22 - Japan: The Nation Family (2)

Season 23 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/1/1982

The everyday life of Japanese workers is traced through their values, their leisure activities and the mechanization of their factories.

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#23 - Edge of the Cold (2)

Season 23 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/15/1982

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation produced four half-hour films about the Macquarie Islands. This episode of The Nature of Things compiles two of them. The first was originally entitled 'Man the Hunter, Man the Keeper.' The second was originally entitled 'The Dominant Male.' The program looks at the delicate ecological balance which must be maintained for the populations of elephant seals and seabirds on the Macquarie Islands. Narrated by Sir Edmund Hillary.[347] The other two episodes were compiled into a Nature of Things broadcast of 28 October 1981.

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#24 - Newborn

Season 23 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/12/1983

A look at the first moments of an infant's life and its adaptation to the outside world.

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#25 - Decade of Delay / RH Laboratory / Hawaii Telescope

Season 23 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/19/1983

Decade of Delay: A look at what can be done to make cars safer, and an inquiry into why it is not being done. RH Laboratory: A visit to the special Rh. laboratory in Winnipeg, which was the world pioneer in combating Rh disease, an infant condition that results from the presence or absence of the rhesus factor in individual blood cells. Hawaii Telescope: A look at the telescope and observatory erected by a joint venture of Canada and France on Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii.