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Home » Programs » Bill Nye the Science ... » Genes

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Genes (#526)

Did you know that humans have about 80,000 genes? And that genes determine everything from hair and eye color to whether or not you can roll your tongue? It's all in the genes you inherited from your mother and father (23 pairs to be exact). Join Bill as he explores the chromosomal world of DNA.

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Education Record Rights: Recording/duplication allowed as long as IPTV broadcasts the series.

This show aired...

Program Description: Bill Nye knows how to provide easy access to hard science. What's his secret? A fast-paced approach blending humor and hands-on activities. Bill encourages kids to ask interesting questions...then shows them how to discover fascinating answers. Enlist the Science Guy's help when it comes to teaching a range of subjects such as Health, Math, Nature, and Environmental issues.

All Upcoming Episodes

  • Heart (#524)

  • Earth's Crust (#501)

    Bill goes to the depths of the earth (literally) to explain how the Earth's surface and its inner mantle differ. Closed Captioning

  • Gravity (#502)

    Have you ever wondered what holds the ocean on the Earth? Or what makes the Earth round? Perhaps you've thought about what holds humans to the ground? Bill provides the explanation for these and other questions about the earth's gravity. Closed Captioning

  • Digestion (#503)

    Bill explains to viewers how the body's digestive system is like a fine-tuned machine that turns food into energy. He demonstrates the process with a steam engine that runs on cornflakes. Closed Captioning

  • Magnetism (#504)

    In this attracting and not-too-repelling program, Bill shows all kinds of unexpected places where magnets can be found. In fact, the Earth itself is a huge magnet! Find out how to make a compass and why opposites attract. Closed Captioning

  • Chemical Reactions (#505)

    Have a blast watching the explosive examples Bill uses to explain that everything is made of chemicals. Guest star Candace Cameron ('Full House') shares the lab with Bill and shows that fire is actually a chemical reaction. Together, they extinguish a 'tornado of fire.' Closed Captioning

  • Food Web (#506)

    Watch Bill become tangled in a complex food web in his quest to demonstrate that all living things depend on other living things to survive. Closed Captioning

  • Light Optics (#507)

    You won't believe your eyes when the Science Guy reflects, refracts, bends, bounces, absorbs, and pulls light waves to show how things can be seen in different ways. Using lenses, mirrors, and water, Bill's optical illusions are sights to behold. Closed Captioning

  • The Sun (#508)

    Bill sheds light on solar flares, eclipses, sunspots, fusion, and solar energy, and visits an enormous solar energy farm outside Sacramento, California, to demonstrate how the sun is the source of energy for all living things on Earth. Closed Captioning

  • Atmosphere (#509)

    The Science Guy talks about atmosphere, its five different levels, and how it protects the Earth. Bill soars into the heavy topic of atmospheric air pressure and radio waves. Closed Captioning

  • Respiration (#510)

    Bill gets aerobic about the importance of respiration when he jogs, bikes, swims, and scuba dives. Discover how to measure how much air each breath contains and make a model lung in a nifty home experiment. See a demonstration of how cigarette smoke can infiltrate and injure lungs. Closed Captioning

  • The Planets (#511)

    Bill goes planet gazing and takes a serious look at Jupiter's features, Earth's elliptical orbit, and the distances between planets. A cool home demo shows how to make Mars soil. Closed Captioning

  • Plants (#512)

    The Science Guy branches out and gets to the root of the matter to explain wild things about plants such as how they breathe, make food, defend themselves, and move their seeds around. Closed Captioning

  • Evolution (#513)

    Bill compares primordial to present when he dabbles with Darwin and looks at his genes in this evolutionary episode. Explore the surprising similarities shared by all living things and ponder the possibility that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Closed Captioning

  • Friction (#514)

    Bill illustrates how various types of transportation utilize friction, from the use of traction in trains and the 'roll' of ball bearings in skateboards and automobiles, to the lack of friction in a hovercraft. Closed Captioning

  • Climates (#515)

    Bill delivers hot sand from Saudi Arabia and bananas from humid Costa Rica, all to explain how different climates are created and how they affect our planet. Closed Captioning

  • Ocean Life (#516)

    The Science Guy knows everyone who's anyone in the ocean's food chain, from the tiny, meek species at the bottom, all the way to the large, ferocious species at the top. Bill goes underwater to talk about ocean ecosystems and the importance of small organisms such as coral, plankton, and kelp. Closed Captioning

  • Mammals (#517)

    They're (sometimes) big, they're hairy, and they're warm-blooded. From human being to moose and from cats to rats, Bill explains what it takes to be in the mammal family. Closed Captioning

  • Populations (#518)

    A peep of chickens, a pride of lions, a gaggle of geese, and a crowd of people. What do they all have in common? They're all populations! The Science Guy explores how these living groups compete for food, homes, and space. Closed Captioning

  • Earthquakes (#519)

    Thousands of earthquakes happen each year and Bill trembles in his boots when he explains what causes them. Find out what makes big pieces of the Earth's crust (the plates) move and what you should have on hand in case of a quake. He also visits with scientists who study and measure earthquakes. Closed Captioning

  • Pollution Solutions (#520)

    From cleaning our water to cleansing our air, Bill demonstrates how important it is for all humans to prepare for the future by recycling, researching, and developing innovative solutions to combat this 'way UN-cool' worldwide problem. Closed Captioning

  • Probability (#521)

    There is a good chance this will be one of Bill's best episodes! In fact, he'll probably make the complicated concept of probability very simple to understand, while showing how it allows us to predict events. Closed Captioning

  • Flowers (#522)

    The Science Guy, with the help of guest Drew Barrymore, shows that flowers are more than just pretty faces. They make seeds, play a key role in pollination, and help plants to reproduce. Closed Captioning

  • Deserts (#523)

    Bill travels to Arizona's stunning Sonoran desert--and has a close encounter of the camel kind--while exploring this unique ecosystem and demonstrating the special ways its native plants and animals flourish. Closed Captioning

  • Inventions (#525)

    All day long our lives are made easier by one invention or another, but we may not realize that not all inventions are carefully planned--some of the most valuable inventions come about by accident! Bill examines the process of inventing, with help from actor Samuel L. Jackson. Closed Captioning

Past Episodes

These episodes of Bill Nye the Science Guy aired in the last few months on Iowa Public Television.

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