Hello Educators,

Next week NOVA airs a repeat broadcast of "Hunting the Hidden Dimension." For descriptions of available website features please take a look at the NOVA Teachers Related Resources page at: http://www.pbs.org/nova/teachers/overviews/3514_fractals.html

Following "Hunting the Hidden Dimension," stay tuned for a brand new broadcast of NOVA scienceNOW that explores the controversies behind genetic testing and genome sequencing, teaches about algae fuel, follows an expedition to the Arctic Ocean seafloor, and introduces a woman engineer who designs prosthetic limbs controlled by human thought. (Subjects covered: health science, life science, Earth science, technology/engineering)

In the coming weeks:

Aug. 25 — Monster of the Milky Way (repeat)
http://www.pbs.org/nova/blackhole

Aug. 25 — NOVA scienceNOW: Episode 407
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Sept. 1 — Is There Life on Mars? (repeat)
http://www.pbs.org/nova/mars

Sept. 1 — NOVA scienceNOW: Episode 408
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Sept. 8 — Mystery of the Megavolcano (repeat)
http://www.pbs.org/nova/megavolcano

Regards,
Karen Hartley
Teachers Editor
NOVA Web Site
http://www.pbs.org/nova/teachers/
E-mail: NOVA_Teachers@wgbh.org

NOVA Presents "NOVA scienceNOW"
Broadcast: Tuesday, August 18, 2009
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/
(Check your local listings as broadcast dates and times may vary. This program has one-year off-air taping rights.)

Public Genomes
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0406/01.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online after the broadcast date. (QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Personal DNA Testing
Explore the controversies of Personal DNA Testing in a 12-minute video story and related content. (QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Four Tests
Learn about four types of genetic testing and take a poll about which, if any, of the procedures you would undergo yourself. (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Send in questions to George Church, founder of the Personal Genome Project, about why people should share their genetic information, how the project will sequence 100,000 people's genomes, what the implications of the effort could be, and more. (Questions due by Wednesday, August 19; selected responses will be posted on Monday, August 24.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Teacher's Guide
Find a classroom activity to accompany this video segment. (Grades 9-12)

Related Science News
Find recent stories on the Personal Genome Project and personal DNA testing. (Grades 9-12)

Algae Fuel
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0406/02.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online after the broadcast date. (QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

From Pond Scum to Power
Learn in this animated primer why algae and other plants make oil, how algae oil gets converted to biodiesel, and more. (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Send in questions about algae to biologist Kris Niyogi of the University of California, Berkeley. (Questions due by Wednesday, August 19; selected responses will be posted on Monday, August 24.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Mystery of the Gakkel Ridge
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0406/03.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online after the broadcast date. (QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Exploring the Arctic Seafloor
See in these videos and photos—some of the first imagery ever shot on the Arctic Ocean seabed—and find out what it is telling us about living at extremes. (QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required and Flash plug-in required) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Send in questions for Marine ecologist Tim Shank about the Gakkel Ridge, the 2007 Woods Hole expedition, and more. (Questions due by Wednesday, August 19; selected responses will be posted on Monday, August 24.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Profile: Yoky Matsuoka
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/0304/03.html

Watch Online
Watch this video segment online. (QuickTime or Windows Media plug-in required; downloadable version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Bionic Woman
Learn more about the bionic hand Yoky Matsuoka is working to create, how she came to embrace her inner scientist, and what she's doing to encourage young women to pursue scientific careers. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

Ask the Expert
Read Yoky Matsuoka's responses to viewer questions about her life, neurobotics, and more. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)


Podcasting and RSS
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/rss/

Find out how you can sign up for the NOVA scienceNOW podcast and RSS feed that will allow you to learn about features and dispatches as they are posted to the NOVA scienceNOW Web site. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)


Get Involved
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/involved/

Read science news headlines, join a research project, find teaching aids for NOVA scienceNOW, learn how to host a science cafe, pitch a show idea, and more. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)


Science News
http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow/involved/news.html

Keep current with the most important stories by reading the top science news articles from the mainstream media. Check back daily for the top stories. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)


Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, Pacific Life, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers.