Educational Media Reviews Online

This video is part of the Advances in Science and Technology Series distributed by Chip Taylor Communications. According to the video container, each program in this series contains 4-6 segments that highlight different scientific advancements. The segments in this addition are as follows:

• Sugar Vaccine features a natural sugar trehalose that can be used as an inexpensive means of preserving and transporting vaccines to remote areas of the world. A vaccine can be suspended in the glassy substrate of this hardened sugar and remain stable without refrigeration until it can be administered to people in need.

• Biomesis is about a synthetic membrane modeled after a natural membrane found in our own arteries. This synthetic membrane is used to coat artificial devices used in the body. The coating keeps the body from detecting the device as a foreign object and subsequently keeps the body's immune system from reacting with the device and potentially causing blood clots.

• Pips & AIDS concerns the medicinal uses of pomegranate seeds. Substances from the seeds have been found to combat a range of viruses: common cold, herpes and polio. Researchers hope that these substances can also help fight the AIDS virus.

• Xenova is a small biotechnology company that is studying substances used as defense mechanisms by plants in the Amazon. Their hope is to isolate these chemicals, understand how they work, and use them as natural medicines for humans.

• Stomatex is a fabric developed by a dentist and wet suit manufacturer. This fabric is modeled after plants that release water vapor through their stomata. The fabric is honeycomb foam with a series of tiny porous chambers that release water vapor before it condenses. It has been used for exercise clothing and support bandages as well as a medium that helps accelerate the germination of seeds.

• Battery Blanket is about a high tech product that works like an electric blanket but without the inconveniences and risks. The blanket is made out a carbonite fabric called Gorex that evenly distributes heat and can be controlled to within one degree centigrade. The blanket works at a very low voltage, which means it can run by battery and is easily transported.

  Each segment this video is clearly delineated and the content of each is brief and informative. The video and audio quality are clear and well edited. The whole video is 30 minutes long, which makes it ideal for a class showing with time for discussion. Enough information is given so students can easily find more information in the magazine or journal literature using library databases. The content is appropriate for school, college, and public libraries serving middle school through lower division college students.

  Highly Recommended