The Rise of a Wonder Drug

March 18, 1986

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NOVA - S13 - E9

When Alexander Fleming discovered the penicillin mold in 1928, he never considered its possible therapeutic value. NOVA explores the "Fleming myth" and reveals the true story of the scientists who worked behind the scenes to develop the wonder drug of the century.

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NOVA: Season 13 - 21 Episode s

13x1 - Halley's Comet: Once in a Lifetime
January 21, 1986
NOVA observes worldwide preparations as amateur comet hunters, astronomers and scientists armed with specialized cameras, high powered telescopes and spacecraft look to the heavens in search of the expected arrival in 1986 of Halley's Comet.
13x2 - Goddess of the Earth
January 28, 1986
Gaia, the Greek word for Earth goddess, also is the name of the controversial hypothesis that life on Earth controls the environment. NOVA explores this provocative theory that challenges conventional ways of thinking about the Earth.
13x3 - Horsemen of China
February 4, 1986
For centuries, the Chinese Kazakh horseman preserved their ancient traditions, refusing to be dominated by either the Chinese or nearby Russian cultures. Today, however, this nomadic tribe has integrated communism into its way of life. NOVA traces the ancient Kazahk lifestyle and looks at how the Chinese cultural Revolution has modernized Kazakh customs.
13x4 - Life's First Feelings
February 11, 1986
NOVA explores the incredibly complex emotional development of infants and examines the current theory that early childhood psychological intervention can head off emotional problems later in life.
13x5 - The Case of the Frozen Addict
February 18, 1986
In July 1982, a 42-year-old addict in a San Jose, California jail became paralyzed—unable to move or talk. His symptoms, caused by a bad batch of synthetic heroin, were indistinguishable from those associated with Parkinson's disease, a degenerative nerve disorder that strikes the elderly. NOVA traces the story of a "designer" drug which could lead to a major medical breakthrough.
13x6 - Toxic Trials
February 25, 1986
When a high number of cancer cases struck the suburban community of Woburn, Massachusetts, the town mobilized to investigate why. The result was a landmark study of the effects of hazardous wastes. NOVA explores the legal and scientific implications of the link between environmental pollution and illness.
13x7 - Skydive to the Rain Forest
March 4, 1986
NOVA journeys to a remote region of southern Venezuela where the land is alive with spectacular waterfalls, colored by exotic flowers and inhabited by rare species of birds and animals.
13x8 - Return of the Osprey
March 11, 1986
NOVA follows a conservation success story as environmentalists, scientists and bird-lovers fight to save the majestic Osprey from extinction.
13x9 - The Rise of a Wonder Drug
March 18, 1986
When Alexander Fleming discovered the penicillin mold in 1928, he never considered its possible therapeutic value. NOVA explores the "Fleming myth" and reveals the true story of the scientists who worked behind the scenes to develop the wonder drug of the century.
13x10 - When Wonder Drugs Don't Work
March 25, 1986
NOVA examines the medical community's alarm as the spread of antibiotic-resistant infection increases, and studies how one hospital fights its own dramatic epidemic.
13x11 - Visions of Star Wars
April 22, 1986
NOVA and Frontline combine resources to explore the Strategic Defense Initiative. The two-hour documentary contains the most comprehensive information on "Star Wars" ever produced. Bill Kurtis of WBBM-TV/Chicago hosts.
13x12 - The Search for the Disappeared
October 14, 1986
NOVA joins scientists in Argentina as they help locate kidnapped children and identify thousands of dead in the aftermath of a military reign of terror.
13x13 - The Planet that Got Knocked on its Side
October 21, 1986
The adventures of the Voyager 2 spacecraft continue as it passes the rings of Uranus. Scientists suspect that violent events in the early history of the planet may have shaped Uranus and its strange collection of moons.
13x14 - High-Tech Babies
November 4, 1986
Scientific breakthroughs now make it possible to reproduce ourselves in ways never before imagined. NOVA looks at the medical, legal and moral questions raised by this brave new technology.
13x15 - Can AIDS Be Stopped?
November 11, 1986
What are the prospects for halting or curing the deadliest epidemic ever to challenge modern medicine? NOVA finds cause for both hope and alarm in the battle against AIDS.
13x16 - Is Anybody Out There?
November 18, 1986
Could there be life beyond Earth? Only recently has it become possible to scan the skies in a systematic attempt to find out. NOVA joins the search with guest host Lily Tomlin.
13x17 - Mystery of the Animal Pathfinders
November 25, 1986
Birds do it; bees do it, butterflies, bats and eels do it—all leave one habitat to migrate to another, often thousands of miles away. NOVA penetrates the mystery of where animals migrate, why and how they get there.
13x18 - Are You Swimming in a Sewer?
December 2, 1986
NOVA dips into the sad plight of our coastal waters, where toxic chemicals, raw sewage and disease-carrying microbes are routinely dumped.
13x19 - Sail Wars!
December 9, 1986
Yankee ingenuity has designs on the America's Cup. NOVA goes behind-the-scenes to look at the engineering effort to design a technically advanced sailboat.
13x20 - Leprosy Can Be Cured!
December 16, 1986
Leprosy, a misunderstood disease that has been curable for 40 years, still afflicts some 12 million people. NOVA looks at the tragedy of the disease that need not be.
13x21 - How Babies Get Made
January 13, 1987
NOVA explores the ground-breaking experiments that led to the discovery of a tiny sequence of molecules—and more clues to the mystery of how a complete baby develops from a single cell.

13x1 - Halley's Comet: Once in a Lifetime

13x2 - Goddess of the Earth

13x3 - Horsemen of China

13x4 - Life's First Feelings

13x5 - The Case of the Frozen Addict

13x6 - Toxic Trials

13x7 - Skydive to the Rain Forest

13x8 - Return of the Osprey

13x9 - The Rise of a Wonder Drug

13x10 - When Wonder Drugs Don't Work

13x11 - Visions of Star Wars

13x12 - The Search for the Disappeared

13x13 - The Planet that Got Knocked on its Side

13x14 - High-Tech Babies

13x15 - Can AIDS Be Stopped?

13x16 - Is Anybody Out There?

13x17 - Mystery of the Animal Pathfinders

13x18 - Are You Swimming in a Sewer?

13x19 - Sail Wars!

13x20 - Leprosy Can Be Cured!

13x21 - How Babies Get Made

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