Tuesday, January 9
8-9 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"NOVAscienceNOW"

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson hosts this science newsmagazine. Today's reports are about advances in aging research, the possibility of space elevators, uncovering a 2,000-year-old Mayan ruin, and "talking" bacteria. Tyson introduces viewers to the engineers, physicists, dreamers and wacky garage inventors all competing to design a 22,000-mile cable that could one day transport people and payloads into outer space. The concept is fairly simple, comparable to the effect achieved when spinning a yo-yo over your head, only you'd be making a planet-sized yo-yo, in this case. First, launch a satellite to geosynchronous orbit. Then, lower a cable or ribbon, and attach it to a platform at sea. But can scientists ever find a material strong enough to make this a viable option? Is there a fountain of youth? How close are scientists to developing a pill that could extend the human lifespan? Only one in 10,000 people will defy all the odds and live a long, healthy 100 years. A study of one remarkable group of centenarians reveals they have not exactly been following doctor's orders???instead giving tantalizing testimonials outlining dubious diets of french fries, red meat and Scotch. Family histories of longevity point to something special that protects these individuals from the environment and their own excesses. Now, scientists are tapping human and animal genetic codes for insight into the processes that cause aging, and the possibility of reengineering them to extend the human lifespan, so that a life-prolonging elixir might some day be available to the rest of us. The program series then heads to Guatemala with an American archaeologist who escaped death in the deep jungle and made a discovery that is revolutionizing archaeology. He figured out what appears to be a surefire way to uncovering new sites for ruins in the rainforest by using Space Age NASA satellite imaging technology. This results in a virtual mapping of Maya ruins that have been there for centuries, which is like a treasure map, or a roadmap to ruins. Finally, is there such a thing as bilingual bacteria? The program introduces a woman who has been called the bacteria whisperer, Princeton molecular biology professor Bonnie Bassler. She's a leading researcher in the study of quorum sensing, or bacterial communication. She has discovered a language that practically all bacteria use to communicate, and if she can just master that language, she thinks she can create new drugs that could prevent and stop the spread of bacterial disease

Site: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova

Tuesday, January 9
9-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"FRONTLINE: News War - Secrets, Sources & Spin"

A four-hour special, "News War," this documentary examines the political, cultural, legal and economic forces challenging the news media today and how the press has reacted in turn. Through interviews with key figures in the print and electronic media over the past four decades - and with unequaled, behind-the-scenes access to today's most important news organizations - it races the recent history of American journalism, from the Nixon administration's attacks on the media to the post-Watergate popularity of the press to the new challenges presented by the war on terror and other global forces now changing - and challenging - the role of a free press in our society. In the first two hours of the "News War" series, correspondent Lowell Bergman interviews the major players in today???s high-profile debates over the role of the press: reporters' controversial use of anonymous sources and the legal jeopardy they face for refusing to name their sources when subpoenaed; clashes between journalists who believe the public has a right to know information about secret government programs and an administration that believes publishing that information jeopardizes national security. The program also examines how conservatives, including the president and vice-president, view the press as a liberal-leaning special interest group incapable of reporting undistorted facts. It also examines the challenges faced by journalists and casts a critical eye on how journalists have responded to those challenges.

Log on http://www.pbs.org/frontline

Wednesday, January 10
8-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Science

Middle and High School

"Science Investigators"

Does anyone own the Internet? Do robots have feelings? Why does a rice plant have more genes than we do? These are the questions asked in a new science series, "Science Investigators". Part "Mythbusters," part "CSI" - with a dose of The Matrix - the show will provide answers presented by four lively young hosts, armed with the latest gadgets and technology. They also ask what can DNA from a more than 30,000-year-old Neanderthal man tell us about ourselves? Are vanishing frogs an early warning sign of hazards to come? Why is the knuckleball one of the most mind-boggling pitches in baseball? Will bacteria be used to power iPods in the future? SI also tells the moving story of an injured Iraq war veteran searching for a better bionic arm. Finally, are NASCAR drivers ready for a new kind of racecar-one that's all electric?

Log on http://www.pbs.org/si

Wednesday, January 10
9-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: Geography and World History

Middle and High School

"China From The Inside"

This is a broadcast of the initial two episodes of a documentary series that explores China through Chinese eyes to see how their history has shaped them - and where their present is taking them. In the first episode, "Power and the People", shows how the Communist Party exert control over 1.3 billion Chinese. Episode two, "Women of the Country" - reports that Chinese women are beginning to fight for their rights and their futures. This hour shows discrimination against Xinjiang's Muslim women, various hardships faced by Tibetan women and the status of some of those who have left the countryside for factory work in the cities.

Log on to take an online quiz to find out how much you know about China. http://www.pbs.org/chinainside

Thursday, January 11
9-10 p.m. E/P

History Channel

Subjects: American History and Economics

Middle and High School

"Decoding The Past: Secrets Of The Dollar Bill"

What do the symbols and numbers on the dollar bill actually mean? This documentary looks at the meaning and symbolism at play in the bill's design. Extraordinary strands of numerology are interwoven into the bill's structure, which, on analysis, suggest surprising hidden alignments. Why does it look the way it does and how has it changed through the ages? The program analyzes the significance of changes in the bill's appearance over time and examine alternative designs ??? and also looks at the historical context of the bill's conception--what the dollar bill set out to represent--the patriotism and idealism of a young republic; and goes inside the Treasury's Department of Printing and Engraving for exclusive access to the presses and the people who process the millions upon millions of dollars in circulation. Rating: TVPG

Thursday, January 11
10-11 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: American History and Economics

Middle and High School

"New Edens Lost And Found: Los Angeles ??? A Different City"

This documentary series showcases environmental issues in American cities. This episode is about Los Angeles where mog and pollution are household words. Its citizens have said "enough." TreePeople, founded by Andy Lipkis, is leading the campaign to plant one million trees in the next decade. Friends of the L.A. River and the Rivers & Mountains Conservancy, determined to see the return of steelhead salmon in their lifetimes, are reclaiming the Los Angeles River. To everyone's surprise, Los Angeles is discovering mass transit. Darrell Clarke, executive director of Friends of the Expo Line, has spent nearly two decades convincing the city to build the first east-west light rail line in Los Angeles in 50 years. Adult mentors in the Girls Today Women Tomorrow work with the girls of Boyle Heights, teaching them about nutrition, exercise and their Latina culture. The community-based program also provides college scholarships in a neighborhood where the drop-out rate is close to 50 percent. Los Angeles is even planning a 26-acre downtown park, thanks to the philanthropic generosity and vision of Eli Broad. Other green projects are being promoted by the city's mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa, who understands that environmental justice, public health and quality of life are all integral as Los Angeles citizens "dream a different city." TV-PG

Friday, January 12
8-9 p.m. E/P

Discovery Times Channel

Subjects: American and World History

Middle and High School

"Hitler's Secret War On America"

Our time in history isn't the only period that America has faced the threat of airplane attack. As this documentary explains, more than 50 years before the September 11th attack on America, German leader Adolf Hitler was forging an eerily similar plan that called for German fighter planes to target Manhattan's skyscrapers. TV Rated PG

Friday, January 12
9-10 p.m. E/P

PBS

Subjects: American History and Social Science

Middle and High School

"Generation Next: Speak Up And Be Heard"

This program takes an RV on a cross-country journey to talk to and profile sixteen 25-year-olds about their views on life, the future of the country, social activities, technology and other topics, comparing and contrasting them with previous generations. Some compare well, some not so well. A video kiosk in the RV polls the generation, vignettes of which are on the Web site below. Judy Woodruff hosts. TV-PG

Log on to explore online timelines about the events that have shaped the lives of Generation Next. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/generation-next

Saturday, January 13
9-10 p.m. E/P

Animal Planet Channel

Subjects: Science

Elementary, Middle and High School

"Ants! - Nature's Secret Power"

This documentary shows how ants wage wars and administer medicines. They live in a world of coded communications and lightning chains of command, secret poison mixtures and prodigious strength. They have inhabited our planet for millions of years. Rated TV-G