Horizon – 1980
Episodes
The Ghost Of The Amoco Cadiz
Documentary examination of the causes and conditions of the sinking of the Amoco Cadiz oil-tanker, in 1978.
You Are Old, Father William
Documentary examination on the process of ageing and some things that can be done about the problems of senility in old people.
Cleared for Take-Off
Documentary which looks at the danger points in flying an airliner on a routine flight from Gatwick to Los Angeles. Danger points are identified and we see research into airtraffic control, aircraft design, the role of the stewardess, avoiding mid-air collisions, electronic flight desks, whirlwind vortices and a new fuel additive that may virtually eliminate the instant conflagrations.
A Sporting Chance
Documentary on the ways in which athletes from different countries prepare for the Olympic Games and the artificial methods of improving performance, drugs and physiological methods
The Cancer Detectives of Lin Xian
Documentary film on cancer research in the remote Chinese valley of Lin Xian where the population suffers more than 100 times the incidence of oesophagal cancer than normal.
The Big If...
About Interferon, a drug made from human blood cells, thought to be capable of controlling viruses and cancer
Cash from Trash
Explores the potential in recycling rubbish in terms of energy and other resources
Encounter with Jupiter
Documentary on the space voyages of Nasa robot space craft Voyager 1 & 2 and their photographic records of the planet Jupiter.
Portrait of a Poison
Documentary report on the mounting evidence of the horrifying effects of the use of dioxin as a defoliant in Vietnam and as a herbicide in domestic use on both humans and all other living beings.
Magnet Earth
Looks at what is known about the earth's magnetic field, how it affects the world's organisms and in particular at recent research in this field.
Goodbye Gutenberg
Documentary on the "information revolution" the advances made in the methods of electronic storage and display of information, and the effects of these advances on democracy, language, national boundaries, bureaucracy and privacy.
Invasion of the Virions
Investigates various virus infections ranging from smallpox and rabies down to influenza and the common cold. The way they function and the reasons the body builds up resistance to some and not to others.
Beyond the Milky Way
Astronomers are seen at work in the UK, Arizona, Hawaii, New Mexico and Australia, describing their discoveries about the galaxies beyond the Milky Way.
Little Boxes
Documentary about industrial design and the effect it has on the look of everyday life. Dieter Rams, Tom Woolfe, Etore Sottsass and Raymond Loewy are among the designers talking about their work .
The Other Kenya
Looks at the contrasts in Kenya between the tourist image and the hardship caused by development. In particular, considers the lives of three family groups native to the country and the poverty they are forced to live in by the Kenyan economy geared to the West.
Moving Still
The new perspectives which can be gained on the natural world through time-lapse and high-speed photography. Includes footage of droplets of water merging in mid-air, a bullet spiralling up its barrel toward you, a wet dog shaking its fur, flowers bursting open, starfish scurrying on the sea floor, and spark plugs spreading their fire.
The Way Out
Documentary about London Transport and the decline in its services over the year s. It receives less subsidy than an comparable transport system in the world, but would more GLC aid improve the service?
The Dead Sea Lives
Explains, within a historical context, how Israel and Jordan are trying to make use of the Dead Sea. Its mineral-rich waters are being harnessed by scientists and engineers to produce such diverse products as protein, potash and cheap energy .
Once in a Million Years
Documentary on nuclear energy and the efforts of scientists to contain and control the high risk factors involved with plutonium and uranium.
Smoker's Luck
Documentary about smoking and about the secondary effects of it. Britain leads the world in smoking deaths at 200 per day. The film looks at prognosis of deat h and at the chances of those who give up smoking of dying of the effects.
Behind the Horoscope
Documentary looking at the scientific facts about the growing cult of Astrology. In this report, Horizon looks at the way astrology has evolved and examines statistical evidence to evaluate its credibility.
The Mondragon Experiment
Documentary on the twenty-five year old experimental industrial set-up in the Spanish city of Mondragon where most of the factories and laboratories are co-operativetively owned and run by a workers committee.
The Spike
Documentary about epilepsy, showing epileptic fits as they occur and explaining what the onlooker should and should not do. Sufferers describe their experiences of the disease and consultant neurologist and psychiatrist, Dr. Peter Fenwick, offers a scientific interpretation.
The Slatemakers
Documentary on the slatemaking industry of North Wales, now a dying craft, and the people involved with it.
Anatomy of a Volcano
Chronicles the efforts of geologists throughout the summer of 1980 to study the recently erupted volcano Mt. Saint Helens in Washington State, USA.