Social Studies

In 1906 in America it was first discovered that humans could transmit typhoid fever. This is a dramatization of the outbreak and a profile of Irish cook Mary Mallon, known as 'Typhoid Mary'. Quarantined against her will, the story reveals the newfound power of health officials to protect the masses, often at the expense of personal liberties

Seldom has society come full circle in the cycle of a disease- from illness, to epidemic, to cure. Polio is the 20th century's most notable exception. First appearing in the United States in 1916, the disease crippled tens of thousands of children every summer until it was finally eradicated by the Salk vaccine beginning in 1954.

What can we learn from other cultures about food and nutrition? Some countries share our love for food yet manage to avoid our epidemic of obesity. How do they do it? By studying how other cultures eat, we can gain some useful (and tasty) ideas to adapt to our own needs.

One result of increased global trade and travel is that we all have multi-cultural stomachs. This video examines the multi-cultural origins of many foods and unearths a few surprises. Viewers learn chili isn't Mexican, spaghetti and meatballs is uniquely American, chop suey doesn't exist in China, and sauerkraut was a Chinese invention.

The National Football League, a multibillion-dollar commercial juggernaut, presides over America's indisputable national pastime. But the NFL is under assault as thousands of former players claim the league has covered up football's connection to long-term brain injuries.

Jin Mo-young’s film My Love, Don't Cross that River documents the final years of a South Korean couple, 89-year-old Kang Gye-Yeol and 98-year-old Jo Byeong-Man, who have been married for 76 years. The film, which follows the couple over 15 months, explores the complex and often challenging experience of growing old and facing death.