The Nature of Sex

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[edit] General Information

Health-Medical, Nature Documentary hosted by George Page and published by Channel 4, PBS in 1992 - English narration

[edit] Cover

[edit] Information

From the sea horse that mates in an hypnotic underwater ballet to the rodent who copulates until he literally drops dead, THE NATURE OF SEX spans the globe to illustrate how an astonishing diversity of life forms find their mates and conceive, raise, and protect their offspring. This Web companion to the four-part series takes a close look at the primal instinct that causes animals to come together in order to pass along their genes to the next generation. We also examine how timing can be key in the mating process, and how varied sex contracts create not only new life, but diversity, in both animals and humans.

[edit] The Primal Instinct

"All nature's creatures," the British novelist Graham Swift once wrote, "join to express nature's purpose." And that purpose is illustrated in delightful and sometimes dizzying detail in NATURE's THE NATURE OF SEX. As Part 1: THE PRIMAL INSTINCT shows, birds, bees, and even barnacles and naked mole rats are driven to join forces to reproduce and pass along their genes to the next generation.

[edit] A Time and a Place

There is nothing more romantic than a moonlit night. So goes many a love song. But for animals from bat rays to wriggling, seagoing palolo worms, the moon is more than a romantic backdrop -- it's a key signal that the time has come to mate. Such sexual signals are the focus of A TIME AND A PLACE, Part 2 of NATURE's THE NATURE OF SEX. From the changing phases of the moon to subtle chemical surges, the program outlines the many cues that trigger sexual activity. Indeed, without these landmarks, many animals would send their newborns into the world at the wrong place and wrong time, with little chance of survival.

[edit] The Sex Contract

Every year, millions of brides and grooms promise to love and care for each other 'till death do they part. It's a profound promise. But marriage is also just one of the natural world's many mating arrangements, as THE SEX CONTRACT, Part 3 of NATURE's THE NATURE OF SEX shows. Throughout nature, males and females negotiate a wide range of carefully made plans for conceiving and raising offspring.

[edit] The Human Animal

Was it his eyes or hair? Was it her nose or smile? People don't always know what attracted them to a potential mate. But it is certain that the roots of that attraction reach far back into the human past, when our ancestors were foraging You will need QuickTime 3 or above to view this clip. across some African plain. As explained in SEX AND THE HUMAN ANIMAL, Part 4 of NATURE's THE NATURE OF SEX, our sexual behavior evolved to improve the odds that our offspring would survive to have their own children.

[edit] A Miracle in the Making

This fifth volume of PBS's THE NATURE OF SEX series continues with its illuminating look at the natural drive for sexual relations. The episode focuses on the variety of ways animals deal with mating, child bearing and birth.
In this episode, the filmmakers turn their sights on the complicated human species. So many choices, so little time, might be the mantra of modern man. The role that changing social mores play in sexual behavior is examined. There is a humorous, insightful look at human sexual attraction, from perfumes and clothing to money and power. From pheromones to the tango, the human animal proves to be a very interesting subject.

[edit] The Young Ones

This final segment in PBS's landmark nature series, THE NATURE OF SEX, finishes up the educational fun by focusing on the result of sex -- children. Exploring the bond between parent and child, "The Young Ones" is a positive, illuminating look at the glorious product of the natural drive for sex.
TIn this final chapter of the series, the subject is the fruit of sexual relations: the young ones. Spectacular wildlife photography captures the birth and care of the progeny of animal species. There are heartwarming shots of wild creatures, who gently and patiently teach their offspring the necessary skills to survive. Whether there is just one baby or a litter of twelve, parents forge strong bonds with their young.