A/V Geeks 16mm Lunch 3-27-2026

All right, now the webcam is not working. One second, please. I guess this is what we're going to do. Hi everybody, I'm Skip Mautner. Welcome to the AV Geeks Lunchtime Streaming Show, where I am always throwing a wrench into what I'm doing, all the time. That's just kind of what my how my brain works. Maybe it's steroid related or not, but I was trying to figure out how to do efficiently capture uh film strips, and I found this thing uh this Kodak Scanza. Uh Kodak did not make this, they just put their brand name on it. Um and the camera's not bad, but uh as you saw halfway through the uh unit shut down. So, I'm going to have to figure that out. But, um yeah, it feeds 35. It does I have to manually pull it through. But, um yeah, I'm going to be playing with that more. Uh let's go ahead and start off with the film, and then uh then we'll talk about the Toe Tapping Tournament 2026. This is electromagnet electromagnetism at work. Enjoy. Events of the past and present shape tomorrow. Our vital concern is you, today's youth, for our future depends on you. To untangle today's problems, we need to understand yesterday. We hope this film series will make you aware of the people, places, and events which have helped [music] shape our nation and our world. Manufacturers Hanover is pleased to sponsor this educational film, as a special service to schools in the New York City area. >> [music] >> 300 years ago, the great scientist [music] Sir Isaac Newton proposed that various colors of light were basically similar phenomena. About a century ago, another great English scientist, James Clerk Maxwell, suggested that all possible forms of electromagnetic energy, [music] from radio waves to light waves to the later discovered atomic [music] radiation, were similar wave phenomena. This program describes the various forms of electromagnetic energy [music] and how they have been applied to meet human needs. >> [music] >> Like ocean waves, long rolling swells, or short breakers on a beach, sunlight and other energy transmissions are basically wave-like in character. The various [music] types of energy transmissions, light, radio waves, and others, differ only in wavelengths, together making [music] up the electromagnetic spectrum. A pioneer in understanding radiant energy was Dutch-born physicist Wilhelm Röntgen. In 1895, experimenting with electrical discharges in a blacked-out vacuum tube, he noticed that some distance away, a sheet of paper treated with barium platinum cyanide [music] began to emit light. He had discovered invisible rays capable of penetrating solid objects and exposing [music] photographic plates. He called his unknown rays X-rays and his [music] first X-ray photographs amazed the medical and scientific world. A year later, Henri Becquerel, who had been investigating Röntgen's X-rays, discovered that mineral crusts placed on photographic [music] plates wrapped in light-tight black paper would make an image on the plates without [music] being exposed to light. Radiations from the minerals penetrated the black paper and in later experiments penetrated thin strips of aluminum and copper. Becquerel had discovered radioactivity, though he didn't call it by that name. In 1898, Marie Curie, using instruments devised by her husband, Pierre, began to examine all the elements then known for traces of radiation. Finding many spontaneous sources, she proposed the word radioactivity to describe the phenomenon. Later, she succeeded in isolating a new, strangely radioactive element from an ore of uranium. She called it radium. >> [music] >> Also in 1898, a New Zealander, Ernest Rutherford, concluded a lengthy study that led to the realization that there were two types of radiation, each with different powers of penetration. He called them alpha and beta. An even more penetrating type of radiation was discovered by P. V. Villard. It was somewhat similar to Röntgen's X-rays and given the name gamma. Electromagnetic radiation, such as [music] gamma rays and X-rays, is invisible and silent. We measure such radiation by its wavelength. In this diagram, [music] we can see types of radiation with three distinct wavelengths. This is a relatively long wavelength. We can create these waves with special equipment, which transmits [music] them from a broadcasting station. The waves can measure [music] up to a kilometer from crest to crest. We cannot see or hear the waves, [music] but a radio receiver can transform them into sound waves we can hear. The waves will [music] pass through buildings and people and do no harm. They do, however, lose some of their strength as they pass through things. The concrete and steel reinforcing rods in an overpass absorb so much radio energy that there is none for the radio to pick up. Shorter wavelengths can be used [music] in transmitting TV pictures. The length of the rods on TV antennas is related to the wavelengths of transmission. [music] Radar employs shorter waves, wavelengths [music] which will not pass through aircraft or ships. Instead, [music] radar waves bounce off objects, return to the sender as images [music] on a screen. Shorten the wavelengths a little further and we have microwaves. Today, people use microwaves for cooking. Microwaves [music] can be dangerous, but safety devices are built into microwave ovens. Let's see how far we've moved down the electromagnetic spectrum. So far, we have seen radiations from radio, TV, radar, and microwaves. [music] Now, let's discuss an even shorter wavelength, infrared radiation. Such [music] infrared rays are used to operate a TV by remote control. We can detect [music] infrared with our bodies and feel the deep penetrating wavelengths. [music] They bring relief to sufferers of muscular pain. We also feel infrared coming from fires and stoves. By using [music] special heat-detecting film, we can take pictures of heat like this. Rescue workers [music] find people buried under debris by using heat-detecting cameras. So far, none of the radiations discussed have been visible to our eyes. To detect them all, you have to use special instruments. [music] Now, we'll consider wavelengths which are even shorter, the visible light wavelengths, from 400 [music] to 700 micrometers or 4,000 to 7,000 [music] angstroms. Each color you detect with your eyes has a particular wavelength. As the wavelengths shorten, they [music] reach the level of ultraviolet light. Such ultraviolet light promotes tanning, though too much exposure can be harmful. >> [music] >> Ultraviolet light has other uses. Here, forensic scientists [music] use ultraviolet light to detect alterations and forgeries in documents. The document on the [music] right is genuine. The left one is false. As wavelengths [music] become shorter still, we reach X-rays. Since they were discovered by Röntgen [music] a century ago, X-rays have proved very useful. >> [music] [music] >> We use the radiation we call X-rays to penetrate solid objects [music] and produce images for doctors to examine. We are now down to very short wavelengths, less than the thickness of an atom. We need to know about atoms because that's where the X-rays start, from inside atoms. An atom is small [music] indeed. For instance, it's probably hard to believe, but there are more atoms in a pencil dot than there [music] are people in the world. >> [music] >> Yet, atoms are very important because everything, not just the pencil dot, but everything is made up of [music] atoms. You are, I am, rocks, liquids, all consist of [music] atoms. Let's look at a typical atom. Each atom is something like a miniature solar system. The outer shell consists of tiny particles. These are electrons. [music] The cloud of electrons surrounds a central part called the nucleus. The nucleus is made of two kinds of particles, which are relatively much bigger than electrons. But let's [music] return to X-rays. Because they have energy, they could do harm if not carefully controlled. The source of the X-rays [music] is surrounded by lead so that the operator and patient are protected. Only a limited amount of the X-rays [music] are used to make a picture. >> X-rays are energy coming [music] from the innermost orbits of electrons. Of course, only certain atoms give out X-rays. Gamma rays are similar to X-rays but have more energy. Here, they [music] are in their place in the electromagnetic spectrum. Gamma rays are potentially hazardous to life, but we can protect [music] ourselves from their effects by ensuring there is a safe distance from them or by shielding the source with very [music] thick lead or concrete. Like X-rays, they can be used in medicine. Carefully controlled gamma rays can [music] be directed to kill cells which have become tumors. Many years ago, hypodermic [music] syringes were expensive, so each syringe was used on many patients. Each time they were [music] immersed in boiling water to kill off any germs which might cause infection. Nowadays, syringes are sterilized by [music] gamma radiation while in a new germ-proof bag. Each syringe, much cheaper than in the past, is used once then thrown [music] away. Boxes of syringes traveling on [music] a conveyor belt move through a specially shielded room containing a radioactive piece of cobalt metal. The gamma rays don't make the boxes on the conveyor system or the syringes radioactive, but they do kill any germs on the syringe. Radiation plants like this run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, processing surgical devices, cosmetic powders, and plastics. Even food can have its storage life extended by gamma radiation. Here's another use for gamma rays, testing the combustion chambers of jet engines. They run for hundreds of hours at very high temperatures, and it's essential that no cracks develop in the [music] metal. If there are fine cracks, they may not be detected by the human eye. So, once again, gamma rays are used to take pictures. If defects exist, the chambers are replaced. As this program has shown, most forms of radiant energy are both useful and potentially [music] hazardous. Sunlight, for example, is necessary to life in many ways. Without it, we'd have no food. Yet, the sun's rays can harm [music] us, even kill us. As with sunlight, so with most wavelengths of the electromagnetic [music] spectrum. Once we've learned how to deal with them safely, to protect ourselves, they've [music] proven very useful. >> [music] [music] >> The Science Screen Report has been presented to you as a community service of Manufacturers Hanover. Thank [snorts] you again to Manufacturers Hanover for that fine film. I think the titling at the beginning was uh just a computer screen. Like that type was uh it looked like it was generated by a computer, not a very good computer. Okay, so uh Tuesday um Tuesday night, I think 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, um we're going to be doing the toe-tapping tournament with uh Found Footage Festival. Uh I've been invited to participate with them. It's it's not going to be uh just Found Footage Festival versus 8-Bit Geeks. It'll be just we'll be folded into um that because there's a lot of overhead with that. And honestly, um I uh >> [snorts] >> don't always like how it plays out when we do that. Uh although we have won twice. Um and um it took forever to to get them to follow through with what they were going to promise me. I I am not interested in doing stunts for them right now. But, um >> [clears throat] >> anyways, so there were I looked at my notes and there were some things that were voted on, and so I have I picked four that I thought were pretty good. And so, we're going to watch uh the four, and then you're going to email me at skip@8bitgeeks.com, and we're going to pick two. So, pick your favorite and pick your second favorite. Um and email me. Don't do it in the comments cuz comments are all wacky. So, here's uh from I can't remember what film this is from. Jasper's Hospital Experience, I think. This is We're Not Candy. >> [music] >> Hey, what are we doing out of the bottle? This is dangerous. [music] A little kid might come along and think we were candy. That would be awful because we're [music] medicine. He might even eat us. No. >> [singing] >> This is serious. Serious. [music] We could make you delirious. Delirious. You should have a healthy fear of us. Fear of us. Too [music] much of us is dangerous. We're not candy. [music] Believe us. Even though we look so fine and dandy, when you're sick, we come [music] in handy, but we're not candy. >> [music] [singing] >> Doctors tell the pharmacy Pharmacy. [music] types of pills that you will need. You will need. >> And he knows the harm that [music] we can be >> We can be. >> if we're not taken carefully. [music] [singing] We're not [music] candy. Believe us. Even though we look so fine and dandy, [music] when you're sick, we come [singing] in handy, but we're not candy. >> [music] [singing] [music] >> Let's get back in the bottle. Yeah, come on. Let's go. That's where we belong. >> [music] >> That's better. >> [cheering] [music] [music] >> Ah, >> [singing] >> pass it on. Pass it on. Ah, >> [music and singing] >> pass it on. >> [singing and music] >> Pass it on. It's the Jesus thing to do. Pass it on. >> [music] >> For blessed are the peacemakers, the earth to them [music] belongs. For [singing] they take it on themselves to make peace and pass it on. It's the Jesus >> [music] >> thing to do. Pass it on. It's the Jesus thing to I've seen the sun on the surface and run deep along the splashing shores of every land. >> [singing] >> You'll see me there, no matter [music] where, my silver body flashing as I ride, catching rays from the [music] sun. >> [singing] >> Here I'm free. The shining silver water hanging [singing and music] over me is all the world I need. An [music] inch of ecstasy [singing] arrives, to break the surface, scan the sky. Rise, rise >> [music] >> till I >> [singing] >> fall again. Back into the silver water, back into [music] my home, back into the place [singing] I call my native country. Neon [music] lights flashing bright, shining down while children play on golden sand. You've seen it now. This is my land. Come with me, have fun with me. I'm down here, hugging on your line. [singing] Here I'm free. The [music] shining silver water >> [singing] >> hanging over me is all [music] the world I need. An inch of ecstasy arrives, [singing] to break the surface, scan the sky. >> [music] >> Rise, rise >> [singing] >> till I >> [music] >> fall again. Back into the silver water, back into my home, >> [singing] [music] >> back into the place I call my native country. >> [music] >> Ask me why my hands [music] are clapping. >> [singing] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music and singing] [music] [music] [singing] [music] [music] [singing] [music] [music] [music] >> Uh yeah, so these we reviewed some of these last year around this time. And uh so I there were a couple that for some reason didn't get um I don't know. I just wanted to revisit them. Um so anyways, what we saw was uh We Are Not Candy. We saw uh Pass It On. We saw Mullet Country and we saw the Maltese Unicorn finale song. Um and you can email me at uh skip@80geek.com. Pick your first your favorite and your second favorite. Um I know that we've done this before, but I want to re- do it. I want to make sure um that we are representative of what's going on. And supposedly um at the tournament there's going to be a judge who's going to judge on things, but then the final uh two winners will be voted on by YouTube viewers. So I'm hoping we'll see. I'm hoping that we will make it that far and then you guys will push us over the top and we will win yet again. Uh because we have they only have '80s and '90s to work from. We have uh what the '30s to the '90s to work from. >> [laughter] >> So um Anyways, uh so we've been watching a lot of Centron films and this one is it's part of that series, that public speaking series. That microphone one yesterday was so good. Holy cow. I guess somebody mentioned in the comments that it's still being shown some places. Totally get it cuz that is man microphones even in this age, though a microphone is still a point of failure for most people. Like they don't know where to put it. They don't know how to use it. Um and uh so we have we have certainly digitized a bunch of tapes where people have either set up a microphone like in the middle of a church and it's all echoey and you can't hear anything. Or somebody's sitting there just going Uh so anyways, this is a film about just speaking in general. And these are aids to speaking. Enjoy. >> [music] >> And finally the reason that I was so delighted to be invited to Detroit is because this is the citadel of our corporate image. We must defend that image. And with a proper defense, sales will follow. It is a goal we can meet that must be met. And with your help we will succeed. >> [applause] >> Bravo. Thanks. Uh is the audio okay? The volume all right? Coming through loud and clear, even in the back. Great. Thanks very much for your assistance. Just checking the public address system. I do a lot of speaking in my work and wherever I go, I try to check things out before the audience arrives. The size of the room, the seating arrangement and especially those all-important aids to public speaking the microphone, the lectern and my visual aids. You really can't be too well prepared. I learned that lesson the hard way. Several years ago, when I was still a novice speaker, I was asked to address a sales convention. I worked hard preparing that speech. Really burned the midnight oil. When the big day came, I was really nervous, but I was ready. I thought Are you all set? Uh yeah, I think I've got everything under control. Where's the easel? Easel? Yeah, for my visual aids. Uh we don't have an easel. I I was in trouble already. I'd assumed there'd be an easel to hold my flip chart, but there wasn't and it was too late to find one. Well, maybe I can prop them up on the lectern. Uh lectern? Don't tell me you don't have a lectern. Larry, you didn't tell me you needed a lectern. You were supposed that you would not No easel, no lectern. What was I to do? Then I had another thought. Surely someone had made arrangements for a microphone. What about the microphone? Microphone, that we have. Phil that's a hand mic. I've got my hands full now. How can I handle this and that I need a stand or a boom or a lectern or an easel or something. I can't go on. I don't have to tell you what that speech was like. This uh salesman must try to must take drastic action to uh turn the problem around. Um Even with the hastily arranged help with the visual aids that speech was a disaster. Salesman's earnings have fallen drastically below the 150,000 mark. Um who UM >> [laughter] >> THAT PAINFUL EXPERIENCE TAUGHT ME TO find out as much as I can about the speaking situation before I have to speak. If I need a lectern or a microphone, an easel or any other speaking aid, I make sure it's available well beforehand. Of course, it's important to know how to use those speaking aids. Take the lectern, for example. Lecterns come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they all serve the same purpose to hold the speaker's notes where he can easily see them. Unfortunately, some speakers use the lectern in other ways. The novice speaker often uses the lectern as a lifesaver, like a piece of driftwood in a tempest. He clings to it in desperation as if his very survival were at stake. I Thank you. Then there's the other extreme, the percussive persuader. He uses the lectern as a drum on which he forcefully hammers home his message. While this style of delivery never fails to grab the audience's attention, it can have a wearing effect on the lectern and listener alike. Sometimes the stress on both becomes unbearable. A good speaker never uses the lectern in a way that distracts from his speech. He doesn't grip it, lean on it, or slouch over it. He doesn't move it around, drum his fingers on it, or pummel it with his fists. He simply centers himself squarely behind it and speaks to his audience. He uses the lectern as it was intended as a tool which liberates his hands and arms for gesturing. to the people then and to us today. He was saying he much rather have liberty and if he could not have liberty, he would rather die. Actually, the lectern presents few problems for most public speakers. But that can't be said for this speaking aid. Used properly, a microphone enables a speaker to communicate comfortably with a large audience. But use it improperly and it can become a tool of torture, inflicting your audience with a variety of physical and mental torments. >> [music] >> This common form of torment, called feedback, occurs when the speaker fails to stand within the microphone's optimum range. And the volume on the public address amplifier has been set too high. In this situation, some of the sound from the loudspeakers feeds back into the PA system via the microphone. This overloads the system and causes the painful screech. >> [bell] >> The speaker should move into the mic's optimum range, usually about 12 to 18 inches from the mic. And the volume on the PA system must be turned down accordingly. A speaker who gets too close to the microphone subjects the audience to another form of audio anguish. It sounds like this. Equally tormenting are the sounds produced by a speaker who won't keep his mitts off the mic. But perhaps the worst agony of all is inflicted by the speaker who ignores or forgets the microphone altogether. A good speaker would rather communicate with his audience than torture it. So he gives careful attention to microphone technique. >> [applause] >> The experienced speaker adjusts the microphone to the correct height before he starts speaking. Should he have trouble, he simply asks the chairman for help. He's careful to place the microphone so the audience can see his entire face above it. He knows that lip movements and facial expressions help his audience understand what he's saying. He stands comfortably erect and speaks into the microphone in a clear, strong voice. He usually evaluates his clarity and volume by listening to his voice as it's broadcast [music] from the speaker system. However, in a field house, stadium, or a large auditorium, the sound reverberation may be so distracting that a speaker must try to ignore his amplified voice. In this situation, it's best to concentrate on what you're saying as you speak to avoid being distracted by your voice coming from the loudspeakers. Regardless of the speaking situation, your goal should always be to communicate with your audience. That's why if you are ever unsure of your listeners' ability to hear you, ask. Your audience will appreciate this simple act of courtesy. If you can hear me, raise your hand. They'll also appreciate the courtesy you show by turning away from the mic to cough or clear your throat. The experienced speaker knows the microphone is a valuable speaking tool and he lets this tool do most of his work for him. For example, to emphasize a point, he need not step back and raise his voice. He can lean forward and lower it. A good speaker is especially mindful of the use of his microphone when he employs visual aids. Otherwise, he might commit this common mistake. There are several simple solutions to this problem. You can place the visual aids closer to the microphone. Have an assistant handle the visual aids. Or use a microphone that permits freedom of movement, such as a lavalier mic. Although a microphone helps your audience hear what you're saying, it's often more important for them to see what you're saying and that's the reason for visual aids. Visuals help an audience grasp information they might not comprehend by speech alone. They can reveal what is normally invisible or hidden, make facts and [music] figures meaningful, or illustrate complicated processes or relationships. A good visual can be worth a thousand words. But no one benefits from a drawing that's too small to be seen, a slide that's out of focus, [music] or a chart that's too crowded or complex. And using a meaningless, unnecessary visual does nothing but make a speaker look ridiculous. What then is the solution, you may ask? Well, I'll tell you. The solution is to increase sales. Now, that's right. Increase sales and you all know how to do that. The way you increase sales is to make sure that The point is, use visuals only when they really aid the audience's understanding. If they add nothing to what you're saying, don't use them. When you do use a visual aid, make it large enough for the entire audience to see clearly. Use broad, heavy lines and different colors to make distinctions clear from a distance. Keep your visuals simple and uncluttered. Don't try to put too much information on one visual. Instead, simplify your material by using a series of illustrations. Flip charts are a particularly effective aid when you're speaking to smaller audiences. Besides adding interest to your speech, they can list your main points, so you don't need a written speech or note cards. Also, the physical movement involved in flipping the pages and gesturing helps relieve the tension that often causes stage fright. When addressing a large audience, you'll have to transfer your visuals to slides, film strips, or transparencies for projection. These materials permit enlargements for easy viewing. A good speaker never allows a visual aid to become a visual hindrance. He always thinks of the audience and talks to it, not the visual. He glances at the visual only long enough to locate or point out specific information. He then turns back to his audience. A good speaker also keeps all visual aids out of sight until they're needed. Otherwise, they arouse the audience's curiosity and thus hinder communication. For the same reason, he removes or covers visuals when he's finished with them. As you probably realize by now, the proper use of any aid to public speaking, the visual aid, the lectern, and the microphone is largely a matter of common sense. As a matter of fact, you might say the greatest speaking aid you have is right here. By following the examples of good speakers and avoiding the mistakes of the bad, you can become a better speaker and experience the satisfaction that comes from reaching your audience. >> [music] [music] >> Yeah, so some great hints there. And I love the fact that they talked about film strips and transparencies. It's pretty great. All right. Uh owls. We love them. Uh at one point I had owl karma from rescuing an owl that was hanging out in the middle of the road. It had been injured. And it was a barred owl. And uh it was like midnight and it was just hanging out in the middle of the road near my near the archive. And uh myself and a filmmaker who was visiting me at the time, we both uh coerced it into a old iguana cage that I had and we uh kept it safe. Uh then the raptor rescue people came. So, I had owl karma, which I think I used up when my car spun out of control in um West Virginia. Okay. More than you need to know. Um So, anyways, here's a film about owls. Enjoy. People have long been fascinated by owls. Though most owls are woodland dwellers, they live in nearly every type of environment from arid desert to arctic tundra. Owls, in fact, are found worldwide with over 15 species in the United States alone. The great horned owl occurs continent-wide. This 3 to 4 lb giant is perhaps the most aggressive of all native owls and seems to wear an angry glare to prove it. Some call the horned owl the tiger of the air. The great horned, along with most other owls, is nocturnal, which means active at night. It appears to be well adapted to operate in darkness. Large, uniquely constructed eyes, 35 times more sensitive to light than ours, give it superb powers of night vision. And it flies quietly for attacks in the dark. The owl's wing feather, on the left, has a fringe, which the hawk's, on the right, lacks. This fringe reduces wing noise. Fluffy body feathers also muffle sound. Keen hearing helps where vision fails. Large ears lie hidden beneath head feathers. Owls also have unusual feet. Most birds have three toes in front, one in back. The third talon of the owl is reversible for better gripping. This white-footed mouse is about to learn how efficient the great horned owl is as a night hunter. By using its specially developed eyes and ears, the silent flying owl is able to see and capture the mouse in the dark. Like hawks, owls help control populations of rodents and other wildlife, but most owls work at night. The great horned owl is not choosy at mealtime and eats a wide variety of prey, including rats, rabbits, fish, and insects. Even skunks are table fare for the great horned owl. Owls begin their lives in white, nearly round eggs. Great horns lay one to four, even before winter ends. The young wear a warm down coat for protection. Their home might be an old hawk's or crow's nest. Since owls are poor carpenters, they use whatever housing is available. The top of a broken-off tree works well, too. In northern regions, snow often rims the nursery. Despite such weather, great horns rarely migrate. Sometimes, in areas offering few natural sites, they will nest even in man-made structures such as this. At night, the young become hungry and welcome room service from their mother. Though both parents hunt prey, only the female delivers it to the young. In the owl family, the female rules the roost because, generally, she is larger than her mate. Great horns, in many areas, nest during the spring migration of blackbirds, robins, and other songbirds. These passing visitors offer the owls a plentiful source of food for the growing young. Here they are offered a meadowlark. Several of them may be consumed in one night. The entire bird is eaten, bones, feathers, and all. These 3-week-old young will fledge, or leave the nest, in another 3 weeks and follow their parents until fall. Owls often bob and weave their heads like ancient Far East dancers. Although owls have naturally good depth perception already, this exotic head dance helps them gauge distances even more precisely. If we were to design a better mouse trap, it might look like this. The barn owl is the mouse-catching champion of the world. This aptly named bird often nests in barns. It also uses water towers, silos, church steeples, and a variety of other buildings in both rural and urban settings. Is there a place for them near your school? This monkey-like face is one that mice should fear. The barn owl's talons, attached to unusually long legs, are deadly enemies to mice. Four to six young comprise the average brood. The little mouse eaters may vary in size because owls often lay eggs several days apart, but incubation may start when the first egg is laid. The farmer counts himself lucky to have this tenant family since it helps control rodents on his land. After 8 weeks, the young fledge. For these inexperienced hunters, the first year will be hard and starvation, disease, and accident will claim many. But some will survive to breed and continue the species. No one shares and the rat goes down whole in a series of gulps. Think he'll make it? Of course, but with little room to spare. Such manners. These are pellets. They are compact masses of fur, feathers, bones, and certain other parts of prey. Owls regurgitate, or spit up, pellets to get rid of such matter, which will not pass through the digestive tract. Researchers have found that pellets contain a record of an owl's diet. For instance, one recent study of barn owl pellets revealed that rodents provide 90% of the food for some individuals. This material came from the pellets found beneath the roost of one barn owl. One of North America's smallest owls is the saw-whet. Its tiny body, hidden beneath fluffy feathers, isn't much bigger than a bluebird's. Nonetheless, it is a mighty hunter. >> [whistles] >> And white-footed mice should be careful in saw-whet country. In summer, this owl's peculiar call may be heard chiefly in northern pine forests. It winters in our central states. The screech owl is another economy-size model. This 8-in bird occurs in towns, orchards, and woodlots of every continental state except Alaska. Members of the clan come in different colors, ranging from red to brown to gray. The broken pattern on the plumage of all color phases provides natural camouflage for daytime concealment. Like most small owls, the screech owl hides its nest inside a tree, in a woodpecker hole, or other natural cavity. These pint-size predators are aggressive and might be called the wildcats of the air. During nesting season, they sometimes attack people who venture too near their nursery. The young are fed a variety of prey, including mice, small songbirds, reptiles, amphibians, and a collection of large insects that would delight an entomologist. People who talk about the hoot owl usually mean this one, the barred owl. Its familiar call may be heard in nearly any mature woodlands east of the Rockies. Its calls, and those of other owls, are usually related to courtship and territorial defense. Is its head on upside down? No. Owls have rubber band-like necks that can twist 3/4 of a circle. Barred owls love water for bathing and hunting. They regularly eat fish, frogs, and crayfish, in addition to small mammals and birds. Big brown eyes create a wise, gentle appearance. Though not especially intelligent, no owl is, the barred owl is mild-tempered and might be called the teddy bear of the air. Still covered with down, the young can hardly fly when they leave the nest. The 5-in long elf owl of the southwestern deserts is our smallest owl. A prairie dog town might be home for the unusual burrowing owl. Members of this peculiar species nest underground. They often use deserted burrows of prairie dogs, badgers, and other hole-digging mammals, but sometimes even dig their own. They live in the dry, short-grass plains, which cover much of the west and a small portion of Florida. In favored areas, they may concentrate together to form communities of a half dozen or more pairs. Burrowing owls commonly hunt while the sun is up. Contrary to legend, owls can see quite well in bright sunshine, but only a few, such as the burrowing owl, choose to be diurnal or day-active. Favored foods include a variety of insects and mice. The crow-sized short-eared owl is another ground dweller, though it does not enter holes. The ear tufts from which it draws its name are small and hard to see, and why it or any other owl has them, no one knows for sure. The short-eared nests in open prairies and marshes, chiefly from our border states to well beyond the Arctic Circle. It winters in fields throughout the United States, where it feeds heavily on mice. The tangled spruce woods of Alaska and Canada host another unusual member of the owl family, the hawk owl. Like a hawk, it often hunts during the day from high treetop perches, which most owls shun. Adding to its hawk image, also, are its long tail, tilted rather than upright posture, and rather small eyes. The snowy owl lives even further north. This white giant occurs all across the treeless tundra surrounding the North Pole. It is one of the few birds capable of surviving the severe Arctic winter. It dresses warmly for the cold weather. Long feathers protect even the nostrils. The nest is merely a shallow dish scraped in the earth. Up to 10 eggs may be laid, though if food is scarce, not all the young will survive. The family runt will have to grow quickly to beat winter's early arrival. During the summer months, nesting birds and fish often provide a great part of the diet. In winter, the owls must turn to lemmings and hares, which do not migrate south. When these mammals are in short supply, the owls themselves must travel south in search of food. Sometimes wandering as far as Louisiana. After spending months on the ground, they now seem to welcome the chance to perch high above the earth, even if it means sitting on a TV antenna. Owls as a group have been very successful. Their worst enemy is man and his machines. When he clears land for mining, agriculture, or housing, he often destroys hunting and nesting sites. He also kills the owls' prey with pesticides, which may poison the hunter as well. In addition, man-related accidents claim many, and some are shot along with hawks by thoughtless individuals who are unaware of the owls' special beauty and vital role in the natural world. Owls live as predators among nature's night prowlers. They help keep wildlife populations in balance and add unusual variety to the wild world. The next time you are out after dark, listen. Perhaps you will hear an owl busy patrolling the nighttime wildlife airways. >> [whistles] >> Oh yeah, we got lots of owls. They make a lot of noise at night. But, um, thanks for watching today. Uh, so, if you're just joining us, uh, we showed a bunch of candidates for the toe-tapping tournament, uh, which we are going to participate with the Found Footage Festival on Tuesday. Um, so, uh, some of you have already sent me your, uh, votes, but I would love to hear from more of you. Uh, we've only gotten a small portion compared to how many of you are watching. And so, uh, just to recap, um, there is We're Not Candy, Pass It On, Mullet Country, which a lot of you like, >> [laughter] >> and Maltese Unicorn. Uh, so, you can rewind back and email me at skip@avgeeks.com, and, um, I'll I'll give it over the weekend because I know some people don't watch this live, um, and we'll make decisions on Tuesday, I think. Uh, so, Monday I'm going to actually be doing a screening uh, of films on a projector at NC State at a, uh, film studies class, and we're going to be showing, uh, women filmmakers, um, and so, that's going to be a lot of fun. Um, but that's right when my show is, so, I'll have something pre-recorded for you. But, uh, I will see you live on Tuesday. Everybody have a great weekend. Thanks so much for joining us. It means a lot. I am on steroids and my brain is all foggy and weird and also extremely focused at the same time, and I, uh, my hand is all numb because of this pinched nerve. So, physically I'm not doing great, but because of your comments, uh, I'm feeling great because you guys are out there. So, thanks so much Uh, I'm going to take a break, uh, and I will see you soon. Everybody have a great weekend. Take care. Bye.