The Way Out Men (Part One)

Duration: 12:00

Year Published: 1965

Creator: ?Encyclopedia Britannica ebec

Description: A look at the unusual breed of scientists and others whose works today will shape mankind's future. Discusses the revolutionary technological development in the twentieth century, explaining how men deeply committed to the future are developing thinking computers, artificial hearts, particles, and dream/brain research as they seek to extend the boundaries of human knowledge. The Dawn of the Computer Age 00:00:07 The segment opens by framing the current era as a new frontier, emphasizing the rapid expansion of human knowledge and the emergence of "way out men" at the forefront of scientific advancement. 00:01:13 It introduces computers as the first major invention to extend the power of the human brain, capable of processing millions of instructions per second and storing vast amounts of knowledge. 00:01:58 The segment showcases various applications of computers, from calculating space flights and scrutinizing tax returns to monitoring hospital patients and analyzing brain activity. 00:02:48 Milton Worthy, a systems engineer, is introduced as someone working to simplify communication between humans and computers, envisioning a future where computers understand and reply in ordinary spoken English. 00:05:21 - 00:09:16 The Search for Omega Minus 00:05:21 Dr. Murray Gelman, a physicist, theorizes about the basic nature of our world by concentrating on particles inside a single atom. 00:06:06 Gelman and Israeli scientist Yuval Naiman developed an identical theory of particle relationships, requiring the discovery of a particle with a lifespan of one 10-billionth of a second to prove it. 00:06:34 At Brookhaven National Laboratory, an immense effort began to produce an Omega Minus particle through complex particle collisions, with work continuing 24 hours a day for an estimated four months. 00:07:59 After months of bombardment and scanning 50,000 photographs, scientists confirmed the existence of the Omega Minus particle, which, though having no immediate practical application, holds value as a basis for future scientific advances. 00:09:16 - 00:11:27 The Mystery of Memory 00:09:16 Scientists are investigating the human body to understand how it stores knowledge and memorizes new information. 00:09:45 Dr. James McConnell uses flatworms, the lowest animal with a brain, to study where the human body stores knowledge. 00:10:27 In McConnell's experiments, flatworms learn to avoid electric shocks in a maze, and this knowledge is stored in all their body cells. 00:10:58 Untrained flatworms learn twice as fast after consuming trained flatworms, suggesting memory transfer through consumption. 00:11:27 - 00:14:14 Dr. Michael DeBakey's Pioneering Work 00:11:27 Dr. Michael DeBakey prepares for surgery, known globally for his pioneering work in heart studies. 00:12:21 Driven by the 700,000 annual deaths from heart disease, Dr. DeBakey's main project is to create an artificial heart. 00:13:13 While continuing to operate and test new methods, Dr. DeBakey remains confident that the formidable problems in developing a fully functional artificial heart will be solved. 00:13:45 Dr. DeBakey expresses hope that a perfect artificial heart can be developed and implanted in a human within the next five years. 00:14:14 - 00:17:42 The Impact of Crowding on Behavior 00:14:14 Dr. Alexander Kessler studies the impact of increasing human numbers by observing mouse populations in different environments. 00:15:03 In controlled experiments, mice in roomy boxes live undisturbed, while those in larger, uncrowded cages initially thrive but show early signs of behavioral changes. 00:16:02 As the mouse population grows, mothers provide less individual care, fights increase, and dominant males emerge, leading to an overpopulated nightmare world. 00:16:45 In this overpopulated state, violence, homosexuality, fewer pregnancies, and miscarriages occur, with mice seeking escape through catatonic states or even death, raising questions about human society's crowding tolerance. 00:17:42 - 00:20:07 Dolphin Communication Research 00:18:52 Sound engineers electronically lower the dolphins' high-pitched whistles and clicks into man's audible range to decipher their vocabulary. 00:19:06 Deciphering dolphin communication could provide information on fisheries, oceanography, navigation, and linguistics, bridging the gap between species. 00:19:34 Dr. Lilly listens as a researcher attempts to teach a dolphin human sounds, noting that the dolphin finds vowels easier than consonants. 00:20:07 - 00:22:47 Arecibo's Control Center 00:21:18 Arecibo's control center is a window to the universe, where scientists hope to find answers to questions about Mars, Venus, and the Moon. 00:21:32 The great apparatus, a giant step from a transmitter 18 years ago, can now bounce signals off Mars, 138 million miles away. 00:22:00 The returning radar signals feed hard data on the upper atmosphere, distances, temperatures, rotation rates, and surfaces into computers. 00:22:16 Drake and his colleagues believe countless planets exist where life could have started, and he is confident that a signal will eventually be sent to a far planet and receive a reply. 00:22:47 - 00:26:38 The Future of Humanity in Space and Beyond 00:22:47 Astronomical engineer Dandridge Cole foresees future scientific developments, including prolonged space travel in self-contained capsules and human colonies on hollowed-out, spinning planetoids. 00:23:52 These egg-shaped worlds will feature unique environments, with rivers appearing to run uphill and sunlight reflected by giant mirrors, supporting generations of colonists. 00:24:07 Centuries later, descendants will spread humanity to other solar systems, and future humans may become self-contained systems, with artificial organs, eventually discarding their bodies to become timeless, indestructible "saucer men" whose experiences are transmitted by computers. 00:25:06 The future, with its electronic advancements, raises questions about human values as technology creates abundance and performs more of man's work, challenging traditional notions of freedom, compassion, joy, and love.

Complete Record: A look at the unusual breed of scientists and others whose works today will shape mankind's future. Discusses the revolutionary technological development in the twentieth century, explaining how men deeply committed to the future are developing thinking computers, artificial hearts, particles, and dream/brain research as they seek to extend the boundaries of human knowledge. The Dawn of the Computer Age 00:00:07 The segment opens by framing the current era as a new frontier, emphasizing the rapid expansion of human knowledge and the emergence of "way out men" at the forefront of scientific advancement. 00:01:13 It introduces computers as the first major invention to extend the power of the human brain, capable of processing millions of instructions per second and storing vast amounts of knowledge. 00:01:58 The segment showcases various applications of computers, from calculating space flights and scrutinizing tax returns to monitoring hospital patients and analyzing brain activity. 00:02:48 Milton Worthy, a systems engineer, is introduced as someone working to simplify communication between humans and computers, envisioning a future where computers understand and reply in ordinary spoken English. 00:05:21 - 00:09:16 The Search for Omega Minus 00:05:21 Dr. Murray Gelman, a physicist, theorizes about the basic nature of our world by concentrating on particles inside a single atom. 00:06:06 Gelman and Israeli scientist Yuval Naiman developed an identical theory of particle relationships, requiring the discovery of a particle with a lifespan of one 10-billionth of a second to prove it. 00:06:34 At Brookhaven National Laboratory, an immense effort began to produce an Omega Minus particle through complex particle collisions, with work continuing 24 hours a day for an estimated four months. 00:07:59 After months of bombardment and scanning 50,000 photographs, scientists confirmed the existence of the Omega Minus particle, which, though having no immediate practical application, holds value as a basis for future scientific advances. 00:09:16 - 00:11:27 The Mystery of Memory 00:09:16 Scientists are investigating the human body to understand how it stores knowledge and memorizes new information. 00:09:45 Dr. James McConnell uses flatworms, the lowest animal with a brain, to study where the human body stores knowledge. 00:10:27 In McConnell's experiments, flatworms learn to avoid electric shocks in a maze, and this knowledge is stored in all their body cells. 00:10:58 Untrained flatworms learn twice as fast after consuming trained flatworms, suggesting memory transfer through consumption. 00:11:27 - 00:14:14 Dr. Michael DeBakey's Pioneering Work 00:11:27 Dr. Michael DeBakey prepares for surgery, known globally for his pioneering work in heart studies. 00:12:21 Driven by the 700,000 annual deaths from heart disease, Dr. DeBakey's main project is to create an artificial heart. 00:13:13 While continuing to operate and test new methods, Dr. DeBakey remains confident that the formidable problems in developing a fully functional artificial heart will be solved. 00:13:45 Dr. DeBakey expresses hope that a perfect artificial heart can be developed and implanted in a human within the next five years. 00:14:14 - 00:17:42 The Impact of Crowding on Behavior 00:14:14 Dr. Alexander Kessler studies the impact of increasing human numbers by observing mouse populations in different environments. 00:15:03 In controlled experiments, mice in roomy boxes live undisturbed, while those in larger, uncrowded cages initially thrive but show early signs of behavioral changes. 00:16:02 As the mouse population grows, mothers provide less individual care, fights increase, and dominant males emerge, leading to an overpopulated nightmare world. 00:16:45 In this overpopulated state, violence, homosexuality, fewer pregnancies, and miscarriages occur, with mice seeking escape through catatonic states or even death, raising questions about human society's crowding tolerance. 00:17:42 - 00:20:07 Dolphin Communication Research 00:18:52 Sound engineers electronically lower the dolphins' high-pitched whistles and clicks into man's audible range to decipher their vocabulary. 00:19:06 Deciphering dolphin communication could provide information on fisheries, oceanography, navigation, and linguistics, bridging the gap between species. 00:19:34 Dr. Lilly listens as a researcher attempts to teach a dolphin human sounds, noting that the dolphin finds vowels easier than consonants. 00:20:07 - 00:22:47 Arecibo's Control Center 00:21:18 Arecibo's control center is a window to the universe, where scientists hope to find answers to questions about Mars, Venus, and the Moon. 00:21:32 The great apparatus, a giant step from a transmitter 18 years ago, can now bounce signals off Mars, 138 million miles away. 00:22:00 The returning radar signals feed hard data on the upper atmosphere, distances, temperatures, rotation rates, and surfaces into computers. 00:22:16 Drake and his colleagues believe countless planets exist where life could have started, and he is confident that a signal will eventually be sent to a far planet and receive a reply. 00:22:47 - 00:26:38 The Future of Humanity in Space and Beyond 00:22:47 Astronomical engineer Dandridge Cole foresees future scientific developments, including prolonged space travel in self-contained capsules and human colonies on hollowed-out, spinning planetoids. 00:23:52 These egg-shaped worlds will feature unique environments, with rivers appearing to run uphill and sunlight reflected by giant mirrors, supporting generations of colonists. 00:24:07 Centuries later, descendants will spread humanity to other solar systems, and future humans may become self-contained systems, with artificial organs, eventually discarding their bodies to become timeless, indestructible "saucer men" whose experiences are transmitted by computers. 00:25:06 The future, with its electronic advancements, raises questions about human values as technology creates abundance and performs more of man's work, challenging traditional notions of freedom, compassion, joy, and love.