The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey

Jan 21, 2003

2h 0m

★ 7.2

Overview

Many geneticists and archaeologists have long surmised that human life began in Africa. Dr. Spencer Wells, one of a group of scientists studying the origin of human life, offers evidence and theories to support such a thesis in this PBS special. He claims that Africa was populated by only a few thousand people that some deserted their homeland in a conquest that has resulted in global domination.

Genres

Documentary

Production Companies

PBS

The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey Trailers

No Trailers found.

Cast

Host

Spencer Wells

25 years ago, Louis Sarno, an American, heard a song on the radio and followed its melody into the Central Africa Jungle and stayed. He than recorded over 1000 hours of original BaAka music. Now he is part of the BaAka community and raises his pygmy son, Samedi. Fulfilling an old promise, Louis takes Samedi to America. On this journey Louis realizes he is not part of this globalized world anymore but globalization has also arrived in the rainforest. The BaAka depend on Louis for their survival. Father and son return to the melodies of the jungle but the question remains: How much longer will the songs of the forest be heard?

7.6

Fight For Space

Nov 14, 2016

In 1962, spurred by the Cold War, President John F. Kennedy famously made the bold proclamation that NASA would send astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade, not because it was easy, but because it was a challenge. The Space Race inspired a generation to pursue careers in science and technology, but as the balance of world power shifted, interest in space exploration declined. "Fight for Space" serves as an urgent call to re-awaken our sense of wonder and discovery.

7.1

Food Evolution

Jun 23, 2017

As society tackles the problem of feeding our expanding population safely and sustainably, a schism has arisen between scientists and consumers, motivated by fear and distrust. Food Evolution, narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, explores the polarized debate surrounding GMOs. Looking at the real-world application of food science in the past and present, the film argues for sound science and open-mindedness in a culture that increasingly shows resistance to both.

4.2

Io sono nata viaggiando

Nov 11, 2013

A journey back through Dacia Maraini's and her trips around the world with her close friends cinema director Pier Paolo Pasolini and opera singer Maria Callas. An in-depth story of this fascinating woman's life. Maraini's memories come alive through personal photographs taken on the road as well as her own Super 8 films shot almost thirty years ago.

7.1

Trophy

Jan 20, 2017

This in-depth look into the powerhouse industries of big-game hunting, breeding and wildlife conservation in the U.S. and Africa unravels the complex consequences of treating animals as commodities.

No Image Available

4.2

Semences : les gardiens de la biodiversité

Mar 14, 2014

No overview available.

0.0

Africa's Piranha

Dec 1, 2014

The plains of Africa have always been a hotbed of predator action, but lurking in its rivers is perhaps its most elusive killer: the Goliath tigerfish. Legends say they are man-eaters, that even crocodiles fear them. Locals call them "demon fish" but angling legend Andy Coetzee calls them something else: an obsession. He dives into the predator-infested Okavango Delta and the treacherous Congo River on a mission to finally land what is considered to be the hardest fish in the world to catch.

7.0

Let There Be Light

Mar 10, 2017

Let There Be Light follows the story of dedicated scientists working to build a small sun on Earth, which would unleash perpetual, cheap, clean energy for mankind. After decades of failed attempts, a massive push is now underway to crack the holy grail of energy.

6.0

Pyramid

Oct 28, 2002

Of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Pyramid is the only one to survive. Many believe that even with our 21st-century technology, we could not build anything like it today. Based on the most up-to-date research and the latest archaeological discoveries, here is how the Pyramid came to be.

7.2

Another World

Mar 15, 2014

A feature documentary about the journey of mankind to discover our true force and who we truly are. It is a quest through science and consciousness, individual and planetary, exploring our relationships with ourselves, the world around us and the universe as a whole.

0.0

The Standard Deviants: The Really Big World of Astronomy, Part 2

Dec 12, 2000

In Astronomy Part 2, you will learn all about the planets, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, the layers of the sun, fusion, and more. The Standard Deviants make learning astronomy easier with their unique teaching style, which incorporates humor, mnemonics, and sophisticated computer graphics.

8.2

Ôrí

May 2, 1989

A look at the Brazilian black movement between 1977 and 1988, going by the relationship between Brazil and Africa.

0.0

Johnny Clegg, le Zoulou blanc

Jun 14, 2019

No overview available.

No Image Available

0.0

N/um Tchai: The Ceremonial Dance of the !Kung Bushmen

Jan 1, 1969

Tchai is the word used by Ju/'hoansi to describe getting together to dance and sing; n/um can be translated as medicine, or supernatural potency. In the 1950's, when this film was shot, Ju/'hoansi gathered for "medicine dances" often, usually at night, and sometimes such dances lasted until dawn.

No Image Available

0.0

N!owa T'ama: The Melon Tossing Game

Jan 1, 1970

Women from three separate Ju/'hoan bands have gathered at a mangetti grove at !O to play an intense game in which under-tones of social and personal tensions become apparent.

0.0

The last Balafon Master

Invalid Date

No overview available.

No Image Available

0.0

British Settler Life in Kenya

Sep 1, 1944

This 1944 black and white silent film provides brief glimpses of the lifestyle among Kenya's white/European settlers during the Second World War.

6.8

What Is a Woman?

Jun 1, 2022

Matt Walsh's controversial doc challenges radical gender ideology through provocative interviews and humor.

6.9

Finding Fela

Aug 1, 2014

Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance.

0.0

Brief Tender Light

Jan 5, 2024

At America's elite MIT, a Ghanaian alum follows four African students as they strive to graduate and become agents of change for their home countries Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Over an intimate, nearly decade-long journey, all must decide how much of America to absorb, how much of Africa to hold on to, and how to reconcile teenage ideals with the truths they discover about the world and themselves.

The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey

Overview

Genres

Production Companies

The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey Trailers