Can’t be bothered to pick up a text book?

A new website has been launched by Stanford University that presents a unique combination of web technology and environmental science. The Short Attention Span Science Video Theatre offers 2-4 minute micro-documentaries (known as “Microdocs”), streaming on the web, that deliver science one idea at a time. Microdocs are written by leading scientists and are filmed on location across the world. The videos are eye-catching and full of the newest science. The style is direct and accessible - not loaded with technical language.

Watching TV online is becoming increasingly popular, a survey by Blinkx.com show that 75% of all internet users watch video online.  At the same time, viewers want material delivered in shorter bursts, and they want control over the flow of the information. They want to be in command of the experience. The Short Attention Span Science Video Theatre site accomplishes this by breaking 90 minutes of science documentary film into 30+ stand-alone videos, each with links to all the others. The simple site design allows the viewer to control the content flow and the sequence of topics. Videos are embedded in a constellation web site that allows a user instant streaming access to any video in any order. The videos are arranged in a hierarchy of topics, allowing instant jumping among topics and across hierarchies.

This site launch debuts microdocs on Ecological Sustainability.  There are Microdocumentaries covering topics like:

• What is sustainability? 

• What are sustainable ecosystems? 

• How are they threatened? 

• How do we fix them?

The topics are covered in simple language, based in coral reef areas with stunning visuals. The simple productions are reality science - few frills - just simple clarity.

As filmmakers and science educators, Garthwait & Griffin Films and Stanford University combine to launch this new venture in science for mass audiences. The topics are current - global climate change, storm damage, overfishing and urbanization - the people in the films are fishermen, scientists and community leaders working in the places that the films are made.

http://microdocs.stanford.edu