Jackie Mow

National Geographic Explorer: Science of Dogs

Jackie Mow

Gregory Acland, Gustavo D. Aguirre

The dog is the ultimate human creation. With 400 breeds and counting, the dog is more varied in size and behavior than any other species on the planet. National Geographic looks at man's evolutionary manipulation of dogs' appearance, talents and temperament - and the accelerating efforts to create breeds to suit our needs (more than 80 percent of today's breeds did not exist 150 years ago). From desirable traits like supersensitive hearing and smell to the unintended consequences of genetic diseases, learn how nature and man have partnered to deliberately create new and specialized versions of man's best friend.

East of Salinas

Jackie Mow

East of Salinas takes us to the heart of California’s “Steinbeck Country,” the Salinas Valley, to meet a bright boy and his dedicated teacher — both sons of migrant farm workers. With parents who are busy working long hours in the fields, third grader Jose Ansaldo often turns to his teacher, Oscar Ramos, for guidance. But Jose is undocumented; he was born in Mexico. Like many other migrant children, he is beginning to understand the situation — and the opportunities that may be lost to him through no fault of his own.