Bamboo show on Nova

[bambooweb]

This was sent to the ABS.
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Hi from NOVA,

I believe we have a show that your group would find interesting. Even though it is called “RAT ATTACK,” bamboo plays a central role in the show. Please find an attached word document with more information about the program.

We would like to spread the word about “RAT ATTACK,” which airs Tuesday, February 24, at 8PM ET/PT (please check local listings). I am hoping that you might be willing to help us in this endeavor. Would you be comfortable sharing this information to your members, perhaps via Web, a newsletter, or email? We would love to know if you do.

Please feel free to contact me directly with any questions or if you need photos.

Best regards,

Karen Laverty
NOVA Online Publicist
617.300.4382

Become a fan of NOVA and join our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/NOVA/29589997195

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Once every 48 years in the remote Indian state of Mizoram, a strange phenomenon takes over the land, threatening famine and death. Hundreds of thousands of acres of bamboo begin to flower and fruit, sparking a plague of rats. Drawn by the nutrient-rich pear-sized fruit, millions of hungry rats feast — their numbers growing exponentially as they descend into a reproductive frenzy. They devour crops, bringing hardship and even famine upon Mizoram’s farmers. The locals call this biological anomaly the Mautam, and when it last struck in 1959, famine killed thousands and plunged the state into a 20-year guerilla insurgency.

But the rats aren’t the only part of the story puzzling scientists. Bamboo itself is an enigmatic plant. Many bamboo species reproduce only once in their lifetime, then die. What’s bizarre is how long they wait before reproducing—20, 50, even 100 or more years, depending on the species. Even stranger: Many species reproduce synchronously: Like clockwork, all plants in a given geographic region flower and seed at precisely the same moment, then die.

Weaving natural-history sleuthing with human attempts to grapple with the disaster, Rats, Feast and Famine tells a suspenseful story of man versus beast. As the bamboo flowers in spring, citizens and scientists race against a ticking clock, bracing for the late summer onslaught. As this ancient natural phenomenon again seizes hold of Mizoram, Ken and motivated government officials work to unlock the keys to the deadly problem of Mautam in 2008 with a frenzy nearly equal to the rats’ bamboo frenzy. But are they too late?

We will also have some great features on our companion website. There is an interactive, exploring how the fruiting of a single plant—the oak tree—impacts its entire forest ecosystem. Daniel Janzen, one of the world's leading tropical ecologists, is interviewed and muses on the mysterious evolution of the mautam.

[mr.mike]

That should be cool!

I would love to see either NOVA or NAT GEO do a story on bamboo itself. They could spend hours on the subject, eh?

mike

[ShmuBamboo]

Have to watch that one... Tuesday.

[Alan_L]

Don't forget, it's on tonight!

If you do miss it, I'm pretty sure Nova puts all of their past shows up on their website for you to watch there (unless you're on dialup).

[Alan_L]

This is on again Tuesday (tomorrow) if you missed it the first time and can't watch it on the Nova website.

[zxylene]

My son and I just watched this on the PBS (NOVA) website and it is very interesting and lots of Bamboo.