The television show Closer to Truth explains that "it brings together leading scientists, scholars and artists to debate the fundamental issues of our times." Though the subject-areas covered in this television/web series are eclectic, there is a tendency to focus on technology and the brain. That combination is what makes it most interesting to 21^st century educators--and perhaps to 21^st century high school students. Indeed, it may simply be useful to watch diverse experts hold an academic conversation. Occasional attention to issues of sexuality would, however, give at least a PG-13 rating to the complete archives.

Closer to Truth is created at the University of Southern California, and its topics are reflected in these choices from its more than 300 shows:

How Does Technology Transform Society?

It's unstoppable and unavoidable, and it's blowing to bits communication, business and life as we know it. Technology is making prettier television pictures, smart houses and smart cars, changing every aspect of business and government, shrinking the world and giving access to anything to almost anyone. Today's panelists discuss how technology is forever changing life as we know it and how change and continuing growth are just as unstoppable as social change is inevitable. Joining host Robert Kuhn are geopolitical economist Francis Fukuyama; artificial intelligence expert Marvin Minsky; technological innovator George Kozmetsky; scientist and sci-fi novelist Gregory Benford; and biophysicist Gregory Stock.

Can You Learn to be Creative?

For years we thought that in order to be creative you had to "be born with it." Now, new thinking on the subject reveals that everyone can learn to be more imaginative and creative -- all you need is high energy and strong motivation. Find out how to tap into this learned skill from today's expert panelists. Joining host Robert Kuhn are scientist and sci-fi novelist Gregory Benford; creativity and happiness authority Mihaly Csikszentmihaly; corporate creativity expert John Kao; artist Todd Siler; and poet Rhoda Janzen.

How Does the Autistic Brain Work?

Crammed into our craniums, the three-pound human brain may be the most complex matter in the universe. And, scientists are learning more about how it works by investigating how it doesn't work. A 13 year-old young man named Tito Mukhopadhyay may be the Rosetta stone for autism, revealing what it feels like to be autistic. Joining host Robert Kuhn are Eric Courchesne, Professor of Neuroscience, UC San Diego; Portia Iversen of Cure Autism Now; Teacher Soma Mukhopadhyay; Erin Schuman, Associate Professor of Biology, Caltech; and Terrence Sejnowski, Director of Computational Biology, Salk Institute.

How Does Technology Transform Thinking?

Light-speed technology is accelerating, and even changing the way we think. So much so that you're irritated when there a 10-second delay in downloading a Internet site even when just a few years ago you were thrilled to a same-day fax. Today's expert panelists take on technology to discuss what it is about technology that is affecting our modes of thought, how thinking has changed, and how humans can keep up with the raging pace of technological change. Joining host Robert Kuhn are geopolitical economist Francis Fukuyama; artificial intelligence expert Marvin Minsky; fuzzy logic expert Bart Kosko; planetary scientist Bruce Murray and technological innovator George Kozmetsky.

Or add some fresh insight to those perennial reports on e.s.p and paranormal activity. One example:

What is Parapsychology?

There's something to be said about telepathy, clairvoyance and psychokinesis, despite the fact that it may be inexplicable in scientific terms or by natural law. In the scientific arena, the psychological phenomena ofparapsychology fascinates some and simply annoys others. Today's panelists from the fields of science and parapsychology debate whether ESP can really be studied as a science and if claims of strange, psychic phenomena can be subject to the scientific method. Joining host Robert Kuhn are physicist James Trefil; parapsychologist Dean Radin; neuropsychologist Barry Beyerstein; anthropologist Marilyn Schlitz; and parapsychologist Charles Tart.

The Closer to Truth television show is aired on some PBS stations and the Research Channel. The Research Channel hosts the Closer to Truth web archives as well as a separate "K-12 and Education" category.