The Nature of Sex

From the sea horse that mates in an hypnotic underwater ballet to the rodent who copulates until he literally drops dead, THE NATURE OF SEX spans the globe to illustrate how an astonishing diversity of life forms find their mates and conceive, raise, and protect their offspring. This Web companion to the four-part series takes a close look at the primal instinct that causes animals to come together in order to pass along their genes to the next generation.

From the sea horse that mates in an hypnotic underwater ballet to the rodent who copulates until he literally drops dead, THE NATURE OF SEX spans the globe to illustrate how an astonishing diversity of life forms find their mates and conceive, raise, and protect their offspring. This Web companion to the four-part series takes a close look at the primal instinct that causes animals to come together in order to pass along their genes to the next generation. We also examine how timing can be key in the mating process, and how varied sex contracts create not only new life, but diversity, in both animals and humans.

You won't be able to resist this tantalizing and revealing collection of Discovery Channel's distinctive programs on the mysterious and fascinating nature of sex. From science to seduction, we make some shocking discoveries as scientific experts and intimate portraits reveal little-known wonders of the reproductive process. Then travel through history to look at some surprising attitudes toward sex and uncover some unusual sexual practices. You'll be amazed at the tenacity and creativity of the human spirit and body in ensuring the survival of our species.

Challenging everything from the mandates of the Catholic Church to the hotly debated ethics of pornography, and from the …

You won't be able to resist this tantalizing and revealing collection of Discovery Channel's distinctive programs on the mysterious and fascinating nature of sex. From science to seduction, we make some shocking discoveries as scientific experts and intimate portraits reveal little-known wonders of the reproductive process. Then travel through history to look at some surprising attitudes toward sex and uncover some unusual sexual practices. You'll be amazed at the tenacity and creativity of the human spirit and body in ensuring the survival of our species.

The current worldwide AIDS crisis is about 20 years old, but the disease itself is much older. In fact, AIDS is only the latest chapter in the evolution of the complex retrovirus we call HIV. Where was HIV lurking before it emerged in the early 1980s? There is some evidence that the Western strain of HIV arose in Europe as early as 1939. There is even more evidence that HIV is a direct descendant of a virus which has long infected certain African apes and monkeys, a virus called SIV–si mian immunodeficiency virus.