QUEST Documentaries

* Sea otters, the fuzzy mascots of California's coast, have fought back for 75 years from near-extinction, but now their population has mysteriously stalled. Scientists say pollution from land - perhaps even a parasite in cat litter - may be the culprit. * Call them demolition derby astrophysicists: NASA Scientists in Mountain View are building a spaceship they will deliberately crash into the moon in 2009, sending up a 40-mile high cloud of debris. Their goal? To find water for a future moon base.

* Not satisfied with 50 mpg? A group of Bay Area engineers is trying to launch a green car revolution at 100 mpg by souping up Toyota's Prius. The holy grail of their "plug-in hybrids:" less smog, less global warming and a cure for America's oil addiction. * Admiral Chester Nimitz was nearly killed when his seaplane hit a floating telephone pole 65 years ago. Ever since, a group of Sausalito sailors has toiled as San Francisco Bay's unheralded trash collectors - removing tons of debris every month, from floating concrete to dead bodies. * Each year hundreds of anonymous migrants die crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, but forensic anthropology student Chelsey Juarez has developed a technique to identify them using teeth samples - and possibly return their remains to loved ones.

* Once nearly extinct, California condors are making a steady recovery. But a new threat - lead poisoning from old bullets - is slowing progress, leaving scientists to struggle with the passionate collision between wildlife preservation and the politics of hunting. * If you could learn your odds of getting cancer, heart disease or diabetes, would you? A new generation of home genetic testing kits allows anybody with a cotton swab and a mailbox to find out. But does convenience come with a privacy risk? * Take a stroll through San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers with Executive Director Dr. John Peterson and learn about the building's Victorian history and rare collection of exotic Dracula orchids.

* Tired of toxic embalming fluid, rainforest wood caskets and other ecologically unfriendly practices, a new generation of undertakers is attempting to green up the funeral industry with burials that go easy on the land. * State transportation planners have nearly finished designing a high-tech bullet train system that would take passengers from San Francisco to Los Angeles in two hours at 220 mph - faster than a Ferrari. But will California voters pay for it? * Ladybug Ladybug Fly Away Home! Each year Ladybugs fly in by the millions to winter in the East Bay's Redwood Regional Park. We meet naturalist Linda Yemoto who explains this phenomenon, but how these beetles know where to go is still one of nature's mysteries.

* An explosion in green building is underway, with cleverly engineered libraries, office buildings, even public housing projects popping up across the Bay Area, and championed as much by landlords trying to cut energy and water costs as by environmental groups. * Tule Elk once dominated the Bay Area landscape, but after the Gold Rush they were hunted to near extinction. Now thanks to naturalists and inspired ranchers, they are making a comeback. * Cutting-edge microscopes at UC-San Francisco are helping scientists create three-dimensional images of cells, and may help lead to new medical breakthroughs, including a treatment for Type 1 diabetes.

A nanotech boom in the Bay Area has begun, but what will it bring? And how do we help seeing adults who are progressively losing their vision?

The birth and blossoming of the Bay Area environmental movement, including a look at past successes - from cleaning up smog to protecting open space - are examined in depth. Also: the Bay Area's most urgent eco-threats in the decades ahead.

* Devastating over 1 million oak trees across Northern California in the past 10 years, Sudden Oak Death is a killer with no cure. But biologists now are looking to the trees' genetics for a solution. * The monster waves at Mavericks attract big wave surfers from around the world. But what exactly makes these Half Moon Bay waves so big? * Quest talks with George Smoot, big bang researcher at UC Berkeley and winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics.

* Can someone who's quadriplegic or hearing impaired play a video game? Quest takes you to the international Game Developers Conference celebrated recently in San Francisco, where a group of gamers used colorful tactics to convince mainstream developers to make video games that are accessible for everyone. * It's not James Bond -it's Graham Hawkes, record holder for the deepest underwater solo dive and inventor of Deep Flight, a winged submersible that may revolutionize underwater travel. * The California Highway Patrol is putting away their old radar guns and embracing new laser beam guns, clocking cars with much more precision than before. Quest finds out how they work.

* Scoop a handful of critters out of the San Francisco Bay and you'll find tourists from far away shores. Invasive kinds of mussels, fish and more are choking out native species, challenging experts around the State to change the human behavior that brings them here. * California's landmark stem cell research program made headlines nationally, but what's the latest story behind the science? Quest investigates the potential for medical breakthroughs in the next decade and how the Bay Area is leading the way. * The land near the old Sutro Baths in San Francisco is getting a multi-million dollar face lift. Discover how this rich historical area not far from the Golden Gate Bridge will get new trails, catwalks and more.

* With California's ambitious renewable energy goal, the state needs wind power. But California's largest wind farm cluster at Altamont Pass unintentionally kills golden eagles, burrowing owls and other threatened birds. Now, wind companies, scientists and environmentalists are working to bird-proof these massive wind farms. * Californians don't normally see fur seals along local beaches, but lately fur seal pups have been stranding themselves in alarming numbers. Quest sails out with the Marine Mammal Center as they release these stowaways back into the wild and try to understand their mysterious behavior. * It's a typical evening at a San Francisco cafe - cappuccinos, conversation. and mathematical theorems? Bay Area "science cafes" have exploded in popularity, putting scientists and everyday folks face-to-face for casual science roundtables, no lecture notes required.

* Science of Baseball - At UC Berkeley, a team of undergrads is experimenting with velocity, force, and aerodynamics. But you won't find them in a lab - they work on a baseball diamond, throwing fast balls, sliders and curve balls. Quest discovers how the principles of physics can make the difference between a strike and a homerun. * Please Touch the Animals - Zookeepers are using a lighter touch to keep their animals strong and healthy. From massage and acupuncture for giraffes, to pachyderm pedicures, come see how the Oakland Zoo and other zoos are using alternative treatments to guarantee the well-being of their residents. * NanoSolar - Hoping to leave today's silicon solar cells behind, the Palo Alto company NanoSolar is creating paper-thin solar panels harnessing nanotechnology, a product that could revolutionize solar power.

* From Waste to Watts - Some of San Francisco's most expensive table scraps are getting a new life as clean energy. Find out how restaurants like Slanted Door and Jardiniere are sending leftovers to a new project at UC-Davis, where gourmet waste is transformed into green power. * Wetlands Time Machine - Over 100,000 acres of wetlands are being restored in the Bay Area, but how do we know what to restore them to? Quest discovers how historical ecologists are recreating San Francisco Bay wetlands that existed decades ago. * WiFi Revolution - San Francisco and other Bay Area cities are now planning city-wide wireless internet networks, providing web access to all. But how exactly does the technology behind WiFi work?

* Where are the Bees? - California farmers depend on bees to pollinate the state's multi-million dollar fruit and nut crops, but recently, bee colonies have been rapidly disappearing. Quest follows the scientists that are racing to find the cause, plus discovers how you can help. * Landslide Detectives - With its rolling hills and winter storms, the Bay Area has been a landslide hotspot, putting houses and lives at risk. Meet the geologists working to understand and predict these natural disasters. * Story Time with Young Science Authors - What do kids age 5-8 think about science? Young authors from the KQED Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest read their science-themed contest entries.

* Living Miracles: Preemie Babies - The United States has the highest rate of premature births of any developed nation in the world. But why? Quest meets some of the Bay Area researchers working to answer that question, and discovers some of the technology and cutting-edge medical procedures used to care for the most vulnerable newborns. * Illuminating the Northern Lights - Bay Area residents may not get to see the northern lights, but Bay Area scientists are playing a key role in understanding them. Find out more about the spectacular light shows up north and what scientists at UC Berkeley are discovering about the earth's magnetic field. * Falcon Fascination - When it comes to these Bay Area internet celebrities, you can peak into their homes 24 hours day. Quest meets the two pairs of Peregrine Falcons in downtown San Francisco and San Jose, whose family dramas -from courtship to parenthood - are caught on webcam.

* Wineries and Global Warming - The Napa and Sonoma microclimates produce world famous wines, but what happens if the climate changes? Scientists are predicting that global warming could increase the number of super-hot days in the California wine region, interfering with the way grapes ripen. Local scientists and wineries are beginning to look at how to prepare. * The Planet Hunters - Do other planets like Earth exist? To find out, a team of astronomers from the University of California is building a new telescope in the hills east of San Jose. Quest finds out how the team searches for planets and why it matters. * The Great Switch-Out - Compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, new compact fluorescent bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Many say that widespread use would produce major energy savings and reduce global warming emissions. But some people say their lighting is too harsh. Quest sheds some light on the bulb battle.

Learn more about California's new efforts to reduce pollution from diesel soot from aging ships, trucks and buses, a health threat whose most serious impacts are on low-income areas. And find out how scientists are flipping evolution on its head by studying the DNA of living animals to discover more about the earliest mammals. Plus, San Francisco maps its urban forest online.

Is eating less the secret to a longer life? It seems to be for some animals. Find out what scientists have learned. And discover new attempts by geologists to better understand and possibly predict earthquakes. Plus, Quest launches a new photo series featuring science and nature imagery from viewers like you.

Visit the largest wetlands restoration project ever attempted in the West, now underway right here in San Francisco Bay, and find out how scientists are using technology to watch the brain at work. Plus, explore 3-D mapping of the Pacific Ocean floor.

Go inside the California fire season and the challenges it poses to firefighters and forest managers, and visit the Maker Faire, a San Mateo County event known as "The Woodstock for Inventors" that is home to a do-it-yourself movement. Plus, get a second life - online.