As mentioned before, National Geographic Channel's Explorer kicks off its new season on August 8. I saw a preview of the August 15 episode, "Science of Dogs," and it's quite interesting.

We all know that dogs are a result of selective breeding, but I had never given thought much about what that means exactly. These are animals we have selectively bred over centuries to suit our needs: for hunting, companionship, protection, and myriad other possibilities. This type of breeding can be good, but it also has consequences, with one in four dogs stricken with some kind of genetic problem or defect. Since dogs often have the same diseases as humans, doctors can study the dog's genetic makeup in order to better understand and cure the same diseases in humans.

National Geographic's long-running series Explorer returns with a new season on August 8 at 8:00 p.m. The series will once again delve into interesting facets of science, technology and nature.

The special I'm most looking forward to is "Science of Dogs" on August 15. This episode will focus on the world of science dogs: you know, dogs who wear lab coats and work in laboratories, perfecting different types of kitten poison, that sort of thing.