There's no question about it, the past few years have been hot — very hot. Even the most skeptical scientists admit that the planet is heating up. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, hot stuff! World-wide fires, global warming, and a devilish look at the second law of thermo-dynamics. Also, how cool, dry air changed the South.

Historian Stephen Pyne is a pyromantic, and has written several books about fire. The most recent is "Vestal Fire." Pyne tells Steve Paulson that globally, despite this year's wild fires, there is less open fire than ever before. He favors controlled burnoffs to prevent catastrophic fires.

Kathleen Delaney practices emergency medicine at the Southwest Medical Center in Dallas. She tells Judith Strasser what happens to the body when it gets too hot, and how the emergency room treats heatstroke patients. Also, historian Raymond Arsenault talks with Jim Fleming about the effects air conditioning had on the South and Southern culture.

Physicist Hans von Baeyer talks with Judith Strasser about the laws of thermodynamics. He explains why heat only moves downhill, and the difference bewteen heat and temperature. His book on the subject is "Maxwell's Demon: Why Warmth Disperses and Time Passes."

Distribution dates:

• week of 09/13/98 - hour 2