Cosmic Voyage Nominated for an Academy Award, this 36-minute IMAX production offers a state of the art, computer generated journey through the universe, and tries to pinpoint the role of human beings cohabitating within its vastness. Among the topics included are a variety of the greatest scientific theories known to exist - some of which had never before been visualized on film - as well as a guided tour through the cosmos and solar system, and a look at the nature of black holes and exploding supernovas. This IMAX offering presents us with not only one but two journeys - one in space (going from the entire universe to quarks) and one in time (going from the first cells to human beings). These are both monumental enterprises, but unfortunately this half-hour movie can only offer us an inkling of either. Watch the full documentary now
Philosophy: Guide to Happiness We tend to accept that people in authority must be right. It's this assumption that Socrates wanted us to challenge by urging us to think logically about the nonsense they often come out with, rather than being struck dumb by their aura of importance and air of suave certainty. This six part series on philosophy is presented by popular British philosopher Alain de Botton, featuring six thinkers who have influenced history, and their ideas about the pursuit of the happy life. Socrates on Self-Confidence (Part 1) - Why do so many people go along with the crowd and fail to stand up for what they truly believe? Epicurus on Happiness (Part 2) - British philosopher Alain De Botton discusses the personal implications of the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus (341-270BCE) who was no epicurean glutton or wanton consumerist, but an advocate of "friends, freedom and thought" as the path to happiness.
The Elephant: Life after Death Elephants can live for 70 years. But what happens when one of these magnificent beasts dies in the wild? This stunning film turns normal wildlife documentaries on their head to find out what happens after death, as a five-tonne adult elephant is transformed into six million calories worth of fat, meat and guts, feeding a whole new cycle of life. The documentary gives scientists the chance to watch close up, day and night, as animals from leopards, hyenas and vultures to flies and beetles take just days to reduce the largest land animal on earth to bare bones. Biologist Simon Watt leads a team of experts watching the events unfold in Tsavo West National Park in Kenya. They follow the action as never before, using remote cameras and night vision equipment under the supervision of animal behavior expert Warren Samuels. Raptor expert Simon Thomsett is keen to study the behavior of local vultures, whose increasing timidity could mark a shift in the food chain.
The Elegant Universe Adapted from a provocative book by Brian Greene, this deeply engrossing documentary -- which originally aired on PBS's NOVA in three parts -- attempts to explain the controversial string theory, a complicated scientific proposal that, in short, posits a single explanation for many of the universe's mysteries. As affable an egghead as you're likely to find, Greene engages an array of physicists in his examination of string theory, which in part blends Einstein's theory of relativity with the complex laws governing quantum mechanics. Although mind-numbing technical terms are kept to a minimum, those of us not conversant with advanced physics might feel a bit lost at times. Still, the subject is undeniably fascinating, and some of the conclusions are nothing short of mind-blowing: a reasoned, professional discussion of a universe encompassing 11 separate dimensions certainly calls Johnny Carson's "I did not know that" to mind. Watch the full documentary now (playlist - 2 hours, 48 minutes)
Through the Wormhole All episodes from Through the Wormhole series gathered in one place. Hosted by Morgan Freeman, Through the Wormhole will explore the deepest mysteries of existence - the questions that have puzzled mankind for eternity. What are we made of? What was there before the beginning? Are we really alone? Now, science has evolved to the point where hard facts and evidence may be able to provide us with answers instead of philosophical theories. Click on the links bellow to watch the documentary episodes: Season 1 Is There A Creator? The Riddle of Black Holes. Is Time Travel Possible? What Happened Before the Beginning? How Did We Get Here? Are We Alone? What Are We Made Of? Beyond The Darkness. Season 2 Is there Life after Death? Is There an Edge to the Universe? Does Time Exist? Are There More Than Three Dimensions? Is there a Sixth Sense? Are There Parallel Universes? How Does the Universe Work? Can We Travel Faster Than Light? Can We Live Forever? What Do Aliens Look Like?
Darwin’s Dangerous Idea Andrew Marr explores how Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has taken on a life of its own far beyond the world of science. In the first episode of the three-part series, he argues that Darwin's theory has transformed our understanding of what it means to be human. Over the last 150 years, Darwin's ideas have challenged the need for a creator, undermined religious authority, and provided new ways of looking at the origins of human morality. Andrew Marr discovers something surprising about his own evolutionary history as this epic series continues with an exploration of Darwin's impact on politics and society. In the final episode of this ground-breaking series about Charles Darwin's legacy, Andrew Marr discovers how Darwin's ideas are helping us to save ourselves and all life on earth from extinction. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
Here Comes The Sun If it were up to the sun, we would have no energy problem. Every half hour on the Earth's surface, there is more than enough light to provide energy needs for the whole world in a year. We don't have an energy problem, we have a conversion problem. If we are able to harvest sunlight in smart way, then we can prevent a global energy crisis. That sounds nice but that does not mean it will succeed, at least that is what many different bodies want us to believe. Radical German government measures have proved that it is possible. Watch the full documentary now - The Lost World of Lake Vostok It sometimes seems as if our planet has no secrets left - but deep beneath the great Antarctic ice sheet scientists have made an astonishing discovery. They’ve found one of the largest lakes in the world. It’s very existence defies belief. Scientists are desperate to get into the lake because its extreme environment may be home to unique flora and fauna, never seen before, and NASA are excited by what it could teach us about extraterrestrial life. But 4 kilometers of ice stand between the lake and the surface, and breaking this seal without contaminating the most pristine body of water on the planet is possibly one of the greatest challenges science faces in the 21st century. In 1957 the Russians established a remote base in Antarctica - the Vostok station. But 20 years passed before their suspicions were confirmed, when satellites finally revealed that there was an enormous lake under the Vostok base. Watch the full documentary now -
The Real Superhumans: Quest for the Future Fantastic The Real Superhumans and the Quest for the Future Fantastic is a special from the Discovery Channel. It follows four people with what are described as real life superhuman abilities, a geneticist who created the first chimera of two very different species of rodents, and a scientist on a mission to become immortal. The show was done in a comic book format ending with the common slogan To be continued as to indicate that the people of the show and humanity itself is just beginning to venture into a new age, one where genetic manipulation and other technologies to obtain special abilities will be for sale to the general public. The program postulates that the sole reason for the abilities of these people is their genetic makeup. Firstly, our beliefs, intentions and physiological state has been shown to significantly alter gene expression in animals via epigenetic processes. This is just a preview.
Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space The earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and triumph, they can become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on this scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner. How frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatred. As the ancient myth makers knew, we're children equally of the earth and the sky. Which aspects of our nature will prevail is uncertain, particularly when our visions and prospects are bound to one small part of this small planet earth. Watch the full documentary now
The Story of Science: Power, Proof and Passion For thousands of years we have wrestled with the great questions of existence. Who are we? What is the world made of? How did we get here? The quest to answer these is the story of science. Each week, medical journalist Michael Mosley traces the often unpredictable path we have taken. It is a tale of courage and of fear, of hope and disaster, of persistence and success. This is the story of how history made science and how science made history, and how the ideas which emerged made the modern world. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Watch the full documentary now (playlist - )
The Hawking Paradox Stephen Hawking is the most famous scientist on the planet. His popular science book A Brief History of Time was a publishing sensation, staying at the top of the bestseller lists longer than any other book in recent history. But behind the public face lies an argument that has been raging for almost 30 years. Hawking shot to fame in the world of physics when he provided a mathematical proof for the Big Bang theory. Science had long predicted that if a sufficiently large star collapsed at the end of its life, all the matter left in the star would be crushed into an infinitely small point with infinite gravity and infinite density – a singularity. Instead of matter being crushed into a singularity, the Universe began when a singularity expanded to form everything we see around us today, from stars to planets to people. Watch the full documentary now