What will Earth look like in 250 million years? Explore the powerful forces deep below the Earth's surface that rip apart vast land masses and smash them together, creating everything from tsunamis and earthquakes to mountains and canyons.
The Earth is built to last. It is 4.5 billion years old. It has taken more devastating asteroid hits in its lifetime than you've had hot dinners, and it still orbits happily around the sun. But physics is a curious thing and it can harness devastating power -- enough even to destroy the world. Naked Science will analyze antimatter, black holes and even more amazing means of destruction -- and the havoc they could wreak on a planet. So strap in, buckle up, and enjoy the ride to doomsday.
Millions of years ago, Venus and Earth cut similar figures. Roughly the same size and about the same distance from the sun, their respective evolutions could have followed similar paths. But today, Venus is a seething vision of Hell, its battery-acid atmosphere and incessant, hurricane-force winds masking a blistering volcanic surface. Some scientists wonder if it is a harbinger of whats in store for Earth. Thanks to the European Space Agency, Venus Express the most sophisticated satellite ever to visit the planet is orbiting Earths estranged twin, gathering the data we need to figure out why Venus went bad. Could our home planet be hurtling towards a similar fate? And could the hostile Venusian environment, now seemingly devoid of biologys most fundamental ingredient water yet harbour life?
Over a century ago, sponge divers recovered an extremely complex mechanical device from a shipwreck. It was decades before they determined it's purpose, to accurately track the movement of the stars in the night sky. Dubbed the Antikythera mechanism (for the location of the shipwreck from which it came), the device is considered the world's first computer, developed by the Greeks around the 1st century B.C. Scientists continue to marvel at its intricate system of gears which rival that of the most complex Swiss watch.
Earthlings may one day develop the technology to visit other planets, but could we survive their hostile environments? This hour examines the extreme surface conditions of the planets within our solar system, as well as some that lie beyond.
Do the sun's invisible cosmic rays influence our weather? Can solar winds impact Earth? Explore the ways fluctuations in the sun's energy influence our climate.
The famous telescope that orbits the Earth was initially considered a failure because of its long list of problems. The scientists who designed the device and those who ultimately fixed it discuss the project, as well as the surprising photos and information it has been able to collect about the universe.
This is the story of mankind's first major ocean crossing the groundbreaking first arrival in Australia. It holds the secrets as to how and why modern humans were able to dominate this planet and beyond. In this one hour film experts explore the mysteries that surround this historic journey - how and when it was achieved, was it a purposeful mission or simply an accident and exactly what it is different about modern humans that give us the capabilities to go where no man has gone before
This episode concentrates on how the universe was made in the Big Bang and how scientists predict it could end similarly as it continues to expand. Several theories are covered including the "Big Crunch" where the universe shrinks back to its original size, and the "Big Chill" with the universe slowly freezing to death.
The hardest known substance on Earth is known for its value and beauty. Scientists believe diamonds could also hold incredible possibilities for the future. Their incredible durability and their unique properties could revolutionize everything from computer chips to space explorations. All diamonds, however, contain minor flaws. What science must do is create a perfect "super diamond".
Secret World of Fireworks explores the closely held secrets, recipes, and techniques from the world of pyrotechnic showmen. National Geographic takes a behind the scenes look into this exclusive world with unique access from Zambelli Internationale of New Castle, Pennsylvania - Americas First Family of Fireworks - along with rocket scientists and chemists from Los Alamos, New Mexico.
There are numerous theories about how life began on Earth. One thought is that it sprang up in the warm waters of a pond. Another suggests it arrived via comets. A different theory says life sprang from lightening and volcanoes. Scientists demonstrate that a spark of electricity applied to a primordial soup forms amino acids--the building blocks of life.
