How do the five senses really work? In fact, there are many more than five, and they all work together to create our own version of reality. We dive into the stories of a pairs figure skating team, a perfumer, a cave explorer, and a musician to decipher how different ways of sensing the world all create their own vivid, and unique, picture. This episode explores the world of human sensation and how it defines reality.
When Homo sapiens, which means 'wise ones,' discovered and controlled fire hundreds of thousands of years ago, everything changed. Fire allowed us to cook food and heat dwellings, and it served as a focal point for storytelling and sharing cultural identity among community members. We don't yet have established parameters for what it means to be 'distinctly human,' It would seem the only thing that separates us from other animals, Neil deGrasse Tyson ponders, is our neurotic need to feel 'special'. Against the backdrop of the Halls of Extinction, Tyson insists that there must be a clear distinction between ourselves and animals that justifies our eating them, wearing them and even bringing an end to their species. From the birth of the devil in ancient Persia to a searing story of saintliness among macaque monkeys, this episode is an exploration of human potential for change. It concludes with the story of how one of history's greatest monsters was transformed into one of its shining lights.
In every ocean… just beyond our shores…lives an animal with characteristics we think of as ‘human’ – intelligent, social, curious, gentle, and fierce. They build cities, use tools, and collaborate with other species to hunt. They have personalities – some are bold, while others shy. These animals can change their skin colour, texture, and body shape in a blink of an eye and see in wavelengths beyond our vision. Recent studies reveal octopuses’ consciousness, sophisticated decision-making, and unique personalities. On tropical reefs, in frigid waters, from the shoreline to the deep sea and everywhere in between, the octopus have made a home. Join us as we reveal ‘Secrets of the Octopus’. In the first chapter, whether transforming their body shape and color to disappear or mimicking their deadliest enemy, Octopus use shape-shifting superpowers to survive.
Ocean Ramsey dives off the coast of Hawaii with nothing but a wetsuit and unshakable composure. A marine conservationist whose viral dives have captivated millions, she reads the body language of these great predators and turns fear into focus. Alongside her partner and cameraman Juan Oliphant, she documents every moment of a mission to replace the myth of the monster with one of hard-earned respect, all while facing criticism that questions where advocacy ends and spectacle begins. A visceral, time-pressured journey that challenges you to rethink sharks, risk, and the power of a voice amplified by the sea.
The final part examines political revolution and how art was at the forefront of throwing out 1,000 years of royal rule, from its earliest revolutionary days of enthusiasm and optimism when painting died, the poster was king and the machine-made triumphed over the handmade to the dead hand of Socialist Realism. Andrew roots out great portraits of Stalin now hidden in museum storerooms and never on public view, looks at the transformation of the Moscow metro into a great public art gallery and visits the most stunning creation of post-war Communist rule, the Space Monument. Finally, he comes to the confusion and chaos of Russia today and how it is producing some of the world's strangest art - from heroic sculptures of Russian leader Vladimir Putin to the insides of a giant erotic apple; from the recreation of the Imperial royal family facing the firing squad to sculpture in liquid oil; from Russia's embrace of the commercial art market to a return to Socialist Realism. Russia seems to stand on another brink of revolution.
He's the deadliest weapon on the battlefield, but behind enemy lines, what happens when the tables are turned and the hunter becomes the hunted? From the treacherous jungles of Vietnam and the bloody war zones of Iraq, to danger high in the skies of the Alaskan wilderness, this two-hour special puts you behind the scope with the men who pulled the trigger on some of the deadliest missions in military and law enforcement history. Gripping firsthand accounts, 3-D graphics and jaw-dropping shooting demonstrations take you inside the shadowy world of top snipers and the missions that made them living legends. Outmanned and out-gunned - will the next shot be his last?
This episode explores the world of human sensation and how it defines reality.