Last Watched

A Savage Legacy

       History
Examines the impact of racism in the 20th century. By 1900 European colonial expansion had reached deep into the heart of Africa. Under the rule of King Leopold II, the Belgian Congo was turned into a vast rubber plantation. Men, women and children who failed to gather their latex quotas would have their limbs dismembered. The country became the scene of one of the century's greatest racial genocides, as an estimated 10 million Africans perished under colonial rule.
Series: Racism: A History

Coldplay Live 2of2

   2012    Art
'Every show is different. When the lights go down that's 30,000 people's lives colliding... for that one moment. Everyone that's there working or watching is there for that moment. It's when you're all kind of in agreement about what you're all doing at that time... so it's a wonderful feeling of togetherness and possibility Then I start getting real adrenaline... and start doing 'Rocky' shadow boxing and all that kind of stuff.
So I get as excited as anyone else. And I still get that excitement when I go and see anyone else's concert. I love that moment. And then it's about trying to hold that energy for an hour and a half... because it can go if you're not careful Whilst it might not be perceived as cool to be really enthused by the fact that people show up to hear your music... we don't really give a f***, we really love that and it's exciting, you know?'
Series: Coldplay Live

Monogamy

   2018    Culture
From virtually the moment we're born, there's a story that's preached across cultures and continents. It's a familiar fairy tale, that finding one true love is the key to a fulfilled and happy life. As an adult, we're forced to reconcile the messaging on monogamy with one simple fact: humans are terrible at it.
What do biology, human history and the promiscuity of bonobos reveal about monogamy? Experts and everyday couples weigh in on shifting cultural norms.
Series: Explained

Rome is Burning

   2016    History
In the fourth episode of the series, Commodus defeats his sister's coup but withdraws from governing, allowing others to amass power while he engages in an affair and banishes his wife.
Series: Roman Empire: Reign of Blood

The Irrational Health Service

       Medicine
Richard Dawkins examines the growing suspicion the public has for science-based medicine, despite its track record of successes like the germ theory of disease, vaccines, antibiotics and increased lifespan. He notes a fifth of British children are currently not immunised against measles, mumps and rubella, attributing it to fears arising from a highly controversial report linking the vaccine with autism. Dawkins criticizes the growing field of alternative medicine which does not pass the same objective and statistical rigour as scientifically derived treatments using controlled double-blind studies. Without verifiable evidence, alternative therapies must rely on biased anecdotes and word of mouth to perpetuate. Dawkins observes these treatments have fanciful rationales and rituals behind them, with many alternative treatments employing pseudoscientific jargon such as "energy", "vibration" or "quantum theory" to give themselves greater credence to patients.
Series: Enemies of Reason

Does the Ocean Think

   2014    Science
There could be an undiscovered species on Earth unlike anything we’ve ever known. Not in the ocean, but the ocean itself! Its body spans thousands of miles; its heart beats with a one-thousand-year pulse. It could even have an immune system capable of annihilating all other life on earth. Just as our bodies function through the interaction of water with individual cells, including bacteria and other microorganisms, the ocean’s residents might collectively form a super-organism. A recent discovery suggests the ocean is a living being capable of thought. If so, what is the ocean thinking about us?
Series: Through the Wormhole Season 5
Planet Earth II

Planet Earth II

2016  Nature
Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist

2007  Culture
Cosmos

Cosmos

1980  Culture
Sex Explained

Sex Explained

2020  Medicine
A Perfect Planet

A Perfect Planet

2021  Nature
Prehistoric Planet

Prehistoric Planet

2022  Science