Could the source of the world’s deadliest viruses hold the secret to a healthier and longer life? Bats have a sinister reputation as potential sources for some of the deadliest disease outbreaks: Ebola, MERS, SARS, and most recently, the virus behind the COVID-19 global pandemic. Yet scientists are discovering new evidence that bats are biological marvels and may hold a key to longevity. They’re resistant to the diseases they carry and have freakishly long lifespans for their tiny size. So, what’s their secret? And what else can we learn from their peculiar biology? From caves in Thailand and Texas to labs around the globe, the films meets the scientists who are decoding the superpowers of the bat.
An Ice Age relic found in a mysterious cave is evidence of prehistoric humans' connection to the supernatural. Using cutting-edge tech, experts investigate this 40,000-year-old treasure to reveal why it was made and the long-lost myths it represents. In the summer of 1939, a team of explorers unearthed hundred of mammoth ivory fragments within a cave in Germany. Due to the start of World War II, the explorers were forced to abandon their findings, and the fragments laid forgotten in a museum. Decades later, as archeologists began piecing the fragments together, an extraordinary artifact emerged -- a figure with both animal and human features, now known as the 'Lion man.'
They defined music and popular culture like no other band ever will - but how did The Beatles make the journey from Merseyside teenagers to international pop stars in the 1960s? Made on Merseyside - The Beatles discovers how American rock 'n' roll and rhythm and blues dragged post-war Liverpool into one of the most vibrant music cities ever with the Mersey Sound. Featuring revealing interviews from those involved in the early years of The Beatles in Liverpool and Hamburg and unique archive, the incredible story of The Beatles' previous band formations and why it took so long for them to achieve success makes riveting viewing. From school bands, to colleges; Hamburg to The Cavern Club, The Beatles changed the world of pop music forever, but was Pete Best's sacking from the band and Ringo's replacement the final part of the jigsaw?
Located beneath Russia's Ural Mountains, Orda Cave is legendary among divers for its unique beauty. The cave's waters are clearest in winter, when the land above lies frozen. With temperatures approaching minus 40 degrees, NHK attempts to film the cave for the first time ever using 4K cameras. Scientists give them insight into the cave's origins, enabling the crew to uncover the miraculous story of how the cave was naturally formed 300 million years ago by climate change and a shifting landscape.
Professor Jim Al-Khalili investigates the amazing science of gravity. A fundamental force of nature, gravity shapes our entire universe. It sculpts galaxies and warps space and time. But gravity’s strange powers also affect our daily lives in the most unexpected ways. This is a story with surprises in store for Jim himself. In telling the story of gravity, his own understanding of the nature of reality comes to be challenged. Finally, Jim discovers that, despite incredible progress, gravity still has many secrets to unveil.
40,000 years ago the steppes of Eurasia were home to our closest human relative, the Neanderthals. Recent genetic and archaeological discoveries have proven that they were not the dim-witted cave dwellers we long thought they were. In fact, they were cultured, technologically savvy and more like us than we ever imagined! So why did they disappear? We accompany scientists on an exciting search for an answer to this question and come to a startling conclusion... A climate change due to a cataclysmic event.
So, what’s their secret? And what else can we learn from their peculiar biology? From caves in Thailand and Texas to labs around the globe, the films meets the scientists who are decoding the superpowers of the bat.