Naked Science

They were sent to Mars on a 90-day mission, but almost five years later the rovers Spirit and Opportunity have traveled farther, seen more, and survived longer than anyone imagined possible, earning a place among the most prolific explorers in history.

Engineers wondered if a plane that operated solely on solar power could be built. Their efforts over a decade result in the Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the plane that triumphantly takes to the air. Making a 26-hour nonstop day-night-day flight climaxes the success of the Solar Impulse.

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.

We were all taught that dinosaurs were scaly creatures with skin like we're accustomed to seeing on reptiles. With the discovery of new fossils including feathered prehistoric beasts in China, scientists now believe they were wrong. Using computers to realize the new discoveries, Naked Science gives a more accurate look at the fathered monsters from the past.

The centuries-old Voynich manuscript has remained an enigma. Filled with bizarre drawings and written in a language that even the best cryptographers cannot decipher, the tome has remained a puzzling mystery. The efforts to decode the book and determine its unknown author continue.

The formation of one of nature's greatest wonders continues to be debated. Experts explore various theories as to how the Grand Canyon was formed, and how it continues to be shaped by natural forces.

The most unimaginable weather in our universe occurs at places other than on our planet. This episode imagines what would happen if those bizarre conditions were to manifest themselves on Earth.

At this very moment, you could be breathing the same oxygen molecule that Genghis Khan and George Washington did! NGC is putting a unique twist on history by retracing the extraordinary journey of a single molecule of oxygen an adventure that takes place over millions of years. The story begins with the birth of oxygen, moves on to photosynthesis, then travels through the age of the dinosaurs and follows the first steps of early man.

Parallel universes, strange hidden worlds, where an alternative reality exists have haunted science fiction for decades. Parallel universes sound like a myth, but a surprising number of leading scientists believe they are real. National Geographic delves into the mysterious science of other universes and discovers that many of physics most cherished theories actually predict that there are other universes beside our own. But what are they like? Could we ever visit them? And if we did, who or what would we meet? The reality is weirder than any science fiction.

Bryan Fry has always been intrigued with things that can kill you. Since surviving a near fatal rattlesnake bite this scientist, turned venom hunter, has made it his mission to seek out the worlds deadliest creatures. Each venom he collects may hold the secret to creating life-saving medicines. Now Bryan targets North America and three of its most toxic species.

The 1991 eruption of Japan's Mount Unzen, which killed 43 people, including three volcanologists, is recalled. Included: archival footage; survivor testimonies.

Did ancient children play, learn and laugh the way children do today? A Moroccan skull, more than one hundred thousand years old, is revealed to be that of a 6-year-old child. Dental examinations confirm that the child lived and died well before the founding of modern religion, the construction of Egypt's pyramids and even the advent of agriculture. A scientific team works to decipher the mysteries of this lost child's life.

In 312 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine claimed he saw a mysterious light in the sky which convinced him to convert to Christianity.

Superhuman capabilities like running faster than a speeding bullet or being more powerful than a locomotive could be available at the push of a button. NGC explores the latest in wearable mechanical getups, designed to duplicate human movement with enhanced strength and locomotion. See how these futuristic suits are being used for medical, military, industrial and recreational uses.

Go on an action packed, hi-tech fishing expedition with the Sea Strikers. When the ocean's top predators strike, their prey doesn't even know what hit them! NGC dives into the attack strategies that sea hunters employ to deliver killer blows. Biologists use an high-speed underwater camera to capture the hunting techniques of the goliath grouper, barracuda, bonito and bull shark, and provides also never-before-seen footage of the feeding habits of the ocean's other top predators — mackerel, mahi mahi, wahoo, tuna and billfish. Goliath groupers use a powerful hunting technique called "suction feeding" to vacuum their prey. Barracuda and bonitos hunt by "ram feeding," slamming into unsuspecting fish for a headfirst feast. Bull sharks, the "biters," have a taste for other predators like bonitos. Biologists Steve Huskey and Nicolai Konow, and underwater cameraman Andy Casagrande embark on a high-tech fishing expedition to capture the hunting techniques of some of the oceans top predators using a slow motion camera that produces breathtaking images. Their mission: to record and analyse the hunting techniques of the goliath grouper, barracuda, bonito and bull shark. Computers use this stunning new footage to measure the attack speed of these hunters, revealing what happens in just the blink of an eye. Follow this all-star crew of fish fanatics and see just how fast these predators really are.

Life After Dinosaurs recreates the evolutionary history of mammals from the dinosaur age up to the appearance of the first humans to explore how the present ecosystem on this planet was formed and how remarkable the fact is that we exist now.

Have a look at what space travel might be like through the eyes of visionaries, and learn about some of the most audacious projects ever. Space is an unforgiving environment. The journey to space equally so. Tiny errors of manufacture or judgement are hugely amplified in the marginal corridor out of Earth’s atmosphere. This should not be in any way an obstacle to progress and exploration – the ‘shuttlecock-style’ return-to-Earth system of SpaceShipOne has the lowest-energy impact of any space transport system currently in service. It has been possible to book a flight on SpaceShipTwo for the last four years. Virgin Galactic already has hundreds of advanced bookings from a surprisingly diverse mix of people (mixed in the sense of having access to $200,000 for the price of a ticket).

The race is on to find another planet capable of sustaining life: a world like ours. France's CoRot and America's Kepler missions locate new worlds but must hunt further afield for habitable planets.