How to Survive the End of the World

Is a zombie apocalypse simply a concept of fiction or could an infectious disease REALLY turn humanity into a race of vicious, seething monsters? The truth just might shock you! NGC examines one all-too-real scenario a pandemic caused by a mutated rabies virus. Experts from the fields of medicine, biology and the social sciences explain what could happen if humanity faced a deadly contagion for which there was no cure.

This episode examines this terrifying scenario by exploring the very real, and very deadly, science of volcanic activity. A team of physicists and space scientists suggests that a theoretical black hole could slam into the planet, punching a hole through it like a bullet through an apple. Earth would survive the impact, but the black hole would generate a colossal shockwave that disturbs the magma beneath every existing volcanic system.

Imagine a strange dark force pulling Earth out of its orbit around the sun, drifting into the outer reaches of space, our world thrown into the dark and cold in the face of an eternal ice age. That's the scenario scientists are examining in this episode of How to Survive the End of the World. Leading minds in physics and the space sciences come together to predict what might happen in the event of a true Armageddon and forecast human survival in this all-too-real scenario.

Earth's climate exists because of a delicate balance of factors, but if just one of those factors is thrown out of whack, everything we know about the world could change very quickly. This special examines what might happen if this environmental balance shifts, causing disasters such as super tornadoes, gamma ray lightning, ball lightning and a giant hurricane that consumes the globe.

With today's astonishing technological breakthroughs, things once thought to be science fiction are becoming much more real. Could the cutting-edge technologies we create one day rise against us and lead us to the brink of extinction? Micro Monsters examines this possible foreboding scenario by exploring the inherent dangers of one of the fastest-rising technologies of the 21st century: nanorobotics.

A scientifically grounded look at the destructive power of the most important element in human survival: water. We explore the terrifying consequences that flash floods and rising sea levels could have on global populations, as experts explain how a massive volume of water might come to earth from space, and wreak havoc once it arrives. We examine several ways we could fight the rising tide: building immense seawalls to protect entire cities, underwater habitats, and finding new ways to live on the surface of the sea. As the ground begins to vanish beneath our feet, we'd be forced to look at new ways to live on a planet that is becoming a water world – but how long can we keep our heads above water? Is there hope for mankind to survive? Our ability to adapt may be our ultimate salvation.

If a neutron star came barrelling toward Earth – threatening the survival of man and the planet itself – what would mankind do? With large scale planet evacuation our only hope, how could we create a massive spaceship – able to sustain a large population for as long as a century – that can travel at least 65 trillion kilometres? Are we capable of developing an engine strong enough to power a spaceship 25 kilometres long to a distance so great? We have no knowledge of any other planets that are supporting life. Placing the ultimate gamble on an educated guess, where in the universe do we send this ship. How do we replicate life on Earth – establishing gravity, give us air to breathe and food to eat on a journey that could last several generations? And, most importantly, who would be selected to keep the human race alive, what will be the fates of those left behind? Go with NGC on a mission to Evacuate Earth.