How to Survive

You’re on a beach. Not a worry in the world. The sun bronzing your skin, sand trickling between your toes, the sound of waves– wait, what? Where’d all the water go? Did you see it going out? Now what?

Bears can be cute. But for most people, bear encounters aren't anything like that. Here's how to meet a bear and come out alive... according to science. Statistically, bears shouldn't be your biggest concern while hiking in the forest. They don't normally attack people for no apparent reason. Not unless they're startled... or starving. Underknown shows take you to the frontiers of science, tell the greatest underknown stories from history and make the most complex ideas and theories entertaining and accessible. Underknown takes you beyond the familiar to explore, question and marvel at the magnificent vagaries of life on Earth and the Universe and ponder our best hopes for our planet, our lives, our children and our future.

Hurricanes can kill you in many ways. You might be crushed by a heavy, flying object, drowned in a flood, or even buried in a landslide. So, what do you do? How do you stay safe? Underknown shows take you to the frontiers of science, tell the greatest underknown stories from history and make the most complex ideas and theories entertaining and accessible. Underknown takes you beyond the familiar to explore, question and marvel at the magnificent vagaries of life on Earth and the Universe and ponder our best hopes for our planet, our lives, our children and our future.

You're hurtling toward the ground at a speed of 120 miles per hour (193 km). The wind howls in your ears, your brain silently screams in terror. You're 35,000 feet (10 km) in the air. No parachute. You have 3 minutes. Countdown to impact starts now!. But how effective is it? So, how do you survive falling without a parachute?

So, you're stranded on a deserted island, no fast food or coffee within reach. Do you have a pet volleyball like Tom Hanks had Wilson? Do you imagine that living creatures are food like in cartoons? How will you approach the physical and mental demands of being all alone, and without the modern comforts of home?

It's happened: a nuclear explosion. If you weren't killed in the initial blast, the fallout can finish the job. Whether it's an act of war or terrorism, all that really matters in the moments after the blast is that there are ways to save yourself and your loved ones. So, how is it possible to stay safe?

Earthquakes can happen anywhere, at any time. The Earth's outer crust is made of tectonic plates, floating on the planet's upper mantle. The edges of these plates, called fault lines, are where most earthquakes occur. When the plates butt up against each other and get stuck, that causes pressure to build up. Once the plates move again, that's when an earthquake happens.

Do chilies make you dumb? Can chilis even cause dementia? Some new research from the Qatar University shows that there’s a connection between eating chili peppers and the risk of mental decay. Even worse, some peppers are so hot that you might need to go to an Emergency room.

A heatwave can kill you. The sun and the high temperature can cause hyperthermia, which happens when your body absorbs more heat than it can process. So, how can you survive a heatwave? Well here’s how, According to Science.

Pandemics are brutal. In the 20th century alone, three flu outbreaks killed between 50 and 100 million people. What will happen to us with the new #coronavirus? When a pandemic happens, what can you do to stay alive?

It can happen to anyone. It can happen anytime. Millions of fires are reported across the world every year. In the United States alone, a house fire breaks out roughly every minute on average. But life-saving decisions are made within seconds. So how can you buy yourself more time?

Getting stuck in an elevator is unpleasant. It happens about 1 in 5,000 rides a month. Finding yourself in a free-falling elevator is quite rare. But if, by fluke, it happens to you, what should you do? Can you save yourself by jumping up in the air?

You’re enjoying a nice day on an ocean cruise, you're relaxed and secure. Too bad that a rogue wave, human error, high winds or mechanical failure just ruined your trip. Suddenly, a huge spray of water douses your clothes. People are rushing around, shrieking and falling over deck chairs. The floor underneath your feet is lurching. Your ship is sinking. So, how do you survive?

In our day to day lives, sometimes it's hard to remember that we live on a planet that's just a tiny speck in the vastness of space. And that as we sit here we're vulnerable to asteroid strikes. They're big, they're fast, and they could really mess up whatever they smash into. Remember what happened to the dinosaurs? Nothing good. Survival wasn't easy after the asteroid that struck Earth 65 million years ago. Is it possible to survive an asteroid strike?

You thought you were doing an easy day hike to clear your head, but suddenly, you realize you're lost. One tree looks just like another. Your compass is broken and your cell signal is weak. Being lost in the woods can dangerous! Are there bears? Do you have enough food with you? How long will you be stranded?

Well, you've really done it this time. Whether marrying a murderous temptress with a heart of stone, or chewing on a wild forest mushroom, you've gotten yourself poisoned. Your throat is closing up, and your gut clenches in pain. Will you die?

Many people keep a chronicle of future experiences that they hope to have during their lifetime, called bucket lists. But, what about an anti-bucket list? Instead of experiences that people want to have, this could be a list of things to passionately avoid. Topping your anti-bucket list might be getting struck by lightning.

People are delicate creatures. We need a lot of water, and we need the temperature to be 'just so.' So, a desert is the last place you'd want to be stranded. People have come to enjoy the comforts of life, and the only place anyone wants to be stranded in is the champagne bar at a spa. Desert temperatures can be deadly, with days reaching highs of 49°C (120°F) and nights dropping to as cold as -18°C (0°F). So, how do you make it out alive?

A grenade lands beside you. Quick! What should you do? The grenade itself is nothing to fear; it’s the shrapnel, or metal fragments, that will injure or kill you when the grenade explodes. So, do you run for it? Hit the deck?

Would you drink turtle blood? Eat a bird raw? How far would you go to survive being stranded on the ocean? Could you cope with sharks ramming your boat? Could you be resourceful in the face of fear? None of it will be easy. But you can survive, as others have done before you.

Floods wreak havoc all over the world, causing terrible damage to homes, ruining infrastructure, drowning people and spreading disease after the flooding stops. What do you need to know to stay safe?

Being stranded in the outback is very dangerous. Because it is not industrialized and very sparsely populated, this large region in Australia is one of the biggest natural areas in the world. The outback is also considered a deadly place to be stranded. So, what could you do to survive?