The History Channel

The U.S. Bullion Depository, better known as Fort Knox, is home of the United States Army and one of the world's most top secret fortresses. Hidden deep inside the vault is an estimated $73 billion dollars in gold. Almost all information about it is classified. Through interviews with eyewitnesses, rare photos and rarely seen films, we will construct a picture of what the building might look like. Hear testimony of those journalists and congressmen who were among the select few invited inside in 1974. Discover the history and secrets behind the Army's tank warfare and the classified military technologies it will use to fight the wars of the future. TVPG VL | CC

Kneeling before a flaming cross, Klansmen and women take part in their sacred bonding, showing how secrecy and ritual aid the hooded order in a campaign for white supremacy. From its birth in 1866's Reconstruction South to a 1996 rally, this chronicle of hate talks to Julian Bond, Morris Dees Jr., the Grand Dragon, and Imperial Wizard. TVPG VL | CC

America would come to a standstill without trucks. Trucks transport a staggering 70 percent of all the nation's goods. Explore the amazingly diverse world of American trucks and the colorful men and women who drive them. Join country superstar Brad Paisley and his crew of truckers on the road between Little Rock and Tulsa--racing the clock to be on time for Brad's next concert. In Dearborn, Michigan, climb aboard one of the most popular pickups--the Ford F-150--as it tackles a devilish test course. And in Virginia, see how fast the world's most nimble tow truck can extract a car from the tightest parking spot imaginable. Meet a Mack truck fanatic and his cool collection of vintage models, and ride-along with an unsung hero with a truly dirty job--operating a truck designed to empty and clean portable toilets. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Take a ride along some of the world's most dangerous roads. From Bolivia's "Death Road," to California's fog-shrouded Highway 99, find the danger that waits behind every blind curve. Visit the Federal Highway Administration's test laboratory to see what's being done to make roads safer in the U.S. Finally, ride along in extreme four-wheel drive trucks with some adrenaline junkies that drive boulder-strewn trails just for the fun of it! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

From the beginning of time we've worked to protect ourselves against the very element that keeps us alive...Water. We love it and hate it. With water covering 75% of the Earth's surface, it's no wonder we struggle to stay safe and dry. We fight against ferocious weather and floods with state-of-the-art roofing, wraps, tarps, tunnels, clothing, boats, and much more... devising extreme tests to probe the limits of our modern waterproof technology. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Geologist Scott Wolter visits a Minnesota farmer who wants to investigate the possible existence of bones from a giant he unearthed in his yard. The bones raise the question of whether Vikings could have traveled all the way to America. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Scott Wolter investigates the mysterious disappearance of vast amounts of copper from Lake Superior. Through scientific testing a connection is made to a pre-historic civilization and the Bronze Age. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Scott Wolter investigates a burial site in the mountains of Arizona, only to discover it may belong to a medieval Englishman. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

There are six places on Earth believed to be actual entrances into Hell. They include a volcano in Iceland, a cave in the jungles of Central America, and a lake of fire in Africa. According to ancient myth and Christian legend, each is a passage to a terrifying underworld for the damned. Even today, some believe they are still portals. Eerily, they share striking similarities. We'll visit these six locations, and along the way, reveal how the concept of Hell emerged in history and why it still evokes fear today. TVPG VL | CC

The team gets to the bottom--literally--of a mystery concerning the cornerstones of our democracy. Laid by the ultra secretive Freemasons, this landmark piece of stone vanished. The search for the White House cornerstone has been on for over 200 years, everyone from Harry Truman to Barbara Bush have looked for it. Is it a coincidence...or is there a secret conspiracy tied to these stones and the buildings they were meant to support? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

What if I told you the government had proof of alien life but was actively covering it up? Millions of Americans believe in UFOs, but the government vehemently denies any alien encounters, from the infamous Roswell incident to the ultra-secretive military base known as Area 51. Finally, members of top military and aviation organizations break their silence to reveal exactly what the government knows about alien life, and what they stand to gain by lying about it. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Best-selling author Brad Meltzer and the team jump at the chance to take on one of the FBI's most puzzling unsolved crimes: the 1971 disappearance of airline skyjacker D.B. Cooper, who bailed out of a jetliner at ten thousand feet over Washington state with two parachutes and two hundred thousand dollars in ransom money strapped to his body. Working closely with the former FBI agent who headed up the unsuccessful search for Cooper, Brad and the team examine new evidence that points to a former airline employee named Kenny Christiansen, whose own brother suspects he was actually the skyjacker who called himself D.B. Cooper. This sets up a climactic meeting between the Decoded team and Christensen's possible accomplice, the man who may have helped D.B. Cooper and his two hundred thousand dollar ransom vanish into thin air. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Ancient Astronaut theorists believe aliens have been visiting earth for thousands of years. If so, might we find evidence of this even in the stories of America's Old West? In Aurora, Texas, the local cemetery claims to hold the body of an alien whose ship crashed there in 1897. In Utah, petroglyphs depict strange beings wearing what look like space suits. In southern California, 19th century ranchers reported seeing an otherworldly creature emerge from Elizabeth Lake. And even in Tombstone, Arizona, the home of Wyatt Earp and the site of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, cowboys claimed to have shot at a giant, metallic bird Are these simply campfire tales, or did the cowboys and native people of America's Wild West actually come in contact with alien beings from another--much more distant--frontier? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Was Albert Einstein a genius? Or was he superhuman? Was his genius "of this world," or was it "otherworldly?" Is it possible, as Ancient Astronaut theorists believe, of an extraterrestrial connection to the scientific genius of famous historical figures such as Albert Einstein, Galileo, Archimedes, and Aristotle? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

A man shows up at Scott Wolter s lab with a 500-pound discovery. In the flatbed of his truck is a large boulder he pulled from the Arkansas River, inscribed with a mysterious bull symbol. Wolter s investigation into who carved the stone and for what ritualistic purpose ultimately reveals a connection between the ancient Egyptian cult of the Apis bull, the mysterious religion known as Mithraism and a party of pre-Columbian explorers to Oklahoma s panhandle. In the end, carvings in a cave in America s Heartland shed light on an ancient connection that could prove a group of religious outcasts made it to America in pre-Columbian times. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

USS Enterprise and her escort ships and submarines engage in the largest sea battle ever. In a series of ferocious surface and air firefights, the Japanese Navy is totally eviscerated in the last great naval engagement in world history. With the enemy fleet in chaos, Enterprise and the American carrier force clear the way for an American invasion of the Philippines and set the course for the road to Tokyo. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Ethiopia is home to some of the oldest settlements in the world. This cradle of mankind is a country born from legend and shrouded in mystery. An ancient home to both Jews and Muslims, Ethiopia is also the world's second oldest Christian nation. But if you were a Christian during ancient times, and if you wanted to stay alive, the only place to practice your faith was underground. From underground engineering marvels to remote, cliff-hanging caves, Ethiopia's isolated churches allowed Christianity to evolve in ways found nowhere else in the world. From tombs of vanished emperors and subterranean cathedrals where orthodox priests have been worshipping for thousands of years, to the buried Palace of the Queen of Sheba and the possible resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, clues to Ethiopia's lost legends and tribes are littered right here...in the African underground. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Ethiopia is home to some of the oldest settlements in the world. This cradle of mankind is a country born from legend and shrouded in mystery. An ancient home to both Jews and Muslims, Ethiopia is also the world's second oldest Christian nation. But if you were a Christian during ancient times, and if you wanted to stay alive, the only place to practice your faith was underground. From underground engineering marvels to remote, cliff-hanging caves, Ethiopia's isolated churches allowed Christianity to evolve in ways found nowhere else in the world. From tombs of vanished emperors and subterranean cathedrals where orthodox priests have been worshipping for thousands of years, to the buried Palace of the Queen of Sheba and the possible resting place of the Ark of the Covenant, clues to Ethiopia's lost legends and tribes are littered right here...in the African underground. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

There is a quaint perception that Jesus spent his entire ministry--prior to going to Jerusalem where he was crucified--in northern Israel, walking along the shores of a tiny fresh water lake called the "Sea of Galilee". But is this historical reality or theological fantasy? It is explicitly stated in the Gospels that Jesus undertook an adventurous sea journey complete with a tempest, exorcisms and landfall in a place called "the land of the Gadarenes." Where is this place? Why did Jesus go there? And why has this story been covered up for over two millennia? Archaeological and historical sleuthing reveals a previously unknown journey across the Mediterranean to a mysterious location where we come face to face with people who still claim to be descendants of Jesus of Nazareth. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

History tells us that the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the 4th century. But did Christianity conquer Rome or did pagan Rome conquer Christianity? Archaeology in Rome and Istanbul, along with previously ignored episodes in Constantine's life, reveals that the Emperor had the instincts of a marketing genius. Strategically combining many deities, Constantine "sold" Christ as an amalgamation of sun gods. By force of arms, the new religion suppressed the original Jesus movement and the hundreds of Christian alternatives that had sprouted around it. Constantine's Christianity is still the world's most successful brand. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

In 1990, the tomb of the High Priest Caiaphas was unearthed in Jerusalem. Along with inscribed "ossuaries" (bone boxes), two Roman nails were recorded in the official excavation report. However, the nails were not photographed, drawn, measured or widely publicized. Intrigued by the possibility of crucifixion nails in the tomb of the man who sent Jesus to the cross, filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici goes looking for them. He now finds that they have disappeared, and the tomb has literally been covered up. A dramatic investigation ensues. The goal is to find the missing artifacts and re-enter the tomb. Expect shocking revelations along the way. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Christianity is thought of as a religion of peace, not war. But in this episode Simcha Jacobovici reveals that the religion of love was spread by the Roman army. The investigation begins with a mysterious symbol found engraved on an ancient skull. The film then discovers the symbol on the walls of Roman army barracks, inscribed on amulets and on pillars of underground churches. From Pompeii to the farthest reaches of the Empire, in England and Syria, this episode reveals how Christianity secretly thrived within the very army that was supposed to suppress it. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

The mysterious death of King Tut continues to puzzle archaeologists and scholars alike. From the moment the "Boy King's" mummy was discovered in the Valley of the Kings, rumors of foul play emerged. Recent x-ray's of King Tut's mummy show signs of a possible attack, but new evidence may point to another cause of death. In his quest for the truth, host Josh Bernstein climbs into King Tut's tomb, fires the weapons King Tut took to his grave, and uses modern science to dig deeper into the rumors of King Tut's murder. TVPG VL | CC

She ruled over men, bedding the likes of Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony, and led one of the world's greatest civilizations. Her name has been immortalized in myth and legend. So, how did Cleopatra become the last of the pharaohs? In the shadow of the pyramids, Josh Bernstein joins Zahi Hawass on a hunt for mummies from the time of Cleopatra. He'll come face to face with Cleopatra's killer, the Egyptian cobra, and sail down the Nile River searching for clues to her true history. In Alexandria, Josh will descend into the cisterns below the modern city to look for evidence of Cleopatra's reign. Finally he'll dive into the harbor of Alexandria, where a beautiful palace lies--possibly the last vestige of Cleopatra's legendary wealth--the only testament to a woman who was perhaps the wisest and most cunning of all of Egypt's pharaohs. TVPG VL | CC

Take a look at the technology of cold. Think your home freezer is "cool"? Try spending some time in a 12-story unit filled with 135 million pounds of ice cream. Enter Arctic vaults that store millions of different seeds and learn how scientists have mastered temperatures of -200 degrees F and below. Explore how the cold not only preserves and chills, but also shatters rubber tires, strengthens steel, and fuels rockets. Finally, visit Alcor, where researchers keep cadavers on ice in hopes of future revival. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Fertilizer--without it two thirds of the world would starve. It makes our lawns grow greener and our crops grow taller. Take a tour of the places where the essential nutrients that feed the soil are harnessed. Dig deep in a phosphate mine, sniff around a sewage treatment plant and get dirty in a trough teeming with seven million worms. Finally, learn about a war that was fought over the control of bat poop! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Gotcha! Traps are a device designed to capture and kill, but they don't always harm their prey. Often necessary to the survival of a species, watch as Black Bears are trapped by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources biologists for a population study. Feral cats left stranded in New Orleans after Katrina are trapped, neutered, and released. Head underwater to see how giant screw traps count salmon on the Columbia River. Man traps? See high tech versions, straight out of action movies. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

On August 27th, 1883 a series of blasts on the island of Krakatoa culminated in a colossal explosion that blew the island apart in one of the largest eruptions in recorded history. We explore the underground forces that led to this extraordinary explosion that killed over 36,000 people and the devastation that it caused. But this is not just history because Anak Krakatoa (the Son of Krakatoa) is growing bigger and bigger and will blow again. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The Marianas Trench is the deepest place on earth, deeper than Mt. Everest is high. The trench is where the ocean floor disappears into the center of the earth. The pressures at this depth are 17 times greater than what it takes to crush a nuclear submarine. Only two men have ever been down the Trench, fewer than have set foot on the moon. Follow the daring missions into the abyss and explore the extraordinary geology that has created this deep scar along the ocean floor. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 1898, a Minnesota farmer clearing trees from his field uproots a large stone covered with mysterious runes. Now known as the Kensington Rune Stone, it details a journey of land acquisition and murder--in the year 1362. Thought by some to be a hoax, new evidence suggests it could be real, and a clue that the Knights Templar discovered America 100 years before Columbus, perhaps bringing with them history's greatest treasure...The Holy Grail. See how symbols on the Rune Stone match Templar ruins all over Europe. History tells us the Templar were massacred on Friday the 13th, but that a Templar fleet allegedly containing treasure was last seen off Scotland in the late 1300s. Stones with similar markings as the Rune stone have been found on islands across the Atlantic Ocean, as well as in Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Is it possible the Templar were leaving clues to an incredible journey to the New World? TVPG VL | CC

On July 17, 1996, at 8:31 pm/et, TWA Flight 800 exploded midair and fell into the Atlantic. All 230 onboard perished. Federal investigators meticulously reconstructed the aircraft, looking for any evidence of terrorism and found none. They concluded that a malfunction in the center fuel tank caused the explosion. But this official conclusion has never satisfied a coterie of independent investigators and conspiracy theorists. We weigh existing evidence against various theories to let you decide. TVPG VL | CC

April 14, 1865--Actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Lincoln in the back of the head at a Washington theater. Days later, Wilkes died in a standoff, and eventually, eight Southern sympathizers were tried for conspiracy. This much we know to be true. But many conspiracy theories arose--pointing to the Confederacy, the Union, and even the Catholic Church! Once again, new theories have sprung up, based on recently found documents and forensic technology. Historian Edward Steers Jr. connects Booth to the Confederate Secret Service in Montreal, which indirectly links him to Jefferson Davis and the Confederate government; while biographer Charles Higham places Booth in a larger conspiracy. Historians, biographers, and researchers, who take issue with Steers and Higham, counter their arguments here. TVPG VL | CC

You've got a cell phone at one ear, an iPod at the other. You know that Blackberry is now a verb and Spam is not only canned meat. But just how did we get here? Blame William Shatner--yes, that William Shatner--Captain Kirk. We'll boldly go where few have gone before to reveal how scientists, inspired by the series, would revolutionize medicine and are surpassing the far-out vision of the future foreshadowed in Star Trek in the 1960s. From cell phones to computers to even leading-edge medical advancements, this 2-hour special explores how those sci-fi inventions have now permeated everyday life as we know it. Hosted and narrated by Shatner and based on his book, I'm Working on That, we'll meet the brightest minds of Silicon Valley and the Trek-inspired inventions that have help change the world. TVPG VL | CC

What if one of the most famous and terrifying urban legends was not a legend but a frightening fact? History tells us that Alligators lurking around in the sewers of New York City is based in truth. In the mid 1930s three teenagers pulled an eight-foot alligator from a storm drain. Reports persisted until a skeptical Superintendant of Sewers, Teddy May, was forced to investigate for himself. What May found shocked even him--swarms of alligators alive beneath the busy main street of America's biggest city. Crews were sent in to kill the deadly reptiles, but the stories of the gators in the sewers lived on. Experts, however, are divided over whether it is scientifically possible for alligators to continue to exist in the sewers, so a MonsterQuest team sets out to search for modern evidence of these monsters and prove that they could not only survive but also thrive. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

November 1942. For the crew aboard USS Enterprise, the war has never been more personal. Enterprise is the only battle-ready American carrier left in the Pacific, and she and her crew are all that stand in the way of the Japanese. When the Imperial Navy tries to retake Guadalcanal, it's Enterprise that sends their transports and destroyers to a watery grave in Iron Bottom Sound. TVPG VL | CC

While the allies storm France, American forces hit Saipan in the Marianas Island. The Enterprise supports one of the largest and most deadly battles of the Pacific War. Enterprise and her sister carriers nearly wipe out Japanese Naval Airpower in the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" and devastate enemy surface forces in the Philippine Sea. It is one of the greatest carrier battles of the war. The Aircraft Carrier USS Enterprise became the most decorated ship of World War II. TVPG VL | CC

It's all around us--so much a part of our lives that we forget it's there. But try to survive a single day without packaging. This episode reveals the astounding technology and ingenuity required to create our packaged world. At a Michigan company that designs water bottles, we'll show you how engineers find their inspiration from a bell pepper. In New Jersey, the makers of bubble Wrap clue you in on their manufacturing secrets. In Texas, workers conquer the challenge of packaging the world's largest crane. And you'll also see how America's military goods and supplies are packaged and shipped by the United States Transportation Command. Other stories include a new easy to open package that's the cure for "wrap rage"--and how NASA engineers packed a fragile humanoid robot for a trip into orbit. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

We spend one-third of our lives in the bedroom. Explore the technologies that help to ensure we wake up on the right side of the bed. Check out ancient Chinese fire clocks, today's flying alarm clock, big city napping pods, snore stoppers and sunrise simulators. We'll explore sleeping disorders and delve into the creepy world of those blood-sucking midnight snackers, the bed bugs. Electric blankets step aside as Hugh Hefner's fantasy bedroom in the Playboy Mansion is revealed! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Take a look at the technology of cold. Think your home freezer is "cool"? Try spending some time in a 12-story unit filled with 135 million pounds of ice cream. Enter Arctic vaults that store millions of different seeds and learn how scientists have mastered temperatures of -200 degrees F and below. Explore how the cold not only preserves and chills, but also shatters rubber tires, strengthens steel, and fuels rockets. Finally, visit Alcor, where researchers keep cadavers on ice in hopes of future revival. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

A certain mystique lingers in its very name. It's a haunting and hostile arena with a past as captivating as its landscape. In this desert blanketing 11 nations in Northern Africa, nature has crafted a world of mesmerizing desolation and across its scorching sands humanity has dared to carve history. Our cameras explore a land of mirage and myth--from a mountain fortress of ancient freedom fighters to a vast stadium filled with gladiators' gore to the vibrant chaos of a camel auction to the fabled metropolis of Timbuktu. Historians chronicle how a devastating climate change turned a lush savanna into the world's harshest desert. The Sahara...sinister and seductive, mythic and mysterious...as tantalizing and elusive as a mirage. TVPG VL | CC

On August 27th, 1883 a series of blasts on the island of Krakatoa culminated in a colossal explosion that blew the island apart in one of the largest eruptions in recorded history. We explore the underground forces that led to this extraordinary explosion that killed over 36,000 people and the devastation that it caused. But this is not just history because Anak Krakatoa (the Son of Krakatoa) is growing bigger and bigger and will blow again. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Is it the greatest story ever told--or the greatest story ever sold? A best-selling novel sparks a debate that could change Christianity forever. Were Jesus and Mary Magdalene married and co-leaders of their movement? Was Mary Magdalene, herself, the Holy Grail--the vessel said to hold Jesus's blood--and mother of his descendants? Did the early Church know this "truth" and deliberately mislead followers? Is there a secret, ancient society, the Priory of Sion, which still protects this bloodline? Have some of the most illustrious names in art and science been members? These are some of the questions that Dan Brown's best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code raises. We examine both sides of the story--the conventional view of Christianity and the "alternate history" proposed by Brown--so that viewers can decide. TVPG VL | CC

Blackbeard. Anne Bonny. Henry Jennings. Calico Jack. Henry Morgan. Black Bart Roberts. During the mid to late 17th and early 18th centuries, they were feared criminals. The Caribbean was their domain, the parade of treasure and cargo to Europe their target. The origins of Caribbean piracy began when Columbus made landfall in the Bahamas. Two years later, the Pope granted Spain the exclusive right to the Caribbean and most of the New World. The Spanish reaped an immense fortune in gold and silver, but with a price. England, France, and Holland all desired a portion of this wealth and each established Caribbean bases and used privateers--private sailors fighting for profit--to protect their interests and steal Spanish treasure. The line between privateering and piracy became blurred. We'll examine this Golden Age of Piracy and the true stories of the infamous pirates, how they operated, and their successes and failures in this dark and deadly profession. TVPG VL | CC

On July 17, 1996, at 8:31 pm/et, TWA Flight 800 exploded midair and fell into the Atlantic. All 230 onboard perished. Federal investigators meticulously reconstructed the aircraft, looking for any evidence of terrorism and found none. They concluded that a malfunction in the center fuel tank caused the explosion. But this official conclusion has never satisfied a coterie of independent investigators and conspiracy theorists. We weigh existing evidence against various theories to let you decide. TVPG VL | CC

Biblical texts and ancient lore frequently describe winged creatures carrying messages from the heavens. But are angels merely the product of mankind's imagination--or do they really exist? If so, where do they come from? Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that the Bible's Old Testament reads like a handbook on extraterrestrial visitations. Accounts of angels can also be found in Islamic and Indian texts. Infinite stories around the globe describe unearthly guardians, entrusted to both observe and protect as well as tales of powerful warriors bringing about everything from plague to peace. Are angels really supernatural beings from heaven, or something more? If so, might angels really be travelers--visiting Earth from distant planets? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Could gold be the ultimate link between humans and aliens? A church in southern France is said to hold the key to alchemy--and a gateway to another part of the universe. Locals in Cusco, Peru believe UFO sightings are connected to lost gold at the bottom of Lake Puray. And some believe underneath the Great Sphinx of Giza lies an entire library left behind by extraterrestrials--a library stored on gold. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It is one of the most covert military bases on American soil, protecting the nation's most confidential research and development. For decades, the highest levels of government had denied its existence. But behind the barbed wire fences and surveillance cameras are secrets...Go inside the most famous secret military base on Earth to expose the high-tech security, undercover operations, and most outrageous claims surrounding the 575 square miles of "restricted" space. What actually goes on at Area 51? Is there a connection between Area 51 and the Roswell event of 1947? Could there be a secret subterranean city underneath the barren desert? Have the conspiracy theories surrounding Area 51 been a smokescreen for controversial military projects? While the government may never reveal what it's really hiding at Area 51, many believe it is a place where truth is stranger than fiction. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

They are top-secret missions manned by specially trained intelligence and military elite. Covert operations using unconventional tactics outside the standard protocol. This episode uncovers the clandestine activities and state-of-the-art training of the U.S. Special Forces that undertake the most dangerous surveillance, reconnaissance, and intelligence collecting missions on Earth. What makes a mission a Black Operation or Black Op? Who approves a mission--and how much does the President know? What secret training prepares a soldier for these life and death assignments? How is the CIA involved in Black Ops? From cloak and dagger spy games to hand-to-hand combat, Black Ops are shrouded in secrecy...until now. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

From the early cave dwellers who first stumbled upon psychedelic mushrooms to the over 6000-year-old tradition of opium cultivation in the East to a modern pharmaceutical industry with over 24,000 drugs on the market, drugs have played a role in our lives since well before recorded human history. Explore the reasons we've used drugs through the ages, while considering the devastating consequences that accompany the choice to use certain drugs. This fascinating, fresh, and insightful documentary will ask the question: overall, have drugs done more to help us or hurt us? Host Dean Norris will journey through the millennia and look in on the greatest civilizations in human history to discover if drugs helped these societies flourish or fail and whether drug use was holy or hedonistic, a savior or a curse? TVPG VL | CC

Gotcha! Traps are a device designed to capture and kill, but they don't always harm their prey. Often necessary to the survival of a species, watch as Black Bears are trapped by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources biologists for a population study. Feral cats left stranded in New Orleans after Katrina are trapped, neutered, and released. Head underwater to see how giant screw traps count salmon on the Columbia River. Man traps? See high tech versions, straight out of action movies. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

What does it take to turn twenty tons of steel into top-notch vehicles in less than a day? How does a pile of lumber become a million dollar home in a mere week? Every process, from beginning to end, is a unique and incredible adventure. From the fiery birth of high tech golf clubs to the cataclysmic end of old buildings... get ready to race from Start to Finish. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It's all around us--so much a part of our lives that we forget it's there. But try to survive a single day without packaging. This episode reveals the astounding technology and ingenuity required to create our packaged world. At a Michigan company that designs water bottles, we'll show you how engineers find their inspiration from a bell pepper. In New Jersey, the makers of bubble Wrap clue you in on their manufacturing secrets. In Texas, workers conquer the challenge of packaging the world's largest crane. And you'll also see how America's military goods and supplies are packaged and shipped by the United States Transportation Command. Other stories include a new easy to open package that's the cure for "wrap rage"--and how NASA engineers packed a fragile humanoid robot for a trip into orbit. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

New York City is one of the greatest cities in the world. What if we could strip away the buildings and re-create the Manhattan of 1609? Take a journey back in time and discover the forces that shaped the landscape from a sweltering tropical region to fertile Indian hunting grounds, to today's modern metropolis. Dive beneath New York Harbor, climb to the tops of the highest skyscrapers and delve 600 feet down to the deepest tunnels to see how New York became "New York" and what the future may hold for the city. TVPG VL | CC

For as long as humans have existed, so too has the belief in evil. Are there malevolent supernatural forces in the world at work against us? Can a demonic force actually overtake a human soul? And, if so, is an exorcism the only way to free someone from the devil's grasp? This two-hour special traces the history of the mysterious ritual of exorcism. It explores how the practice has evolved with the changing times--from a simple rite, to a political tool, to a form of modern-day therapy. Through dramatic recreations we recount several harrowing tales of the demonically possessed and the subsequent struggle by exorcists to save them. We'll also look at the medical and social perspectives. Can episodes of demonic-like behavior be explained by brain disorders or psychological factors? Includes interviews with experts in the fields of theology, history, medicine and the supernatural. TVPG VL | CC

This two-hour special goes inside the history of the second most used illicit drug in America. The human appetite for this narcotic goes all the way back to 3000 B.C., when South Americans chewed coca leaves, thinking they were a gift from God. But it wasn't until 1855, when cocaine was first extracted from the coca leaf and used in powder form that its use spiked. Initially it was utilized as an anesthesia. Soon, famed psychologist Sigmund Freud touted it as an effective cure for depression and impotence. In 1886, John Pemberton, an Atlanta pharmacist, added it to his new soft drink: Coca Cola or Coke for short. In 1914, the drug was outlawed, but the damaged had been done. The 70's ushered in another boost in the drug's use, fueled in part by new drug cartels in South America. To combat cocaine's rise, the Reagan administration started the War on Drugs in the 80's. TVPG VL | CC

What if one of the most famous and terrifying urban legends was not a legend but a frightening fact? History tells us that Alligators lurking around in the sewers of New York City is based in truth. In the mid 1930s three teenagers pulled an eight-foot alligator from a storm drain. Reports persisted until a skeptical Superintendant of Sewers, Teddy May, was forced to investigate for himself. What May found shocked even him--swarms of alligators alive beneath the busy main street of America's biggest city. Crews were sent in to kill the deadly reptiles, but the stories of the gators in the sewers lived on. Experts, however, are divided over whether it is scientifically possible for alligators to continue to exist in the sewers, so a MonsterQuest team sets out to search for modern evidence of these monsters and prove that they could not only survive but also thrive. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Head deep into the Venezuela wilderness where there have been sightings of huge man-eating snakes--anaconda. For the first time ever an industrial acoustic sonar camera will be used to search for these monsters. The investigation will also search the Everglades of Florida where pet pythons have escaped and are multiplying and growing to huge sizes, preying on all kinds of animals, even swallowing a full grown alligator in one case. Could a human become their next victim? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Biblical texts and ancient lore frequently describe winged creatures carrying messages from the heavens. But are angels merely the product of mankind's imagination--or do they really exist? If so, where do they come from? Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that the Bible's Old Testament reads like a handbook on extraterrestrial visitations. Accounts of angels can also be found in Islamic and Indian texts. Infinite stories around the globe describe unearthly guardians, entrusted to both observe and protect as well as tales of powerful warriors bringing about everything from plague to peace. Are angels really supernatural beings from heaven, or something more? If so, might angels really be travelers--visiting Earth from distant planets? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Across borders, cultures and time, food is one thing that all people share. And from the time of the caveman to today's spaceman we like our food to go. While the burger and fries reign supreme in the world of fast food, grub on the go has taken us way past the drive-thru. Quick eats like beef jerky have allowed us to explore new frontiers and pocket-sized portables like protein bars enable us to push our bodies to the limit, no matter the conditions. Fueled by pizza, we have burned the midnight oil, and from the battleground (MREs) to the final frontier (space food,) food is always along for the ride. This is the countdown of fast foods that takes us back, propels us forward, and sometimes even gazes into the future (the fortune cookie.) TVPG VL | CC

Kneeling before a flaming cross, Klansmen and women take part in their sacred bonding, showing how secrecy and ritual aid the hooded order in a campaign for white supremacy. From its birth in 1866's Reconstruction South to a 1996 rally, this chronicle of hate talks to Julian Bond, Morris Dees Jr., the Grand Dragon, and Imperial Wizard. TVPG VL | CC

America would come to a standstill without trucks. Trucks transport a staggering 70 percent of all the nation's goods. Explore the amazingly diverse world of American trucks and the colorful men and women who drive them. Join country superstar Brad Paisley and his crew of truckers on the road between Little Rock and Tulsa--racing the clock to be on time for Brad's next concert. In Dearborn, Michigan, climb aboard one of the most popular pickups--the Ford F-150--as it tackles a devilish test course. And in Virginia, see how fast the world's most nimble tow truck can extract a car from the tightest parking spot imaginable. Meet a Mack truck fanatic and his cool collection of vintage models, and ride-along with an unsung hero with a truly dirty job--operating a truck designed to empty and clean portable toilets. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Take a ride along some of the world's most dangerous roads. From Bolivia's "Death Road," to California's fog-shrouded Highway 99, find the danger that waits behind every blind curve. Visit the Federal Highway Administration's test laboratory to see what's being done to make roads safer in the U.S. Finally, ride along in extreme four-wheel drive trucks with some adrenaline junkies that drive boulder-strewn trails just for the fun of it! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

From the beginning of time we've worked to protect ourselves against the very element that keeps us alive...Water. We love it and hate it. With water covering 75% of the Earth's surface, it's no wonder we struggle to stay safe and dry. We fight against ferocious weather and floods with state-of-the-art roofing, wraps, tarps, tunnels, clothing, boats, and much more... devising extreme tests to probe the limits of our modern waterproof technology. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Geologist Scott Wolter visits a Minnesota farmer who wants to investigate the possible existence of bones from a giant he unearthed in his yard. The bones raise the question of whether Vikings could have traveled all the way to America. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Scott Wolter investigates the mysterious disappearance of vast amounts of copper from Lake Superior. Through scientific testing a connection is made to a pre-historic civilization and the Bronze Age. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Scott Wolter investigates a burial site in the mountains of Arizona, only to discover it may belong to a medieval Englishman. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

There are six places on Earth believed to be actual entrances into Hell. They include a volcano in Iceland, a cave in the jungles of Central America, and a lake of fire in Africa. According to ancient myth and Christian legend, each is a passage to a terrifying underworld for the damned. Even today, some believe they are still portals. Eerily, they share striking similarities. We'll visit these six locations, and along the way, reveal how the concept of Hell emerged in history and why it still evokes fear today. TVPG VL | CC

The team gets to the bottom--literally--of a mystery concerning the cornerstones of our democracy. Laid by the ultra secretive Freemasons, this landmark piece of stone vanished. The search for the White House cornerstone has been on for over 200 years, everyone from Harry Truman to Barbara Bush have looked for it. Is it a coincidence...or is there a secret conspiracy tied to these stones and the buildings they were meant to support? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

What if I told you the government had proof of alien life but was actively covering it up? Millions of Americans believe in UFOs, but the government vehemently denies any alien encounters, from the infamous Roswell incident to the ultra-secretive military base known as Area 51. Finally, members of top military and aviation organizations break their silence to reveal exactly what the government knows about alien life, and what they stand to gain by lying about it. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Best-selling author Brad Meltzer and the team jump at the chance to take on one of the FBI's most puzzling unsolved crimes: the 1971 disappearance of airline skyjacker D.B. Cooper, who bailed out of a jetliner at ten thousand feet over Washington state with two parachutes and two hundred thousand dollars in ransom money strapped to his body. Working closely with the former FBI agent who headed up the unsuccessful search for Cooper, Brad and the team examine new evidence that points to a former airline employee named Kenny Christiansen, whose own brother suspects he was actually the skyjacker who called himself D.B. Cooper. This sets up a climactic meeting between the Decoded team and Christensen's possible accomplice, the man who may have helped D.B. Cooper and his two hundred thousand dollar ransom vanish into thin air. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Ancient Astronaut theorists believe aliens have been visiting earth for thousands of years. If so, might we find evidence of this even in the stories of America's Old West? In Aurora, Texas, the local cemetery claims to hold the body of an alien whose ship crashed there in 1897. In Utah, petroglyphs depict strange beings wearing what look like space suits. In southern California, 19th century ranchers reported seeing an otherworldly creature emerge from Elizabeth Lake. And even in Tombstone, Arizona, the home of Wyatt Earp and the site of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, cowboys claimed to have shot at a giant, metallic bird Are these simply campfire tales, or did the cowboys and native people of America's Wild West actually come in contact with alien beings from another--much more distant--frontier? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Was Albert Einstein a genius? Or was he superhuman? Was his genius "of this world," or was it "otherworldly?" Is it possible, as Ancient Astronaut theorists believe, of an extraterrestrial connection to the scientific genius of famous historical figures such as Albert Einstein, Galileo, Archimedes, and Aristotle? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

A man shows up at Scott Wolter s lab with a 500-pound discovery. In the flatbed of his truck is a large boulder he pulled from the Arkansas River, inscribed with a mysterious bull symbol. Wolter s investigation into who carved the stone and for what ritualistic purpose ultimately reveals a connection between the ancient Egyptian cult of the Apis bull, the mysterious religion known as Mithraism and a party of pre-Columbian explorers to Oklahoma s panhandle. In the end, carvings in a cave in America s Heartland shed light on an ancient connection that could prove a group of religious outcasts made it to America in pre-Columbian times. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It starts with a spark, but some ideas catch fire and in the process change the world. Necessity is the mother of invention--from darkness, man found light (the candle) and from even the farthest distances we can still find each other (the telephone). But some inventions have transformed our lives far beyond our homes (the steam engine), our planet (the telescope), and our wildest dreams (the Internet). This countdown highlights how human ingenuity comes in all shapes and sizes. Some were born from the humblest means (the hammer) while others push the limits of what was ever believed possible (the airplane). But regardless of the ratio of inspiration to perspiration, each invention to make the cut was destined to change our lives forever. TVPG VL | CC