The History Channel

Mysterious legends and crumbling ruins are all that is left of our planet's lost worlds. But could there be proof of ancient alien visitors hidden among the artifacts of civilizations that have long vanished? Strange carvings suggest the Mayan city of Copan was ruled by the descendants of otherworldly beings. And some believe the ancient Nazca people altered their bodies--and their lands--to signal the star gods to return. Are the astounding accomplishments of lost civilizations merely the products of ancient folklore--or could they have been something... out of this world? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Across the globe, archaeologists have uncovered ancient tombs filled with strange items and writings. Remarkable similarities have been found at each of the sites. How is it possible that the burial chambers of distant cultures were so similar in design? Ancient Astronaut theorists believe that some of these complicated and technically advanced tombs were designed with the help of extraterrestrials. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Geologist Scott Wolter has reason to believe America has its very own Stonehenge in New Hampshire. With the help of a young man who discovered an amazing connection between America s Stonehenge and Stonehenge in England, Wolter explores the possibility that the ancient Phoenicians are connected to both of these megalithic sites. At America's Stonehenge, he uncovers many clues, including a sacrificial table and a mysterious message carved on a stone in ancient script that helps advance this provocative theory. He also discovers both sites are accurate astronomical calendars and that alignments with the heavens are incorporated into their design. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

On a unique planet, a unique species takes its first steps: Mankind begins. But it s a world full of danger. Threatened by extinction, we innovate to survive--discovering fire and farming; building cities and pyramids; inventing trade--and mastering the art of war. From humble beginnings, we become the dominant creature on the planet. Now the future belongs to us. A mysterious band of pirates plunders the Mediterranean coast--leaving destruction in its wake. Empires fall, but out of the chaos, we discover iron. Armed with this wonder metal, ordinary folk can overthrow tyrants and build a new world order. From the birth of democracy in Athens, to the creation of the Bible in Babylon--people power reshapes Mankind. (2 hours.) TVPG VL | CC Show Site

When ordinary people desire the luxuries of the rich, ingenuity and innovation come together to take history in a new direction. From the obsession with silk to the fall of Constantinople, the discovery of the Americas to the launch of the Industrial Revolution, our desire for luxury has shaped our history and evolution. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

About 10,000 years ago we discover farming. But when crops fail, early farming communities face a new threat. War. It's the birth of the arms race. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Albert Einstein's revolutionary theory that turned the world upside down might have been dismissed but for a math mistake, a cloudy sky, and the start of World War I. This fascinating two-hour special tells the story of Einstein's little-known, 15-year struggle to prove one of his most radical theories -- a theory that upended Newton and three centuries of scientific thought and called into question the definitions of space and light and gravity -- the game-changing concept known as the Theory of General Relativity. Today, more than a century since the "Miracle Year" in which he published many of his breakthrough papers, Einstein's ideas remain a living, vibrant influence. They continue to push scientists farther, and deeper, into the universe than even he could have imagined. TVPG VL | CC

It's full steam ahead when we drop in at Jay Leno's garage as Jay fires up two of his classic steam cars and takes viewers for a couple of rides. Jay also shows off his 11-ton steam engine built in 1860, back when pigs had to be slaughtered to keep it lubricated. In northern Nevada, fire up a coal burning boiler and get a 100-year-old steam locomotive chugging across the rugged landscape. In New Orleans, board an authentic paddlewheel steamboat. Trek to the Southern California desert where geothermal steam rushes up from the ground and drives electricity producing turbines, powering over 300,000 homes. In New York City, find out why manmade steam surges into some of the world's most famous skyscrapers. Steam clean some very dirty machines, and do a little laundry, too. And ride a steam-driven carousel and play with some strange, steam-powered robots that are part of a movement called--what else--"steampunk." TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Millions of drivers travel the world's superhighways each year. See a multi-billion dollar expansion project in Houston, Texas where a stretch of superhighway is being widened to 20 lanes. Take a ride atop the High-Five, a 12-story, five-level interchange that's become the latest Dallas tourist attraction. Then it's off to China's 28,000-mile National Trunk Highway System. Discover how a single distracted driver can cause a major traffic jam. Finally, play a cutting-edge video game that's training emergency personnel how to unclog a clogged superhighway. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Modern Marvels is going big, and counting down. We take the "best of" Modern Marvels and give you the MEGA Top 10 countdown. On this edition: Speed. It's a pure adrenaline rush as we race the top 10 fastest marvels we've featured down to the speediest of all. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

They are elements that occupy a select portion of the periodic table and are so essential to America's economic and military might that they are stored in the National Defense Stockpile in case of all-out war. We plan a riveting visit. Some of the vital heavy metals that we survey include copper, uranium, lead, zinc, and nickel. We also take a look at superalloys--consisting of steel combined with chromium, cobalt, and dozens of other heavy metals--that resist corrosion and perform increasingly elaborate functions. From Earth to space, from cosmetics to vitamins, in a million different ways, heavy metals are here to stay! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Buckle up for a rip-roaring ride through the world of extreme horsepower. Experience the fastest accelerating cars on earth. Find out how horsepower was first coined as a marketing tool for the steam engine in the early 1800s and meet the horsepower police--the Society of Automotive Engineers who test today's most powerful car engines. Feel the amazing power of Unlimited Hydroplane racing as 3-ton boat-beasts careen across water at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Journey to the bowels of an enormous container ship where the world's most powerful diesel engine provides over 100,000 horsepower. At the Hoover Dam, watch as it harnesses the enormous power of water. Explore the 80,000 horsepower pumping units at the Edmonston Pumping Plant that delivers 2-billion gallons of water a day to thirsty Californians. And sit behind the steering wheel of a new generation of hybrid cars that boast 400-horsepower yet get 42 miles per gallon of gas. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

At 4 State Trucks in Missouri, the Chrome Shop Mafia adds some truckers' "bling" to a big rig as viewers tour its 35,000 square-foot treasure trove of chrome. In Illinois, learn just how automotive parts get their luster in a complex electroplating process. And out on the road with some bikers, take a look at how Harley Davidson puts chrome to work both as a decorative surface and a protective covering on engine parts. At a classic car gathering, collectors show off their sparkling tailfins and grilles--and in Michigan, peruse a unique collection of more than 3,000 chrome hood ornaments. See how workers chrome-plate plastic, and learn how chrome puts the "stainless" in stainless steel. Find out how stainless steel flatware is manufactured and explore the iconic, shimmering art deco dome of the Chrysler Building. Finally, a Colorado artist will show viewers how he rescues old chrome car bumpers from the scrap yard and transforms them. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Mysterious places can be found around the Earth, and, inexplicably, UFOs are often sited near these mystical areas. Planes and ships unaccountably disappear in the infamous Bermuda Triangle. Strange magnetic anomalies in Mexico's Zone of Silence have not only drawn missiles off their course, but seem to pull meteorites out of the sky. An ancient doorway carved into a sheer rock wall in Peru's Puerta de Hayu Marka is said to be a portal to other worlds. Markawasi's plateau is filled with strange rock formations allegedly left behind by an ancient advanced civilization. What connections do these and other "hot spots" share? Is it possible that ancient extraterrestrials also knew about these mysterious places? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 1980, three young military men were sent into a UK forest to investigate strange lights. They reportedly encountered a spacecraft of unknown origin. When one of the men touched it, he claims to have received telepathically a long sequence of binary code, which he later wrote down and translated. The military ordered them to never speak about the incident. Why do such UFO encounters continue to be kept under wraps, and what might they reveal about our ancient past? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Geologist Scott Wolter has reason to believe America has its very own Stonehenge in New Hampshire. With the help of a young man who discovered an amazing connection between America's Stonehenge and Stonehenge in England, Wolter explores the possibility that the ancient Phoenicians are connected to both of these megalithic sites. At America's Stonehenge, he uncovers many clues, including a sacrificial table and a mysterious message carved on a stone in ancient script that helps advance this provocative theory. He also discovers both sites are accurate astronomical calendars and that alignments with the heavens are incorporated into their design. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

There really are ice worlds like Hoth from Star Wars. In this episode, we explore icy planets and moons, discover the role of cold in the Universe, and learn about the importance of ice to the development of habitable worlds. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

To know our place in the universe take a look far, far away to the realm of Alien Galaxies. Our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions in the universe. The Milky Way consists of more than a billion stars, our sun being only one of them. Take a view of the universe through the Hubble Space telescope and go back almost all the way to the Big Bang. Cutting-edge computer graphics are used to bring the universe down to earth to show what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine what life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The Vikings were fearsome warriors from Denmark and Norway who burst upon Western Europe, raiding and plundering at the end of the 8th century. They first targeted coastal monasteries, but later they constructed magnificent ships that could sail up rivers and sack inland towns. These raids resulted in the Viking invasion of Britain and Northern France. Many of the sites of the most crucial events in world history are now lost. Follow a team of historical detectives who use evidence from recent excavations, scientific studies and historical documents to see what these locations looked like. Computer graphics allow viewers to fly over, enter the streets and peer into these lost worlds. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Constructed as tombs for the ancient pharaohs, over 100 pyramids remain in Egypt. Built during a span of well over 1,000 years, they stand as cultural and engineering marvels of staggering proportions. But many things about these monuments, including the exact methods used to construct them, remain tantalizingly obscure. Travel back in time as we investigate their evolution--from the earlier mastaba to the Step Pyramid, Bent Pyramid, and of course, the magnificent necropolis at Giza. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Four and a half billion years ago the Earth formed from dust in space to become a molten ball of rock orbiting the Sun. This episode travels back in time to investigate how the fledgling planet survived a cataclysmic cosmic collision with another world, how molten rock solidified to land, how our oceans filled with water and how life arrived on Earth. Geologists study the oldest rocks on Earth and meteorites from outer space to solve the greatest geological mystery of all--the Birth of the Earth. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

As the Cold War reached its boiling point the US began to make plans to protect the country and the president. Elaborate defense preparations were made in the event of nuclear war. Highly secret bunkers were constructed and a covert shadow government program was born. Now these newly opened bunkers are brought into view... in some of the most unexpected places imaginable. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

One of the most frightening horror stories ever written was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Was this story, however, Robert Louis Stevenson's disturbing fantasy or was it based on a series of blood-curdling episodes that took place in the town of Edinburgh? Follow a team of historical detectives who use evidence from recent excavations and historical documents to look under the grand fa ade of Edinburgh. Watch as an underworld of streets and houses with a blood-soaked history of grave robbers, body-snatchers and unspeakable crimes is uncovered. Computer graphics allows the viewer to fly over, enter the streets, walk through the halls and peer into the Edinburgh of long ago. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Pigs break loose, rabies spreads, and the Chicago river reverses. Also, the fate of Big Ben, the Queen's pet corgis, and Chicago's tallest buildings. This episode is a journey that will take us to the future of Chicago, Atlanta and London--as well as haunting locations already devoid of man. This isn't the story of how we might vanish--it's the story of what happens to the world we leave behind. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

The apocalyptic future of our gambling meccas. In Las Vegas, a new rat pack takes over, wax figures of celebrities melt, and iconic hotels crumble. In Atlantic City, the ocean tears apart casinos, but the boardwalk refuses to be destroyed. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Egyptian monuments and great works of art still astound us today. We will reveal another surprising aspect of Egyptian life--their weapons of war, and their great might on the battlefield. A common perception of the Egyptians is of a cultured civilization, yet there is fascinating evidence which reveals they were also a war faring people, who developed advanced weapon making techniques. Some of these techniques would be used for the very first time in history and some of the battles they fought were on a truly massive scale. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Mining the earth for coal, erecting drilling rigs for oil and natural gas, and smelting iron ore are all fundamentals of the modern industrialized world, but they are nothing new. Travel to China to explore the origins and use of these vital resources more than 2000 years ago. Host Michael Guillen explores the site of ancient drilling rigs that drilled for gas centuries before anyone else. We explore the modern science of "geobotany" using vegetation to tell us what is in the earth beneath, and how the Chinese pioneered this. TVPG VL | CC

Modern warships, cargo, and container ships are the cutting edge of maritime technology. But 2,500 years ago, no one dominated shipbuilding like the Greeks. We travel to Greece for a firsthand look at how their maritime expertise evolved. We examine a reproduction of the Greek warship called a trireme. A 3-D CGI reproduction captures the grandeur of the gigantic cargo ship the Syracusia. Host Michael Guillen demonstrates an Archimedean Screw--designed to pump water out of a ship's hold. He also demonstrates Archimedes' most famous discovery: the principle of buoyancy, a key component in any shipbuilding process. In England, we investigate the Antikythera device. After decades of study, historians have concluded that it was actually a celestial computer that tracked the movement of the Sun, Moon, Mars, Venus, Mercury, and a handful of stars. And on the Greek island Kalymnos, we learn how sponge diving evolved into the lucrative business of salvage diving. TVPG VL | CC

Four and a half billion years ago the Earth formed from dust in space to become a molten ball of rock orbiting the Sun. This episode travels back in time to investigate how the fledgling planet survived a cataclysmic cosmic collision with another world, how molten rock solidified to land, how our oceans filled with water and how life arrived on Earth. Geologists study the oldest rocks on Earth and meteorites from outer space to solve the greatest geological mystery of all--the Birth of the Earth. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In the remote wastes of Siberia buried under snow are the remains of one of the greatest catastrophes that the Earth has endured. 250 million years ago, huge volumes of lava spewed out onto the surface--so much that it would have buried the whole of Texas under one mile of lava. At first the temperature dipped but then the greenhouse gases that escaped from the depressurized lava caused a massive global warming. It wreaked havoc and 95% of the species on Earth became extinct. Yet life hung on and in time this disaster paved the way for the next great phase of life on earth--the age of the dinosaurs. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In America's heartland, few structures are as iconic as the country barn and the local church. In Nebraska, our team attempts to transport an historic gothic horse barn to a new farm. Working in sub-zero temperatures, they'll have to maneuver the massive structure through 26 miles of extremely narrow, unpaved country roads to reach their destination. And in Texas, a 115-year-old church has to be cut into five pieces before being relocated to a new spot two miles away. Will our Mega Movers be able to reassemble this cherished chapel and preserve it for future congregations? TVPG VL | CC

In Pennsylvania, our movers must lift an historic 1938 diner out of a building that has covered it for more than 50 years. But moving the cherished landmark unscathed will pose quite a challenge for everyone involved. Meanwhile, a determined mining historian must rescue a gigantic 1923 steam shovel that has been hidden high up in the Colorado Rockies. Will 30 years of sludge and rugged terrain stop this move before it even begins? TVPG VL | CC

Got something strange to deliver? From pizza to packages, we'll show you how it's packed, labeled and shipped. Head down the highway carrying gigantic wind turbine blades. See how UPS got China's invaluable terra cotta warriors to a Los Angeles art museum. Deliver luxury yachts aboard a submersible carrier ship. Ride to the track with prized thoroughbreds on their own special jet. Want dinner and a movie? Sounds like a visit to Netflix headquarters and Papa John's Pizza. Ride radical with bike messengers in New York City, and deliver a donor kidney to a waiting hospital. Take a tour of the UPS Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, a mammoth center with delivery docks for 100 jets, and handles 1.2 million packages a day. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

You know the old saying "dull as dirt"...wrong! In Las Vegas we'll see how thousands of tons of dirt transform a stadium into a Supercross course, and in New Jersey we'll slog into a secret bog to collect the special mud that every major league team relies on to give extra grip to baseballs. Then, we'll join in the down and dirty fun of mud wrestling at a state fair in Hawaii. In Tucson we'll see how modern adobe and stunning rammed-earth homes are made. To farmers, "dirt" is "soil" and in a teaspoon of healthy soil there are more living organisms than people on our planet. We'll find out where they came from at a sprawling potting soil facility in central California where huge earth moving equipment adds tons of dried kelp, bat guano and other ingredients to dirt. At exclusive spas we'll watch patrons submerge in mud. Finally, we'll visit the Tide detergent factory--why? To get the dirt out, of course. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Take a journey into the world of super sized, super strong, super unique ships. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography takes viewers out to sea to see how their FLIP research vessel flips a full 90 degrees, sinking over three quarters of its 355-foot length. In Miami, go behind the scenes of one of the largest cruise ships in the world. In California, step onboard the Navy's newest, most advanced transport ship and take a spin in one of America's strongest and greenest tugboats. In Boston, venture into the frigid world of an LNG carrier, transporting enough natural gas to power a million homes for an entire week. In Maine, hop on "the Cat," the fastest car ferry in North America--it's a huge twin-hulled catamaran. Finally, learn how a ship that looks like an enormous spider on water may someday save lives. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In less than 200 years the Aztec's transformed themselves from a band of wandering nomads to the greatest civilization the New World had ever known. What records remain of this amazing feat indicate they did it through brilliant military campaigns and by ingeniously applying technology to master the harsh environment they faced. They built their capital city where no city should have been possible: in the middle of a lake. The Aztec also practiced human sacrifice on an unprecedented scale and made many enemies. By the time the Spaniards landed they had no trouble recruiting tribal allies to destroy the Aztecs. Watch with host Peter Weller as we examine the architecture and infrastructure behind the New World's greatest, and last, indigenous society. TVPG VL | CC

After the fall of Rome, Italy fell into a dark sleep, and wasn't reawakened until the 11th century. Autonomous city-states emerged and these tiny republics began to revitalize their cities and build on a massive level not witnessed since the rise of Rome. In the late 15th and 16th centuries, alliances among various city-states continually shifted as foreign superpowers tried to sink their claws into Italy. The masters who are best known for creating the works of art and architecture of the Renaissance, were also the greatest military and civil engineers of the time. Peter Weller hosts. TVPG VL | CC

It bursts from the sun with the power of ten thousand nuclear weapons... and when it hits our planet, it could create the largest disaster in recorded history. A magnetic storm from the sun could wipe out electrical power, television, radio, military communication, and nearly every piece of electronics in the Northern Hemisphere. It's a "Solar Katrina" -- a planet-wide "hurricane" of magnetic forces that scramble all 21st Century technology, possibly for good. What causes this magnetic superstorm? Why is magnetism so powerful -- and yet so poorly understood? And is there anything we can do to prevent the Magnetic Storm? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

They've discovered water on other planets, and snatched the actual building blocks of life from a comet's tail. But can space probes find a new Earth...and even make contact with alien life? In the 21st century, space probes are photographing, drilling and even sniffing new worlds in the quest for life, and scanning thousands of distant suns trying to detect Earth-like planets. It's only a matter of time before space probes unlock the secrets to extra-terrestrial life and the universe itself. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Today, we know black holes exist, and now scientists are trying to confirm that other holes lurk in hyperspace. Our infinite cosmos could contain a variety of "holes" such as black, white, "mini" and wormholes. White holes are the reverse of black holes; instead of matter being sucked into it, matter is ejected out. Wormholes are gateways in the fabric of space and time. They are included in Einstein's field equations as possibilities for their existence. Neither white holes nor wormholes have ever been found. Learn about new discoveries including, colliding binary black holes, intermediate black holes and manufacturing mini black holes. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Watch as a brave bomb squad technician is forced to pickup a bomb when it blows up in his face. Then a skydiver's pant leg is caught on the planes landing gear and he's dangling at 10 thousand feet! Can modern day Evil Knieval, Bubba Blackwell, set a world record by jumping 22 cars on his motorcycle? Will a female extreme ski racer survive a free-fall of 600 feet on an unforgiving mountain? Finally view the tense scene as a maintenance worker clearing debris from a flooded canal is sucked into a drain. Frantic rescue workers desperately try to keep him from drowning. TVPG VL | CC

Watch as a derailed train whose cars are loaded with toxic chemicals explodes like a rocket in the Illinois countryside. Then a paramedic rushing to help a wrecked driver at the Daytona International Speedway is hit by another racecar, thrown 30 feet in the air and then hit again by the same car. Can eight people fit into a life raft built for four when their perfect fishing day turns into a nightmare? Relive the day Matt "Kangaroo Kid" Coulter tried to jump his 40 horsepower "quad" over a huge riverboat. Finally a Delta ll Rocket explosion in Cape Canaveral, Florida results in huge chunks of burning metal raining down on the launch pad and surrounding areas. TVPG VL | CC

Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the ancient world. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, this two-hour HISTORY special will strip away the romanticized veneer of the Civil War and present the engagement in a new light: a visceral, terrifying experience with everything on the line. At its core, this is the story of the soldiers on the ground, not the generals who commanded from behind the frontlines. Compelling CGI and powerful action footage place viewers in the midst of the fighting, delivering both an emotional cinematic experience and an information packed look at the turning points, technology, and little known facts of perhaps America's greatest battle. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Take a supersonic flight through a world of flying machines that are redefining our skies. Pull serious G's in the U.S. military's latest fighter jet: the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Riding shotgun in the lethal B-1B Lancer, and look close or you'll miss the swarm of MAV's (Micro Air Vehicles)--so small they are launched out of a backpack. The "vertical takeoff and landing" capable PAV's (Personal Aerial Vehicles) may be the answer to the commuting needs of tired travelers. Then, discover how a commercial jetliner has been retrofitted into the biggest flying fire truck the world has ever seen. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 1965, Operation Rolling Thunder roars across the skies over North Vietnam and the first U.S. ground troops land in the South. American soldiers are outnumbered in the Ia Drang Valley, the first major battle of the war. Then, American troops launch widespread "search and destroy" operations; body count, not territory, becomes the measure of success in Vietnam. Charles Brown fights for survival on the bloody slopes of Hill 875 and at home, the American public begins to question U.S. military strategy. Narrated by Emmy-nominated actor Michael C. Hall. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Sink your teeth into the razor sharp world of saws. Cut across the centuries to discover how the Egyptians arduously sawed stone as compared to modern saws that slice through limestone like butter. Saws have been used as instruments of torture and tools for surgery. They are imperative for construction, salvage, demolition, and they even make music. Whether they have teeth of steel, carbide or diamond, you will be on the cutting edge of successful sawing. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

A versatile yet toxic metal, lead has served mankind for 6,000 years. Explore the vast mines where heavy machinery extracts and refines lead. Visit a car battery factory that makes a superior battery from pure lead. See how a team of experts safely remove harmful lead products from homes and businesses. How can a metal as dark as lead make lead crystal not only sparkle, but manage to stay transparent? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In America's heartland, few structures are as iconic as the country barn and the local church. In Nebraska, our team attempts to transport an historic gothic horse barn to a new farm. Working in sub-zero temperatures, they'll have to maneuver the massive structure through 26 miles of extremely narrow, unpaved country roads to reach their destination. And in Texas, a 115-year-old church has to be cut into five pieces before being relocated to a new spot two miles away. Will our Mega Movers be able to reassemble this cherished chapel and preserve it for future congregations? TVPG VL | CC

Southerners have a certain style, language and way of life. But what many people don't know is that America itself was made in the South. This two-hour special journeys to the real South for an informative and sometimes lighthearted look at its distinctive cultures, characteristics and influences on our country's history. Narrated by Charlie Daniels, well-known Southerners--Jeff Foxworthy, Trace Adkins, Ty Pennington, James Carville, Ricky Scaggs, Michael Waltrip, Bobby Bowden, Lyrnyrd Skynryd, Herschel Walker, Al Bell, and others--weigh in on cornerstones of Southern life: barbecue and moonshine, hunting and fishing, college football and the Grand Ol' Opry. We'll unearth surprises and misconceptions dating back to the earliest days of American history. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

You know the old saying "dull as dirt"...wrong! In Las Vegas we'll see how thousands of tons of dirt transform a stadium into a Supercross course, and in New Jersey we'll slog into a secret bog to collect the special mud that every major league team relies on to give extra grip to baseballs. Then, we'll join in the down and dirty fun of mud wrestling at a state fair in Hawaii. In Tucson we'll see how modern adobe and stunning rammed-earth homes are made. To farmers, "dirt" is "soil" and in a teaspoon of healthy soil there are more living organisms than people on our planet. We'll find out where they came from at a sprawling potting soil facility in central California where huge earth moving equipment adds tons of dried kelp, bat guano and other ingredients to dirt. At exclusive spas we'll watch patrons submerge in mud. Finally, we'll visit the Tide detergent factory--why? To get the dirt out, of course. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

This two-hour special offers an in-depth look at the critical 24-hour period after news of Japan's attack on U.S. soil in 1941 reached the President. Drawing on exhaustive research and new information provided by the FDR Library, the special gives a rare and surprising glimpse at the man behind the Presidency and how he confronted the enormous challenge of transitioning the nation from peace to war. There was no direct phone line between Pearl Harbor and the White House. As information slowly trickled in and word of the bombing got out, panic gripped the White House. FDR's unique style of leadership enabled him to galvanize the American people in the wake of a grave and potentially demoralizing attack. The special features acclaimed historian Steven M. Gillon, author of the recently released Pearl Harbor: FDR Leads the Nation Into War. TVPG VL | CC

In less than 200 years the Aztec's transformed themselves from a band of wandering nomads to the greatest civilization the New World had ever known. What records remain of this amazing feat indicate they did it through brilliant military campaigns and by ingeniously applying technology to master the harsh environment they faced. They built their capital city where no city should have been possible: in the middle of a lake. The Aztec also practiced human sacrifice on an unprecedented scale and made many enemies. By the time the Spaniards landed they had no trouble recruiting tribal allies to destroy the Aztecs. Watch with host Peter Weller as we examine the architecture and infrastructure behind the New World's greatest, and last, indigenous society. TVPG VL | CC

Easter Island, the Mayan ruins, and the abandoned pueblos of Chaco Canyon all stand as haunting monuments to extinct civilizations. Each of these societies collapsed because of man-made ecological disasters. Each confronted choices chillingly similar to the ones we face today. Are we living in the last century of our civilization? Many of the world's top scientists say yes, unless we quickly learn the lessons of the past. This two-hour special examines the current path of our modern world. Top U.S. Army, intelligence, and policymakers who have modeled a scenario of the next century say that if we continue on this trajectory, over the next hundred years the "perfect storm" of population growth, resource depletion, climate change, terrorism and disease will converge in an unstable world with catastrophic results. What lessons of the past must we heed to survive? TVPG VL | CC

It bursts from the sun with the power of ten thousand nuclear weapons... and when it hits our planet, it could create the largest disaster in recorded history. A magnetic storm from the sun could wipe out electrical power, television, radio, military communication, and nearly every piece of electronics in the Northern Hemisphere. It's a "Solar Katrina" -- a planet-wide "hurricane" of magnetic forces that scramble all 21st Century technology, possibly for good. What causes this magnetic superstorm? Why is magnetism so powerful -- and yet so poorly understood? And is there anything we can do to prevent the Magnetic Storm? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Might an examination of Leonardo Da Vinci's masterful paintings, highly technical hand-drawn sketches, and private journals reveal knowledge of otherworldly technology and extraterrestrial beings? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Angkor Wat, Cambodia, is the world's largest ancient religious temple. Within its megalithic ruins, researches have discovered a depiction of a species of dinosaur--a stegosaurus. But how could the ancients have had knowledge of animals that mainstream science says died out millions of years ago? Why are dinosaurs extinct? Did an alien race of beings kill off the dinosaurs to make room for humankind? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Watch as a brave bomb squad technician is forced to pickup a bomb when it blows up in his face. Then a skydiver's pant leg is caught on the planes landing gear and he's dangling at 10 thousand feet! Can modern day Evil Knieval, Bubba Blackwell, set a world record by jumping 22 cars on his motorcycle? Will a female extreme ski racer survive a free-fall of 600 feet on an unforgiving mountain? Finally view the tense scene as a maintenance worker clearing debris from a flooded canal is sucked into a drain. Frantic rescue workers desperately try to keep him from drowning. TVPG VL | CC

Just the whiff of a foul odor can make your head spin, your eyes water, your stomach turn--it can even send you hurling. From cesspools, military stink bombs, and rancid rotting meat... to cow farms and landfills... to bad breath, B.O and beyond, the world is full of stink--and we've spent centuries battling the funk. So how do we deal with these horrific odors? Hold your breath `cause these sensational stories are gonna STINK! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Hundreds of years before steel and plastic, wood was the building block of America. But even today, it touches every aspect of our lives. It's underneath our feet and flying through the sky, propping up skyscrapers and making burgers fry -- from the historical, to the modern, to the timeless, we explore the surprising ways we cannot live without WOOD. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Troop withdrawals begin as the Americans train their ARVN allies to take over the war. Gery Benedetti patrols the hostile waters of the Mekong Delta. James Anderson leads a battalion into Cambodia after Nixon's controversial order. Don DeVore struggles to survive a fierce night attack, and Anne Purcell gets promising news about her husband. Then, Bob Clewell's helicopter crew comes under intense fire in one of the final operations of the war. Joe Galloway returns to Vietnam and in Washington, D.C., Barry Romo throws down his medals in protest. The last American troops return home and POW wife Anne Purcell awaits word of her husband's fate. The fall of Saigon brings the unification of Vietnam. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Got something strange to deliver? From pizza to packages, we'll show you how it's packed, labeled and shipped. Head down the highway carrying gigantic wind turbine blades. See how UPS got China's invaluable terra cotta warriors to a Los Angeles art museum. Deliver luxury yachts aboard a submersible carrier ship. Ride to the track with prized thoroughbreds on their own special jet. Want dinner and a movie? Sounds like a visit to Netflix headquarters and Papa John's Pizza. Ride radical with bike messengers in New York City, and deliver a donor kidney to a waiting hospital. Take a tour of the UPS Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, a mammoth center with delivery docks for 100 jets, and handles 1.2 million packages a day. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Explore collisions that shake our world from the astronomic to the subatomic. Discover breakthroughs that could make the deadly sport of professional auto racing safer and visit a motorcycle crash test facility and examine two-wheeled accidents in detail. Meet a skydiver who survived a crash to earth from 11,000 feet. An asteroid crashing to earth could destroy our planet--watch as NASA's Near Earth Asteroid Tracking team hunt down dangerous asteroids. Finally learn about scientist's who are creating crashes with colliding subatomic particles in the world's largest machine. Will they unlock the secrets of the universe--or accidentally open a black hole? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Sink your teeth into the razor sharp world of saws. Cut across the centuries to discover how the Egyptians arduously sawed stone as compared to modern saws that slice through limestone like butter. Saws have been used as instruments of torture and tools for surgery. They are imperative for construction, salvage, demolition, and they even make music. Whether they have teeth of steel, carbide or diamond, you will be on the cutting edge of successful sawing. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Did Titanic have a fatal design flaw? In August of 2005 John Chatterton and Richie Kohler (of "Deep Sea Detectives") led an expedition to Titanic, where they discovered two huge intact sections of the ship's bottom, the red paint still on. Naval architect Roger Long, along with a panel of experts concluded that Titanic broke apart earlier in its sinking than has been believed, due to a previously unknown design flaw. Chatterton and Kohler return to the wreck in 2006 searching for evidence to support this theory, but when their research vessel is recalled by the Russian government they head to Greece to dive Titanic's lost sister ship Britannic. Was Britannic quietly modified to correct the problem? TVPG VL | CC

The largest palace on Earth, and one of the world's great historic and architectural icons, is the Forbidden City. Travel to the heart of the Forbidden City as the mystery is peeled away, secret stories are told and hidden rituals are exposed using compelling footage, mesmerizing CGI and riveting dramatic reenactments. Learn about the remarkable technological achievement of the building and the early life of the city set against the backdrop of this notable moment in Chinese history. TVPG VL | CC

Today, we know black holes exist, and now scientists are trying to confirm that other holes lurk in hyperspace. Our infinite cosmos could contain a variety of "holes" such as black, white, "mini" and wormholes. White holes are the reverse of black holes; instead of matter being sucked into it, matter is ejected out. Wormholes are gateways in the fabric of space and time. They are included in Einstein's field equations as possibilities for their existence. Neither white holes nor wormholes have ever been found. Learn about new discoveries including, colliding binary black holes, intermediate black holes and manufacturing mini black holes. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Earth may seem like the most hospitable planet in the solar system. But look again. Startling new discoveries reveal the blue planet has been plagued by more chaos and destruction than scientists once imagined. Stand on the Earth billions of years ago as a primitive planet slams into it. Shiver as our entire globe is frozen over like a gigantic snowball. Feel the heat as mammoth volcanoes scorch the landscape and darken the sky. From a cosmic gamma ray burst frying away the ozone layer to an Everest-size asteroid slamming into the ocean, we'll reveal new information about how these unparalleled events drove life to the brink of total extinction. Out of this continuous devastation, how has our planet--and life--got to where it is today? Are the worst days behind us--or lurking in the distant future? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Military innovation is consistently at the cutting edge of technological advances. Almost all technology on the planet today owes its origins to inventions driven by one purpose--war. From apocalyptic skyscraper siege machines to ancient landmines and flamethrowers which had the potential to extinguish hundreds of lives in minutes, most of today's lethal weapons owe their origins to the inventors of the ancient world. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In Mexico, explorers use a sacred ancient Mayan temple code to search for an occult underworld engineered in the depths of the earth--a mysterious site where no TV cameras have ever ventured. In Britain, investigators uncover the secret technologies behind a life size statue of Jesus Christ that miraculously came to life. Weapons experts reveal the science that saved a holy military order from certain annihilation in the bloodiest siege in history. In Greece, archaeologists solve the mystery of the oracle of the dead; an eerie sanctuary where flying ghosts appeared from the depths of hell. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Might an examination of Leonardo Da Vinci's masterful paintings, highly technical hand-drawn sketches, and private journals reveal knowledge of otherworldly technology and extraterrestrial beings? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

On a unique planet, a unique species takes its first steps: Mankind begins. But it s a world full of danger. Threatened by extinction, we innovate to survive--discovering fire and farming; building cities and pyramids; inventing trade--and mastering the art of war. From humble beginnings, we become the dominant creature on the planet. Now the future belongs to us. A mysterious band of pirates plunders the Mediterranean coast--leaving destruction in its wake. Empires fall, but out of the chaos, we discover iron. Armed with this wonder metal, ordinary folk can overthrow tyrants and build a new world order. From the birth of democracy in Athens, to the creation of the Bible in Babylon--people power reshapes Mankind. (2 hours.) TVPG VL | CC Show Site

When ordinary people desire the luxuries of the rich, ingenuity and innovation come together to take history in a new direction. From the obsession with silk to the fall of Constantinople, the discovery of the Americas to the launch of the Industrial Revolution, our desire for luxury has shaped our history and evolution. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

About 10,000 years ago we discover farming. But when crops fail, early farming communities face a new threat. War. It's the birth of the arms race. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Albert Einstein's revolutionary theory that turned the world upside down might have been dismissed but for a math mistake, a cloudy sky, and the start of World War I. This fascinating two-hour special tells the story of Einstein's little-known, 15-year struggle to prove one of his most radical theories -- a theory that upended Newton and three centuries of scientific thought and called into question the definitions of space and light and gravity -- the game-changing concept known as the Theory of General Relativity. Today, more than a century since the "Miracle Year" in which he published many of his breakthrough papers, Einstein's ideas remain a living, vibrant influence. They continue to push scientists farther, and deeper, into the universe than even he could have imagined. TVPG VL | CC

It's full steam ahead when we drop in at Jay Leno's garage as Jay fires up two of his classic steam cars and takes viewers for a couple of rides. Jay also shows off his 11-ton steam engine built in 1860, back when pigs had to be slaughtered to keep it lubricated. In northern Nevada, fire up a coal burning boiler and get a 100-year-old steam locomotive chugging across the rugged landscape. In New Orleans, board an authentic paddlewheel steamboat. Trek to the Southern California desert where geothermal steam rushes up from the ground and drives electricity producing turbines, powering over 300,000 homes. In New York City, find out why manmade steam surges into some of the world's most famous skyscrapers. Steam clean some very dirty machines, and do a little laundry, too. And ride a steam-driven carousel and play with some strange, steam-powered robots that are part of a movement called--what else--"steampunk." TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Millions of drivers travel the world's superhighways each year. See a multi-billion dollar expansion project in Houston, Texas where a stretch of superhighway is being widened to 20 lanes. Take a ride atop the High-Five, a 12-story, five-level interchange that's become the latest Dallas tourist attraction. Then it's off to China's 28,000-mile National Trunk Highway System. Discover how a single distracted driver can cause a major traffic jam. Finally, play a cutting-edge video game that's training emergency personnel how to unclog a clogged superhighway. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Modern Marvels is going big, and counting down. We take the "best of" Modern Marvels and give you the MEGA Top 10 countdown. On this edition: Speed. It's a pure adrenaline rush as we race the top 10 fastest marvels we've featured down to the speediest of all. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

They are elements that occupy a select portion of the periodic table and are so essential to America's economic and military might that they are stored in the National Defense Stockpile in case of all-out war. We plan a riveting visit. Some of the vital heavy metals that we survey include copper, uranium, lead, zinc, and nickel. We also take a look at superalloys--consisting of steel combined with chromium, cobalt, and dozens of other heavy metals--that resist corrosion and perform increasingly elaborate functions. From Earth to space, from cosmetics to vitamins, in a million different ways, heavy metals are here to stay! TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Buckle up for a rip-roaring ride through the world of extreme horsepower. Experience the fastest accelerating cars on earth. Find out how horsepower was first coined as a marketing tool for the steam engine in the early 1800s and meet the horsepower police--the Society of Automotive Engineers who test today's most powerful car engines. Feel the amazing power of Unlimited Hydroplane racing as 3-ton boat-beasts careen across water at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. Journey to the bowels of an enormous container ship where the world's most powerful diesel engine provides over 100,000 horsepower. At the Hoover Dam, watch as it harnesses the enormous power of water. Explore the 80,000 horsepower pumping units at the Edmonston Pumping Plant that delivers 2-billion gallons of water a day to thirsty Californians. And sit behind the steering wheel of a new generation of hybrid cars that boast 400-horsepower yet get 42 miles per gallon of gas. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

At 4 State Trucks in Missouri, the Chrome Shop Mafia adds some truckers' "bling" to a big rig as viewers tour its 35,000 square-foot treasure trove of chrome. In Illinois, learn just how automotive parts get their luster in a complex electroplating process. And out on the road with some bikers, take a look at how Harley Davidson puts chrome to work both as a decorative surface and a protective covering on engine parts. At a classic car gathering, collectors show off their sparkling tailfins and grilles--and in Michigan, peruse a unique collection of more than 3,000 chrome hood ornaments. See how workers chrome-plate plastic, and learn how chrome puts the "stainless" in stainless steel. Find out how stainless steel flatware is manufactured and explore the iconic, shimmering art deco dome of the Chrysler Building. Finally, a Colorado artist will show viewers how he rescues old chrome car bumpers from the scrap yard and transforms them. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Mysterious places can be found around the Earth, and, inexplicably, UFOs are often sited near these mystical areas. Planes and ships unaccountably disappear in the infamous Bermuda Triangle. Strange magnetic anomalies in Mexico's Zone of Silence have not only drawn missiles off their course, but seem to pull meteorites out of the sky. An ancient doorway carved into a sheer rock wall in Peru's Puerta de Hayu Marka is said to be a portal to other worlds. Markawasi's plateau is filled with strange rock formations allegedly left behind by an ancient advanced civilization. What connections do these and other "hot spots" share? Is it possible that ancient extraterrestrials also knew about these mysterious places? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 1980, three young military men were sent into a UK forest to investigate strange lights. They reportedly encountered a spacecraft of unknown origin. When one of the men touched it, he claims to have received telepathically a long sequence of binary code, which he later wrote down and translated. The military ordered them to never speak about the incident. Why do such UFO encounters continue to be kept under wraps, and what might they reveal about our ancient past? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Geologist Scott Wolter has reason to believe America has its very own Stonehenge in New Hampshire. With the help of a young man who discovered an amazing connection between America's Stonehenge and Stonehenge in England, Wolter explores the possibility that the ancient Phoenicians are connected to both of these megalithic sites. At America's Stonehenge, he uncovers many clues, including a sacrificial table and a mysterious message carved on a stone in ancient script that helps advance this provocative theory. He also discovers both sites are accurate astronomical calendars and that alignments with the heavens are incorporated into their design. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

There really are ice worlds like Hoth from Star Wars. In this episode, we explore icy planets and moons, discover the role of cold in the Universe, and learn about the importance of ice to the development of habitable worlds. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

To know our place in the universe take a look far, far away to the realm of Alien Galaxies. Our galaxy is one of hundreds of billions in the universe. The Milky Way consists of more than a billion stars, our sun being only one of them. Take a view of the universe through the Hubble Space telescope and go back almost all the way to the Big Bang. Cutting-edge computer graphics are used to bring the universe down to earth to show what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine what life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres. 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

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

In the late 1500s, years before Jamestown, the English sought to create their first settlement in America at Roanoke. A party of 119 colonists came over and settled but ultimately vanished. The fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke has eluded archaeologists, historians and North Carolina locals, but as forensic geologist Scott Wolter discovers, a series of 48 stone clues that have been largely ignored and considered frauds may in fact hold the answer to America s oldest cold case. TVPG VL | CC Show Site