The History Channel

Gold dates from the time of the supernova explosion that gave birth to the building blocks of our solar system. When it was created, the Earth included a tiny percentage of gold atoms, and over the aeons geologic processes have concentrated it into various nooks and crannies around the globe. The best of it is in the ancient Precambrian rocks in South Africa, where the deepest mines in the world extract it. In other regions of the world, gold can be gathered from younger sedimentary rocks that have been eroded off older Precambrian rocks. The American gold rush was this type of deposit. Now in Nevada, sedimentary rocks are leached on a truly vast scale to extract the gold. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Why do we have ice ages and when is the next one due? Chart the progress of different ice ages through the history of our planet, from Snowball Earth hundreds of millions of years ago to the recent ice ages. As the Earth circles the sun, its orbit changes slightly and so does it angle of rotation. When the right wobble in our rotation combines with the right orbit, the Earth is, and will again be, plunged into an ice age--but maybe not for a few thousand years. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Over 20 years ago, Mt. St Helens--thought to be dormant--shocked America when it exploded. It is an acidic volcano--the magma beneath is full of volatiles making it highly explosive. A new plug has formed in its throat and is rising. When it blows it will be like uncorking a champagne bottle, releasing pressure below and allowing dissolved gases to escape and explode. The question is...when will it blow again? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Does Mount Rushmore, one of America's greatest icons of Democracy have a more sinister meaning? Buddy, Mac and Scott travel to Big Sky country to decode the intended message possibly hidden within this great American symbol. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of American Democracy. Could it contain hidden messages from our nation's forefathers intended to be discovered years later? Buddy, Mac and Scott travel across America to try and uncover the mysteries behind our nation's most prized document. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The Book of Revelation: the New Testament s blueprint of doom foretells the coming of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse, heralding the end of days. These horsemen will usher in four divine judgments that promise to devastate humanity. While skeptics dismiss it as a mere allegory, every Sunday around the Christian world, church pews reverberate with its dark prophecies. With the potential for global pandemic hiding in every unchecked sneeze, worldwide hunger at an all-time high and the specter of World War III hanging over the Middle East, Revelation s followers believe its dark imagery is coming to light in modern times. Believer and prepper Ray Gano sees current events as a confirmation of the Book of Revelation s predictions and is preparing to face the divine fury of God. 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

Centuries ago the prophet Nostradamus had visions of the end of our modern world. Now, scholars decipher his mysterious predictions and learn of terrible tragedies and catastrophic events that threaten to annihilate global populations. Nostradamus has successfully predicted the rise of Hitler, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the detonation of the atomic bomb, and countless other events. Many fear that the remaining unfulfilled prophecies of Nostradamus will manifest before our very eyes. At Radius Engineering in Texas, Walton McCarthy shows state of the art underground shelters to a concerned family and in South Florida, Billy Carson of Fort Terra Nova meets with a prospective client interested in joining an underground shelter community large enough to house over 350 people. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

December 21, 2012: a prophetic date delivered in stone by the ancient Maya. Revered by scientists for their extremely accurate calendars, the Maya are also known for their mysterious ability to predict unsettling events so many are taking the December date seriously. On this date a rare galactic alignment will take place and coincidentally, as the alignment happens, our sun will be entering its most violent solar storm cycle. And, all of this comes at a time when scientists believe Earth s magnetic defense shield, which protects us from dangerous solar radiation, may be compromised. Our planet may become paralyzed. People are heeding the warning and getting prepared, including a group of everyday Americans learning how to fend for themselves and live off the grid. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Everything is bigger in Texas. It's the only state that acts like a country, but has it grown too big for its britches? We'll mess with Texas to settle this ten-gallon rivalry. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

We may be a law-abiding nation but we also admire the outlaw, and the clash between rebels and the rules has shaped our states. Which states like to make their own rules, and which do the heat have on lockdown? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Americans have a lot of vices and they don't just stay in Vegas. From drugs to gambling, the state you live in may shape how bad you can be. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It's the glue that holds our map together and feeds America, but the Midwest is more than just state fairs and flyover country. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Everything around us has a story to tell. Shoes, cans, string, mirrors; everything we see and touch has an epic tale of how it came to be invented or discovered, and the dramatic moments throughout history at which it played an important role. But few of us know these stories. We go through our days blissfully ignorant of the deadly and dangerous road brave men traveled in order to bring coffee to the world, or the pivotal part beer played in the civilizing of mankind. These stories and many more are brought vividly to life in this two-hour special, which follows one man on a journey through the last day of his life, examining and recounting the epic tales of the everyday items he encounters before his ignorance of their stories leads him to his ultimate doom. TVPG VL | CC

It has been said that necessity is the mother of all invention--but that is not always the case. Some strange machines are built for sheer spectacle, some a glimpse into the future or even the past, while others are just plain...Weird. Take a look at machines that specialize in high functionality and low practicality, prompting two very important questions: What is it and...how do I get one? An Alaskan navigates the Juneau waters with his homemade submarine. A California company shocks local beach bums with their fully submersible "shark boats." We'll also meet a bicep-curling robot that's built to save lives; scale a mountain with a 21st century Batman-esque rope ascender; witness an engineered, forty-foot vortex of fire known as the Flame Tornado; and hit the backcountry trails with a snowboard-motorcycle hybrid inspired by a shopping cart. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The US has become the culture of BIG--just look at the importance of size and how it has been infused into the lifestyle we choose to live, whether it's our homes, our appliances such as large screen TVs or even eccentric stretch limos. But big has also affected what we eat. This episode explores America's growing obsession with plus-sized meals and how we cook them! Discover the largest everyday offerings of gargantuan portions--from the biggest stacked burger in the world (at almost 250 pounds), a plus-sized Sicilian pizza that feeds almost 75 people, a 72-ounce steak no real cowboy can resist, and the seven-pound hot dog that's too big for a bun. Top it all off with a giant cupcake, humongous cinnamon roll or a five pound gummy bear... and chase it down with a monster bottle of beer that holds over 101 ounces of brew. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Explore the world of extreme temperatures. See what happens to Pyroman, a life-size mannequin, as he is exposed to over 3,000 degrees F. Visit Underwriters Laboratories and see how common household appliances can go lethal. Follow geologists as they take lava samples from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. Finally, journey into a fusion facility in San Diego, California and watch as scientist's heat plasma to over 200 million degrees F in hopes of someday creating an inexhaustible power source. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Some of the world's leading physicists believe they have found startling new evidence showing the existence of universes other than our own. One possibility is that the universe is so vast that an exact replica of our Solar System, our planet and ourselves exists many times over. These Doppelganger Universes exist within our own Universe; in what scientist now call "The Multiverse." Today, trailblazing experiments by state of the art particle colliders are looking for evidence of higher dimensions and Parallel Universes. If proof is found, it will change our lives, our minds, our planet, our science and our universe. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Every year, thousands of objects both natural and manmade plummet through our atmosphere and crash into the Earth. These menacing messengers from the sky provide scientists with amazing insights into the natural, and not so natural, phenomena of the cosmos. From space rocks crashing through homes to cosmic boulders triggering mass extinctions to rocket parts landing on front lawns, explore objects that fall from the heavens, such as asteroids, comets, meteor showers and space debris. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Centuries ago the prophet Nostradamus had visions of the end of our modern world. Now, scholars decipher his mysterious predictions and learn of terrible tragedies and catastrophic events that threaten to annihilate global populations. Nostradamus has successfully predicted the rise of Hitler, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the detonation of the atomic bomb, and countless other events. Many fear that the remaining unfulfilled prophecies of Nostradamus will manifest before our very eyes. At Radius Engineering in Texas, Walton McCarthy shows state of the art underground shelters to a concerned family and in South Florida, Billy Carson of Fort Terra Nova meets with a prospective client interested in joining an underground shelter community large enough to house over 350 people. 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

It was one of the great intellectual debates of the day: was there a northern sea route to the East Indies? Henry Hudson, chosen by an English merchant company, leads what will be the first of four epic voyages in search of a northern passage. But Hudson's obsessive search and his ultimate failure leads to something far more significant--the conquest and colonization of Northeast America. The Dutch colony of New Netherland, founded in 1624, is a model of multiculturalism and religious tolerance. By contrast, the English have only established a shaky beachhead in Virginia and the Pilgrims won't land for a few more years. The Dutch and the English soon become enemies, and the American northeast will experience decades of Anglo-Dutch conflict--until 1664, when the English take over the thriving Dutch colony that will one day become New York City. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

This island in the middle of San Francisco Bay has a forbidding reputation. Native Americans believed it to be a place of evil spirits. When it became a federal prison in 1934, only the most violent and difficult prisoners in the U.S. were sent there. It was reputed to be escape proof; only three men have ever managed to get off the island. They left in 1962 and have never been found. MysteryQuest investigates to determine whether they could have survived the icy waters of San Francisco Bay. 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

Most consider the Israelite Exodus out of Egypt an act of Divine intervention. Whether inspired by God or not, the Exodus is not merely a migration of slaves, but a military maneuver by a group of combat-hardened mercenaries. An enraged Pharaoh releases his army to hunt the Israelites down after they sack an Egyptian town as they make their exit. But Moses's sharp military mind and intimate knowledge of the terrain prove more than the massive, heavily armed Egyptian army can handle. While the Israelites perform a complicated night water crossing, Moses lures the Egyptians to a watery grave in the Sea of Reeds. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

After years of perceived disrespect, a gravely offended Persian army sets sail to teach the insolent Athenians a lesson. The massive Persian fleet seems predestined to overpower the small Athenian army, abandoned by their allies the Spartans. But a brilliant defensive strategy, the extreme mettle of Greek troops, and a runner whose route would go down in history, all combine to drive the Persians back across the Aegean defeated, dripping in their own blood. The Battle of Marathon sets up one of the most famous battles between Greece and Persia... the Battle of the 300. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

On June 7, 1944, the troopship USS Susan B. Anthony transported nearly 3,000 Army and Navy men on their way to reinforce paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day. Suddenly, two explosions hit the Susan B. just off the coast of "Bloody Omaha" in an area marked safe for passage. Stephen Ambrose called it "the German Army's greatest success of disrupting the landing of American reinforcements." Our Deep Sea Detectives John Chatterton and Richie Kohler dive this wreck 60 years later in hopes of unlocking the answers to what sank the Susan B. Anthony, and the story behind one of the most daring and amazing rescues at sea. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

On June 20, 1941, the US Submarine O-9 headed out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and nosed below the surface carrying 33 hands and never returned. Inquiries into her sinking failed to find answers. But 60 years later, she was rediscovered. Today, our team of Deep Sea Detectives heads out with the National Undersea Research Center to take the first ever video survey of the wreck in an attempt to solve this long forgotten mystery. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

Informational programming. TVPG VL | CC

June 6, 1944--the destroyer USS Meredith joined the D-Day invasion of Normandy. Her 5-inch guns pounded German coastal batteries as American troops fought their way ashore at Utah Beach. On the night of June 7, the Meredith moved out into dangerous mine-infested waters to defend the Allied ships against a new threat, fast German torpedo boats. Shortly before 2 a.m., a huge explosion ripped through the destroyer. Did she hit a mine? Sail into the path of a torpedo? Or was the Meredith struck by a top-secret German glide bomb, the world's first guided missile? Teams of deep-water detectives use today's cutting-edge technology to make this wreck "tell its story", along with CGI graphics, expert interviews, archival materials, and dramatic reenactments. TVPG VL | CC

It's the centerpiece on your Thanksgiving dinner table--and one of the most famous birds in North America. From the moment a baby turkey pecks through its shell to the factory that transforms turkey waste into crude oil, see a world few have ever seen. Tour the Butterball factory in North Carolina, where millions of domesticated turkeys are processed, take a trip to a wild turkey hunt in the Montana wilderness, and stop at America's most famous turkey-themed restaurant, The Strongbow Inn, for a plate of turkey testicles and turkey eggs. From pets to presidential pardons, it's an up-close look at the feisty fowl that's the reluctant star of our holiday dinners. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Heroes who fight tax collectors and moral crusaders, or just common criminals? Like it or not, America was built by rumrunners, moonshiners, and bootleggers--even founding father John Hancock was a smuggler. In the 1920s, Prohibition turned fishermen into rumrunners and two-bit gangsters into millionaires, and moonshine haulers in their souped-up cars helped create NASCAR. Rare archival footage and photos help weave the compelling tale of our nation's love-hate relationship with illegal alcohol. TVPG VL | CC

Something has been attacking a remote cabin in Northern Ontario, Canada--it may have left behind a blood trail. DNA analysis suggests that the creature is a non-human primate. A follow up test will confirm or deny this, and the results could change history. Meanwhile, a new expedition, outfitted with the most advanced surveillance and detection equipment, will set up camp at the cabin and wait for the creature's imminent return. Scientists will be brought in to tell viewers what the evidence reveals. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Analysis of video taken of an alleged UFO over Illinois suggests the object could have been as large as 1500 feet across. The video, featured on UFO HUNTERS, captured three bright lights in a triangular pattern. It was part of a mass sighting of over fifty reports near Tinley Park, Illinois in 2004. Upon investigating, the team discovered that similar objects were reported all over the world in the days surrounding this event--from Australia to Canada. Sightings of triangular-shaped UFOs have been on the rise in recent decades, but was the Tinley Park mass sighting a solid object, or as some believe, a hoax involving weather balloons and flares? Analysis of the video suggests it could have been a solid object larger than any known craft. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Six "doughnut-shaped aircraft" were spotted off the coast of Maury Island, WA one week before the reported UFO crash in Roswell, NM. Harold Dahl and his son witnessed the aircraft dancing in unknown form and one spewing white-hot fragments over the water and beach. The falling debris killed Dahl's dog. The military was informed and two Air Force intelligence officers arrived in Tacoma, conducted interviews and collected the remaining wreckage. The officers departed from McCord Field but their plane lost communication and crashed near the town of Kelso. Now our team has located the crash scene and together with an archeologist, will scour the debris field and analyze the evidence. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In 327 BC, Greece goes head-to-head with India in Alexander the Great's final campaign. As Alexander leads his armies into India, he faces one of the most difficult tactical challenges any ground commander can confront--a forced river-crossing, a raging thunder storm and a vicious enemy. Alexander is able to deceive the Indian General Porus into believing that they would not attempt a crossing, instead he maneuvers his infantry across the river at night--catching the Indian Legions unaware. Victory is at hand thanks to this strategic brilliance. TVPG VL | CC

Get an unprecedented look at the most extreme missions of the most extreme job in the world. You have one shot, one scoped sight, one controlled breath, one squeeze of a honed trigger. In a fraction of a second, you will either be a hero who took out an enemy commander, or a lone hunter who has suddenly become the hunted. This special deconstructs and analyzes the most dangerous feats undertaken in the history of military warfare. The legendary snipers who are still alive will share never-before-told stories about their classified missions. What techniques were used by these sharpshooters? What roles did the weather conditions, terrain, weapons systems, and snipers' physiological states play in the success of each operation? Examine the painstaking process perfected by the expert marksmen who live by the credo, "One shot, one kill." TVPG VL | CC

It's 52 BC and the great Roman Commander Julius Caesar is butchering is way through Gaul. Thanks in large part to the iron will of Caesar, the Romans complete their long quest for total Mediterranean dominance, defeating the Gauls in the final battle of the Gallic Wars. For a period of time though, Gallic victory seemed possible. Out-numbering the Romans five to one, they held the high ground, on the hilltop fortress city of Alesia. Caesar besieges Alesia, however, and builds a wall around the city cutting it off from all possible supply lines. When Gallic reinforcements arrive to break the blockade, Caesar puts a startling twist on his strategy by constructing a second wall between his army and the reinforcements. It is siege upon siege, but Caesar knows the Romans, although fewer in numbers, are better supplied. TVPG VL | CC

It's a story that spans 4,000 years, older than the Bible...and it's all true. It was lost for thousands of years, discovered a century ago, and its true meaning recently resurrected by the miracle of computer graphics! The reason the Egyptians built the pyramids, it's the first written description of any religion--and is the likely source of the 10 Commandments! In this 2-hour special we follow the ancient scroll from creation around 1800 BC near the site of the Egyptian city of Thebes, to rediscovery (and theft!) in 1887 AD. Join us in a tale that spans from the age of papyrus to the age of silicon...and beyond. Biblical scholars agree that portions of the Old Testament are direct descendants of the Egyptian text, and some archaeologists argue that Moses must have read and carried a copy of it with him when he fled Egypt! And now, a new generation is reexamining the ancient text for wisdom that can still affect our inner lives! TVPG VL | CC

The Matyiko brothers are a legendary Mega Mover family. Their company Expert House Movers entered the record books when they moved the historic Gem Theatre in Detroit, Schubert Theatre in Minneapolis, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In this episode the brothers battle time and the elements. In Massachusetts, the clock is ticking to move a 900-ton brick building to its new location. Any delays will cost the veteran house movers thousands of dollars. And in North Carolina, three vacation houses must make a perilous journey across eight miles of open beach to reach their new home. Will the homes arrive safely? Or, will the treacherous waters of the Outer Banks claim yet another victim? TVPG VL | CC

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

It's time to slice and dice! Take a cutting-edge look at the most amazing blades in the world, from the legendary sword of the samurai warrior with an edge sharp enough to sever a man's arm in a single swipe, to industrial shredder blades capable of gobbling anything from a sofa to a fridge, to the precision slicing power of lasers and plasma. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

These giant mountain-sized boulders from space have wrought death and destruction throughout the millennia but until recently geologists could find no evidence that they had actually struck the earth. Follow the remarkable detective story that begins at Meteor Crater in Arizona as mining engineers desperately try to unearth the billion dollar iron boulder they thought was lying there. It's a detective story that also uncovers immense riches; the world's biggest nickel deposit in Sudbury, Canada, vast oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico and a gold mine in South Africa--all the result of asteroid impacts. Evidence is also unearthed of violent impacts that decimated some of the first people to live in America. What clues do asteroids, and their smaller cousins, meteorites, hold in the formation of the early Earth and perhaps life itself? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

After Custer, Thermopylae is the most famous last stand in history. In a narrow pass in Northern Greece, seven thousand Greek soldiers await an onslaught of epic proportions. They will soon face the largest fighting force ever assembled--the war machine of the mighty Persian Empire, estimated at over a million men. The Greeks are led by three hundred of the most ferocious warriors of the ancient world--the Spartans. Their leader is the fearless King Leonidas, who after this battle would be catapulted into legend. When it is over, every Spartan in the pass will have sacrificed his life for freedom. Creating a fresh visual style and using new technologies we will dramatically recreate the significant events that lead to Thermopylae and the clash of arms. TVPG VL | CC

A steam pipe explosion rocks New Yorkers on a summer day in Midtown Manhattan. Boston's Big Dig highway project suffers a major setback when sections of a tunnel ceiling fall onto the roadway. Rush hour in Minnesota turns deadly, as a bridge plunges into the Mississippi River. An air show in Mannheim, Germany comes to a tragic end when a Chinook helicopter crashes along the Autobahn killing 46 people. A tanker truck explodes on an Oakland freeway overpass, causing the structure to collapse. And a mud volcano near a natural gas drilling site erupts in Indonesia, leaving villages buried 16 feet deep. We'll explore what engineering and structural failures caused these events, and the changes the catastrophes have wrought. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

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

Explore the complex logistics behind creating feasts for the largest and most ravenous crowds. At the U.S. Naval Base in Bangor, Washington, hop aboard a nuclear submarine stuffed with enough food for a 120-day mission. At the U.S. Marine Corps' base in Twentynine Palms, California, follow a brigade of cooks as they prepare their "Victory Meal" for more than a thousand Marines. At the Philadelphia Eagles' football stadium, see how a major food supplier satisfies 69,000 fans during an NFL game. Watch a team of experts rapidly assemble a remote kitchen as they prepare to cater the official after party of the American Music Awards. In Las Vegas, the cooking team at Planet Hollywood's Spice Market Buffet will show viewers what it takes to feed a never-ending line of gamblers. And at Gate Gourmet kitchen in New York, watch as thousands of airline meals are whipped together in just one day. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It's the centerpiece on your Thanksgiving dinner table--and one of the most famous birds in North America. From the moment a baby turkey pecks through its shell to the factory that transforms turkey waste into crude oil, see a world few have ever seen. Tour the Butterball factory in North Carolina, where millions of domesticated turkeys are processed, take a trip to a wild turkey hunt in the Montana wilderness, and stop at America's most famous turkey-themed restaurant, The Strongbow Inn, for a plate of turkey testicles and turkey eggs. From pets to presidential pardons, it's an up-close look at the feisty fowl that's the reluctant star of our holiday dinners. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Mass suicides. Human sacrifices. Unholy rituals. Throughout history, people have claimed to have otherworldly knowledge, and have led followers to commit horrific acts of violence. Are they con men? Are they insane? Or might the voices in their heads really be of an extraterrestrial origin? And if so, did they simply misinterpret the messages they received? Or might there be extraterrestrials with a sinister agenda? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Does Canada have its own Bigfoot? Owners of a fly-in fishing cabin report attacks by an unknown creature. Can DNA tests on blood and tissue from the alleged beast reveal its true identity? The test results will surprise you. One-part history, one-part science and one part monster, discover the truth behind these beasts and take a scientific look at legendary creatures around the world. The best evidence available will be examined, from pictures and video, to hair and bones. Scientists will be brought in to tell viewers what the evidence reveals. Ultimately the evidence will reveal the truth....or in some cases continue the mystery. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Something has been attacking a remote cabin in Northern Ontario, Canada--it may have left behind a blood trail. DNA analysis suggests that the creature is a non-human primate. A follow up test will confirm or deny this, and the results could change history. Meanwhile, a new expedition, outfitted with the most advanced surveillance and detection equipment, will set up camp at the cabin and wait for the creature's imminent return. Scientists will be brought in to tell viewers what the evidence reveals. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Get behind the wheel and take control of the some of the largest, fastest, most powerful machines on the planet. These aren't your average vehicles--and handling one of these rides is unlike anything else. But you need more than just a learner's permit to take control of these vehicles...you need training, experience, and above all, guts--if you plan to sit in the Driver's Seat. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Some activities only occur when the world is dark. We stay up late off the coast of California to hunt some slippery and slimy nocturnal creatures: squid by the tens of thousands. Fishermen show us how they lure them into their net by mesmerizing them with the boat's powerful lights. We also visit Toronto, Canada, the self proclaimed "worm capitol of the world", where an army of pickers pluck countless night crawlers emerging from their burrows. In Tennessee, we put a night vision lens on our camera to capture the action as military trainees try their hand at the latest night vision gear. And we'll experience how hard it is to evade a police helicopter's blindingly bright Spectrolab spotlight, or powerful noses and sharp teeth when the cops deploy their K-9 units. For some after hours fun, we'll see how more than six hundred, 2,000 watt lights can turn night into day inside the Pittsburgh Pirates' new state-of-the-art stadium. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Take a look at the technology shown throughout the six Star Wars films and examine their viability through the eyes of cold hard science. Could a Death Star really be built? Can you build an army of clones? What is 3-D imaging, and where the can you get a Light Saber? Travel to a galaxy far, far away to answer all of these questions and more. TVPG VL | CC

A variety of cosmic events have both helpful and harmful effects on life on Earth. From the beauty of the Aurora Borealis and rainbows to the dangers of UV radiation and cosmic rays, from the miracle of photosynthesis to the thrill of a meteor shower, this episode explores how the effects generated by the sun and other extra-solar sources can literally get under our skin, scramble our technology, make life possible and threaten our existence all at the same time. 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

It's a scenario right out of a science fiction movie. What if in the future the Pentagon -- the world's largest office building -- had to be moved, while operating at full-capacity? That's 3.7 million square feet of office space and nearly a million tons of weight. Could it be done? One Mega Mover theorist lays out his plan for this extraordinary move. Then these same principles are put to the test when two thriving businesses -- a general store and a funeral home -- must be moved with all its contents inside. For the general store, that means moving priceless antiques. For the funeral home, it's keeping caskets and embalming equipment from being destroyed. Will it be celebration or sorrow for the owners? TVPG VL | CC

The Matyiko brothers are a legendary Mega Mover family. Their company Expert House Movers entered the record books when they moved the historic Gem Theatre in Detroit, Schubert Theatre in Minneapolis, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. In this episode the brothers battle time and the elements. In Massachusetts, the clock is ticking to move a 900-ton brick building to its new location. Any delays will cost the veteran house movers thousands of dollars. And in North Carolina, three vacation houses must make a perilous journey across eight miles of open beach to reach their new home. Will the homes arrive safely? Or, will the treacherous waters of the Outer Banks claim yet another victim? TVPG VL | CC

An exploration of Earth's cosmic neighborhood. Looking beyond the borders of our solar system, what's nearby in our galaxy? How do the other objects in our local area influence life on Earth? And, how did Earth's place in the galaxy make it the perfect place for the development of advanced life? 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

These giant mountain-sized boulders from space have wrought death and destruction throughout the millennia but until recently geologists could find no evidence that they had actually struck the earth. Follow the remarkable detective story that begins at Meteor Crater in Arizona as mining engineers desperately try to unearth the billion dollar iron boulder they thought was lying there. It's a detective story that also uncovers immense riches; the world's biggest nickel deposit in Sudbury, Canada, vast oil reserves in the Gulf of Mexico and a gold mine in South Africa--all the result of asteroid impacts. Evidence is also unearthed of violent impacts that decimated some of the first people to live in America. What clues do asteroids, and their smaller cousins, meteorites, hold in the formation of the early Earth and perhaps life itself? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Produced with the cooperation of leading Civil War historian Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump, this 2-hour special is a personal look at two iconic leaders of the Civil War. Surprising details reveal the bold choices and almost godlike power Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee summoned on decisive battlefields like Vicksburg and Gettysburg that, within days of each other, turned the tide of the war. This special features a unique perspective, exploring how these men changed the course of American history. TVPG VL | CC

The existence and location of the Ark of the Covenant has remained one of the most enduring mysteries in archaeology. Professor Tudor Parfitt from London's School of Oriental and African Studies will reveal where he believes the Ark is. Parfitt is well-known for discovering that the Lemba tribe in Zimbabwe is one of the lost tribes of Israel. Follow this global quest-detective as he decodes ancient texts and pieces together clues. Ultimately he builds a picture of what he thinks the Ark looks like and where it is. The journey takes viewers through Israelite wars, Philistine shrines, Solomon's Temple and Africa to the final, critical clue which led Parfitt to its current location. TVPG VL | CC

Six "doughnut-shaped aircraft" were spotted off the coast of Maury Island, WA one week before the reported UFO crash in Roswell, NM. Harold Dahl and his son witnessed the aircraft dancing in unknown form and one spewing white-hot fragments over the water and beach. The falling debris killed Dahl's dog. The military was informed and two Air Force intelligence officers arrived in Tacoma, conducted interviews and collected the remaining wreckage. The officers departed from McCord Field but their plane lost communication and crashed near the town of Kelso. Now our team has located the crash scene and together with an archeologist, will scour the debris field and analyze the evidence. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

In April 1897--50 years before the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico--a mysterious airship crash rocked the small town of Aurora, Texas...or at least, that's how the legend goes! The tale includes the wreckage from the ship, a funeral for the dead "alien" pilot, and thousands of witnesses from across the country. And the Aurora crash allegedly took place five years before the Wright Brothers flew at Kitty Hawk, so whatever was in the air was not manmade. Eyewitness accounts of the crash, mysterious metal found at the site, and the hunt for the only known alien graveyard are all combined into a story that has even the most adamant debunkers baffled. Is this the case that finally proves that UFOs are real? Join us as we separate fact from fiction. TVPG VL | CC

Mass suicides. Human sacrifices. Unholy rituals. Throughout history, people have claimed to have otherworldly knowledge, and have led followers to commit horrific acts of violence. Are they con men? Are they insane? Or might the voices in their heads really be of an extraterrestrial origin? And if so, did they simply misinterpret the messages they received? Or might there be extraterrestrials with a sinister agenda? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

We live in a highly mechanized world in which billions of products are made by machines--but there are some things that can be built only by using an even more sophisticated tool--the human hand. In New Mexico, a pilot who builds his own jet-powered glider takes to the skies--his very life depending on his handiwork. Canoe makers in Montana, and a knife maker in Washington, handcraft items so unique that customers are willing to pay significantly higher prices than if they were machine made. In the farmlands of Central California, craftsmen keep alive the ancient art of weapon making--see their gleaming suits of armor in action, as weekend warriors do battle. Ever wonder how those impressive animal skeletons in museums are constructed? The artists of Skulls International in Oklahoma City share their secrets. And in Hollywood, the Chiodo brothers reveal how handmade special effects have a charm and character that today's computer animators can't duplicate. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Where do machines go when they die? From B-52 Bombers to massive aircraft carriers, from passenger cars to Cold War cruise missiles and remnants of the Twin Towers, all that we manufacture has a lifespan. But reaching the end of their original purposes can be just the beginning. Join us on a fascinating visual journey as we follow some of our greatest achievements in manufacturing, design engineering, and construction to their after-lives and final resting places. TVPG VL | CC

Within our immense universe lies a lesser-known world of tiny particles. From strange ghostly neutrinos that pass right through matter to mysterious objects with names like MACHOs and WIMPs. Find out how this miniature world might hold the key to understanding the cosmos. 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 time to slice and dice! Take a cutting-edge look at the most amazing blades in the world, from the legendary sword of the samurai warrior with an edge sharp enough to sever a man's arm in a single swipe, to industrial shredder blades capable of gobbling anything from a sofa to a fridge, to the precision slicing power of lasers and plasma. 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

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

A constellation is a group of stars that are connected together to form a figure or picture. These star pictures help organize the night sky and provide a useful tool for astronomers even today. Explore some of the 88 official constellations and learn about some of the highlights of each--like the star that's due to go supernova in the constellation Orion. Discover the 13th zodiac sign that no one talks about, and find out why Polaris, the North Star, will one day have to surrender its title. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

An exploration of Earth's cosmic neighborhood. Looking beyond the borders of our solar system, what's nearby in our galaxy? How do the other objects in our local area influence life on Earth? And, how did Earth's place in the galaxy make it the perfect place for the development of advanced life? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

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

From breakthrough technologies to never before seen weapons and defense systems, Secret Access: Superpower is an all-access pass to America's military might, featuring the most modern weapons taking on the age old challenges of terrorism, war, bomb threats, close combat, the deepest missions of sea and death-defying airborne fights. Hosted by actor/director and military enthusiast, Peter Berg, along with Peter Singer, the noted defense expert and NY Times best-selling author, this two-hour special leads viewers down the war path of America's most remarkable munitions of past and present in an exciting and surprise-filled journey behind the scenes of the world's last remaining superpower. TVPG VL | CC

Does Mount Rushmore, one of America's greatest icons of Democracy have a more sinister meaning? Buddy, Mac and Scott travel to Big Sky country to decode the intended message possibly hidden within this great American symbol. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The Declaration of Independence is the founding document of American Democracy. Could it contain hidden messages from our nation's forefathers intended to be discovered years later? Buddy, Mac and Scott travel across America to try and uncover the mysteries behind our nation's most prized document. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

The Book of Revelation: the New Testament s blueprint of doom foretells the coming of the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse, heralding the end of days. These horsemen will usher in four divine judgments that promise to devastate humanity. While skeptics dismiss it as a mere allegory, every Sunday around the Christian world, church pews reverberate with its dark prophecies. With the potential for global pandemic hiding in every unchecked sneeze, worldwide hunger at an all-time high and the specter of World War III hanging over the Middle East, Revelation s followers believe its dark imagery is coming to light in modern times. Believer and prepper Ray Gano sees current events as a confirmation of the Book of Revelation s predictions and is preparing to face the divine fury of God. 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

Centuries ago the prophet Nostradamus had visions of the end of our modern world. Now, scholars decipher his mysterious predictions and learn of terrible tragedies and catastrophic events that threaten to annihilate global populations. Nostradamus has successfully predicted the rise of Hitler, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the detonation of the atomic bomb, and countless other events. Many fear that the remaining unfulfilled prophecies of Nostradamus will manifest before our very eyes. At Radius Engineering in Texas, Walton McCarthy shows state of the art underground shelters to a concerned family and in South Florida, Billy Carson of Fort Terra Nova meets with a prospective client interested in joining an underground shelter community large enough to house over 350 people. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

December 21, 2012: a prophetic date delivered in stone by the ancient Maya. Revered by scientists for their extremely accurate calendars, the Maya are also known for their mysterious ability to predict unsettling events so many are taking the December date seriously. On this date a rare galactic alignment will take place and coincidentally, as the alignment happens, our sun will be entering its most violent solar storm cycle. And, all of this comes at a time when scientists believe Earth s magnetic defense shield, which protects us from dangerous solar radiation, may be compromised. Our planet may become paralyzed. People are heeding the warning and getting prepared, including a group of everyday Americans learning how to fend for themselves and live off the grid. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Everything is bigger in Texas. It's the only state that acts like a country, but has it grown too big for its britches? We'll mess with Texas to settle this ten-gallon rivalry. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

We may be a law-abiding nation but we also admire the outlaw, and the clash between rebels and the rules has shaped our states. Which states like to make their own rules, and which do the heat have on lockdown? TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Americans have a lot of vices and they don't just stay in Vegas. From drugs to gambling, the state you live in may shape how bad you can be. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

It's the glue that holds our map together and feeds America, but the Midwest is more than just state fairs and flyover country. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

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

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

Some of the world's leading physicists believe they have found startling new evidence showing the existence of universes other than our own. One possibility is that the universe is so vast that an exact replica of our Solar System, our planet and ourselves exists many times over. These Doppelganger Universes exist within our own Universe; in what scientist now call "The Multiverse." Today, trailblazing experiments by state of the art particle colliders are looking for evidence of higher dimensions and Parallel Universes. If proof is found, it will change our lives, our minds, our planet, our science and our universe. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Every year, thousands of objects both natural and manmade plummet through our atmosphere and crash into the Earth. These menacing messengers from the sky provide scientists with amazing insights into the natural, and not so natural, phenomena of the cosmos. From space rocks crashing through homes to cosmic boulders triggering mass extinctions to rocket parts landing on front lawns, explore objects that fall from the heavens, such as asteroids, comets, meteor showers and space debris. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Centuries ago the prophet Nostradamus had visions of the end of our modern world. Now, scholars decipher his mysterious predictions and learn of terrible tragedies and catastrophic events that threaten to annihilate global populations. Nostradamus has successfully predicted the rise of Hitler, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the detonation of the atomic bomb, and countless other events. Many fear that the remaining unfulfilled prophecies of Nostradamus will manifest before our very eyes. At Radius Engineering in Texas, Walton McCarthy shows state of the art underground shelters to a concerned family and in South Florida, Billy Carson of Fort Terra Nova meets with a prospective client interested in joining an underground shelter community large enough to house over 350 people. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Mother Nature unleashes a barrage of attacks around the globe. In San Francisco, a powerful earthquake levels bridges, crushing commuters underneath. A rolling avalanche devours climbers in the Himalayas. And in Nebraska, lightning strikes an unlucky storm chaser. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Mother Nature attacks Gulf Coast residents with the worst hurricane in US history. A tornado rips through a hardware store, turning merchandise into lethal weapons. And in Haiti, a monstrous earthquake claims countless victims. TVPG VL | CC Show Site

Apocalyptic dust storms suffocate cities around the globe. A tornado chases a family, nearly crushing them with their truck. A volcano blows its stack almost annihilating the population of the Pacific Northwest. Mother Nature continues to wreak havoc. TVPG VL | CC Show Site