The History Channel

The ruler whose ego was as big as his empire declares himself dictator of Rome for life--turning his allies to enemies in the process.

The life story of Nostradamus unfolds in medieval Europe at the time of the Great Plague and the Inquisition. He lived in an age of superstition and magic and believed that he could foretell the future. For this he was labeled both a prophet and a heretic, and his cryptic journals continue to inspire controversy just as they did in the 16th century. In this 2-hour examination of his life, we visit his birthplace in France and trace his career as doctor, astrologer, father, and seer.

What if I told you that for two thousand years, many of the world's most powerful men have pursued an ancient artifact they believed would bring them unparalleled power? It's the lance that allegedly pierced Jesus' side while he was nailed to the cross. Known as the Spear of Destiny, it passed through the hands of leaders like Napoleon and Adolf Hitler, and today there are a number of shadowy institutions around the world that are still chasing the Spear. Yet the question remains: does the Spear really exist, or has it been lost forever? Decoded pursues the truth about the Spear across two continents, and tries to solve this centuries-old mystery.

This young Roman emperor had a fearsome reputation as a sadist, a murderer...and a raving lunatic.

The ruler whose ego was as big as his empire declares himself dictator of Rome for life--turning his allies to enemies in the process.

A marauding barbarian with a reputation as one of history's monsters, even today Attila's name is a synonym for savagery.

The Roman Emperor Nero, renowned for playing the fiddle whilst Rome burned, was infamous for cruelty, incest and murder.

As a child, Hannibal from Carthage, modern-day Tunisia, was forced by his father to make a blood to destroy the Romans. His reputation as one of history's cruelest generals was earned as he ruthlessly slaughtered women and children along with tens of thousands of his own and enemy soldiers in the pursuit of defeating Rome. While he won several major battles, he curiously gave up before marching into Rome.

The infamous Queen of Egypt, known for her legendary powers of seduction, would stop at nothing, even murdering her entire family, to get her own way. Driven by power and ambition, her life was dominated by a heady cocktail of sex and murder.

The Universe as we know it is condemned to death. Space, matter and even time will one day cease to exist and there's nothing we can do about it. Harsh realities are revealed about the future of our Universe; it may collapse and burn or it might be gripped by a galactic ice age. Either of these scenarios might be a long way off. However, our Universe could suddenly be destroyed by a "random quantum fluctuation", a bubble of destruction that can obliterate the entire cosmos in the blink of an eye. No matter how it ends, life in our Universe is doomed.

Don't try this at home! In this episode, our experts cook up ten ways you could destroy the earth, including: swallowing it with a microscopic black hole; blowing it up with anti-matter; hurling it into the Sun, and switching off gravity. This is a fun way to explore the dangerous physics of the Universe and the properties of the planet we call home.

Could there be a monstrous, undiscovered star orbiting our own Sun? Could it be scattering killer comets throughout our Solar System like clockwork every 26 million years? New scientific surveys are probing the edges of our Solar System--a realm populated by giant worlds and mysterious planetoid--hunting for Nemesis, the Sun's purported evil twin. We may be on the verge of discovering this ultimate death star, suspected of causing every mass extinction in Earth's history. We employ everyday experiences to explain what Nemesis is and why it's been so hard to find. Experts start a wildfire on a dry California hillside, race a NASCAR around an oval track, and juggle fire, all in the effort to present how Nemesis works, and why life on Earth may depend on its discovery.

At this very moment, celestial forces prowl the Universe and threaten man's very existence. They're asteroids and comets--and they've left their imprint on planet Earth, literally. Initially, they helped build planets through violent collisions. During this fiery bombardment period, they may have even seeded Earth with water and the building blocks for life. Since the turbulent formation of the solar system, these space rocks have continued to impact earth. Some have been so violent that they've led to mass extinctions events, including one that wiped out the dinosaur. What's more, radical new theories suggest that asteroid and comet dust harbor deadly viruses that may have triggered some of our worst pandemics. The possibility of future cosmic collisions remains a legitimate threat. Yet, despite their dangers, asteroids and comets may hold vital natural resources, which could actually preserve mankind.

Miracle technology could allow people to transmit their brainwaves and speak to each other mind-to-mind. Scientists are working to create computers that read thoughts to find terrorists, and machines to scan our minds like thumbprints--causing some to wonder if "thought theft" could become the crime of the future.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Is it possible to achieve eternal life? Some believe the first children who will live to the age of 1,000 have already been born. To find out how close humanity is to defeating death, we'll investigate plans to grow replacement body parts in labs, microscopic robots that could wipe out deadly diseases, and the possibility that aging itself can be reversed by taking a page out of one of history's darkest legends.

A marauding barbarian with a reputation as one of history's monsters, even today Attila's name is a synonym for savagery.

The Roman Emperor Nero, renowned for playing the fiddle whilst Rome burned, was infamous for cruelty, incest and murder.

As a child, Hannibal from Carthage, modern-day Tunisia, was forced by his father to make a blood to destroy the Romans. His reputation as one of history's cruelest generals was earned as he ruthlessly slaughtered women and children along with tens of thousands of his own and enemy soldiers in the pursuit of defeating Rome. While he won several major battles, he curiously gave up before marching into Rome.