The History Channel

Who are the beings with big heads and giant eyes that seem to have been visiting our planet for millennia? Known by researchers as the "greys," these mysterious beings have been depicted in rock-art and carved stone figures throughout the ages and all over the world. Who are they, what planet do they come from, and what do they want?

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?

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?

A mysterious, stark terrain, 90 miles north of Las Vegas, goes by many names: The Box, Paradise Ranch, Groom Lake, Watertown Strip, and Dreamland. But most refer to the region as Area 51. Since the late 1950s, an array of UFO sightings has been reported above its skies. In 1989, revelations of Las Vegas resident Bob Lazar brought Area 51 to national attention. Lazar claimed to possess amazing inside information, but he wasn't the first to state that something strange was going on. Those who discount Lazar's theories think the government kept its activities from the general public for a more plausible reason. The base, built at the Cold War's height, housed testing of cutting-edge aviation technology. The cloak of secrecy was to keep the Soviet Union in the dark, not the American public, and experts expostulate that the government perpetuated these theories to disguise its real activities.

What came down in the forest outside the sleepy hamlet of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania on December 9, 1965? Some residents claimed to see an acorn-shaped metal object with strange, hieroglyphic writing on its side, half-buried on the forest floor. Astronomer Von Del Chamberlain wrote that the Kecksburg object was a meteorite. NASA consultant James Oberg theorized that it was a failed Russian probe, but now also thinks it was probably a meteorite. Often called the "Pennsylvania Roswell" in UFO circles, the debate raged until, in late December 2003, NASA finally released 39 pages of material and the Air Force released 2,800 pages on the case from its files. The only thing the government documents conclusively prove is that the object was not a Russian probe. But for UFO enthusiasts and researchers, many questions remain unanswered.

In 1998, a team of paleontologists working on the island of Madagascar uncover the remains of Majungatholus--one of the most terrifying predators of its age. However, several bones are found to hold bite marks from another predator. Modern crime scene investigative methods are used to measure the bite marks, and together with evidence found at another site, the attacker is identified as another Majungatholus; thus uncovering the first authentic case of dinosaur cannibalism. Experts recreate a scenario of what occurred when a male Majungatholus went in search of a mate, but found a non-receptive female who was more interested in protecting her young than mating.

In south central Montana, a group of bird-like predators called Deinonychus are unearthed, altering our view of dinosaurs forever. Scientists are quick to recognize that these creatures, equipped with a deeply recurved sickle-shaped claw, do not fit into the image of a slow-moving, cold-blooded dinosaur. Lying next to the skeletons of these raptors were the remains of a large plant-eating dinosaur called Tenontosaurus. Modern CAT Scanners help scientists get a never-before-seen look into how these animals moved, fought and behaved. Watch as experts recreate what happened when a pack of deadly raptors took on an adversary more than twice their own size.

In his quest to find people with real superpowers, Daniel Browning Smith meets some extraordinary individuals including the man with the strongest neck on earth; a man who claims he's the world's first Cyborg; and a Seattle man whose yo yo skills push the limits of speed and dexterity.

Is building our own starship Enterprise possible? Will we ever travel between the stars as easily as they do in Star Trek? JJ Abrams' new feature, Star Trek Into Darkness, hits the screen in a golden age of scientific discoveries. HISTORY is there, giving viewers a deep look behind the scenes, on the set, and into the science--amazing new exoplanets, the physics of Warp drive, and the ideas behind how we might one day live in a Star Trek Universe.

Rene Richter says he has the strongest teeth on earth, capable of bending coins. But we discover his strength lies in his jaw, which Rene says allows him to lift over 1000lbs. Kirby Roy has spent his life trying to become impervious to pain, using a controversial martial art called Combat Qi, he claims he is able to take strikes of limitless power to the most sensitive parts of the human anatomy. Daniel calls in some of the world's hardest hitters and kickers to put that to the test. Internet videos show college quarterback Alex Tanney performing mind-blowing trick throws. They look impossible, so Daniel wants Alex to prove he's for real. It's rumored Eric Scott is the best jet-pack pilot on earth, and he intends to prove it, by flying over a lake with no safety measures and only 30 seconds of fuel.

The United States was founded by radicals--men and women who fought using guerrilla tactics against the orderly British. Nothing's changed on the edges: America is still the home of radical movements, from the Black Panthers and the Weather Underground to the Militia movement and the Aryan Brotherhood. Every decade of American history has its bombings, terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and threats: sometimes from the left and sometimes from the right. This is the declassified story of the movements, right and left, that make up Radical America.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Informational programming.

Despite the best efforts of the US government, legal and illegal, Fidel Castro still rules in Havana. The target of a protracted and often bizarre series of assassination attempts, he survived them all. Using unique footage from the former East Germany, this program will explore his career and his skill at avoiding death. It will also trace the widely accepted theory that the CIA's failed assassination attempts were what prompted Lee Harvey Oswald to offer his services to the Cuban consulate in Mexico City, and then (when rebuffed) to assassinate John F. Kennedy. Join us as we mine formerly guarded vaults and archives to tell this intriguing story in an unique way.

A mysterious, stark terrain, 90 miles north of Las Vegas, goes by many names: The Box, Paradise Ranch, Groom Lake, Watertown Strip, and Dreamland. But most refer to the region as Area 51. Since the late 1950s, an array of UFO sightings has been reported above its skies. In 1989, revelations of Las Vegas resident Bob Lazar brought Area 51 to national attention. Lazar claimed to possess amazing inside information, but he wasn't the first to state that something strange was going on. Those who discount Lazar's theories think the government kept its activities from the general public for a more plausible reason. The base, built at the Cold War's height, housed testing of cutting-edge aviation technology. The cloak of secrecy was to keep the Soviet Union in the dark, not the American public, and experts expostulate that the government perpetuated these theories to disguise its real activities.

What came down in the forest outside the sleepy hamlet of Kecksburg, Pennsylvania on December 9, 1965? Some residents claimed to see an acorn-shaped metal object with strange, hieroglyphic writing on its side, half-buried on the forest floor. Astronomer Von Del Chamberlain wrote that the Kecksburg object was a meteorite. NASA consultant James Oberg theorized that it was a failed Russian probe, but now also thinks it was probably a meteorite. Often called the "Pennsylvania Roswell" in UFO circles, the debate raged until, in late December 2003, NASA finally released 39 pages of material and the Air Force released 2,800 pages on the case from its files. The only thing the government documents conclusively prove is that the object was not a Russian probe. But for UFO enthusiasts and researchers, many questions remain unanswered.

In 1998, a team of paleontologists working on the island of Madagascar uncover the remains of Majungatholus--one of the most terrifying predators of its age. However, several bones are found to hold bite marks from another predator. Modern crime scene investigative methods are used to measure the bite marks, and together with evidence found at another site, the attacker is identified as another Majungatholus; thus uncovering the first authentic case of dinosaur cannibalism. Experts recreate a scenario of what occurred when a male Majungatholus went in search of a mate, but found a non-receptive female who was more interested in protecting her young than mating.