Life After People
Trash (2:32)
This "Life After People" video clip explores how long it takes for many common trash items to break down and decompose and explains why some trash may last forever.
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Life After People on DVD
Own the Life After People special presentation and entire season 1 & 2 DVD Sets!
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What Will Happen After People?
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Air Force One
Air Force OneVideo Clip (4:06)
Video Clip (4:06)
Air Force one, the most recognized plane in the world, sits empty on the tarmac of Andrews Air Force Base. Watch as the technology that once made this airplane a state of the art fortress actually causes its destruction.
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Alaskan Pipeline
Alaskan PipelineVideo Clip (4:11)
Video Clip (4:11)
The transatlantic pipeline in Alaska carries 380 million gallons of oil at any given moment. Without anyone to maintain it, devastating accidents and spills are inevitable.
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The Burj Kalifa
The Burj KalifaVideo Clip (3:27)
Video Clip (3:27)
When the Burj Kalifa was completed in 2010, it became the world's tallest skyscraper, at over 2,700 feet. In a life after people, however, it won't stand tall for long.
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Capitol Records
Capitol RecordsVideo Clip (3:31)
Video Clip (3:31)
Los Angeles' famous Capitol Records Building houses the most perfectly built acoustics chambers in the world. Even after the building itself collapses, these basement chambers could live on for thousands of years.
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Grand Central Station
Grand Central StationVideo Clip (5:39)
Video Clip (5:39)
New York's iconic Grand Central Station is visited daily by half a million people. Because of the way it was built, it will remain a recognizable New York icon for hundreds of years after man is long gone.
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Grant's Tomb
Grant's TombVideo Clip (5:11)
Video Clip (5:11)
Former Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant was once the most famous man in the world. More than 1 million people attended his mausoleum dedication. The battle against nature's destructive forces, however, is one this great general cannot win.
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Iwo Jima Statue
Iwo Jima StatueVideo Clip (2:15)
Video Clip (2:15)
The Marine Core War Memorial was built to honor those men who fought bravely for their country in the Battle of Iwo Jima as they raised the American flag in victory. How long will the marines continue to hoist Old Glory?
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LAX Theme Building
LAX Theme BuildingVideo Clip (2:52)
Video Clip (2:52)
The LAX Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport was constructed in 1961 to resemble a landing space craft and was built to withstand major earthquakes. What else can this out-of-this-world structure withstand?
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Niagara Falls
Niagara FallsVideo Clip (4:09)
Video Clip (4:09)
Shared by the United States and Canada, Niagara Falls was one of the more visited tourist sites in the world. One of these countries, however, won't be able to claim this site much longer.
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NORAD
NORADVideo Clip (4:58)
Video Clip (4:58)
NORAD, The North American Aerospace Defense Command, was a fortress-like building used during the Cold War to coordinate the nation's response to a nuclear attack. Can anything bring down a complex that was built to withstand a nuclear explosion?
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Palm Springs Tramway
Palm Springs TramwayVideo Clip (2:47)
Video Clip (2:47)
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway stretches a mile from the desert floor to a mountain peak 8,500 feet above sea level. One rusty wire, however, and this magnificent structure could quickly come tumbling down.
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Roman Colosseum
Roman ColosseumVideo Clip (3:19)
Video Clip (3:19)
The Roman Colosseum has stood strong for 2,000 years. Without man there to maintain it, however, it may not remain strong forever.
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St. Peter's Basilica
St. Peter's BasilicaVideo Clip (3:05)
Video Clip (3:05)
One of the largest domed structures in the world, St. Peters Basilica was designed in by Michelangelo and completed in 1626. Structural problems have threatened it for hundreds of years, but were always kept at bay by humans. How long can it stand on its own?
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Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera HouseVideo Clip (3:53)
Video Clip (3:53)
The Sydney Opera House is one of the most iconic buildings in the world because of its magnificent shell-shaped roof. The opera house's roof, unfortunately, could also be the key to its destruction.
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Taipei 101
Taipei 101Video Clip (3:40)
Video Clip (3:40)
Taipei 101 was once the second skyscraper in the world. A 720-ton steel pendulum is suspended between the 92nd and 88th floors by steel cables and keeps the building from swaying to a breaking point in strong winds. Will this keep the building safe for ever?
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The Gherkin Building
The Gherkin BuildingVideo Clip (3:48)
Video Clip (3:48)
The Gherkin Building in London is made up of 745 double layers of glass panels that let in so much natural light that heating and lighting the building costs half as much as a normal office building. Will this marvelous structure pay the ultimate cost in a Life After People?
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The Last Supper
The Last SupperVideo Clip (3:09)
Video Clip (3:09)
Painted by Leonardo DaVinci in the 15th century, the Last Supper has been meticulously maintained through restorations and the installment of an advanced dehumidifying system. Could the last supper be on its last legs?
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The Stahl House
The Stahl HouseVideo Clip (2:22)
Video Clip (2:22)
High in the Hollywood hills, the Stahl house is made entirely of glass and steel. While the steel frames help the house survive unkempt wildfires, they won't outlast mother nature.
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The White House
The White HouseVideo Clip (5:36)
Video Clip (5:36)
The White House has been the home of every U.S. president since John Adams. Without any presidents to house, however, the walls of this iconic building won't be standing for long.
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Wind Turbines
Wind TurbinesVideo Clip (3:36)
Video Clip (3:36)
The wind turbines in Palm Springs, California, will continue powering the city for some time after humans are gone, but the wind that powers them may actually be what also leads to their destruction.
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Death of A Nation
Death of A NationVideo Clip (3:25)
Video Clip (3:25)
America's most valuable symbols of freedom and democracy are no match for Mother Nature.
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Tallest Buildings
Tallest BuildingsVideo Clip (4:02)
Video Clip (4:02)
Natural disasters and weak steel flatten skylines across the globe.
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Sea Vessels
Sea VesselsVideo Clip (3:51)
Video Clip (3:51)
Without humans to maintain them, these ships can only remain afloat for so long.
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American Pastime
American PastimeVideo Clip (3:49)
Video Clip (3:49)
After people disappear, the only things still competing in these American ballparks are bats, vines and buckthorn.
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10,000+ Years After People
10,000+ Years After PeopleVideo Clip (3:32)
Video Clip (3:32)
Watch what happens to a world after people, 10,000 years and beyond.
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Lost Art
Lost ArtVideo Clip (3:43)
Video Clip (3:43)
There's no one left to preserve the worlds artistic masterworks from caving in on themselves...or being eaten alive.
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Shaky Bridges
Shaky BridgesVideo Clip (4:05)
Video Clip (4:05)
Snapping cables send these once vital links of commerce crashing into the frigid waters below.
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Animals
AnimalsVideo Clip (2:11)
Video Clip (2:11)
If humans disappeared tomorrow, what would happen in the animal kingdom? This Life After People video clip looks at the Darwinian battle that would erupt if humans were suddenly removed from the ecosystem.
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Buildings
BuildingsVideo Clip (1:52)
Video Clip (1:52)
This video clip from "Life After People" looks at what would happen to buildings and structures from subway tunnels to the Sears Tower if humans were to suddenly vanish from the planet.
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Trash
TrashVideo Clip (2:32)
Video Clip (2:32)
This "Life After People" video clip explores how long it takes for many common trash items to break down and decompose and explains why some trash may last forever.
