Ants - Nature’s Secret Power

In this documentary we will be transported into the world of ants through the eyes of Bert Hoelldobler, a world authority on these amazing animals. What animal has achieved immortality? What animal is the most warlike? What animal has the greatest supercity on the planet? Not man but ants. They are the real success story. It is only their tiny size and our vanity that allows us to hold onto the myth of our supremacy. Ants rule the planet. They are found in more habitats from far northern Finland to the sweltering tropics. The largest colony known of these insects is in Japan, where 306 million ants, with 1 million queens, in 45,000 colonies spread over 270 hectares. The fiercest warriors on earth are the slave maker ants. Other ants have barracks and sentry posts to protect themselves against surprise attack.

Related Links:
Lord of the Ants
Understanding Ants

Around the World in 90 Minutes

At midnight, travel to the tiny country of Monaco and watch residents riding on a gondola on a beautiful summer night. By 12:05 a.m. you are transported to Canada to watch a gaggle of geese forage for food on a grassy knoll. Seem impossible? Not when the photographs are provided by the International Space Station as it orbits the Earth. Around The World in 90 Minutes tells the spectacular story of what happens around the globe during one 90-minute voyage through a series of high definition images broadcast from thousands of miles away.

Related Links:
Planet Earth
Human Planet

Inside the Milky Way (National Geographic)

Inside the Milky Way is a National Geographic documentary which takes us on a journey across 100,000 light-years to witness key moments in the history of the Milky Way. Using cutting-edge science, the film constructs a 3-D state-of-the-art CGI model of our galaxy. We can gaze into the heart of the Milky Way on the hunt for super-massive black holes and witness as stars are born and die. We can fly out and above the plane of our galaxy to understand its true shape and scour its dusty spiral arms for the possibility of life.

Related Links:
Journey to the Edge of the Universe
Hunting the Edge of Space

The Hunt for the Higgs (BBC Horizon)

The Hunt for the Higgs is a BBC Horizon documentary presented by Jim Al-Khalili, revealing how CERN is searching for the Higgs particle and why it is so significant. The film goes behind the scenes at CERN to follow one of the most epic and expensive scientific quests of all time: the search for the Higgs particle, believed to give mass to everything in our universe. However, the hunt for Higgs is part of a much grander search for how the universe works. It promises to help answer questions like why we exist and is a vital part of a Grand Unified Theory of nature. At the heart of the pursuit of the elusive particle is the same feature that makes snowflakes beautiful and human faces attractive: the simple and enchanting idea of symmetry.

Related Links
The Higgs Boson Explained
Particle Physics: Basic Concepts

Natural World: Himalayas

This is a BBC nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough, looking at the wildlife of the most stunning mountain range in the world, home to snow leopards, Himalayan wolves and Tibetan bears. Snow leopards stalk their prey among the highest peaks. Concealed by snowfall, the chase is watched by golden eagles circling above. On the harsh plains of the Tibetan plateau live extraordinary bears and square-faced foxes hunting small rodents to survive. In the alpine forests, dancing pheasants have even influenced rival border guards in their ritualistic displays. Valleys carved by glacial waters lead to hillsides covered by paddy fields containing the lifeline to the East, rice. In this world of extremes, the Himalayas reveal not only snow-capped mountains and fascinating animals but also a vital lifeline for humanity.

Related Links
Walking the Himalayas

The Satellite Story (2007 BBC documentary)

The Satellite Story is a 2007 BBC documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first satellite, Sputnik, which launched the space age in 1957. Spy satellites and GPS (global positioning system) have transformed the military. Communications have been revolutionised, with Telstar, the first commercially-launch satellite, even becoming an international celebrity. Satellites have revolutionised our understanding of our climate, saving countless lives. The film explores the technological milestones that have made all this possible but ends with a warning. Our civilisation is now dependent on satellites, making us vulnerable were something to go wrong. Recent events in China have revealed just how vulnerable we might be, for they suggest we might be on the verge of another new age - of satellite terrorism.

Related Links:
Space Race
How to Build a Satellite

Beautiful Equations (BBC documentary)

Artist and writer Matt Collings takes the plunge into an alien world of equations. He asks top scientists to help him understand five of the most famous equations in science, talks to Stephen Hawking about his equation for black holes and comes face to face with a particle of anti-matter. Along the way he discovers why Newton was right about those falling apples and how to make sense of E=mc2. As he gets to grips with these equations he wonders whether the concept of artistic beauty has any relevance to the world of physics.

Related Links:
The Code (BBC Documentary)
The Beauty of Diagrams

Amazing Earth (1998 Film)

Amazing Earth is a 1998 documentary narrated by Patrick Stewart, showcasing the most catastrophic events that alter the planet’s appearance in its 4.6 billion year history. From the heights of Mount Everest, through the molten lava fields of Hawaii, to the very core of our planet, Amazing Earth shows the geologic forces that have changed the face of our world and will ultimately change its face again. With state-of-the-art effects and the latest scientific information, the film tells the story of striking meteorites, gigantic eruptions, the movement of continents and an unending string of geologic events that have shaped the face of the Earth.

Related Links:
Earth Story
How the Earth Was Made

Nice Guys Finish First (Richard Dawkins, 1987)

Nice Guys Finish First is a BBC Horizon documentary presented by Richard Dawkins. It discusses selfishness and cooperation, arguing that evolution often favors co-operative behaviour, and focusing especially on the tit for tat strategy of the prisoner's dilemma game.

Related Links:
The Genius of Charles Darwin

The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela

As Nelson Mandela prepares to step down as president of South Africa, FRONTLINE presents a deeply personal biography of one of the great figures of the 20th century. "The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela" tells the story of the man behind the myth, probing Mandela's character, leadership and life's method through intimate recollections with friends, political allies, adversaries, and his fellow prisoners and jailers on Robben Island where Mandela spent 18 of his 27 prison years.

Related Links
Nelson Mandela, A Biography