Pathways to Mars

Sixty years ago, Mariner 4 sent back the first images of Mars. It's a trip NASA has made twenty more times since. Robots—probes, landers, rovers, and even helicopters—are searching for signs of life on the Red Planet, and paving the way for us to follow. Our journey to Mars has already begun.

Asteroid Impact

Asteroids. Mountains of rock that hurtle through space, capable of mass destruction. A series of space missions are targeting them. Could these potential planet killers also reveal the origins of life itself? And can humanity protect itself against them?

Engineering Life

Humans are not the strongest. Our senses are nothing special. But our intelligence is letting us wield the power of evolution. Scientists are unlocking the mysteries of the natural world to improve our lives, our health and our future.

Europa Clipper: Mission to an Alien Ocean

Get ready for humanity's first deep dive into an alien ocean world! NASA's Europa Clipper heads to Jupiter's icy moons to explore the ultimate question: Is there life beyond Earth?

Eternal Egypt

This episode of Eternal Egypt introduces us to the Egyptians who live on the banks of the Nile, from Rosetta, where it flows into the Mediterranean, to Abu Simbel, where it leaves Egyptian territory to begin its Sudanese journey.

The Lightbulb Moment

When first presented with the like button (then dubbed “the awesome button”) Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a simple response: “No.” He worried that a quick thumbs up or down would discourage more meaningful online interaction. Eventually, his team changed his mind and transformed the world.

The History of Food

Humans have depended on fire for millennia, but do we fully understand the impact it has had on our diet? When our hunter-gatherer ancestors learned to harness this tool, it ignited a culinary and cerebral revolution believed to be one of the most important factors in our evolution.

Forging the Future

Cyborgs from the movies aren't as far-fetched as we may think. This program features a true-to-life cyborg who, at four months of age, was outfitted with a myoelectric hand. Also see engineers working to give mechanical prosthetics something incredible: the sensation of touch!

Hidden High Tech

Mobility is a concept that humans have pondered over for centuries, if not millennia. But how can we transport more people and freight? How do we make mobility as safe as possible? How do we make it environmentally friendly?

Ticket to the Future - The Evolution of Travel

Industry and globalization have been preoccupied with technologies that allow us to travel faster. However, due to technological advancements, our means of transport have become more and more inefficient, more harmful to the environment. It’s time to revolutionize the way we travel.

Artificial Immortality

Can AI enable us to live forever? Explore the latest advancements in AI, robotics and biotech with visionaries who foresee a new age of “post-biological” life. As scientists point toward a world where humans and machines merge, we have to ask: “Will AI be the best, or the last thing we ever do?”

Antarctica: A Year on Ice

A visually stunning chronicle of what it's like to live in Antarctica for a full year, including winters isolated from the rest of the world.

Reefs of Hope

With new state-of-the-art tools and technologies that include curious underwater vehicles and hydrodynamic modeling, scientists have hope of better understanding the threats to coral communities while finding the source to restock reefs worldwide.

Hidden Japan

The culture of Japan is incredible, from bloom festivals to ultra-modern cities. But there are also more than 130 mammals and 600 bird species dwelling in Japan’s 6,852 islands. This island chain is long enough to span climate zones, providing a huge range of habitat.

Climate Crisis

The real impact of global warming is now being felt in communities around the world. Climate scientists explain what to expect where you live, and what steps might still be taken to reverse the climate crisis.

Roadside Memorials

USA TODAY explores why people create roadside memorials for victims of auto accidents. For those who are left behind, they are solemn reminders of lives tragically cut short.

The Love of Care

Six caregivers in five cities detail the lengths they go to for the ones they love.

In Dry Water

Adama and Adja have a problem. Their country is running out of fish. This documentary shows the human impact of the global overfishing crisis.

Picking Popes: Secrets of the Conclave

Unmask the history of papal conclaves, from the earliest church history through today. Explore how voting for a Pope has changed over time, through political intrigue, Renaissance corruption and modern changes by Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

Nanomedicine Revolution

Scientists are using nanotechnology to develop potent new drugs that could revolutionize how we treat illnesses ranging from cancer to the common cold.

Casey's Wild Backyard

Casey Anderson, wildlife photographer, encounters a mountain lioness on his ranch and discovers she has several young mouths to feed.

Space Probes!

Voyager 1 and 2 are truly the probes that just won’t quit. Launched almost 40 years ago these twin probes continue to stun the world. They've explored all the giant outer planets of our solar system, 48 of their moons, and are now leaving the solar system, on a journey into interstellar space.

Ancient Yellowstone

Microbes found in Yellowstone National Park's thermal pools have structures so ancient that scientists now believe that they could be close to the root in the universal tree of life. These microbes are becoming the models for understanding the biology necessary for life at high temperatures.

#GeorgeWashington

Meet the Father of Our Country in a whole new way as historians analyze George Washington's voluminous correspondence. Setting out his contacts and letters in the modern framework of a Facebook profile gives Washington's busy and productive career a new transparency.

The Man Who Shot Tutankhamun

Photographer Harry Burton’s images of the Tutankhamun excavation created a global sensation in the 1920s and are still studied by Egyptologists today. Explore the spectacular locations where he worked and discover why Burton’s photographs inspired a craze for Egyptian designs.

Beyond the Spotlight

Shaquille O’Neal went from being poor and bullied – and becoming a bully himself – to fame in the NBA. The greatest influence on Shaq’s life was his step-father, who taught him that “true pressure is not knowing where your next meal is coming from.”

Leonardo: The Mystery of the Lost Portrait

Leonardo da Vinci: the most famous, most admired of all painters. Yet, the man himself remains elusive. Old accounts describe someone too handsome, too strong, too perfect to be accurate. Then, a chance discovery takes the art world by storm. Could it be an unknown self-portrait by da Vinci?

Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Arms Dealer

Karl Lee armed the world from the shadows. Hunted by the FBI and linked to Iran’s missile program, he helped shift the balance of power across the Middle East. This gripping investigation reveals how one elusive figure enabled global instability and evaded capture for decades.

CSI On Trial

Based on expert testimony from bloodstain pattern analysts, a jury convicted former state trooper David Camm of killing his family. He was exonerated years later when a shocking new piece of evidence came to light. How did bloodstain pattern analysis get it so wrong? Is it good science?

Crime Inc.

In this episode: the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan; Bonnie & Clyde; Martha Stewart; Cambodia and "The Killing Fields;" and Sophia Loren's jewels, which were stolen from the set of the movie The Millionairess.

The Last Avenger

Part two of the fascinating story behind the ambitious but ill-fated US Navy carrier-based stealth aircraft.

Deadly Twins

To counter WWI German airships, Britain develops a hybrid aircraft by welding the fuselages of two planes together. During WWII both Germany and the Allies would build twin-fuselage aircraft.

Henry V: Leader For The Ages

Six hundred years ago, English King Henry V overcame impossible odds to lead his men to victory over the French on the fields of Agincourt. Shakespeare's Henry V is the ultimate leader -- his words echoed by the likes of JFK and Reagan, Churchill and Obama, Clinton and Bush.

JFK: Fact & Fable

Television made John Kennedy the ultimate celebrity during his presidency. However, the JFK we remember is the one his wife, Jackie, created after his death. From Air Force One to the Oval Office to the Rose Garden, Jackie Kennedy designed the symbols of presidential power still used today.