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Lost Horizons: The Big Bang

   2008    Science
Professor Jim Al Khalili from the University of Surrey delves into over 50 years of the BBC science archive to tell the story behind the emergence of one of the greatest theories of modern science, the Big Bang. The remarkable idea that our universe simply began from nothing has not always been accepted with the conviction it is today and, from fiercely disputed leftfield beginnings, took the best part of the 20th century to emerge as the triumphant explanation of how the universe began. Using curious horn-shaped antennas, U-2 spy planes, satellites and particle accelerators, scientists have slowly pieced together the cosmological jigsaw, and this documentary charts the overwhelming evidence for a universe created by a Big Bang.

Magellan Crossing

   2021    History
Ferdinand Magellan and Juan Sebastian Elcano set sail to gain control of the global spice trade, but end up becoming the first expedition to circumnavigate the earth. The yearslong voyage—along with the suffering, the violence and the loss of life and property—were all in pursuit of a shorter route to the so-called Spice Islands (now the Maluku Islands) and their much-coveted aromatics.
The film puts in perspective the 16th century—the Age of Exploration, the Age of Discovery and the Age, problematically, of Colonialism. It also was an age of heroes. As the documentary insists, the journeys undertaken by the men whose names we learned in grade school and whose exploits straddled the 1400s and 1500s—including Ponce de Leon, Vasco da Gama, Lope de Aguirre and even Columbus—were about money, sometimes trade, sometimes plunder. But just as advances in medicine have often been propelled by war, knowledge about the world has been a byproduct of profit-seeking. Likewise, heroism.

Matter of Principal

   2023    Culture
The first outing of the Miami Grand Prix is starting, and Ferrari looks to continue their successful streak starting from Bahrain and Australia into Miami. Ferrari's two drivers Charles Leclerc - who is leading the Drivers' Championship coming into the race - and Carlos Sainz Jr. lock out the first two rows of the grid. In the race, Verstappen immediately takes second from Sainz, and would take the lead by the ninth lap. Soon, McLaren's Lando Norris makes contact with Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri, bringing out the safety car. Leclerc's old tires soon give him a disadvantage, which Verstappen exploits in his first victory in Miami. Leclerc finishes second ahead of his teammate.
As the season continues, Ferrari continues to make errors that end up costing their drivers the win; in Monaco, Leclerc leads the race as Sainz is brought in - but Leclerc, having been told to come in too, follows Sainz into the pits - only being told to stay out after he had already came in for his stop - handing Red Bull's Sergio Pérez the victory as Leclerc finishes fourth; in Baku, both Ferraris - Leclerc leading - retire due to mechanical failure with Verstappen winning; and in Canada, both Ferraris stay out again and are inconvenienced by their old rubber, handing Verstappen the win once again.
At a rainy Silverstone qualification, Sainz scores his first pole position in his career, and Leclerc, having spun earlier in quali, takes third. The race starts with a big crash for Zhou Guanyu, red-flagging the race. The race starts with Sainz, having retained his grid position, getting a good start; by lap ten, Sainz continues to control the field, but makes an error, allowing Verstappen to take the lead. However, the Red Bull driver reports a puncture and pits, allowing Sainz to take the lead again with Leclerc behind. Soon, the Ferrari pit wall tells Sainz to give the position to Leclerc as Esteban Ocon retires due to mechanical issues, bringing out a safety car. As Leclerc is told to stay out on his old tires, Sainz is brought in for fresh rubber. The race restarts and Sainz overtakes his struggling teammate for first, going on to win his first race in his career. Mattia Binotto, acknowledging the strategical errors made throughout the season thus far, resolves to fix them in the following races.
Series: Formula 1 Season 5

Meat-Eaters

   1998    Nature
This episode examines those birds whose sustenance comes from flesh and their methods of hunting. In New Zealand, Sir Attenborough observes Keas, parrots that do not eat meat exclusively, raiding a shearwater's burrow for a chick. However, it is the dedicated birds of prey, such as owls, buzzards, eagles, falcons and vultures, to which much of the programme is devoted. In order to spot and pursue their victims, senses of sight and hearing are very acute. Vultures are the exception, in that they eat what others have left, and once a carcass is found, so many birds descend on it that the carrion seems submerged beneath them. The Turkey Vulture is an anomaly within its group, as it also has a keen sense of smell. Eagles defend their territory vigorously, and a pair of sea eagles are shown engaging in an aerial battle. The Galápagos Hawk hunts Marine Iguanas, but can only do so when its quarry is vulnerable, during the breeding season. The African Harrier Hawk has adapted to extracting burrowing animals by virtue of an especially long, double-jointed pair of legs. By contrast, a shrike is not equipped with the requisite sharp beak and talons needed for butchery, and so dismembers its kill by impaling it on the thorns of acacias. The Lammergeier eats bones, and will drop them on to rocks from a great height in order to break them down to a digestible size. Also featured are the Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Goshawk and Peregrine Falcon.
Series: The Life of Birds

Natural History Museum Alive

   2013    Science
In this ground-breaking film, Sir David Attenborough takes us on a journey through the world-famous Natural History Museum in London in a captivating tale of discovery, adventure, and magic, where state-of-the-art CGI, science, and research combine to bring the museum's now long-extinct inhabitants to life to discover how these animals once roamed the planet. As the doors are locked and night falls, Attenborough stays behind and meets some of the most fascinating extinct creatures which come alive in front of his eyes; dinosaurs, ice age beasts, and giant reptiles.
The film fulfils a lifelong dream of him, who said: 'I have been coming to the Natural History Museum since I was a boy. It's one of the great places to come to learn about natural history. In this film we have the technology to bring back to life some of the most romantic and extraordinary extinct creatures that can be conceived; some are relatively recent animals like the dodo, others older like the dinosaurs, and some we only know through fossil evidence. Using our current scientific knowledge, this film brings these creatures alive, allowing me to look at some of the biggest questions surrounding them.'

Nature Weirdest

   2023    Nature
We love nature and all its glorious diversity. Some creatures we admire for their deadly beauty, others because they are cute, but for some it's hard to figure out exactly why we like them so much, perhaps it's a quirk. How do you decide nature's weirdest animal? Is it the sloth that hangs upside down and moves so slowly that moss grows in its fur? Is it a sea pen that sits rooted to the seabed in endless darkness and emitting its own glow? Could it be carnivorous snails that leave the ocean to digest dead creatures on the beach, finches that drink blood, or the tarantula that keeps a frog as it's pet. But with nature's endless variety, which is the weirdest? We can't decide. Can you?
Secrets of the Octopus

Secrets of the Octopus

2024  Nature
Love On The Spectrum

Love On The Spectrum

2019  Culture
Natural World

Natural World

2009  Nature
Reel Rock

Reel Rock

2014  Culture
Conquest of the Skies

Conquest of the Skies

2015  Nature
Cosmos

Cosmos

1980  Science
Planet Earth III

Planet Earth III

2023  Nature