Discover how the big, bold ideas of Silicon Valley are helping launch a new era of private space exploration in this half-hour KQED Science documentary. From space tourism to mining the moon to companies ferrying NASA astronauts into space, a new wave of commercialization is shaking up the $300-billion global space industry. Meet a new generation of entrepreneurs, sprung from the high-tech culture of Silicon Valley, who are venturing into the new "wild west" of space exploration in search of their space gold. But are there new risks when space is no longer the exclusive domain of big governments?
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Blue Peter presenters Helen Skelton and Barney Harwood want to learn more about the solar system so they challenge scientists Helen Czerski and Jem Stansfield to find out more. They look at how to make telescopes and rockets, and use a toilet roll to measure the distances between planets.
Documentary telling the story of silicon chip inventor Robert Noyce, godfather of today's digital world. Re-living the heady days of Silicon Valley's seminal start-ups, the film tells how Noyce also founded Intel, the company responsible for more than 80 per cent of the microprocessors in personal computers.
This film consists of three parts. The first dramatizes the life of the founder of Soviet astronautics, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky; the second describes the development of rocket technology; and the third visualizes the future with enactments of the first manned spaceflight, spacewalk, space station construction and humans on the moon.
Archival material from the original NASA film footage – much of it seen for the first time – plus interviews with the surviving astronauts, including Jim Lovell, Dave Scott, John Young, Gene Cernan, Mike Collins, Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, Charlie Duke and Harrison Schmitt.
For almost a century and a half, Her Majesty's Ship Breadalbane lay wrecked and forgotten under the Arctic ice. In the spring of 1983, noted undersea explorer Dr. Joseph MacInnis led a team of twenty men on one of the most difficult, dangerous and unforgettable undersea adventures of the century--to put a diver on board the sunken vessel and recover some artifacts. This film, introduced by H.R.H. Prince Charles, provides a stunning visual account of this historic expedition.
Over the centuries, explorers traded tales of a lost civilization amid the dense Amazonian rainforest. Scientists dismissed the legends as exaggerations, believing that the rainforest could not sustain such a huge population—until now. A new generation of explorers armed with 21st-century technology has uncovered remarkable evidence that could reinvent our understanding of the Amazon and the indigenous peoples who lived there. Using CGI and dramatic re-creations, National Geographic re-imagines the banks of the Amazon 500 years ago, teeming with inhabitants living in the Lost Cities of the Amazon.
Igor D'India's epic journey down the Yukon River, across Canada & Alaska. 16000 km hitch-hiking and nearly 2000 km solo paddling with an "old-fashioned" approach to adventure. Without any assistance, radio, GPS or phone, just some solar panels to re-charge his audio/video equipment. In 1965 well known mountaineer Walter Bonatti, accomplished a solo expedition by canoe down the Yukon.
Computer-generated imagery and other visualization techniques reveal how it would look if all the water was removed from RMS Titanic's final resting place.
In this immersive documentary, Winston Stairs invites the audience on a soul-soothing expedition into the world of hiking. Winston’s adventurous spirit guides the viewer through the forests of Ontario, sharing in the enchanting beauty of nature. Through breathtaking landscapes and personal reflections, the film captures Winston's profound love for hiking as more than a mere pastime—it becomes a transformative experience that welcomes self-discovery and a strong relationship with our environment. Join Winston on this inspirational trek, where every step reflects the joys of exploring and the tranquil side of our planet.
Deep sea: 1000m below the surface no light, immense pressure and icy temperatures. The deep sea encompasses more than 90% of the planets habitat. Yet we know less about these depths than about the moon. This film documents the technical, scientific, and ecological challenges of deep sea researchers. Scientists work worldwide together to collect data on the physical state of the upper ocean. With more than 3000 autonomous floats they monitor the oceans for influences on weather systems like El Nino or the monsoon. Does it affect global climate change? Does the deep sea offer solutions for the CO2 issue? Researchers in the Okinawa Trough are trying to find out. The sea floor harbors enormous amounts of resources: oil, natural gas, methane. Scientists work hard to try and locate these materials. Millions of deep sea dwellers are waiting for their discovery. The Census of Marine Life is trying to catalogue these bizarre ocean creatures before they disappear.
Andrzej Bargiel and Jędrek Baranowski roam through Karakoram to create history. This movie is a journey full of passion and love for big mountain skiing told by two friends across 6,000m of descent.
A modern team of explorers venture to the legendary "Lost World"- the remote jungle plateau of Roraima in Venezuela. Cut off from time and the jungle below, feared by natives because of "evil spirits", flying reptiles and other beasts, Roraima has sparked human imagination since the time of the 19th century explorers. Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based his book "The Lost World" (1912) about men and dinosaurs on the tales from early explorers to this plateau. This was the inspiration for Jurassic Park. The modern expedition team encounters the animals, people and extreme habitat on its route across the Gran Sabana and up the 9000 ft. mountain. Once there they explore a new cave system, that may well contain new forms of life.
American high school students from the privileged Silicon Valley travel to Manang, Nepal in this documentary about how travel and life experiences can change personal perceptions. Together with a group of Manangi high schoolers, the students expand their cultural knowledge and experience a slice of life as a citizen of the globe.
Using original footage and interviews, this documentary tells the nail-biting story of Apollo 13 and the struggle to bring its astronauts safely home.
Did the Peruvians cross the sea? The filming of a Norwegian archaeological expedition to the Galapagos islands in 1952, lead by Thor Heyerdahl. A continuation of the Kon-Tiki expedition.
Deep in the jungle of Central Vietnam, lies a magnificent underground kingdom. Hang Son Doong which translates as “mountain river cave”, is the largest cave passage in the world and a place of spectacular beauty. With more people having climbed Everest than visited Son Doong, its pristine charm has remained undisturbed for millions of years. In 2014, Son Doong’s future was thrown into doubt when plans were announced to build a cable car into the cave. With many arguing that this would destroy its delicate eco-system and the local community divided over the benefits this development would bring, the film follows those caught up in the unfolding events. Beautifully shot and scored, “A Crack In The Mountain” is a powerful exposé about how both good and bad intentions can ultimately lead to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders being trampled for money. As well as inspire those who care about our natural heritage to fight to protect it.
A riveting story of polar exploration that investigates the motivation, psychology, science, and physical endurance that have characterized the historic heroes who have explored the frozen continent of Antarctica over the last 200 years.