Catalog Search Results
21) Port Canaveral
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English
Description
Shot in stunning high-definition, Port Canaveral is the one-of-a-kind large-screen film that plays daily at the Exploration Tower’s state-of-the-art theater at Port Canaveral. The film takes viewers on an exciting journey through the region’s vibrant history. One of the world’s busiest harbors offers a vibrant history, from the stormy seas of the Spanish conquistadors seeking new territory to the beachcombers enjoying legendary surf spots like...
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English
Description
The world underground undergoes devastating changes in a post-apocalyptic world. This documentary examines how man-made and natural caverns will evolve over millennia. Geothermal power plants will buckle under the strain of superheated steam. NORAD, America's former nuclear command center, will come under attack from a leaking reservoir. The Naica Crystal Caves in Mexico will grow giant gypsum crystals, while New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns will fill...
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English
Description
Modern transport and communications resulted in a world that is wealthier, healthier, more mobile, and better informed than ever before. This documentary examines how trade and transportation networks gradually increased our connectivity throughout world history. Roman roads led to economic growth and the spread of Christianity. The Silk Road transported luxury goods from China to the West, but also brought the Black Death to Europe. Spanish conquistadors...
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English
Description
The outbreak of the Black Death in the 14th century decimated populations across Europe, Asia and Africa. This program looks at: the symptoms of the disease, how it was caused and transmitted, and the role poor living conditions and a lack of medical knowledge played in its fast and far reaching spread. Prevailing and sometimes bizarre beliefs about its causes and cures are discussed in this stylized and at times gruesome presentation which is sure...
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English
Description
This program takes a detailed look at the spread of the Black Death in the 14th century. From its theorized origins in Asia, we trace its movement along the famous Silk Road trade route to Europe. This ‘golden age of trade' provided the ideal conditions for the rapid transmission of the disease via caravans and ships, while attempts to escape it only further contributed to its expansion. Excellent maps and graphics will help audiences to follow...
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English
Description
The Black Death was the greatest and most devastating ecological disaster of the middle ages. As well as a high mortality rate, the epidemic affected many aspects of society. This program examines its impact on: religion, feudalism, farming, urban life, the arts, and minorities in Europe; the economic and political consequences of the disease in Asia; and the socio-economic impacts in North Africa and the Middle East. Filled with unique examples,...
27) Violent Planet
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English
Description
Over millions of years, humans have evolved from a puny, vulnerable creature to become a dominant force on the planet. Occasionally the planet strikes back—with consequences that have shaped our evolution. This documentary looks at how humans have adapted to the Ice Age and other climate variations, floods, famine, and volcanoes. It covers the Agricultural Revolution, Black Death, and Oklahoma dust bowl—as well as the drought that contributed...
28) Warriors
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English
Description
Europe’s Dark Age followed the collapse of Rome, but two new forces emerged from the fringes of the old empire. This documentary highlights the rise of Islam, funded by a gold rush in the Arabian Desert, and the Viking civilization, facilitated by longships. Viewers learn about the Cordoba scholarship that advanced scientific and medical knowledge; the Easter Island civilization that produced monumental statues; and the Crusade, during which the...
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English
Description
During the Cold War, the power blocs of the East and West vied to control the vast mineral resources of the former Belgian colony, The Congo. The CIA working with the British, French, and Belgian Secret Services feared that this newly independent African country had fallen under Soviet influence. So the Secret Services funded a rebellion in the mineral-rich province of Katanga-and installed a puppet President, Moishe Tchombe, whose first act was to...
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English
Description
Early hunter-gatherers rubbed two sticks together and created fire. By cooking our food and increasing its nutrition, our brains expanded—making us the most intelligent species on the planet. This documentary highlights human ingenuity in the ongoing search for new energy sources. Charcoal enabled iron production; coal powered the steam engine, driving industrialization and urbanization; whale oil lit 19th century street lamps; oil and the internal...
32) Wrath of God
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English
Description
This documentary looks at how religious structures will fare in a post-apocalyptic world. St. Peter’s Basilica, the Crystal Church in Los Angeles, and the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro will eventually collapse. Unchecked by humans, snakes will become apex predators in North America while Anatolian sheepdogs will continue guarding flocks for generations. The controversial Shroud of Turin will meet a surprising foe, but structural...
33) Revolutions
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English
Description
This video explores some of the major revolutions and revolutionaries of the 20th century, beginning by examining the concept of the term "revolution." It examines the Russian Revolution and the rise of nationalism in such countries as Germany and Italy and looks at the situations and ideologies that led to some of the 20th Century's most significant revolutions. The video reviews the actions and movements led by such people as Gandhi, Hitler, Mussolini,...
34) New Frontiers
Language
English
Description
During the 20th century, humans have built increasingly complex systems, fed billions of people, reshaped the landscape and re-engineered the human body. This documentary explores how hybrid corn enabled population growth while the atomic bomb threatened our destruction. Engineering innovations and hard work completed the Alcan Highway construction against the odds. The first heart transplant in 1967 illustrated our capacity for scientific and medical...
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English
Description
Tools and machines allowed humankind to overcome physical limitations and become the most successful species on Earth. But tools are also transforming what it means to be human. This documentary considers how the needle, wheel, crossbow, gun, printing press, Spinning Jenny, and organ transplants changed the course of human history and advanced civilization.
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English
Description
When a modern-day Viking finds himself in police custody, being questioned over some bizarre recent activities, he tells the officer an almost unbelievable story: that of the famous Viking Erik the Red. Can his fantastic tale really be true, or is this a case of one actor taking his upcoming Viking role too seriously? This is a fun and funny look at Erik the Red's significant contribution to Viking expansion and settlement.