National Geographic, History channel, BBC, Discovery -Rapidshare links

National Geographic - Jewels of the Caribbean Sea

2008-10-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

National Geographic's hour-long Jewels of the Caribbean Sea is actually much more than a showcase of Mother Nature's collection of precious art treasures. It is also a glimpse into the tireless struggle for life that makes the ocean depths shimmer and glitter so spectacularly.

As wondrously beautiful as they may be, coral reefs are also living factories, vast and nearly timeless. To pass through an undulating wall of thimble jellies and descend a few hundred feet down these fantastically colored cities of the sea is to descend through history. Here at the bottom, amidst both microscopic bacteria and mammoth manta rays, life is hard won. While vibrantly colored Caribbean reef squid participate in a ritualistic visual combat for mating rights, the battles of others aren't as aesthetically pleasing. Only the most wary survive. This is not to say, of course, that life here is entirely an every-man-(or fish)-for-himself affair. See for yourself the bizarre relationship between the pearl fish and the sea cucumber. Or, for a slightly less unmentionable example, take the Goby and the black grouper. What's a nutritious lunch for the tiny fish proves to also be some pleasant attention to the larger one's hygiene. Ultimately though, as above, so below. The Caribbean may be more exotic in many aspects, but where the beauty ultimately lies is in the will to live. --Bob Michaels

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National Geographic: Egypt Secrete of the Pharaoh

2008-10-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Who's buried in Khufu's tomb? Find out in National Geographic's Egypt: Secrets of the Pharaohs, a wide-ranging look at the rituals and relics of one of the first monumental civilizations. Watch as one team of archaeologists braves the arid plains to investigate the construction of the great pyramids. Back in the lab, a group of medical archaeologists try to re-create the ancient Egyptian process of mummification step by step in a macabre sequence that vividly portrays the first steps toward immortality. Finally, venture deep into Pharaoh Khufu's tomb as one of the strangest treasures of all is unearthed: a complete ship destined to carry him through the Land of the Dead. A National Geographic map of the Nile Valley accompanies the video and is both helpful for reference while viewing and a valuable resource in its own right. --Rob Lightner

Product Description
Ancient mysteries revealed at last...Who built the pyramids? What were the secrets of mummification? Which treasures were selected for the afterlife and why? For centuries, Egypt's pharaohs have kept these secrets to themselves...until now. Travel to a land of mystery and marvel as archaeologists investigate how the pyramids were actually built. Follow scientists as they re-create the ancient ritual of mummification and discover how the bodies of the pharaohs were preserved. And be there as cameras reveal the ancient underground vault that houses the mysterious ship of the Pharoah Khufu: his magnificent vessel for eternity.

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National Geographic Dinosaur Hunters

2008-10-03T20:56:00.001-07:00

Found the video tedious - minutes of people digging or riding in vehicles with irrelevant chit chat. My class of 12 year old inner-city 7th graders was bored much of the time. To be fair - the film has a few interesting parts. Felt that the producer had a good 15 minute film idea that he (or she) was forced to stretch. On the other hand ... my kids were kept spell-bound by the "Before the Dinosaurs" BBC series. Can't recommend it highly enough for content and excitement! Get the DVD with sub-titles so the kids can take notes - you can pause the DVDs. (Most of my students don't have English as a first language.) Also, "Walking with Cavemen," another BBC release, is great for human evolution. Some nudity but it didn't bother my 7th graders who saw it towards the end of the school year after we had learned about the human body.

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National Geographic: Astriods Deadly Impact

2008-10-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, Asteroids: Deadly Impact is a story about how the world could end. Underlying its premise we find the pillars of asteroidal impact theory, the scientists Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker. The Shoemakers will go down in the books as codiscoverers of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9, but their story here is of meteorological sleuthing and, quite frankly, the sheer horror of unpredictable planetary collision. An asteroid slightly more than a mile wide would destroy life on Earth in an unforgiving blast of heat and dust. The funny thing is, there wouldn't be much evidence of this other than a crater (to be mistaken later as volcanic) and a strange mineral called coesite. How do they know? The Shoemakers would say the answer is in the fragments long forgotten. In Asteroids, we follow them from airy theory to cold, hard evidence of asteroids and their deadly havoc on Earth. Hauntingly narrated by Robbie Robertson, this tightly written documentary from National Geographic is as heart-stopping as an "earth-crosser" from deep space. --Jamie Friddle

Product Description
Asteroids and comets: Every year, millions of these "stray bullets" streak through the skies, and tons of small meteorites strike our planet! Some 65 million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped off the face of the earth - in what many believe was the aftermath of a massive cosmic collision. Could something like this happen again? Scientists believe that the impact of an asteroid only a mile wide would be globally catastrophic. Join extraordinary geologist Eugene Shoemaker and his wife Carolyn who have remapped the heavens with their discoveries of more than 30 comets and hundreds of asteroids. Now that we know what's out there, how can we defend ourselves? The night sky holds the key to ASTEROIDS: DEADLY IMPACT.

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National Geographic: Sky Monsters

2008-10-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

They lived for 150 million years but, as big a force as pterosaurs were in the history of life, they have largely remained a mystery to scientists. Now, with the help of amazing special effects and engineering, learn about remarkable new discoveries that have shed light on the lives of these creatures. Witness as a team of engineers reconstruct and fly a mechanized pterosaur to illustrate how an animal that large could have ever flown. Journey back in time as National Geographic recreates the prehistoric world of these winged giants through animation and cutting-edge CGI for a glimpse into the life and death of these fascinating creatures.

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National Geographic: Tornado Intercept

2008-10-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

This groundbreaking one-hour event takes you into the whirling devastation of a tornado's heart as cutting-edge science meets over-the-edge filmmaking to capture incredible images of what happens inside one of nature's deadliest phenomena!

Witness the construction and first deployment of the revolutionary Tornado Intercept Vehicle—8,000 pounds of 1/4'' armor plating, bullet-proof windows, state-of-the-art IMAX camera, and a crew of hardcore, thrill-seeking filmmakers.

Plunge into the killing zone of tornadoes capable of generating 300-mph-plus winds as researchers risk life and limb to shoot never-before-seen footage from within these monster storms.

From stunning computer-generated imagery, to riding shotgun in the first vehicle ever to take a camera into a tornado's vortex, it's extreme, adrenaline-driven science, National Geographic style!

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National Geographic Tsunami Killer Wave

2008-10-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

The globe learned on December 26, 2004, that tsunamis can bring
death and devastation to the world's coastlines. The product of
undersea earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, tsunamis can race
across oceans at more than 500 miles an hour, leaving a huge wake
of destruction when they hit shore. Because it is difficult for
scientists to predict how large these massive waves can be,
tsunamis are one of the least understood of nature's forces,
and one of the most dangerous. With insight from some of the
scientific community's foremost researchers, and vivid accounts
from past tsunami survivors, Tsunami: Killer Wave depicts nature
at its most extreme, profiles the efforts being made to curb its
effects, and illustrates the financial, physical and emotional
toll it can leave on its victims.

This movie tells about the origin and creation of killer Tsunami
waves and about the destruction caused by them in the past on
Hawai, Japan and some places of U.S. It tells about the cause of
Tsunami i.e an under sea earthquake due to collision of tactonic
plates and thus displacing a great amount of water that runs to
the shores with superspeeds and causes destructions on coastal
areas. The concept is good and well picturised. The only thing
missing is that it does not have the coverage of latest Tsunami
that hit Sri Lanka, India Etc.

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National Geographic: Tigers of the Snow

2008-09-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Blake's words "Tyger, tyger burning bright" come alive in this lush documentary from National Geographic. Tigers of the Snow spotlights the Siberian Tiger, which once roamed over the wide ranges of northern Asia but now is limited to a tiny region on the Sea of Japan. Footage of their active muscles, their piercing eyes, their regal pelt, all attest to the beauty of a dying breed. Russian and American scientists have banded together to study the 300 remaining not-so-gentle giants in an effort to save them from extinction. You'll see these men and women track tigers from helicopters, brave a mother's fury to tag her young, and strive to breed them in captivity. The effort is Herculean, given the massive logging and rampant poaching which cuts down the population and the tigers' territory, but there is hope that we can educate the next generation to protect these beautiful animals and their environment while there's still time. After all, a planet without tigers would be a much poorer place, and Tigers of the Snow shows exactly what we'd miss. --Rob Lightner

Product Description
Tigers of the Snow presents the beautiful one-hour program on these endangered animals from award-winning wildlife filmmaker Mark Stouffer; plus the bonus never-before-released half-hour program entitled Tiger's Eye; Siberian Tiger facts; an assortment of tiger photographs in the Photo Gallery; a map of the tigers' range in Siberia; a Siberian Tigers interactive trivia quiz; and trailers of other related National Geographic programs.

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