Runaway Universe presents the dramatic quest to unlock the secrets of the stars as two rival astronomy teams search for exploding stars, map gigantic cosmic patterns of galaxies, and grapple with the ultimate question: what is the fate of the universe? With the use of stunning three-dimensional cosmic simulations captured with revolutionary high-definition technology, NOVA presents the first attempt to explore the riddle of “dark energy”–the mysterious repulsive force that some scientists believe counteracts gravity.
Countries: US
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Death of a Star
Supernovas are as spectacular as they are rare. In early 1987, a giant star exploded in the sky – one of the most violent celestial events since the creation of the universe. Why did this phenomenon fascinate, baffle, and delight astronomers? What causes a star to explode? How will these energy blasts help us understand our universe? Journey to space and around the globe for an astounding look at the true meaning of star power.
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The Stars – Supernovas, the Big Bang, and More
Includes: Death Star; Death Of A Star; Runaway Universe
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Mountain of Ice
In this high-altitude adventure, author Jon Krakauer and world-class mountaineer Conrad Anker lead an expedition to the top of Antarctica’s tallest peak, Vinson Massif. Along the way, their experiences are contrasted with those of Norwegian adventurer Roald Amundsen and British explorer Robert Falcon Scott who in 1911 raced to be the first to reach the South Pole.
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Killer Quake!
Metropolitan Los Angeles is sitting on ground zero. Slicing under the highrises of downtown is a network of potentially deadly faults which could trigger the nation’s most devastating natural disaster. On January 17, 1994 a previously unknown fault convulsed beneath Northridge. It was the most destructive earthquake in modern Los Angeles history. NOVA takes viewers from urban trench sites to the top of the Santa Susanna Mountains, in search of clues to where nature will strike next.
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In the Path of a Killer Volcano
The Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo is about to blow big. Is there enough time to evacuate the hundreds of thousands in its raging path? Stay with the scientists who remain behind- and see some astonishing footage of the world’s largest volcanic eruption in 80 years. Local tribespeople were the first to see the signs. “There was a flash of light from the sky,” said one. “I thought it was my time to die.” The Philippines’ Mount Pinatubo was acting restless- and the volcanologists at Clark Air Force Base were starting to sweat. An angry mountain is highly unpredictable. If they misread its fits and starts, a violent explosion could send pyroclastic flow- hot, dense avalanches- roaring down its sides at 100 miles per hour, burning everyone and everything in its path. But if they ordered an evacuation and nothing happened, these experts could lose their credibility for good. With a typhoon headed in their direction, the stakes are even higher. Torrential rains turn ash and rock into hot mud flows that can bury a town in minutes. Is it time to issue a Level 4 alert- ordering hundreds of thousands to flee their homes? Stay with the courageous scientists who remain behind- and see some astonishing footage as the world’s biggest eruption in 80 years really starts to blow.
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Galileo’s Battle for the Heavens
At a time when heretics were burned alive for dissent, scientist Galileo Galilei risked his life to advance his revolutionary concepts of the universe. British actor Simon Callow (Shakespeare in Love, Four Weddings and a Funeral) brings Galileo to life, humanizing the great thinker’s passion, intelligence, and arrogance while depicting his frustrations with fellow philosophers and scientists, and with Roman Based on Dava Sobel’s best-selling biography Galileo’s Daughter, this two-hour film offers a vivid re-imagining of the incredible achievements that forever changed the way we view our place in the universe. Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral) and noted Galileo authorities shed new light on Galileo’s pioneering telescopic observations, his fateful Inquisition trial for heresy, and life in the seventeenth century.
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Earth Science
This DVD set including Killer Quake, In the Path of a Killer Volcano, Tsunami: Wave that Shook the World, and Everest: The Death Zone.
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Deadly Ascent
Each year, more than 1,000 mountain climbers venture to Denali National Park in Alaska and attempt to reach Mt. McKinley’s summit, the highest point in North America. In an exploration of extreme medical science, NOVA ascends to the top of Denali to try to solve the mystery of high altitude deaths on one of the most dangerous mountains on earth. Deadly Ascent chronicles daring mountain rescues, emergency medical evacuations, and cutting-edge science experiments as a team of researchers, doctors, and mountaineering experts employing the latest NASA technology investigate the lethal diseases attacking climbers all over the world.
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Shackleton’s Voyage of Endurance – DVD
A definitive and spellbinding record of the legendary Antarctic expedition. Trapped in the Antarctic ice over 1,000 miles from civilization, polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 28 brave crewmembers endured nearly 15 harrowing months stranded on the ice pack in a daring and courageous adventure that became the greatest survival story of all time.