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Journey Through Space

   2013    Science    HD
Journey Through Space gives you an astronaut's eye view of the wonders of the universe, featuring imagery and specially-created animations based upon images from NASA and the European Space Agency and presented here on 720p HD. Your journey begins in Earth orbit and takes you past our moon and neighboring planets, before venturing into deep space for a stunning interstellar tour.

How Big is the Universe

   2012    Science
It is one of the most baffling questions that scientists can ask: how big is the Universe that we live in? Follow the cosmologists who are creating the most ambitious map in history - a map of everything in existence. And it is stranger than anyone had imagined - a Universe without end that stretches far beyond what the eye can ever see. And, if the latest research proves true, our Universe may just be the start of something even bigger. Much bigger.

The Social Struggle

   1995    Nature
Fourth episode examines how plants either share environments harmoniously or compete for dominance within them. Attenborough highlights the 1987 hurricane and the devastation it caused. However, for some species, it was that opportunity for which they had lain dormant for many years. The space left by uprooted trees is soon filled by others who move relatively swiftly towards the light. The oak is one of the strongest and longest-lived, and other, lesser plants nearby must wait until the spring to flourish before the light above is extinguished by leaves. Tropical forests are green throughout the year, so brute force is needed for a successful climb to the top of the canopy: the rattan is an example that has the longest stem of any plant. As its name suggests, the strangler fig 'throttles' its host by growing around it and cutting off essential water and light. Some can take advantage of a fallen tree by setting down roots on the now horizontal trunk and getting nutriment from the surrounding moss and the fungi on the dead bark. The mountain ash (eucalyptus regnans) grows so tall, that regeneration becomes a considerable problem. It is easily flammable, so its solution is to shed its seeds during a forest fire and sacrifice itself. It therefore relies on the periodic near-destruction of its surroundings in order to survive. Attenborough observes that catastrophes such as fire and drought, while initially detrimental to wildlife, eventually allow for deserted habitats to be reborn.
Series: The Private Life of Plants

March to June

   2014    Nature
In this final episode we complete our journey, travelling back from the March equinox to the end of June. Kate Humble is in the Arctic at a place where spring arrives with a bang, whilst Helen Czerski chases a tornado to show how the earth's angle of tilt creates the most extreme weather on earth.
Series: Orbit: Earth Extraordinary Journey

January to March

   2014    Nature
In this second episode we travel from January to the March equinox. Kate Humble gets closer to the Sun than she has ever been before, whilst Helen Czerski visits a place that gets some of the biggest and fastest snowstorms on Earth.
Series: Orbit: Earth Extraordinary Journey

Orbit: Earth Extraordinary Journey July to December

   2012    Nature
Right now, you're hurtling around the Sun at 64,000 miles an hour. In the next year, you'll travel 584 million miles, to end up back where you started. In this spectacular series, presenters Kate Humble and Dr Helen Czerski follow the Earth's voyage around the Sun for one complete orbit, to witness the astonishing consequences this journey has for us all. From seasonal extremes to destructive weather, they travel the world to experience the great events that are shaped by our journey around the Sun." They venture back in time to show how the Earths orbit has changed, and the astounding effect this has had on the planet. For the first time ever, this astonishing series charts the progress of the Earth as it undertakes its incredible annual orbit around the Sun. From stunning space imagery to in-your-face storm chasing, this series showcases the incredible power of our planets epic journey around the Sun. In this first episode they travel from July to the December solstice, experiencing spectacular weather and the largest tides on Earth. To show how the Earth's orbit affects our lives, Helen jumps out of an aeroplane and Kate briefly becomes the fastest driver on Earth.
Series: Orbit: Earth Extraordinary Journey