Superscience

Examining Earth's complex atmosphere. Included: how it is necessary for life on the surface; a man who braved its dangerous upper reaches and survived.

On a single day on a single street, with the DNA of just a couple of hundred random people, National Geographic Channel sets out to trace the ancestral footsteps of all humanity. Narrated by Kevin Bacon, The Human Family Tree travels to one of the most diverse corners of the world -- Queens, N.Y. -- to demonstrate how we all share common ancestors who embarked on very different journeys. Regardless of race, nationality or religion, all of us can trace our ancient origin back to the cradle of humanity, East Africa. What did our collective journey look like, and where did it take your specific ancestors? At what point in our past did we first cross paths with the supposed strangers living in our neighborhood? Now, in The Human Family Tree, the people of this quintessential American melting pot find out that their connections go much deeper than a common ZIP code.

National Geographic Naked Science presents "Super Volcano", the inside documentary of what might happen if the Yellowstone Caldera were to erupt one day. This documentary includes a Yellowstone timeline of past eruptions, how Yellowstone would affect the world, and what impact will it be for the U.S.

For 400 million years, sharks have dominated the Earth's oceans. They have survived 5 planetary mass extinctions to become the top predators of the sea, honed to an evolutionary perfection. But what shark species is the most deadly? And where in the world is it least safe to venture in to the water? Naked Science travelled across the world from Australia to California to find out.

Mysteries surrounding the Rocky Mountains are discussed. Included: recent theories on their formation and how the rate of growth of the American Rockies compares to that of their Canadian counterpart.

The hardest known substance on Earth is known for its value and beauty. Scientists believe diamonds could also hold incredible possibilities for the future. Their incredible durability and their unique properties could revolutionize everything from computer chips to space explorations. All diamonds, however, contain minor flaws. What science must do is create a perfect "super diamond".

Astronomers continue to study black holes to understand what role they play in the universe. Scientists understand that their incredible pull can swallow nearby stars and entire galaxies and that they warp time and space. Investigators use the equations of Einstein and theories of Hawking to figure out what the inside of a black hole looks like and what time, place, or dimension lies on the other side. AKA Monster of the Milky Way AKA Cosmic Monsters

Travel back in time to look at three of the largest mass extinctions that have decimated life on the planet. What caused these wipeouts?

Each year, the moon moves an inch and one half farther away from Earth and is gaining momentum. The gravity it exerts on our planet acts as a stabilization mechinism, allowing for a consistent range of temperatures, seasons and days. If the moon moves just ten percent farther, it will cause unbelievable disaster for our planet, as Earth tips up to 90 degrees on its axis.

From Hawaii's volcanoes to Greenland's glaciers to meteorites in Australia, teams of international scientists race to solve the mystery of how life first formed on Earth.

Engineers wondered if a plane that operated solely on solar power could be built. Their efforts over a decade result in the Solar Impulse HB-SIA, the plane that triumphantly takes to the air. Making a 26-hour nonstop day-night-day flight climaxes the success of the Solar Impulse.

Over a century ago, sponge divers recovered an extremely complex mechanical device from a shipwreck. It was decades before they determined it's purpose, to accurately track the movement of the stars in the night sky. Dubbed the Antikythera mechanism (for the location of the shipwreck from which it came), the device is considered the world's first computer, developed by the Greeks around the 1st century B.C. Scientists continue to marvel at its intricate system of gears which rival that of the most complex Swiss watch.

The centuries-old Voynich manuscript has remained an enigma. Filled with bizarre drawings and written in a language that even the best cryptographers cannot decipher, the tome has remained a puzzling mystery. The efforts to decode the book and determine its unknown author continue.