Sunday, August 31, 2014

Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure




Today on Far Future Horizons we explore the frigid wastes of Antarctica with Sir Ernest Shackleton and the intrepid crew of Endurance.

Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure is a documentary film that tells the extraordinary true story of polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton’s now-legendary 1914-1916 British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. While never accomplishing its goal of the first crossing of the Antarctic continent, this expedition has become a larger-than-life testament to heroism and human endurance, with all 28 men surviving nearly two years in the barren, frigid Antarctic when their ship, Endurance, was caught in pack ice and eventually crushed.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Einstein and the Annus Mirabilis of 1905





“I am sending you some papers which may be of interest,” wrote a young patent clerk named Albert Einstein to a friend in 1905.

The year 1905 will always be remembered as the “Annus Mirabilis” in the annuals of Physics.


It was the year where a series of events would catapult a young Swiss patent clerk named Albert Einstein onto the world stage as the twentieth century’s greatest physicist fourteen years later.

In one miraculous  year, Einstein published four papers that were to substantially alter our views regarding the fundamental nature of space, time, and matter and lay the foundations of modern physics.


Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Universe - Time Travel





Today on Far Future Horizons we present another episode of the acclaimed documentary series “The Universe”. This instalment of the series looks at the possibility of time travel and how it could one day become a reality.


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

The 100 Greatest Discoveries in Astronomy



For most of human history, the only light we knew came from the sky. By day, the sun. By night, an uncountable number of stars. From the beginning, our ancestors believed that the sun and the stars were heavenly, out of this world and they were right. 




Monday, August 25, 2014

Garbage Island

Great Pacific Garbage Patch



Today Far Future Horizons we present a documentary concerning the negative impact humanity is having on the world’s oceans. Nothing symbolizes the degradation of the Aquatica’s health and vitality than the growing malignant tumour know as - Garbage Island.

Located between the continents of North America and Asia, lies an island the size of Texas. This island is made up completely of human garbage: a sludge of plastic, metal, and decapitated Barbie dolls – and the island is growing. First predicted in the late 1980′s, “Garbage Island” has become a reality. An area of the Pacific Ocean has become so choked with floating garbage that ice breaker ships are often needed to travel through the area. As the human population continues to grow and expend more and more of the Earth’s resources, so too grows Garbage Island. VICE has created a fantastic documentary about the dirtiest island in history – and perhaps humanity’s legacy?

Garbage Island or as it better known, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is located within the North Pacific Gyre, one of the five major oceanic gyres.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Super Comet: After the Impact


Today on Far Future Horizons we present the two hour docudrama ‘Super Comet: After the Impact’.

This documentary essentially transfers the events of the Cretaceous Extinction Level Event (E.L.E), that occurred sixty-five million years ago and lead to the demise of the dinosaurs, to the twenty first century.



'Super Comet' recreates the fatal disaster that wiped the dinosaurs off the face off the Earth, only it's not the dinosaurs that are living on planet Earth - it's us.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

The Universe - Life and Death of a Star



Today on Far Future Horizons we present another exciting episode from season one of the acclaimed documentary series – The Universe, and revisit the whole topic of stellar evolution and our cosmic legacy.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Dr. Sarah Parcak - How I Became a Space Archaeologist


"Buried cities are beneath our feet; the ground on which we tread is the pavement of a tomb." ~ Winwood ReadeThe Martyrdom of Man (1872)


Today on Far Future Horizons we join the search for – the Lost Cities of Egypt. According to archaeologists ninety nine percent of the magnificent wonders of Ancient Egypt have yet to be discovered.

But now, thanks to the pioneering work of Dr Sarah Parcak, that is about to change.


The first video feature for today is a TED talk presented Dr. Sarah Parcak which describes her own twist of fate and how she became a Space Archaeologist. And, our second video feature is an episode of the acclaimed Discovery Channel documentary series Curiosity: Egypt: What Lies Beneath? ; hosted by veteran actor Brendan Fraser.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The History Channel's – Einstein


Today on Far Future Horizons we present a recent documentary that appeared on the History Channel concerning Albert Einstein.

It presents the extraordinary and remarkable story of Albert Einstein and his decades long battle to prove his  General theory of Relativity amid the violence of the First World War and the tumultuous events of his personal life.


In 1907, Einstein challenged two centuries of scientific belief and Sir Isaac Newton with a mind-boggling theory: Gravity is not pulling you down. Instead, massive bodies like the Sun and the Earth are bending space and time around you, pushing you down. He then had to prove his theory to unconvinced scientists. He figured that light from a distant star, as it passes right next to the sun and the sun’s gravitational field, will be bent. And the only way to see that would be to photograph a total solar eclipse.


Monday, August 18, 2014

Solar Storm




If an asteroid big enough to knock modern civilization back to the 18th century appeared out of deep space and buzzed the Earth-Moon system, the near-miss would be instant worldwide headline news.


On July 22nd, 2014 Earth experienced a close shave just as perilous, but most newspapers didn't mention it. The "impactor" was an extreme solar storm, the most powerful in as much as 150+ years. "If it had hit, we would still be picking up the pieces," says Daniel Baker of the University of Colorado.

Today on Far Future Horizons we again explore the dangers posed by a sudden devastating electromagnetic pulse (EMP) emanating from the Sun with the acclaimed documentary series Naked Science – Solar Storm.





More than one hundred and fifty years ago a solar storm fried telegraph lines across the world during a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) widely known to astronomers as the Carrington Event.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Without Warning




Today on Far Future Horizons it gives us great pleasure to present the TV Motion Picture – Without Warning which first aired on October 30th, 1994, the 56th anniversary of Orson Welles infamous "War of the Worlds" broadcast.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Snowball Earth



Today on Far Future Horizons we present a BBC Horizon documentary concerning the Snowball Earth Hypothesis.

The Snowball Earth hypothesis puts forth the incredible proposition that the Earth's surface became entirely or nearly entirely frozen at least once, some time earlier than 650 million years ago. The Snowball Earth scenario envisions the Paleo-Earth’s temperatures plummeting  as a result of runaway glaciation. 


Friday, August 15, 2014

Uncertain Principles - The Triumph of Quantum Physics



Today on Far Future Horizons we present for your viewing pleasure the BBC documentary “Uncertain Principles” which explorers the historical development of Quantum Mechanics as a new field in physics. Quantum physics led to a major paradigm shift regarding the nature of reality and the Cosmos in which we live.

This documentary explores the emergence of Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle in the early 20th century, and how its implications shook up the scientific establishment of the day.



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Here Comes the Sun -The Solar Energy Revolution




"Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right" ~ by
George Harrison from The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road.

Today on Far Future Horizons we investigate a nascent revolution that has the potential to alter the course of human history in the same manner that the introduction of agriculture led to the birth of human civilization.




Monday, August 11, 2014

The Dam Busters Declassified

THE DAMBUSTERS  (617 Squadron)


Today on Far Future Horizons we present the story of a major top secret operation conducted in 1943 during the Second World War and after which the names of the men of Royal Air Force Squadron No. 617 would be written into history and legend as the - "Dambusters".


For your viewing pleasure we present the documentary Dambusters Declassified presented by veteran actor Martin Shaw, known for his roles in the television series The Professionals, The Chief, Judge John Deed and Inspector George Gently.




Saturday, August 9, 2014

Prophets of Science Fiction ~ Philip K. Dick




Today on Far Future Horizons we present, with great pleasure, another exciting episode of the acclaimed documentary series the Prophets of Science Fiction which focuses on the life and work of Philip K. Dick.

Literary genius, celebrated visionary, paranoid outcast: writer Philip K. Dick lived a life of ever-shifting realities straight from the pages of his mind-bending sci-fi stories. Dick's iconoclastic work fuels blockbuster films like Minority Report and Blade Runner, and inspires ground breaking research in physics, robotics—even law enforcement.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Prophets of Science Fiction ~ Robert Heinlein



Today on Far Future Horizons we present another instalment of the acclaimed documentary series the Prophets of Science Fiction which focuses on the life and work of Robert Heinlein.

Prophets of Science Fiction is hosted by Executive Producer Ridley Scott.


Thursday, August 7, 2014

Finding Life Beyond Earth






Join us today on Far Future Horizons as we embark on a spectacular journey to the distant reaches of our solar system to discover where  life may lie hidden and waiting to be discovered.

Combining the latest telescope images with dazzling CGI animation, this documentary immerses the audience in the sights and sounds of alien worlds, while top astrobiologists explain how these places are changing how we think about the potential for life in our solar system. 

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Modern Marvels ~ Renewable Energy



Today on Far Future Horizons we take a look at the future of renewable energy with another exciting episode of the acclaimed documentary series Modern Marvels.

In the Twenty-first Century, two realizations are dawning on the world's population: we are hopelessly dependent on petroleum, which is only going to get more expensive; and global warming, caused mainly by our burning of fossil fuels, will impact civilization in ways that we're only beginning to grasp. 

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Ancient Apocalypse ~ The Minoans


 

Today on Far Future Horizons we explore the possibility that the disappearance of the Minoan civilization may be very well linked to the major cataclysmic disaster that destroyed the island of Thera (Santorini) which in turn inspired Plato’s tale of the sad fate of the island civilization of Atlantis.




Three and a half thousand years ago, the tiny Aegean island of Thera was devastated by one of the worst natural disasters since the Ice Age – a huge volcanic eruption.





This cataclysm happened one hundred kilometers from the island of Crete, the home of the thriving Minoan civilization. Fifty years after the eruption, that civilization was in ruins. Did the volcano deliver a death blow to the Minoans? It’s a whodunnit that has haunted historians and scientists for decades.






Monday, August 4, 2014

Prophets of Science Fiction ~ Isaac Asimov




Today on Far Future Horizons we present another instalment of the acclaimed documentary the Prophets of Science Fiction which focuses on the life and work of Isaac Asimov.

Prophets of Science Fiction is hosted by Executive Producer Ridley Scott.

In this instalment of the Prophets of Science Fiction Isaac Asimov's influence on robotics is discussed.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Friday, August 1, 2014

The Hidden History of Egypt with Terry Jones



Today on Far Future Horizons we present The Hidden History of Egypt hosted by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame


The Surprising History of Egypt is a one-hour documentary presented by Terry Jones, bringing the everyday details of the ancients Egyptians - bizarre, hilarious or shocking - to life. Uncovering hidden gems such as the peculiar hobby of building and decorating one’s own tomb as an enjoyable pastime and disclosing unknown facts on the integral part played by the River Nile in ancient life, Terry Jones goes far beyond the conventional and brings to life the world of the ancient Egyptians through the more obscure eccentricities of their behavior.