1. The Superpower of Salt

22m

We all know that mankind can't live without air, food and water...the same is true of salt. The salt on your table is a key to unlocking the story of our planet and the cosmos. Big History reveals how this simple molecule underpins our civilization.

2. Horse Power Revolution

22m

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The horse has been a revolutionary animal in unexpected ways. It has changed how we speak, what we wear, and sets the hidden limit for the size of our most massive empires. It's a story that spans the cosmos, from the Big Bang, to the Sun.

3. Gold Fever

22m

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This episode asks why mankind is gold crazy, and discovers there's a hard-wired reason we lust after it, and a microscopic explanation for why it shines. We reveal how the science behind our favorite metal drives men across oceans and continents.

4. Below Zero

22m

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Reveals how cold has the power to turn men into Barbarians, spark history's longest running war, and create the concept of race.

5. Megastructures

22m

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From the Great Pyramid at Giza to the towering skyscrapers of today, humans have engineered massive constructions for at least 5,000 years. But why? How do biology and human emotions affect our desire to build gigantic structures?

6. Defeating Gravity

22m

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Flight takes more than wings. We need the right kind of air, the perfect materials cooked up over billions of years, and cosmic forces that are just right for us to leave the ground without tumbling off into space.

Big History - Season 1

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Big History - Season 1

About

Related Subjects

Episodes

Extended DetailsExtended Details

Artists

Extended Details