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Big History - Season 1

Series: Big History
4.3
(62)
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Episodes
17
Rating
TV14
Year
2013
Language
English
Publisher
History

About

From the creators of "The Universe" and "Life After People", BIG HISTORY puts a sci-fi spin on history, linking iconic events to our daily lives.

Related Subjects

Episodes

1. The Superpower of Salt

22m

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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.

7. World of Weapons

22m

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Humans have small teeth and no claws or armor, so how do we project our power? Warfare has defined traditional history, but Big History digs deeper to reveal how it all began.

8. Brain Boost

22m

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Behind that cup of coffee or tea is a global story that goes back to the collision that created the Moon and the evolution of plant and animal life.

9. Mountain Machines

21m

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They form natural boundaries, dictate how we spread around the planet, create natural defenses, and control our weather.

10. Pocket Time Machine

22m

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How does the cellphone in your pocket link to the Big Bang, the evolution of human memory, and even the Titanic disaster? Big History reveals how cosmic forces conspired to give us the tool that has revolutionized the planet.

Extended Details

  • Closed CaptionsEnglish

Artists