Summary: The laws of physics are all well and good, but near-chaos apparently rules the cosmos. This program illustrates the extreme volatility of the forces at work in our universe, underscoring both the creative and destructive potential of celestial collisions, eruptions, and explosions. From awe-inspiring supernova bursts to fiery coronal mass ejections to careening asteroids that threaten our...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
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Summary: Astronomers have detected hundreds of extrasolar planets in recent years, and the pace of discovery shows no sign of letting up. Are any of these far-off worlds comparable to Earth? This program visits observational sites around the globe in search of answers. Journeying to La Palma in the Canary Islands, the film examines sophisticated telescopes like the compact SuperWASP, a boon to exoplanet...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: Although "little green men" belong in the menagerie of science fiction cliches, the search for extraterrestrial life is now taken seriously by many astronomers. This program follows veteran alien hunters-including the acknowledged master of the field, SETI founder Dr. Frank Drake-as they participate in one of the most exciting quests in science today. Researchers at the Allen Telescope Array, a...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: The Big Bang is a widely accepted theoretical model, but CERN's Large Hadron Collider offers something more tangible: creating the physical conditions surrounding the birth of the universe. This program introduces viewers to that experiment and to others under way around the world-all of them designed to increase our knowledge of the physical structure of the cosmos. Dr. Andy Kirk of the U.K....
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008
View online at AVOD
Summary: Today's astronomers use more sophisticated "eyes" than stargazers of centuries past, but peering into the night sky remains the principal way of exploring the depths of space. This program features observatories and instruments that use state-of-the-art technology to provide glimpses of the distant cosmos. Journeying to Chile's Atacama Desert, home of the world's largest telescope, the film...
Format: software, multimedia
Publisher / Publication Date: Films Media Group 2008