Discovery Channel Documentaries Season 16
Season 16 (2003)
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Discovery Channel Documentaries
1988Season 16 (2003)
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With 30 Day Free Trial!
Discovery Channel Documentaries Season 16 Full Episode Guide
What caused the notorious arena to be built, and what made Roman society demand such extreme entertainment to be played out there? Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story revolves around the true story of Verus, who rises from slave to star gladiator, but who faces the ultimate challenge in one of the very few gladiatorial fights that was recorded and described by contemporary writers. Discover Verus' story, live his journey and experience his quest for freedom.
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Legend has it that the relic known as 'The Spear of Destiny' or 'The Holy Lance' was used to wound the side of Christ at his crucifixion and now holds mystical powers. It is said that whoever possesses the spear holds the fate of the world in their hands. Rulers such as Constantine, Charlemagne, Napoleon, and Hitler sought the spear, hoping that either stories of its powers were true or that it would serve as proof of their own power to their followers. 'Hitler And The Spear Of Destiny' charts the history behind the spear and uses the latest forensic technology to come up with some startling revelations.
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The Himalayan Towers also called Stone star-shaped towers, are a series of stone towers located mostly in Kham, an ancient province of Tibet, in Sichuan and in Tibet. The towers are located in regions of Changthang, Gyalrong, Miniak and Kongpo. The towers can be found both in cities and in uninhabited regions. They have been described for the first time during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Carbon dating by Frederique Darragon shows they were built approximately 500 to 1,800 years ago. Since they are generally located in prosperous villages, it is believed that their primary function was as a demonstration of a family's prestige within the community. At that time, wealth was acquired especially by the trade with the Mongols. For strength, many of the towers use a star pattern of walls as opposed to a strictly rectangular method. Heights can exceed 60m.
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Ronald L. Mallett, PhD is a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Connecticut. He discovered a possible way to travel in time by applying Einstein's theory of relativity to laser light moving in a circle. The program uses CGI to illustrate his theories. Mallett was one of the first African-Americans to obtain a PhD in theoretical physics. He was inspired to do so because he wished to travel back in time to visit his dead father, who died when Mallett was ten.
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Since the first Pong machine was unveiled 30 years ago, computer games have become the world's second largest entertainment industry, after music. This program profiles game developers who revolutionized the industry and made playing video games a familiar household activity, and also indirectly fueled the snack food industry. Unique access to the creative geniuses of the last 30 years in a riveting voyage of innovation and blood on the carpet. Producer: Rod Iverson. The human race likes – and needs – to play games. That’s probably why video games have been so popular since the very first time of their invention. This documentary shows the history of video games from Atari over to Nintendo and gives insights about the power of arcade games and home-games-consoles.
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Not quite documentary, not quite drama, this reenactment of a fictional conscript's life building the Great Pyramid of Giza is best described as docudrama. Omar Sharif voices the thoughts of the aged Nakht remembering the moment Egyptian soldiers drafted him into the king's service.
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The platypus has both baffled and inspired the scientific community since its discovery by Europeans over 200 years ago. Three years in the making, this blue-chip natural history film takes us down the east coast of Australia to the many serenely beautiful habitats of the platypus. Technology specially created for this film captures images from inside the nesting chamber of a wild platypus and records the extraordinary sounds of the mother suckling her offspring and we watch as they grow from newborns to adulthood.
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Over 8,000 species of ants cover the planet. Most are harmless, but some have ...a violent streak. African driver ants, known locally as ‘Siafu’, or 'Safari Ants' have the largest colonies of any social insect. When they swarm the effect is so daunting that the whole jungle flees; even elephants are said to run from them. This documentary uses a hi-tech 'ant cam' to get close to the action. Also featured are the dreaded Bulldog ants from Australia, the individualistic Tasmanian Jack jumper ants and others.
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