Season 5

01 Grand Canyon Episode 111th February 2008 02 The Rockies Episode 211th February 2008 Mysteries surrounding the Rocky Mountains are discussed. Included: recent theories on their formation and how the rate of growth of the American Rockies compares to that of their Canadian counterpart. 03 Time Machine Episode 1011th September 2008 Time travel theorists ask, what if we could send scientific and medical information through time--perhaps a cure for AIDS? 04 Ice Age Meltdown Episode 159th April 2009 05 What's Sexy Episode 1616th April 2009 06 How to Kill a Planet Episode 1723rd April 2009 07 Hubble's Amazing Universe Episode 1814th May 2009 08 Anatomy of a Hurricane Episode 194th June 2009 09 Twister Outbreak Episode 2011th June 2009 10 Earth's Evil Twin Episode 2125th June 2009 Millions of years ago, Venus and Earth cut similar figures. Roughly the same size and about the same distance from the sun, their respective evolutions could have followed similar paths. But today, Venus is a seething vision of Hell, its battery-acid atmosphere and incessant, hurricane-force winds masking a blistering volcanic surface. Some scientists wonder if it is a harbinger of whats in store for Earth. Thanks to the European Space Agency, Venus Express the most sophisticated satellite ever to visit the planet is orbiting Earths estranged twin, gathering the data we need to figure out why Venus went bad. Could our home planet be hurtling towards a similar fate? And could the hostile Venusian environment, now seemingly devoid of biologys most fundamental ingredient water yet harbour life? 11 Secret Life of Fireworks Episode 222nd July 2009 Secret World of Fireworks explores the closely held secrets, recipes, and techniques from the world of pyrotechnic showmen. National Geographic takes a behind the scenes look into this exclusive world with unique access from Zambelli Internationale of New Castle, Pennsylvania - Americas First Family of Fireworks - along with rocket scientists and chemists from Los Alamos, New Mexico. 12 Tsunami From Outer Space Episode 239th July 2009 13 How the West Was Made Episode 2416th July 2009 14 Living on the Moon Episode 2523rd July 2009 15 Birth of The Oceans Episode 2620th August 2009 16 Stephen Hawking's Universe Episode 2723rd August 2009 Stephen Hawking is one of the worlds most famous scientists. But ALS, also known as Lou Gehrigs Disease, has left him almost totally paralysedand it is progressing. Unable to walk, talk, or write, his only way of communicating is through a computer program that turns a small movement of a finger or the blink of an eye, into words from a vocal synthesizer. But Hawking remains determined to discover a theory of everything, a complete set of rules for the Universe. Where did the Universe come from and where is it going? What is the nature of time? Will it ever come to an end? This programme will explore Hawkings major contributions to the understanding of our Universe - from his revolutionary proof that our Universe originated in a Big Bang; to his ground breaking discovery that Black Holes are not completely black, but rather emit radiation and eventually evaporate and disappear, to his insights on string theory. Will he unlock the secret of creation before his time runs out?