From Cold War codebreakers to massive meltdowns, these shows explore the fallout of scientific discovery in a nuclear world.

Humanity is closer than ever before to a perpetual clean power source after a team of scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory successfully produced a nuclear fusion reaction resulting in a net energy gain. We now know one thing is possible, we can reach ignition.

Humanity is closer than ever before to a perpetual clean power source.

Fusion: Harnessing the Power of Stars

Ten years after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant following the 3.11 megaquake and megatsunami, the once beautiful ‘satoyama’ landscape is now replaced by haphazardly spreading wilderness. The most conspicuous change may be in the local ecosystem.

We look at the satoyama landscape ten years after the nuclear disaster at Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant which was followed by the 3.11 megaquake.

Radioactive Forest - 10 Years After

July 1945: amid fierce Japanese resistance in the Pacific, Truman and Stalin pushed for Japan to surrender. The atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, ensured Allied victory.

July 1945: Truman and Stalin pushed for Japan to surrender. The atomic bombs, as well as the Soviet invasion of Manchuria, ensured Allied victory.

Hiroshima Caused Japan to Surrender?

During WWII the federal government took over the 60k acres of land known as, Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, turning it into a secret city where workers unknowingly were building the world's 1st atomic bomb. Today it’s known as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where some believe that WWII was won.

During WWII, there was a secret city in Tennessee where workers were building the world's 1st atomic bomb. Today it’s known as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Secret City

The Japanese Super Code reveals the US efforts to crack Japan’s unbreakable WW2 code following the horror of the attack on Pearl Harbour. But can one Naval Officer with a penchant for crosswords really stop the Japanese onslaught and turn the War in the Pacific in America’s favor?

The Japanese Super Code: The incredible code-breaking efforts that helped America win the war in the Pacific.

The Japanese Super Code

The decisions of only a handful of individuals determined the course of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. What transpired over a few hours would have an impact on the local community, Russia, Europe and the globe.

What transpired over a few hours between a handful of individuals would have an impact on the local community, Russia, Europe and the globe.

Chernobyl

Secret Nazi files from World War II reveal formerly classified technological innovations from brilliant German scientists who raced to create terrifying new “Wonder Weapons” and an atomic bomb. Some of their technological “firsts” remain the basis for modern-day air and spacecraft.

Secret Nazi WWII files reveal classified technological innovations from Germany’s scientists who raced to create terrifying new “Wonder Weapons” and an atomic bomb.

Hitler's Secret Science

The Cold War was won not by weapons of war, but blue jeans, silk stockings, and fast food. Just follow the money.

Cold War

Our focus for this chilling but fascinating episode is when humans are a serious danger to themselves through nuclear and industrial accidents. We'll look at the Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear disasters, the Bhopal gas accident, the Savar Plaza building collapse and the BP oil spill.

Our focus for this chilling but fascinating episode is when humans are a serious danger to themselves through nuclear and industrial accidents.

Nuclear and Industrial Disasters

TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant is the site of one of history's worst nuclear disasters: the meltdown of three nuclear reactors. The decommissioning program in Japan learns from the Three Mile Island decommissioning in the US after the nuclear plant accident in 1976 in Pennsylvania.

Decommissioning Fukushima: The Battle to Contain Radioactivity

The Fukushima nuclear disaster is one of the worst cases of radioactive contamination in history. Even now, three years later, few details are available as to how such a massive release of radioactive materials occurred. This documentary attempts to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Meltdown: Analyzing the Radiation Leaks

The Cuban Missile Crisis was one of the defining moments of the mid-twentieth century and of the presidency of John Kennedy. How did the two Cold War powers of the USSR and the USA come to the point of threatening nuclear war?

How did the two Cold War powers of the USSR and the USA come to the point of threatening nuclear war?

Cuba: Nuclear Standoff

The Koursk, a missile-carrying nuclear submarine, was the pride of the Russian navy. No one expected problems with such a sophisticated vessel. But on August 12th, 2000, everything and everyone aboard the Koursk would plummet to the bottom of the Barents Sea.

The Koursk, a missile-carrying nuclear submarine, was the pride of the Russian navy.

Russia’s Super Sub Disaster

Dean Reed's story is the story of a wild and changing world. Through the prism of his life, we witness global youth rebellion, revolutions in popular music, and the shifting tectonics of superpower rivalry.

This is the forgotten story of a 1960's American teen idol who defected to the Soviet Bloc and became a superstar. And then he disappeared.

Red Elvis: The Cold War Cowboy

Quantum physics? Theoretical physicist Brian Greene helps you understand its origins and its impact on today's world.

Exploring Quantum History With Brian Greene

In the final episode, Josh and Cody reunite to explore the nuclear disaster area of Fukushima in Japan. They also reflect upon their adventures and reveal the results of their location rankings.

Josh and Cody reunite to explore the nuclear disaster area of Fukushima in Japan. They also reflect on their adventures and reveal results of their location rankings.