National Geographic In-flight

Vegas Comes To China: The Venetian Gamble

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:51:04 +0100

Macau - the gambling capital of the world has become a magnet for investment from the biggest names in gambling. Sheldon Adelson the 6th richest man in the world is staking 13 billion dollars on the Cotai Strip a strip of once barren land in Macau. His vision, to make the Cotai Strip Asia's Las Vegas. The jewel in the crown of the Cotai Strip is the 2.4 billion dollar Venetian - a huge Italian themed resort - a replica of Venice. The Venetian will dwarf any casino in Macau and when finished will be the 2nd biggest building in the world, two and a half times the size of the Pentagon. This programme follows the final stages of the Venetian's construction. With only six weeks to go before the Grand opening the pressure is on Adelson's company to make his vision a reality. How does a Western company adapt to working in China? The Venetian have Fifteen thousand Chinese construction workers working day and night to finish the building. Eleven thousand staff have to be trained and prepared for the opening. How do the different cultures communicate and work together? Will the pressures of an impossible schedule make the two cultures clash or come together? Will the Venetian succeed, will it help secure a comfortable future for the people Macau, an enclave who's economy is relying on entertainment and gambling to support it's population?

Under Cover History: The Secrets of J. Edgar Hoover

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:49:54 +0100

The Secrets of J. Edgar Hoover For 20 years, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover denied the existence of the mafia. Was it because he was being blackmailed by them? If so, did they threaten to expose his gambling habit � or that he may have been a gay cross-dresser? Did Hoover do half the things people said of him � or twice that? What�s the real story behind one of America�s most notorious public figures?

Testosterone Factor

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:48:58 +0100

Leading researchers in psychology, biology and anthropology reveal this powerful male hormone's fascinating influence on strength, status, success, and even commitment.

SIX DEGREES COULD CHANGE THE WORLD

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:47:24 +0100

Six Degrees is an extraordinary journey into our planet's future to explore the potential impacts of global warming degree-by-degree - through six degrees over the next hundred years. Filmed on 5 continents, Six Degrees tracks the world's top climate researchers and follows ranchers, photographers and everyday people to uncover the hidden signs and climate trends. From Greenland's ice sheet to tropical ocean coral reefs, from Himalayan glaciers to the Amazon rainforest, come chilling firsthand accounts of climate change already underway - and evidence of more to come. As global warming reaches into the lives of ordinary people, scientists on the frontlines race against the clock to determine if the climate models are right and if they are, how bad things could get. As the mercury rises, what could the next century of climate change really look and feel like? Super-realistic computer graphics, stunning high definition imagery and the world's most remote and spectacular locations provide an unprecedented preview into a potentially catastrophic future. The journey of Six Degrees concludes with an examination of solutions, both great and small, we can use to defuse the global warming time bomb.

Planet Mechanics

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:45:31 +0100

Dick Strawbridge and Jem Stansfield are engineers with an eye on the environment. Their mission: to Fix the World. This brand new series pits engineering ingenuity and innovation against our planet's most pressing environmental problems.

Over the series, our modern day maverick inventors make the world's first street legal compressed air powered motorbike, capture tidal energy on Ireland's rugged Atlantic coast, build a giant biogas plant to turn farm waste into green power, harness solar power in Andalucia - the frying pan of Spain, and help out Venice's pollution problems by building a solar powered water taxi.

They criss-cross Europe in their mobile workshop - a self-converted horsebox. Running on biodiesel, it gets its electrical juice from a sun-tracking photovoltaic cell and wind turbine, and where once the truck transported horses it's now the best equipped mobile eco-workshop you could ask for.

Drawing on Dick's career as a British Army Lieutenant Colonel and Jem's experience as a designer, inventor and aeronautical engineer, they build unusual, innovative machines to combat different environmental problems. Although acting locally they are thinking globally, their engineering solutions show how we can all do our bit to help the out the environment.

Each week, Dick and Jem are called in to address a pressing environmental issue. Once they've investigated the problem, they pool their collective brain power and design a green solution. Recruiting leading experts and members of local community, they set to work with their angle grinders, welding kit and an insurmountable collection of power tools to craft some of the most striking machines ever to grace the small screen.

Making Christmas

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:42:07 +0100

We look at the business, the planning and the coming together of Christmas celebrations, using the longest Christmas party that happens in Singapore as the backbone. From the toy factories in China to the turkey farms in Malaysia, preparing for Christmas be it in Singapore or Seatle, - is global business effort.

Inside: The Emperor's Treasure

Mon, 12 May 2008 09:30:51 +0100

The National palace Museum in Taiwan holds the world's greatest collection of Chinese art tracing 7000 years of Chinese cultural legacy. The Museum collection consists of some 620,000 pieces. The documentary looks at the one of the emperors who put together the bulk of the collection, one of the men who protected the collection for 16 years during war and conflict and how today's technology is being used to take the collection to a global audience.

Planet Carnivore: Great White Shark

Mon, 12 May 2008 04:35:24 +0100

Great White Shark In South Africa's False Bay, mornings are action-packed - and bloody - when Haai, a huge, female great white shark, hunts for cape fur seals. Unfortunately, despite her superb senses and incredible weaponry, Haai is now so big that she can't manoeuvre as well as she used to. Meanwhile, the entire neighbourhood is about to be hit with a mighty blow. Something bizarre and alive in the open ocean is growing bigger - and it is headed for Haai's turf...

Taboo 2: Marks of Identity

Fri, 09 May 2008 03:47:01 +0100

MARKS OF IDENTITY: Around the world, notions of beauty and identity are as varied as the cultures that produce them.

City Of Reptiles

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:23:30 +0100

"CITY OF REPTILES Each summer, like clockwork, the streets, backyards, houses and wells of Baroda, India, are inundated with thousands of poisonous snakes, crocodiles, monkeys and other unwanted guests from the nearby forest. And each summer, 37 year-old Senhal Bhatt gathers up her small band of volunteers and goes into battle, Senhal fearlessly enters the murky wells to catch and save a variety of animals. Enter the chaotic life of Senhal Bhatt, where a 24 hour period might find her struggling to life an injured cow into her makeshift ambulance and bagging over a dozen snakes. "

River on the Edge

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:16:56 +0100

"TALES FROM BELIZE - River on the Edge: The tiny country of Belize is unique in Central America for having the majority of its land area still in forest. On the doorstep of the United States, it is now attracting a growing number of ecotourists, divers and scientists. TALES FROM BELIZE explores how the country is reacting to this crucial turning point. The people who are in close contact with the wildlife, the villages, the trainees and the scientists will form the background of the stories. Each film highlights a separate environment in Belize, the endangered animals within it, and the people working for its survival."

Serpents of the Sea

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:08:55 +0100

Venom researcher Bryan Fry plunges into the deadly waters off the coast of Australia to capture and milk highly venomous sea snakes for the creation of new antivenom.

Along The Inca Trail: Sacred Valley, Modern Times

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:45:22 +0100

"Sacred Valley, Modern Times Karin begins the last leg of her journey in the town of Ollantaytambo competing with the local drunk for the role of clown in an amateur bullfight. Escaping with nothing more severe than a cracked rib, she makes her way - somewhat painfully - to Machu Picchu. Once thought to be the last Inca stronghold against the Spanish, Machu Picchu was abandoned long ago and the jungle closed in on the magnificent buildings. Moving on to Cuzco, which lies at the center of the Inca empire, and then into the centre of Bolivia, Karin quenches her thirst for knowledge of ancient Inca civilization through her interactions with the areas� modern-day inhabitants. She makes it to Oruro, in central Bolivia, just in time to participate as a dancer in the second largest festival in all of South America. As usual, unanticipated adventures flavor Karin�s exploration of the Inca road, making hers an entertaining and unforgettable tale. "

Taboo 2: Sacred Pains

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:30:03 +0100

SACRED PAIN: At a trance ceremony in Bali, or a tongue-boring festival in Nepal, people will do whatever it takes to enter the realm of the sacred.

Taboo 2: Justice

Thu, 08 May 2008 08:27:37 +0100

JUSTICE: How far would you go in the name of justice?