Speed Freaks

We're counting down the biggest over achievers on the web, individuals whose dedication make them the best of the best. We'll learn how to bungee jump while playing the bagpipes, use a robot to shoot hoops, and drive vertically up a cliff face.

What would happen if we got a message from space? How would we react? Scientists and sci-fi writers, with cooperation from SETI and Carl Sagan's son, Nick, unravel the impact of this world changing event, forming an intriguing hypothetical scenario

How will humans react when an alien spacecraft is on its way to Earth? Will humans learn from aliens, or become colonial subjects? Scientists and sci-fi writers, with cooperation from SETI and Carl Sagan's son, Nick, unravel the impact.

The Arrival has ended. A swarm of small spacecraft depart their huge mothership, and hover in our atmosphere. The ships open their hatches, and deposit thousands of mysterious pods on the earth’s surface. Are they a message, a gift or a weapon?

A mothership the size of Texas is hovering over Earth and we're tired of waiting. We send a rover to explore, and what we find makes us question the definition of life. On Earth, the pods multiply, making contact with them unavoidable.

Go beneath the surface to understand forest fires, car exhaust, and the space station.

Discover the secrets behind the family car, titanium, and letters.

Find out the secrets behind nuclear subs, crash test dummies, and growing fruits and vegetables.

Discover how land mines are placed, how air boats work and how car warehouses work.

Discover the science behind black boxes, steam turbines, and racing cars.

Discover the secrets behind jet engines, weapons, and telescopes.

In Obscura Antiques & Oddities a collector offers a mummified cat for sale. A playwright with a passion for straitjackets visits and a seller brings in musket balls, only to discover their true origin is much stranger.

At Obscura Antiques & Oddities a model turned mortician makes a bizarre request to display her newest fashion line and a shopper makes a purchase that tests Mike's gag reflex. Ersan thinks he bought fossil dinosaur feces, but the owners don't buy it.

A customer has Evan scrambling to find the perfect gift for his dentist. Mike and Evan get a show by the world's smallest escape artist. Later they trek to see a huge collection of medical oddities from around the world.

In Obscura Antiques & Oddities Ryan is on the hunt for a high-end monkey skull to satisfy a picky customer. Evan attempts to help a customer find the perfect item to prank his girlfriend, and Mike takes a big chance on an ancient medical concoction.

A client tries to sell what he believes is an Ancient Egyptian artifact. Is it real or fake? A woman brings her unique artwork made from human nails, and a seller has a medical bag that Mike can’t wait to dig through.