Secret History of the Big Bang

Scientists are discovering volcanoes on worlds we once thought dead. From our nearest planetary neighbour to tiny moons billions of miles away, today we are discovering volcanoes on alien worlds. Are these worlds where, tomorrow, we might find life?

On Earth, destructive storms create new opportunities for life. In our quest to discover if we are alone in the universe, we shouldn't look for worlds, we should look for weather. Finding chaotic weather may lead us to alien life.

Over the last 20 years, we have discovered an extraordinary zoo of planetary nightmares outside our solar system -- truly wild worlds, a collection of monsters. Now we must face the question: Is every planet a planet from hell?

The universe is a magnetic minefield. The Sun spits out flares capable of battering life on Earth. But out in space lie true magnetic monsters. As we uncover dangerous megaflares in the cosmos, will we end up in the firing line?

The only reason life on Earth is possible is because of our stable orbit around the sun. Elsewhere in the universe, orbits are chaotic and destructive. Orbits are a creative force and construct the fabric of the universe.

From icy worlds with more fresh water than Earth to flying mountains of pure metal, asteroids shaped our past and promise much for the future. Could these enigmatic space rocks hold the key to how life in the Universe arises and is extinguished?

The odyssey of a comet as it sails through space, watching as it evolves from a chunk of ice and rock into an active nucleus engulfed in a gaseous haze. What we learn is a revelation; comets are more mysterious than we imagined.

By looking closely at the common icicle physicist Stephen Morris reveals how science can be a powerful lens through which to view the mystery & beauty of everyday phenomena. Photographer Don Komarechka captures the amazing patterns of ice-bubbles.

Ever wonder what the world might look like if you could see beyond the visible light spectrum? Cameras can capture UV & infrared light to see up to the cosmos and down into our own macro universe revealing the world as you have never seen it before.

Normally considered unattractive & a nuisance, Don't Blink reveals the wondrous side of the mosquito & the role it plays in the web of life. Featuring biologist Fiona Hunter, entomologist Curtis Russell and photography by cinematographer Mark Ellam.

In a winter storm it's difficult to appreciate snow. Through the lens of photographer Don Komarechka's snowflake images, the world becomes a more beautiful place. Non-linear physicist Stephen W. Morris unravels how a snowflake is formed.

For centuries humans have been looking to the skies, dreaming of flight. Director Su Rynard takes us behind the scenes to capture the images of birds in flight. Also featuring biologist Kenneth C Welch Jr., and biologist Christopher G Guglielmo.

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.