The extraordinary journey of a lightning bolt: from creation to destruction, outer space to the inner workings of the human brain, life and death - all in less than the blink of an eye. We look at lightning - one of natures weirdest, most destructive and well observed phenomena. But its also one of the least understood. Faster than a speeding bullet, six times hotter than the surface of the sun, it can turn sand to glass, and strikes our planet up to eight million times every day. We follow a bolt on its incredible journey through the atmosphere, from creation, to destruction - and beyond. We reveal dramatic new discoveries, shocking experiments that prove lightning is one of the weirdest, most destructive, and important phenomena on Earth.

Misfits are people who live outside of their cultural norms. Some are born into that situation, while others seek it. Meet Dave, an Australian man convinced his right leg didnt belong on his body, so he deliberately froze it beyond recovery, forcing doctors to amputate. In Bangladesh, river nomads make their living with snake charming and traditional healing. Viewed as sorcerers and sham artists by many, they are shunned and often not welcome on land.

The episodes documents the 134,000 ton Mega Ships voyage through the pirate infested waters of the Singapore and Malacca Straits carrying millions of dollars of precious cargo. From the bridge to the engine room, Megastructures follow Captain Llewellyn as he guides his ship to the port of Singapore.

Use caution. Look around on the sides. Bizarre creatures and just waiting to be possible to attack. A strange weapon, instant defensive reaction. All are at risk where there are kooks.

The new series focused on activity along the border between U.S. and Mexico, of people attempting to cross illegally into the United States and/or smuggle drugs and other contraband via the inhospitable Sonoran Desert in Arizona, where two boarder towns, Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Mexico, are separated by a security fence. National Geographic was given access to follow officers and agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they go about their duties in fighting terrorism and intercepting illegal entry into the U.S. by air and on the ground, using a variety of methods, including high-tech stealth planes.

The new series focused on activity along the border between U.S. and Mexico, of people attempting to cross illegally into the United States and/or smuggle drugs and other contraband via the inhospitable Sonoran Desert in Arizona, where two boarder towns, Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Mexico, are separated by a security fence. National Geographic was given access to follow officers and agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as they go about their duties in fighting terrorism and intercepting illegal entry into the U.S. by air and on the ground, using a variety of methods, including high-tech stealth planes.

Who were the Neanderthals? How human were they? Why did they go extinct? For 150 years the fate of our closest relatives has been a mystery. But now scientists can start answering these questions – with the help of DNA.

Recent headlines reveal that more than a few sports, music and entertainment celebrities rely heavily upon performance enhancing drugs to operate; steroids negative effects upon the body are discussed by professor of medicine, Dr. Goldberg.

Once the hub of a vast trading network, today the Spice Island is mired in poverty - but its peoples ingenuity may offer a way out.

Desert Seas narrated by David Attenborough tells the story of how the peninsula of Arabia transformed from an ocean millions of years ago to the desert it is today.The Gulf is now home to a myriad of sea creatures but, just as Arabia was once ocean, a mere 10,000 years ago this expanse of water was a swampy flood plain.Since it drowned as sea levels rose, the Gulf is now the worlds hottest and saltiest open sea.The Red Sea, on the other hand, is a far older coral-fringed chasm formed as plate tectonics pulled Africa and Arabia apart; its reefs are prowled by huge moray eels and their shrimp entourages.Splash into the waves that line this desert land and join us as we explore these waters in...

IKEA began in Smaland, Sweden. In 1943, at the age of 17, Ingvar Kamprad sold matchboxes, pens and small furniture. He named the company “IKEA” an acronym for his first and last name and the farm and village where he spent his childhood. He made deliveries with his bicycle and later joined forces with the local milk truck. His efficient approach kept prices affordable. Over 500 million customers visit an IKEA each year, making it the world’s largest furniture provider. IKEA has almost 300 stores in 36 countries and 42 distribution centres in 18 countries and over 1000 suppliers. It takes five factories across Europe to manufacture Ikea’s 10,000 item product line. Ikea delivers over 250 million cubic metres of products each year. Zbaszynek, Poland is home to the company’s largest wood production plant. Associates create 30 million tables, desks and wardrobes each year. In nearby, Nowe Skalmierzyce, COM 40, an Ikea Supplier, builds 3,000 upholstered pieces of furniture daily, including 900 Ektorp sofas. Ikea has sold over 40 million Billy Bookcases in the last three decades. Every week, Ikea’s automated manufacturing line creates 130,000 Billy bookshelves. Robots produce 10,000 bookcases daily.

For eight years the Taliban and Al-Qaeda have bogged down US and NATO troops in Afghanistan-all the while seizing territory and creating chaos in nuclear-armed Pakistan. In mid October, under pressure from the US, Pakistan announced that it would launch a military campaign designed to destroy the Taliban, The Taliban responded with a series of brazen attacks against the Pakistani Army, the police, and civilians, leaving the US in doubt over Pakistans ability to secure its nuclear weapons, and its own ability to fight the agile Taliban in Afghanistan.

Two experts reveal the use of a mysterious shoe-box sized mechanism found in a 2,000-year-old shipwreck more than a century ago.