The Universe Episode Guide, Season 3 - Pazsaz Entertainment Network

Back To Pazsaz Entertainment Network's The Universe Page

Deep Space Disasters
In space travel there is a saying that the first 50 miles and the last 50 miles are the most dangerous. Space Disasters will explore the controlled explosion of launch, the fiery crucible of reentry and everything in between. See how a single spark inside a spacecraft or a micrometeoroid less than an inch wide hitting a space station can turn a routine mission into a lethal nightmare. As the missions become longer, venturing to Mars and beyond, the potential disasters will only become bigger. And what would happen if a spacecraft ventured too close to a black hole or was hit by a gamma ray burst?

Parallel Universes
It may seem like science fiction, but some of the world's leading physicists today believe they've found startling new evidence for the existence of universes other than our own. If Cosmologists,"String Theory" superstars, and trailblazing physicists are right - then parallel universes are not just possible, they're inevitable. One possibility: the universe is so vast that exact replicas of our Solar System, our planet and ourselves - "Doppelganger Universes" - exist many times over within our own Universe, in what scientist now call "The Multiverse." In another scenario, the same "inflationary" forces that gave birth to our universe could create other Parallel Universes. In yet another concept, "Many Worlds" spring as a result of every decision or choice we make. In each of these multiple worlds, things happen in every exotic and fantastic way each of us has ever imagined. Trailblazing experiments by massive, state-of-the art particle colliders are looking for evidence of higher dimensions and Parallel Universes.

Light Speed
The laws of physics say we can never travel faster than Light Speed - or can we? This episode explores it all, including the ways scientists envision breaking the "light barrier" needed for the star travel of our imaginations. Light speed is the ultimate constant in the universe. Though incredibly fast from a human perspective, in the scales of space it's agonizingly slow. Light speed lets us see things instantly here on Earth, and shows the history of the universe going back nearly 14 billion years. Traveling at close to light speed, our surroundings become distorted and misshapen as space and time bend over backward to maintain the speed of light as a rock-solid constant. In the vacuum of space, the speed of light may not change; but in other media, it slows down and bends - allowing glass lenses to do their work (and the invention of telescopes), and without which what our eyes see would be a featureless blur.

Sex In Space
As humans move to colonize the cosmos, the realities of sexual relationships and reproduction need to be addressed - and the physiological, psychological and cultural challenges of sex in space. This episode looks at how the extreme environments of space exploration might effect copulation, conception and developing human tissues, as well as how issues around sex might impact the emotional lives of astronauts. It gets to the bottom of the rumors to find out if space sex has already happened, and looks at how the burgeoning space tourism business may soon lead to a boom in space sex.

Alien Faces
They soar through the heavens, fly through the oceans and glide along land. But these are not creatures found on a wildlife safari. These are life forms from another planet. Armed with scientific fact and a little imagination, experts come together to take you on an unprecedented journey to the edges of our imagination. Scientists, astrobiologists and astronomers create five lines of extraterrestrial evolution, and explain how creatures on the surface of Earth offer a helping hand to understanding life in The Universe.

Deadly Comets And Meteors
At this very moment, celestial forces prowl the Universe and threaten man's very existence. They're asteroids and comets - and they've left their imprint on planet Earth, literally. Initially, they helped build planets through violent collisions. During this fiery bombardment period, they may have even seeded Earth with water and the building blocks for life. Since the turbulent formation of the solar system, these space rocks have continued to impact earth. Some have been so violent that they've led to mass extinctions events, including one that wiped out the dinosaur. What's more, radical new theories suggest that asteroid and comet dust harbor deadly viruses that may have triggered some of our worst pandemics. The possibility of future cosmic collisions remains a legitimate threat. Yet, despite their dangers, asteroids and comets may hold vital natural resources, which could actually preserve mankind.

Living In Space
When mankind eventually leaves the cradle of Earth and ventures forth into the uncharted territories of the cosmos, where, and what form, will our new homes take? Will they be cities under glass, entrenched in distant alien soils? Will they be gleaming metropolises hanging in orbit above our heads, or in the lonely void of space? Will they be hollowed out asteroids, strip-mined for the valuables they horde? How will we grow food? What will the new era of spacesuits be like? The rovers that carry us around? Will robonauts, advanced robotic machines, perform the most dangerous tasks for us? How will we live... in space?

Stopping Armageddon
It sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster: a deadly asteroid is on a collision course with Earth. But in reality, it's only a matter of time before a giant space rock threatens to wipe out civilization. An asteroid took out the dinosaurs sixty-five million years ago. Are we next? This episode analyzes the threat and explores the many ways--from a nuclear bomb to ingenious new technology--that experts are proposing to stop Armageddon.

Another Earth
Could we be unique in the universe or is there another planet similar to earth somewhere in the cosmos? Is it possible that Alpha Centauri, our nearest star, is home to another earth-like planet? Earth sized planets have been hard to find, but indirect methods are coming on line to give scientists a good survey of how many such bodies may be in the universe. How rare would it be to find life on another earth-like planet?

Strangest Things
From stars, galaxies and moons to subatomic particles, black holes and invisible phenomena, discover the most bizarre, mysterious and exotic things in our universe. Learn about actual alcohol clouds floating in space that are filled with organic molecules which produce complex compounds like ethyl alcohol, the stuff we drink. Is there a hypothetical planet that exists beyond Neptune and what are pulsar planets? Mini Black Holes are a theoretical idea, but if they were to exist, some theorists speculate that they might have been produced shortly after the "Big Bang." Finally, delve into dark matter, a hypothetical form of matter that is invisible yet it exists everywhere.

Cosmic Phenomena
A variety of cosmic events have both helpful and harmful effects on life on Earth. From the beauty of the Aurora Borealis and rainbows to the dangers of UV radiation and cosmic rays, from the miracle of photosynthesis to the thrill of a meteor shower, this episode explores how the effects generated by the sun and other extra-solar sources can literally get under our skin, scramble our technology, make life possible and threaten our existence all at the same time.

Edge Of Space
Low Earth Orbit, 120 miles above sea level, is where the majority of space exploration has occurred. This 1,100 mile band around Earth is where - for a cool $20 million - any private citizen can take the vacation of his or her life on the International Space Station. Commercial prospects for LEO are huge; but dangers lurk for any individual willing to travel here - radiation, cosmic rays, and space debris numbering in the thousands threaten any spacecraft traveling in orbit. It's the new frontier, or the final frontier... and the possibilities are endless if you are willing to travel to the edge of space exploration.