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Experience the birth of the "Bird's Nest," Beijing's iconic National Stadium which played host to the 2008 Summer Olympics. Swedish designer, Thomas Herzog, conceptualized this marvel, which is not only functional, but architectural and cultural. Explore the creation of this magnificent structure from the beginning stages through the construction and completion. You'll hear from the designers, architects and welders who each played a part. The Bird's Nest stands apart from any other stadium as a one of a kind structure unique in its design and social significance. Like humans, buildings have life. The Bird's Nest will forever be a piece of Beijing's history and Chinese culture.
Related Titles: "The World's Dream Stage," "Megawheel"
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Cultural Flavors is a cooking tour that takes you around the world one dish at a time. Each episode of this 13 part series provides viewers with a snapshot of life around the dinner table of a different country. In every episode, the unique characteristics of local cuisine are shown, and afterwards each recipe is recreated step-by-step. Highlighted are the spices, vegetables, meats and seafood at the core of each country's culinary culture.
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We live in a world full of contrasts. From the coldest to the driest of climates, the most populated to the most remote, the highest to the lowest locations, and everything in-between.
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The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program is a key contributor
to global climate change research. With facilities in three
locations around the world, ARM studies cloud formation and
radiative feedback in the atmosphere. Through continuous field
measurements ARM provides data necessary for development of
accurate climate models.
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Deserts cover one-third of the world’s land mass, and are growing
at an alarming rate.
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With average temperatures rising globally, floods are becoming
more frequent and prolonged.
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Forests currently account for nearly 10% of the Earth’s surface,
but are dwindling due to the demands of an increasing population
and industry.
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The world’s glaciers are breaking away and melting at a rate that
cannot be replenished.
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The bulk of the earth’s fresh water is locked away in polar ice caps,
and 90% of the world’s ice can be found in Antarctica.
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Islands provide unique environments isolated from major land masses. We look at some of the most isolated and beautiful islands on the planet, including Easter Island with its stone sculptures, the treeless expanses of the Shetland Islands of Scotland, and the Pharaoh Islands, initially settled by Irish monks and Vikings.
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This show looks at the oceans of the world and the marine life that
inhabits them. The Great Barrier Reef, marine scientific research,
Whale Sharks, The Mexican Turtle Center, Albatross, Seals, mini
submarines and big wave tow-in surfers are all reliant on conditions
only made possible in oceans.
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The tropics of the world feature the broadest range of plant and
animal life. Tropical forests use intense sunlight to replenish the
atmosphere with oxygen and water vapor.
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Volcanic eruptions are devastating, yet people continue to reside
near active volcanoes as the ash and lava enrich the soil.
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Part 1 chronicles the discovery of oil in Persia in 1908; the tumultuous claims placed on Middle East territories and conclude with the British being sent home from Iran in the 1950s. This episode explores the sphere of interest, power politics, oil's role in both World Wars, American influence, the Saudi empire, the exile of Britain, and the Shaw's rise to power and the start of turmoil between the nations of the Middle East.
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Redefining luxury, the Four Seasons empire has grown
to 79 world-class hotels in 33 countries. It began in 1961
with a single motel on Toronto's seedy Jarvis Street.
Since then, founder Isadore Sharp has revolutionized the
hotel business.
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From ancient civilizations to current day metropolitan cities, all societies have been shaped by the struggle to control water. The future of humankind will be shaped by the element of water and this struggle for control will establish the balance between peace and war, profoundly influencing relations between countries and continents. Climate change will also greatly affect water resources in the future. In the next decades huge water projects will radically change the face of the Earth. The future of water is a highly important global issue, which threatens the security of the entire planet.
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Most children in the world have one thing in common: school. But the similarity often stops there. There are as many different schools as there are countries in the world. However, school is an ideal way of discovering a country, its life-style, its culture. < br >< br > I LOVE SCHOOL takes viewers on a trip around the world to meet kids who us their schools, their environment and their daily activities. This series provides a way to discover the most interesting schools in the world.
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Part 1 - Columbus, Vespucci, Magellan - The earliest maps didn't represent the actual land content of the world. Maps were updated as more of New World was explored. The maps of the Middle Ages, were mostly based on conjecture rather than actual discovery. With the expansion of the spice trade between Asian and Portugal and Spain, the maps began to change once again.
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The earlier explores provided mapmakers with an understanding of the major continents. Part two of this series highlights the voyages of British Explorer James Cook and French explorer Jean Francois de la Perouse. James Cook, an exceptional navigator and cartographer, circumnavigated New Zealand, explored the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and crossed the Polar Circle being the first to understand the icy nature of Antarctica.
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This two-part series gives viewers insight into how maps were drawn and revised based on the voyages of the great explorers. Interviews with historians and cartographers are interspersed with reenactments and the voyages and discoveries.
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The World's Tallest Observation Wheel. The Singapore Flyer is a giant observation wheel sometimes referred to as "The Flyer." It officially opened to the public on March 1, 2008. Megawheel documents the incredible engineering feat it took to create the world's largest Ferris wheel, even taller than the famed London Eye.
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10 year old Celine has dreamed of becoming a prima ballerina since she can remember. She auditioned at the age of 8 for this special school. Celine attends morning classes of French, math, geography and history. Lunch is followed by dancing classes.
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An 80-ton tuna ship from Brittany is both home and school to 12 year old Antoin and 9 other young people. Many subjects are learned experientially. He learns to pilot the ship and to interpret weather reports and many other things.
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Andrea lives in a house built on wooden poles. After the national anthem and the salute to the flag science class begins with a study of Amazonia and its environment.
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Rotna and her friend Fatima attend a UNICEF school. They practice writing in Bengali, the official language, and study their country's history. Transportation is varied, with skateboards competing
with rickshaws.
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7 year old Taco is the first of his family to attend school and therefore tries very hard. His first lesson concerns the purification of water. Taco dresses like his Inca ancestors in a hat and poncho. He and his classmates salute the flag like soldiers, even bringing their heels together.
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Corfu is home to 11 year old Kosta. His social studies teacher plans a two-day treasure hunt in the city with clues which reinforce what the students have learned in the classroom.
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Jim bicycles to school. His first class discusses road signs; after recess the students study French, acting out sketches to employ their new-found foreign vocabulary.
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Eleven year old Sanders rehearses his multiplication tables to moves of his favorite classic Indian dance, the bharata natyam. He rides to school on a motorized rickshaw hanging on to the outside.
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Yael attends religious school where boys and girls pray separately as they learn the duties of Judaism, as taught in the Torah.
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Linda and her siblings are transported to school in Tuscany by donkeys when the weather is nice. At outdoor art class the students draw various historic sites.
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Mauritania is on the west coast of Africa; 12 year old Hakim lives in a tent and walks a half mile to school. Islam is the official religion of Mauritania. Both Arabic and French are spoken. Boys and girls must share the same classroom because of lack of space but they sit on opposite sides of the room.
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Because of a school shortage, Khadija attends classes for only half a day. Some classes are taught in French because Morocco was once a colony of France. Writing exercises are done on slate boards. At home her father helps her prepare for a test in dictation by citing portions of the Koran.
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Nine year old Alex lives on the island of Taquil on Lake Titicaca, on the border of Peru and Bolivia, a place with no cars and no electricity.
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On Bute Island 10 year old Edward prepares to leave his family's sheep farm to attend a boarding school on another island. Classes begin with geography.
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Didai's school was founded by missionaries and is in session 6 days a week. Class begins with geography; Tanzania lies on the east coast of Africa and includes Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Swahili is the official language.
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12 year old Viron is an apprentice monk who lives in a temple area. Much of his time is devoted to study and meditation.
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Celine usually travels by tram to the Steiner school, a private school which is founded on the ideas of Rudolf Steiner and is located in Geneva. The same teacher stays with each group of students from grades 1-8 where classes are taught in French.
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Would-be superstars come to the most famous tennis school in the world here in Florida; among them is 11 year old Alejandro from Venezuela. At St. Stephen's Episcopal school mornings comprise various traditional classes and computer studies and are succeeded by afternoons devoted to tennis.
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In 711 A.D. the Moroccan Islamic army crossed the strait of Gibraltar and reached Tarifa, a port at the edge of the European continent, and began a rule of more than 800 years. Those years of Islamic rule left unique traces of its culture in the Andalusia region of Spain. Now, Southern Spain has a complex history having absorbed the influences from not only Islam but from the Romans and Christianity. Cordoba became a symbolic city mixing the various influences and now has a culture unique to Spain. Does that cultural development continue today?
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Plastic floats. The World’s biggest plastic dumps are at sea. Millions of tons enter the ocean every year, pouring out from rivers and shores, ships and platforms. The world’s scientists have studied the phenomenon with alarming results.
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Touching, passionate and provocative, A Team for Peace follows the riveting journey of a group of preadolescent soccer players, half Palestinian, half Israeli, put together to play on an all star team, The Peace Team, and compete in the world's largest international youth soccer tournament.
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Potential conflicts are brewing between the nations that share the Nile River Basin. The days of the Nile only nourishing Egypt's great demand for water might be rapidly coming to an end. Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda are geographically located in the larger Nile basin and control the sources of the river. In recent years they have been demanding a greater share of the Nile's precious resource as demand comes closer to overtaking this finite supply. All 13 countries with access will have to come to agreements on how to share the Nile. Will this be the cause of the next war?
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This new series tours various parts of the world with expert wine enthusiasts, sommeliers, and regional cuisine historians offering a wealth of information on the distinctive regional wines and food pairings. Exploring some of the most breathtaking vineyards and unique vintages available today, this show highlights the ins and outs of operating a winery and organic farming from soil analysis, the use of certain terrain-slopes, climates, decanting, to the blending of grapes and the preservation of the wine's distinctive taste. Interviews of winery owners give an insight into the business of wine making as well.
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Meet the ugly duckling of the wine family. Mark examines this fascinating blend and the reasons behind why it sometimes gets such a bad rap in the world of wines.
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Learn how the balance of barrels and Bordeaux blends can create a complex, food-friendly wine that is easy on the palete and the pocketbook.
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Discover how grapes that are the most difficult to grow can produce wines that are not only food friendly, but good for you.
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Gain a new understanding of Australian Shiraz while uncovering the value in a country that has some of the oldest vines on the planet.
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Since 1593, a succession of four families has kept the
wine growing tradition of Château Haut Brion estate.
Since the 1930's it has belonged to the family of american
financier Clarence Dillon.
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