On April 20th, 2010, at 9:49 PM, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes. For 87 days, more than 200 million gallons of crude oil pump into the Gulf of Mexico, leading to long-term effects on the environment, the local economy, and the health of tens of thousands. Now, in-depth analysis of the catastrophe, investigative reports, and personal testimony from oil workers and residents of the Gulf Coast reveal ten critical mistakes that ultimately led to the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
For over 25 years, the Twin Towers defined the New York skyline and epitomized everything the United States stood for. And then in just a couple of hours, they were gone. 9/11 remains the deadliest act of terrorism on American soil, but how did an attack of this scale happen and why were we so unprepared for it? Through investigative reports, declassified documents, and interviews with first responders and those who were involved at the highest level, we reveal ten fatal mistakes that together led to that horrific, tragic day.
2021 • Science
On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was shot twice as he rode in an open-top limousine through Dallas, Texas. The assassination sent shockwaves across the world and begged the question: How could a United States president be murdered so easily? Now, thanks to new research, firsthand accounts, and unpublished CIA files, we uncover ten crucial errors—from ignored threats to intelligence breakdowns to major security failings—any one of which, if avoided, could have saved JFK's life…and changed history.
2021 • History
Two air catastrophes within five months of each other, both involving the same plane: the Boeing 737 MAX. How could these brand-new passenger jets, built by one of aviation's most trusted companies, just fall out of the sky? Now, through newly uncovered records, plus interviews with experts who investigated the crashes, we reveal why this seemingly reliable aircraft was headed toward disaster from the very beginning, and list the series of miscalculations, mistakes, and fraudulent maneuvers that sent 346 people to their deaths in 2018 and 2019.
2021 • Technology
On April 20th, 2010, at 9:49 PM, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explodes. For 87 days, more than 200 million gallons of crude oil pump into the Gulf of Mexico, leading to long-term effects on the environment, the local economy, and the health of tens of thousands. Now, in-depth analysis of the catastrophe, investigative reports, and personal testimony from oil workers and residents of the Gulf Coast reveal ten critical mistakes that ultimately led to the greatest environmental disaster in U.S. history.
2021 • Environment
In the Vega Archipelago, in the north of Norway at the Arctic Circle, people have formed a unique partnership with wild eider ducks. The provide the birds with shelter in hatcheries, and in return, after the breeding season, collect the precious eiderdown, with which the ducks line their nests.
4/5 • Paradise Preserved • 2019 • Environment
A tsunami is a dramatic indicator of geological activity magnifying the impact into extensive coastal destruction. Scientists searching for evidence of past tsunamis to predict when they are likely to recur and how severe they are likely to be uncover a new phenomenon, the mega-tsunami.
S1E9 • How the Earth Was Made • 2009 • Environment
For many people, the Swiss Alps are a natural paradise. But in fact this paradise in man-made. Alpine meadows exist only because farmers have been driving their livestock up into the mountains for centuries. Now the ancient traditions are disappearing and the forest is spreading more and more.
3/5 • Paradise Preserved • 2019 • Environment
How the cruise of a lifetime turned into a deadly nightmare. Passengers and day trippers were trapped when New Zealand’s most active volcano erupted. Were tourists warned of the danger and could more have been done to prevent tragedy?
Four Corners • 2020 • Environment
Plastics have transformed how we live, but progress comes at a high price: 7.8 billion tons of waste. Are plastics a miracle or a catastrophe?
S1E4 • History 101 • 2000 • Environment
Ocean currents control the climate around the world. When they suddenly stop, it unleashes an endless cascade of weather disasters including blizzards, superstorms, drought and rapid sea level rise.
S1E10 • Doomsday: 10 Ways the World Will End • 2016 • Environment