The Ultimate Guide - Season 2

First aired: 7/10/2001 4 episodes

Episodes

1. Mastodon in your Backyard

Aired: 7/10/2001

Not long ago North America was host to saber tooth cats, camels, mammoths and lions. Among these now seemingly exotic creatures, was the distant relative of the elephant: the mastodon. This story is launched from a backyard pond in Hyde Park, New York, where the most recent mastodon site was discovered. With the cooperation of some of today's leading paleontologists, learn how the mastodon evolved, how it migrated out of Africa and how it survived in the North American forests for roughly 3.7 million years. We'll show how it differed from its more famous cousin, the mammoth and we'll explore the controversy among the major theories explaining how and why this keystone species disappeared.

2. Volcanoes

Aired: 1/1/2002

Take a look at the latest volcanic survey data and marvel at the frightening number of volcanoes heating up around the world. Is this a simple, geological coincidence, or the sign of some larger, potentially deadly pattern at work? Join one group of scientists as they reveal a number of cutting-edge theories to explain the sudden surge in volcanic activity. Then, watch as they put those theories to the test at the summit of smoldering Mount Tungurahua in Ecuador. It's a high-stakes game of man versus the mountain; because if any of these theories prove correct, they could help forecast future volcanic activity and save lives all over the planet.

3. Iceman

Aired: 3/21/2002

On the basis of the more recent research methods on the Similaun mummy, it has been suggested empirically that the death of our progenitor, 5300 years ago, could probably be considered the oldest detective story in the history of humanity

4. Pregnancy

Aired: 3/26/2002

This visually stunning program takes viewers from the moment of conception to the moment of birth. Checking in at four-week intervals, it uses a broad array of high-tech photographic and computer imaging to capture every stage of embryonic and fetal development as well as the changes experienced by expectant mothers during pregnancy. In addition, a molecular embryologist and an obstetrician/gynecologist from Georgetown University Medical Center provide caring clinical commentary on the birth process. The program culminates with the filming of two births, one with and one without surgical intervention.