Mini oceans inland, lakes are treasure troves of aquatic wonders, each zone, from the depths to the surface, the banks to the mud at the bottom, hosts its own animal communities of predators and prey. Fish, birds, insects, even mammals, enjoy the bounty of their freshwater home.
Some creatures play hard and die young. Small bodies are more susceptible to heat loss need a lot of calories to stay warm. With high metabolisms, creatures like shrews, hummingbirds, and porpoises must devote their lives to eating and might perish between meals.
Few animals have more complex societies and interactions than elephants. For these slow-growing, long-lived animals, survival is totally dependent on knowledge passed down from family members and from the constant support of the herd. It’s no wonder we find them so endearing.
During WWII the federal government took over the 60k acres of land known as, Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, turning it into a secret city where workers unknowingly were building the world's 1st atomic bomb. Today it’s known as the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where some believe that WWII was won.
We take our features, our noses, eyes, and ears for granted, but they are pretty weird things until you look at the nose of a tapir or desman, the eyes of a cuttlefish or chameleon, or the ears of a seal or elephant. There is an almost endless variety of designs, and some are downright odd!
Dangerous since 1896" is the saying that shrouds one of the country's most notorious prisons. Tucked in a remote section of the Cumberland Plateau and surrounded by miles of rough terrain, the prison once housed Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassin, James Earl Ray, where he escaped more than once.
During the 1930s, communities across Appalachia were in the dark at night because electric lines still had not connected them to the 20th Century. The TVA turned to the watersheds draining the Great Smoky Mountains and built a series of hydroelectric complexes that sparked the South’s economy.
Like a sea of grass, the savannah, prairie, and meadows are among the most productive habitats on Earth, housing some of the greatest concentrations of big game and the most dramatic interactions of predator and prey.
Slime's a funny thing, weird and wonderful. It can help salamanders to wet so they can breathe through their skin, provide a life-support bubble or developing frogs and even get snails from A to B.
We've all heard of the Ox and the ass, and the donkey that carried Mary, but did you know gazelles are mentioned in the Bible? Or whales, lions, scorpions. A whole menagerie is featured. Some are creatures of the holy lands, but others have been selected for traits that make them ideal symbols.
What started in the 1970s as a gathering of hippies became what is known as the whitewater industry and Steep Creek Kayaking. Where boaters are pulled underwater by rapids, spit out downstream and come back for more.
Feeling out of shape? You're not alone. The pandemic has totally crushed most exercise routines. But a revolution in "connected fitness" is changing that, bringing hi-tech gear, live instruction and social interaction right into our homes.
It’s tough out in nature, but many creatures are forced or choose to leave it all behind and seek a new life in the urban jungle. For some, it is life on the breadline, while others find a land of opportunity.
We all know antelopes as the prey of lions. They represent food to many of the predators of the plain and so it’s hardly surprising that they stick together in groups, seeking safety in numbers, with more pairs of eyes to spot danger.
All over the world, while many species are under threat of extinction, raccoons are experiencing an unprecedented expansion. Behind their innocent, cute look hides an outstanding survivor's temperament. When it comes to feeding and defending themselves, raccoons are capable of anything.
We are a funny bunch with our superstitions, and it's surprising how many of them involved animals. It can be good or bad luck to see a cat, magpies, and pigs are believed to bring good luck and prosperity.
"Thunder Road", a term coined to identify the nighttime route from Harlan, Kentucky, to Knoxville, Tennessee, traveled by illegal whiskey haulers. Tracing its origins to European immigrants who showed up with barely a shirt on their back and a recipe for making hooch.
This talk is given by Steve Brusatte of University of Edinburgh.
From the arctic tundra to the great planes, the kingdom of the wolf extends across the entire northern hemisphere. They are icons of the wilderness, spectacular creatures that live and die by the sword.
Most visitors to the UK head for London, maybe Stonehenge or ancient cities, but for its tiny size, the UK has surprisingly rich and diverse wild places, and wildlife, hidden from view unless you seek it out.
The faint red glow of Mars has intrigued those watching it from Earth for centuries. Now space exploration has begun to lift the veil on "The Red Planet", and upcoming missions to Mars are looking at Mars as a potential habitat for humans. Can we move to Mars in the next decade?
From the early attempts for the Great War to the visionary offerings to assist in space flight, aircraft designers have turned to unorthodox twin boom concepts as a viable option.
For over 35 years, the Sikorsky Blackhawk has been a reliable war horse for the U.S. Armed Forces–charging into hostile territory from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan. After decades of upgrades, it remains one of the world's most sophisticated aircraft.
In Africa’s Great Rift Valley, lies a mysterious, toxic lake. Lake Natron’s red water reaches hellish temperatures and its chemistry is similar to ammonia. Yet despite the deadly conditions, a few species manage to do more than just survive -- they thrive.
