Science
Old Bones, New Stories: How Toumai, Ardi, Lucy & UR 501 Changed Our View of Human Evolution
read storyLATEST STORIES
Space
Asteroids: Killers, Keys to the Stars and Life, or New Mining Gold Rush?
Asteroids loom large in our imagination: An encounter with one could wipe out all life....
Tech
Taking the Bait: What Is Catfishing & 5 Ways to Avoid Online Dating Scams
With $304 million lost due to dating scams in 2020, it’s increasingly common to be fooled by fraud on the Internet. Due to a large number of “catfish” on the Web, it’s important to proceed with caution when it comes to meeting “the one” online.
Crime
The Mafia, Part 2: ‘Cosa Nostra’ Expands Criminal Enterprises – Turf Wars and Public Outrage Follow
Once established in the United States, Sicilian gangs thrived thanks to Prohibition. The money that flowed through the 20th century Mafia led to wars for control in both Italy and the U.S., just as prosecutors finally handcuffed the mob in Sicily.
Crime
The Mafia, Part 1: From Roots as Feudal Enforcers to Modern Gangsters
The Mafia has terrorized Sicily for centuries. By 1900, immigrant mafiosi had the attention of New York City law enforcement. But the Palermo killing of a heroic police detective showed the power of the Sicilian criminal network
Coming in June: D-Day, a Forgotten Aviator, Cybercrime – and More!
In June, we’ll add fascinating new documentaries covering a broad range of subjects to...
Technology
Modern Tech Cracks Secrets of Roman Concrete, the Voynich Codex, and the Antikythera Device
Over the ages, great discoveries and useful instruments have been lost and forgotten....
History
Nero’s Revenge: Rethinking Rome’s Most Depraved Emperor
Known for “fiddling” while Rome was in flames, Nero is the model for depraved autocrats. Sifting through the lurid details, historians now depict a more complex man. He was artistic, generous, and even created a practical fire...
Culture
Research Reveals Why Women Love True Crime
True crime is an extremely popular genre, and the majority of its fans are women. Why are women drawn to stories about serial killers and psychopaths? The answer lies at the crossroads between psychology, fear, gender, and desire.
Environment
The Path to Earth Day: The Disasters and Dreamers That Sparked a Global Movement
An astounding photograph and two ecological catastrophes combined with a classic book to...
Technology
Inside the Hacker’s Mind: Sociopaths, Psychopaths, and Technology
Nerds may be introspective but that doesn’t mean they won’t make daring thieves....
History
Nazi Architecture: Hitler’s Grandiose Plans for Imperial Berlin
The Nazi building program, mostly unrealized, reveals the depth of Hitler’s madness. Rebuilding Berlin and planning enormous structures to glorify the German ruler’s ego wrought enormous destruction and mass relocations, causing...
Culture
Our Head Chef: How Julia Child Brought French Cooking to American Kitchens
Promoting her new cookbook on a Boston TV station, Julia Child was offered her own show and soon became a star. Her sense of fun and warm personality inspired millions to take up cooking for pleasure, igniting a revolution in the way...
Culture
‘Haute,’ ‘Nouvelle,’ ‘Fusion’: How French Cuisine Evolved into the 21st Century
Fine French dining has evolved significantly over the past century. However, the essence of French cuisine, bringing rich flavors to diners’ palates in an aesthetically pleasing way, has remained constant in today’s international fusion kitchens.
History
John Reed’s Fast Life: Journalist, Activist, and Eyewitness to the Russian Revolution
For 8 whirlwind years, John Reed was America’s foremost crusading journalist, covering...
Crime
Sordid Los Angeles: Black Dahlia, Manson, and the Wonderland Murders
Los Angeles is known for many things: sun, sand, movie stars – and grisly murders? Yes, those too. Join the time-traveling bus tour for a glimpse of crimes that defined their ages: The Black Dahlia, the Manson Family, and the...
History
A Prince on the Run: The Great Escape of England’s Charles II
After the 1651 defeat of his royalist army, Charles Stuart, Prince of Wales, was a fugitive of Oliver Cromwell’s republican troops. With a few loyal subjects, the prince barely eluded capture before finally leaving England in a boat...
Earth
Fukushima: The Costliest Disaster in History
What happened when an earthquake, a tsunami, and nuclear reactor meltdowns combined to devastate a populated region of Japan? Though lessons have been learned save lives in the future, much is still unknown and solutions are still...
History
The Enigma Machine Declassified: Beyond Bletchley Park
The Imitation Game portrays Alan Turing as the sole genius behind the breaking of the German Enigma code. The truth is that Enigma was cracked earlier by Polish mathematicians and other hidden figures not well known to the public.
Environment
The Green Cities Movement: Bringing the Jungle Back to the Concrete
The green cities movement can benefit cities’ economies, citizens’ health, and the world’s climate. Here’s an overview of the movement – its benefits, its complexities, the most successful green cities, and its risks.
History
Shakespeare’s Globe: An Elizabethan Theater Brings Thrills to Modern Audiences
The original Globe theater was where Shakespeare debuted his greatest plays. When a...
Nature
Whales: Can Rewilding Save These Keystone Species?
Whales’ wellbeing has been threatened by centuries of human activity on the seas. Now people are finding a way to defend whale territory with sanctuaries and heritage sites. Is this enough, or should we attempt “rewilding” for...
Nature
The Remarkable Return of the Wolf to Yellowstone National Park
Wolves were hunted to near extinction across the U.S., leading to ecological disaster. The 1995 release of wolves in Yellowstone Park led to an unexpected revival of animal and plant life there, along with restoration of its...
Science
Black Holes, Infinity, and Me: Getting to Know the Singularity
Black holes were once thought of as an oddity arising out of Einstein’s relativity. Now they play major roles in movies like Interstellar. Among their magical properties is the power to expand time and send nearby visitors into the...
Culture
Hen Fever! The Amazing Global History of Chickens
In the United States and elsewhere, chicken is the most popular meat. There are billions of chickens all around the world. Let’s dig in for a delightful – and delectable – ride through the history of chickens with these...
Nature
Returning Species and Green Cities: How Rewilding Can Save Nature and Ourselves
Rewilding – the process of taking dead or industrialized areas and reintroducing nature...
History
Lincoln’s Epic Rail Journey to His First Inauguration
President-elect Abraham Lincoln made a 10-day train trip from Springfield, Ill. to Washington, D.C. His speeches on the way were intended to show a moderate policy toward the South, even as a plot was discovered to kill him when he...
History
Freedom Summer and the Murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner
Three men in Mississippi were kidnapped and murdered in June 1964, awakening the nation to the horror of race-based violence and oppression affecting Blacks and civil rights workers active in their defense. This activist project was...
History
Public Relations, Mass Media, and Hate: The History of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s
The Ku Klux Klan reappeared in the 1920s, promoted by a pair of public relations...
History
The Mattachine Society & LGBTQ History
The 21st century has had rapid progress for members of the LGBTQ community. But in fact, recent advances in gay rights stand on a foundation that was laid by courageous activists and the organizations they created more than 50 years...
History
The Secretive History of the Freemasons: Brotherly Love and Conspiracy Theories
Born out of stonemasons’ leagues in the Middle Ages, Freemasons today are the subjects...
Insider
The Year in Review: MagellanTV’s Top Documentaries of 2020
This year’s picks for Best Stunning Visuals; War and Military; Science, Tech, and Space; History; and True Crime documentaries are in! Here are the best documentaries streamed this year on MagellanTV.
Technology
Big Balloons to Tiny Drones: An Overhead View of Aerial Photography
Aerial photography was a part of war for 150 years. But aerial photos have aided land use studies and transformed archeology. Now aerial cameras find ancient cities once lost in jungles, and help artists make startling images of the...
Science
Galileo the Disrupter: Father of Modern Science, Tech Entrepreneur, and Heretic
Galileo was a philosopher, experimental physicist, and astronomer. Did you know he...
Science
The Big Science of Little Bubbles
Small or large, in liquid or in gas, bubbles are crucial structures of the natural world. The study of how they form and what they do has led to amazing advances across different realms of science, from medicine and oceanography to astrophysics.
Culture
Living ‘in a Bubble’: How One Word Came to Cover Our World
Once something you’d find in soapy water, bubble was adapted in the 18th century to represent an oversold capital market. Now it’s used to describe the flow of information in the modern world. How did bubble come to define so much...
History
The Surprising History of Gift-Giving: From Chimpanzees to St. Nicholas
From the animal kingdom to the kingdom of God, gifts have been important messages of...
Mind
Science, Drugs, Death, and Deities: What’s Behind Transcendent Experiences?
Transcendent experiences are moments where we feel a sense of deep connection with the...
Cosmology
A Long Time Coming: How the Universe Will End
Astrophysicists have laid out ages that define the duration of our universe, from the opening moments of the Big Bang through our current era to the endpoint of everything, when the universe will hit its final state, 10 to the 1000...
History
Women’s Suffrage and 3 Activists Who Shaped Women’s Rights around the Globe
For decades, women around the world fought for their right to vote. Many suffragettes...
Technology
Nazi Data Science: The Dark History that Led to Modern Data Laws
Nazi data scientists provided Hitler statistics about the “undesirables” in the German Volk. For the Reich, mass murder became a big data problem solved with the help of the then-innovative technology of punched card sorters and...
History
‘All on Fire and Flaming at Once’: London’s Great Fire of 1666
In 1666, after a two-year drought, a fire consumed London in three days, destroying most...
Culture
Édouard Manet and the Revealing Gaze of Modern Art
Édouard Manet was, in key ways, the first “modern” painter. Born in Paris during great social upheaval, he reinvented traditional painting to capture the changing scenes of urban life, scandalously shifting his subjects’ gazes...
History
Crossing the Rubicon: Brutal Role Models Influenced Julius Caesar’s Rise to Power
When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon in 49 BCE, the fate of the Roman Republic had...
Nature
Top 4 Traits of a Modern Sea Monster
Recent attacks on boats by orcas recall 19th century encounters where furious sperm whales rammed and sank two whaling ships. In our closely studied natural world, can we still have sea monsters? Here are several candidates competing for the title.
Nature
Takaya the Sea Wolf: A Story of Evolution and Climate Change
Before his untimely death, Takaya, a rare and curious sea wolf from British Columbia, captivated the imagination of many – and sparked old conflicts about conservation, Indigenous sovereignty, and the fate of life on Earth.
Astronomy
From Aristotle to Einstein: How Data Drove Our Understanding of the Cosmos
Amazing discoveries about the universe arrive almost daily. But it took centuries of astronomical observation, extensive data collection, and constant repair of faulty models of the cosmos before the true majesty of the universe was...
History
Between the Haves and Have-Nots: The Radicalization of Young Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro transformed his country in Cuba’s 1959 revolution. What early influences...
History
Lincoln’s Tour of Richmond: President Risks Life in Ruins of Rebel Capital
The day after the fall of Richmond, Abraham Lincoln made an astonishing open-air tour of...
Space
Space Travel to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Often Romanticized, Seldom Understood
As we look ahead to NASA’s return to the Moon, it’s a good time to consider how far...
History
The First Way West – How the Erie Canal Formed the New American Nation
Western New York was once young America’s Wild West. Its raucous settlement set in motion changes that swept across the continent. Energizing it all was the new Erie Canal, considered far and wide to be the engineering marvel of the...
Space
Mysteries of Venus: How’s Earth’s Twin Became a Fiery Hellscape
For at least the first 200 million years of its existence, the planet Venus thrived, not unlike its nearest neighbor, Earth. But then factors combined to destroy Venus’s chances to support life, turning the planet into an 800-degree...
Nature
Reviving the American Bison – An Old Icon Returns to a New West
American bison are staging a remarkable comeback in national parks and on Native American reservations. But opposition to buffalo on public land is voiced by ranching interests that fear disease, and a restored prairie that has no...
Psychology
The Evolution of the Psychopath: How Realistic Are Your Favorite Scary Characters?
The psychopath has been an archetype throughout cinematic history, evolving over time...
Science
Why Does Eating Comfort Food Make Us Feel So Good?
Comfort foods offer many (psychological, if not physical) benefits. The dopamine release made possible by these foods confers rewards like pleasure, stress relief, and warm feelings, often accompanied by memories that may include...
Culture
Diana Vreeland: Iconic Prophet of High Fashion
Diana Vreeland brought an independent verve to American style starting in 1939 as fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar. Her magazine work gave women permission to create their own looks, and she’s revered today as fashion’s...
Technology
From Hyperloops to Maglev: Green Energy and Speed Shape the Future of Trains
Trains of the future are looking more and more advanced – and speedier – thanks to new technology like maglev, hyperloops, and clean energy solutions.
History
From Ancient Wagons to Transcontinental Rail: How Trains Shaped Humanity’s Past
Trains have changed human history in countless ways, launching events like the Industrial...
Culture
Was Shakespeare the Father of True Crime Dramas? Quite Possibly.
True crime entertainment is almost as old as printing. The first known play based on a real-life murder appeared in late 16th-century London. There’s good reason to think the anonymous, darkly funny drama was the work of young Will...
History
Peasants in Feudal England: No Pay, No Rights Led to the Revolt of 1381
An almost forgotten medieval uprising of serfs has directly improved our lives today. In the late 14th century, Wat Tyler led the English peasantry in a revolt against the harsh work life of the feudal manor. His goal: equality for...
Space
Back to the Moon, and On to Mars: The New Space Race Begins!
Are we in the midst of a new “Space Race”? It certainly seems so from all the international activity in areas such as exploration, proposed industrialization, even militarization. We’re close to having to ask the question:...
History
The First Cannes Film Festival: Canceled by War … Celebrated 80 Years Later
The Cannes Film Festival’s origin contains the makings of a great wartime thriller: a...
History
Our Carnegie Library: How a Robber Baron's Legacy Benefited One Small Town – and All of America
Andrew Carnegie was the world's richest man, hated by many for his opposition to...
Culture
What Is Whiteness? How the Idea of a 'White Race' Came to Exist in America
“Whiteness” is a relatively new category, used to describe a race that (some...
Technology
Does Our Pursuit of AI Create Bad Advice, Fake Intelligence, and Unintentional Bias?
Machines that think have long been the goal of artificial intelligence (AI) researchers....
Cinema
Charlie’s Demons: The Scandalous Life and Timeless Artistry of Charles Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin became a movie star thanks to his beloved Tramp character. But his comedy...
Culture
The Curious Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Ukulele in American Pop Music
The tiny ukulele is both a vessel of Hawaiian culture and a roving ambassador of musical...
History
The Real Alexander Hamilton: Foe of Slavery – or Enabler?
Founding Father Alexander Hamilton was opposed to slavery, yet at times of his life he participated in the institution, and even suppressed his personal opinions in order to “form a more perfect Union” by getting the U.S....
Nature
Lessons from the Hive: The Strange and Fascinating World of Bees
Honeybees live strange, miraculous lives, flying hundreds of thousands of miles to produce a single pound of honey and playing vital roles in keeping humans alive. Let’s journey through the life cycle of bees, and maybe learn...
Space
3 Women Astronauts (and a Cosmonaut) Who’ve Made Waves on Earth
For some astronauts space flight has been just one planet in their orbit of accomplishments. Let’s learn about five women astronauts who set their sights on breaking boundaries and how they accomplished those goals when they...
Technology
The Long Strange Story of Search: From Ancient Scrolls to Digital Books
Libraries have been around for more than 2000 years. And so has the problem of organizing and searching written knowledge. While Google’s search is impressive, it owes much to the ancient Greeks, writer H.G. Wells, and the Dewey...
Culture
Tripping with Cary Grant: LSD and Therapy in the 1950s, ’60s . . . and Today
Cary Grant, among the brightest movie stars of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, was also...
History
Trading Longboats for Horses: The Italian Days of the Norman Knights
Before William, Duke of Normandy conquered England and became its king, cadres of Norman mercenaries headed from their homeland in northern France to the very rich and ruthless Italian south. One family, the Hautvilles, would soon...
Culture
Saved from Irrelevance: Sinatra’s Comeback Led to the Pop LP and the Concept Album
Frank Sinatra was a towering figure in the cultural history of the 20th century. But the...
Nature
Could Mushrooms Save Humanity? The Wondrous Powers and Potential of Fungi
The world of mushrooms and fungi is more complex than most of us know. Fungal networks help plants communicate, heal human diseases, and can fight climate change and environmental destruction. Some people think fungi holds the key to...
Science
The Insect Apocalypse and Pesticides: Has Rachel Carson’s ‘Silent Spring’ Arrived?
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring sounded the warning that DDT was decimating critical...
Insider
Five Binge-Worthy Series to Feed Your Brain during Quarantine
Are you looking for a new series to binge-watch during quarantine? MagellanTV’s got you covered. From medical discoveries to paranormal mysteries to the wildest places on Earth, here are our top five picks for your...
Phenomena
Flying Saucers and Extraterrestrial Visitors? A Brief History of UFOs
The Pentagon just confirmed three UFO sightings, but humans have been reporting UFOs for a long time. From Roswell and beyond, here’s a glimpse into the world of the flying saucer.
History
Move Over, COVID: 4 Past Pandemics that Plagued History
Since the beginning of human history, people have been fighting off diseases and epidemics. Our current struggle against COVID-19 is yet another example, and it follows a familiar pattern. Let’s explore four other pandemics that...
Earth
The Overview Effect: How Seeing Earth from Space Changes Lives—and Inspired a Movement
The Overview Effect is the feeling of connection that astronauts experience when seeing...
Science
Questioning the Mysteries of the Universe? Jim al-Khalili Might Have Your Answers
In documentaries exploring disorder in the universe, nothingness, and gravity, scientist...
Earth
5 Global Impacts of Melting Polar Ice Caps
Climate change is impacting the basic systems of the planet. Shifts in temperatures and weather patterns around the globe are being set off by the rapid disappearance of polar sea ice. Here are five major impacts to the Earth set off...
Earth
Overpopulation in the Era of Climate Change
Overpopulation is a root cause of climate change. Reducing the rate of population growth is crucial to the fight to bring global warming under control. However, governments are reluctant to acknowledge the link, and we are running out...
Nature
Tornadoes: Just a North American Phenomena?
What are tornadoes, and do they only occur in North America? Let’s look at how and where twisters form, how powerful they can become, and why “Tornado Alley” is where the action is for the scientists and thrill-seekers who...
Earth
Climate Change and Coronavirus: Two Crises, One Solution?
Coronavirus and climate change are different catastrophes, but plans like the Green New Deal could move the economy away from fossil fuels while also combatting COVID-19.
Science
Successes and Shortfalls: Have We Forgotten Lessons Learned in the Fight Against Ebola?
Although our awareness of the deadly Ebola virus dates back only to about 2014, recorded...
Technology
World Wide Brain: H.G. Wells and Google’s Most Ambitious Failure
Inspired by H. G. Wells’ World Brain concept, Google once tried to consolidate all the...
Crime
Slipping Through the Crack: How Biases Let Women Psychopaths and Criminals Go Unnoticed
Are women less likely to be psychopaths and criminals, or have biases in both medical and...
History
Feminist Progress – and Pushback: 50 Years Since the Women’s Strike for Equality
This year, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of a milestone in the progress of the...
History
The Myth of Calamity Jane: Gender Defier, Prostitute, and Legend of the Wild West
Calamity Jane is a legendary heroine of the Wild West. The stories of her gender-bending...
Science
Lise Meitner: The Pacifist Whose Breakthrough Led to the Atomic Bomb
Lise Meitner played an instrumental role in the research that led to nuclear fission and, soon after, to the creation of the atomic bomb. But she had deep misgivings about her research being used for destruction, preferring peaceful...
History
Heads Will Roll: The Life and Death of Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Queen of Scots served as queen of multiple kingdoms before she was dethroned for her faith and the controversies that followed her in life. She was Catholic in the face of Protestantism and made enemies along the way. That is,...
War
Woman at War: Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the Sniper Who Shot Down Gender Norms
Meet Lady Death – the Ukrainian sniper, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, who shot down as many...
Astronomy, Space
4 Women Astronomers Who Blazed a Trail to the Future of Women in Science
Women are increasingly prominent in the field of astronomy, but haven’t always been. Here are four pioneering women astronomers who cleared a path for others.
Art
4 Women Impressionist Artists: Confronting Barriers in the Avant-Garde
Marie Bracquemond, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Berthe Morisot – these painters, all affiliated with the Impressionist art movement, have not received the attention given their male peers. Could it have been institutional sexism...
History
Who Was the Real Pocahontas?
Popularized by the Disney film, the story of Pocahontas is a crown jewel of American folklore. But was any of it true, or was the tale invented by European colonizers like John Smith to justify their exploitation and domination of the New World?
Contemporary
Litigation Nation: 4 Wacky, Ridiculous and Weird American Lawsuits
Necessary or frivolous? In a society where “I’ll sue you” is a common threat, the legal system gets inundated with potential cases. Sometimes these cases are tragic and the pursuit of justice is necessary. Other times, they’re...
History
The Inquisition’s First Victims: 'Kill Them. For the Lord Knows Who Are His'
The Cathars were anti-materialistic Christians in 12th-century southern France. In the...
Crime
The Darker Side of Shopping: What Is the Black Market (and What Strange Things Are for Sale)?
The Black Market is known as the go-to spot for all things illegal and dark. In some...
Science
From Animal to Human: The History of Coronaviruses
People around the world are concerned about the new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, first identified in Wuhan, China. But this is not the first coronavirus in humans, nor is it the most deadly. Coronaviruses in humans run from the annoying...
Technology
Sex, Love, and Robots: The Ethics and Emotions of Artificial Relationships
From science fiction to the reality of robotic wives and therapists, artificial...
Science
Can Quantum Physics Teach Us About God and Ourselves?
Quantum physics is complex and fascinating. It also bears many similarities to certain religious philosophies. Could it help bridge the gap between science and faith?
Health
The Skinny on Fat Cells: They're Just Another Body Tissue
Body fat is often scrutinized when evaluating health and diet, but what exactly is it? Fat cells provide nutrients, and regulate temperatures and hormonal changes in the body.
History
How Hitler and the Nazis Stole Art (and Profited from the Crime)
Out of 600,000 works of art stolen or looted by the Nazis during WWII, more than 100,000 are still unaccounted for. Nazi collaborators, even in Allied countries, helped the Nazis profit off this crime and were rewarded handsomely for...
History
Cold War Capers: Salyut-7 and the Bitter Memory of Submarine K-129
During the Cold War, the geopolitical stakes could not have been higher. But no episode combined audacity with deep secrecy and paranoia like the U.S. attempt to raise a sunken Soviet submarine, the K-129 from the depths of the...
Media
A 'Daily Miracle': The Pressures of Newspaper Production (and the Pleasures of the Printed Page)
The technology of producing newspapers has evolved a lot in the past 300 years, and reading habits have changed, too. But have we lost anything essential as the forms of news delivery have evolved? Let’s investigate the history of reading the news.
Nature
Pack Hunters of the Far North: How Arctic Wolves Struggle to Survive and Thrive
Arctic wolves, close relatives of the majestic grey wolf, inhabit territory so far north...
Science
Meet Hannah Fry, the Documentarian Merging Math and Romance
Dr. Hannah Fry is a renowned mathematician whose research offers a window into everything from personal success to love to algorithms. Let’s get to know her.
History
The Rise of Catherine the Great – In Life and Legend
Catherine the Great’s rise to power was marked by intrigue, betrayals, and other court chicanery. But from these roots arose a leader who reigned over three decades, ruling the vast Russian empire with achievements to rival any of...
Crime
Serial Killers In America: Quotes From The Darkest Criminal Minds
Serial killers have always been a subject of both curiosity and fear. Though motives of serial killers are as various as their grisly crimes, we can begin to understand the inner workings of their minds by evaluating the words they...
War
World War III Flashpoint: Iran
With the collapse of the Iran Nuclear Deal, will Iran proceed with its nuclear weapons program? If so, is there a way to block it without sparking an all-out war – a conflict that could escalate to World War III? Let’s take a look into the...
History
Why Does the Western New Year Start January 1? Credit Rome
January 1 starts the new year in most parts of the world, but why is this so? How did the Western calendar develop, and what are the meanings of the months? We go back to the days of the Roman empire to find out the reasons behind the...
Insider
The Year in Review: MagellanTV’s Top Documentaries of 2019
With 2019 coming to an end, the team at MagellanTV reflected back on all of our viewers’ favorite documentaries. History, war, nature, and beyond – you’ve streamed a lot. But which films and series were the most loved? Check out...
Insider
Producer Circle Update: Gift Cards and Offline Viewing
Read on for an insider look into new features on the drawing board for MagellanTV, and help guide our 2020 objectives with this month’s Producer Circle update.
History
Holy Grail or Medieval Fake: A Timeline of the Shroud of Turin Controversy
The Shroud of Turin was thought to be Jesus’s burial cloth. Scientists called it a hoax – until their studies were critiqued. Now, the Shroud remains an enduring mystery that sheds light on old questions and erodes the line...
Health
A History of Poppies: How One Flower Advanced Medicine (and Fueled the Opioid Epidemic)
Poppies are the source of many opioid drugs, medications that bind to the areas of the...
Nature
Hawai‘i to Mt. Tambora: Volcano Eruptions and Their Creative Destruction
Volcanoes are among the most destructive natural forces on Earth. How are volcanoes...
Art
Seeing through Art: Waldemar Janusczcak’s Iconoclastic Vision
Viewing art can be a solitary, sometimes confounding experience. Waldemar Januszczak is seeking to change that by hosting TV documentaries on art that feature his accessible yet iconoclastic style, making art lively, never stodgy, for...
Holidays
Enjoy the Holidays with MagellanTV! Grumplestein’s Picks for Scrooges
Christmas is just around the corner, and our in-house Grump has some observations and reminiscences he wants to get off his chest – along with a few recommendations of MagellanTV documentaries to bring the holiday season into your...
History
The Fall of Greece and the Rise of Rome: The Role of Pyrrhus and His “Pyrrhic Victories”
The Hellenistic period (323 to 30 BCE) following Alexander the Great saw the decline of...
Space
Salyut-7 and The New Cold War
More than three decades ago, the United States and the U.S.S.R. nearly came to blows over a disabled Soviet space station called Salyut-7. Or did they?
Technology
Status Update: How Zuckerberg’s Algorithm Determines What You See on Facebook
With 2.8 billion users, Facebook is a fact of life. Have you ever wondered exactly how it...
Space
The Cosmic Origins of Our Celestial Home: How Birth of Planet Earth Turns Our Gaze to the Heavens
How did the Solar System form, and how did Earth become the only planet where life has...
Technology
Leveling Up: New Research Reveals Four Surprising Psychological Benefits of Video Games
Gaming has become a large part of society, and billions of hours are being spent on...
History
Making Something Out of Nothing: The History of Zero (from Babylon to Outer Space)
One minus one is zero. Simple, right? This wasn’t always the case, as with Roman...
Culture
Alice in Wonderland’s Hidden Satire: Math Slips Down the Rabbit Hole
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has delighted readers since its 1865 publication. But most readers don’t know that author Charles Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, was a math professor. That fact allows new interpretations of many of...
Culture
Portals to Other Worlds: Where Stonehenge, Harry Potter, and Dark Matter Meet
From Alice in Wonderland to Harry Potter, portals are everywhere in fiction and could...
Technology
“A War of Currents”: The Real Story of Thomas Edison and the Invention of the Electric Chair
A battle of titans named Edison and Westinghouse sparked the invention of the supposedly...
Ghosts
I See Dead People: How (and Why) Our Minds Conjure Ghosts
Ghost hunting documentaries have never been more popular. But why do so many of us see ghosts, and why are we so fascinated with them? Science may have some answers
Religion
Drunken Tales from the Bible: Overdoing it to Biblical Proportions
Accounts of drunkenness abound in the Bible, which rewards moderate use of alcohol for social purposes but strongly condemns the overuse and misuse of alcohol. Lot and Noah both suffer the consequences of inebriation, and the...
Mystery
4 Spooky Documentary Playlists to Stream on MagellanTV this Halloween
We love Halloween at MagellanTV! That’s why we’ve compiled a playlist of spooky documentaries to stream, just in time for the season. Ghosts, monsters, witches, and more – we’ve got you covered. These ten chilling...
Science
The Very Long Odds of Life on Planet Earth
For Earth to foster life required many processes to happen in the right order and time. Had Earth formed elsewhere in our Solar System, it might not have been the beneficiary of some lucky breaks that made it into the thriving planet...
Insider
Producer Circle Update: Captions, Platforms, and Gifts
From new platforms to improved speed and captions, the MagellanTV team has been hard at work improving the member experience and usability of our apps. Here’s what’s been happening behind the scenes, and what to expect in the...
History
Goddesses of the Ancient World: Legends of Powerful Religious Deities
From Sumer to Egypt to India, the world’s most ancient civilizations often worshiped powerful female goddesses and religious leaders – but even they had to fight for equality.
History
Ancient Tech: The Amazing Inventions of Hero of Alexandria
Our great age of technology and scientific advancement is hardly the first. In ancient Alexandria, one great mind of that era, Hero, is responsible for several amazing mechanical and technological inventions involving water, steam,...
Culture
Frankenstein, Sherlock, and Alice: How Timeless Literary Characters Have Shaped Our World
While many stories have earned recognition as influential classics, let’s look at three...
Culture
Cannabis Legalization: What the Data Says about its Risks and Benefits
Cannabis has changed culture in the U.S. and other areas where laws have shifted. More adults smoke, and the public is more accepting. But with this societal evolution comes scrutiny, and the list of acknowledged risks of marijuana is...
History
Pyramids, Sphinxes, and Aliens? The Mysteries of Ancient Egypt’s Architecture and Engineering
The ancient Egyptian civilization created some of the most miraculous architectural and engineering miracles ever. From the Sphinx to the Pyramid of Giza, from ink to agricultural tools, here’s a look at how (and why) they did it.
Culture
Blind Faith: Religious Forgeries from the Middle Ages to the Age of Technology
Artifacts and relics have always been fascinating to the people who find or buy them....
Science
How the Towers Fell: Science and Engineering Reveal the Facts of 9/11
The events of September 11, 2001, are seared into the memories of all who witnessed it, including the horrific spectacle of the twin towers’ collapse. Engineering allows us now to understand how the towers fell, and how to avoid a...
History
Magic and Hysteria: The History of Witch Hunts Through the Ages
You might be familiar with the Salem Witch Trials or the witch hunts that overtook Europe in the Middle Ages, but witch hunts have ancient roots. They also share many root causes, including misogyny, economic insecurity, and more.
Technology
Aviation Software: Is Safety Flying 2nd Class?
“Fly-by-Wire” requires extensive use of aviation software, which must be carefully evaluated to meet FAA safety standards. Recent crashes of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft raise the question whether companies and regulators can keep up...
History
Sex and Violence in Rome: Caligula’s Empire and the Salacious Rumors that Built It
Caligula was Rome’s third emperor, and the first to be assassinated. While the start of...
History
The Wright Brothers vs. Everyone Else: How American Aviation Nearly Crashed on Take-Off
The Wright Brothers revolutionized early aviation in 1903 with the first flyable...
Crime
Jack the Ripper and Other Notorious Cold Cases: Our Obsession with Unsolved True Crime
From Jack the Ripper to the Zodiac Killer, from Black Dahlia to JonBenét Ramsey,...
Culture
Anniversary Overload: 50 Years Since 1969's Woodstock, Altamont, Manson and the Moon
1969 was a year of signal events in popular culture. From Woodstock to Altamont, from the...
Crime
Mental Health Behind Bars: Treatment and Rehabilitation in the Criminal Justice System
Millions of criminals with mental health issues are incarcerated each year, but...
Climate
Endangered African Forests Fuel Climate Change
Our planet’s long-term health depends on moderating natural and human-made processes that lead to global warming and habitat destruction. Deforestation in Africa and elsewhere threatens land conservation and increases the level of...
Nature
America’s Beloved National Parks Risk Being Annihilated by Climate Change
America’s national parks are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and the political prominence of climate deniers isn’t helping. But the parks could also be essential in helping us fight against...
History
Time Travelers: How Living Historians and Re-enactors Bring the Past to Life
The art of Living History and historical re-enactors might be the closest we’ll ever...
Nature
‘If It Can Kill You, That’s the Best’: The Origins of Shark Week
Shark Week premieres Sunday, July 28. And what can we expect? Plenty of chills and...
Space
The Cost of Weightlessness: How Space Travel Can Affect the Human Body and Mind
While space travel seems out of this world, it comes with a cost. Each mission has...
Space
Buy Me to the Moon: The Money and Politics of Owning Outer Space
Who owns the Moon? Technically no one – but several private companies and individuals have had other ideas. As interest in the Moon’s profit potential grows, important questions about the finer details of celestial territory...
Space
NASA’s Return to the Moon
NASA is planning a return to crewed missions and it’s starting out with a big bang – landing astronauts on the surface of the Moon by 2024. This effort is supported by an enhanced budget, plus new alliances with corporations and foreign...
History
The Space Race's Indispensable Man: Wernher von Braun
In the Space Race between the U.S. and U.S.S.R., America relied on the rocket designs of Wernher von Braun. Sometimes called the “Father of Space Travel,” von Braun was also behind Hitler’s “Vengeance” weapon, the V-2...
Science
Made in a Hollywood Basement? Cultural and Psychological Roots of Moon Landing Conspiracy Theories
The Apollo moon landings were massive achievements for technology and science....
Space
Apollo’s New Moon: The Director’s Take
Apollo’s New Moon writer/director David Sky Brody discusses aspects of this MagellanTV original film, and the importance of the Apollo missions in revolutionizing knowledge about the Moon, including its composition and how it was...
Space
Moon Work Was Hard Work: Apollo’s Astronauts Didn’t Have It Easy
Working on the Moon was no walk in the park for the Apollo astronauts. From bulky space suits to toxic space dust, the challenges were many. But the astronauts overcame the obstacles and didn’t let anything stop them from...
Culture
5 Revealing Documentaries About Sex and Gender
Meet Canada’s first trans beauty queen and explore various ways to live outside the “gender binary” of stereotypical male/female distinctions. To mark Pride Month, let’s take a look at some films showing the broad diversity of...
Culture
Sacred Brews: A History of Coffee and Religion
The first known coffee drinkers were Sufi mystics in Yemen, who used coffee to stay awake during their long prayers. Since then, coffee has held a prominent position in Islam, Christianity, paganism, and more.
History
Light and Dark: Two Legacies of the History of Coffee
Coffee is ubiquitous in the U.S. and around the world, but how did this drug-bearing plant enter so fully into our cultural life? The history of coffee reveals both the light and dark sides of coffee production and our caffeinated...
Astronomy
The Complex Evolution Of The Telescope
Galileo is recognized as the first man to use a telescope to gaze at the stars and planets. But since then, his hand-constructed telescope and its advances have only made it more clear how much today’s astronomers are indebted to...
Science
Cinder Cone Volcano Facts: Living Fast & Dying Young
Cinder cone volcanoes are the smallest and simplest volcanoes, but they’re also among the most exciting. From sudden eruptions in farmers’ fields to cinder cones on Mars, these volcanoes’ feature fascinating origins and dramatic...
War
Bravery from Above: The Paratroopers of D-Day
Paratroopers played a critical role in the eventual success of the 3-month-long battle that began on June 6, 1944 – marked in history as D-Day – 75 years ago. But who were they? Let’s learn more about these soldiers and what...
War
Landing Craft, Mulberries, and Ruperts: How Equipment and Deception Shaped D-Day
D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the culmination of intensive planning and the use of new...
War
From German Jets to Double Agents: 5 Ways D-Day Could Have Been a Disaster for the Allies
D-Day was a pivotal moment in world history – but it almost didn’t succeed. From...
War
War Correspondents: Risking It All for the Story
It’s a dangerous world for war correspondents, and getting riskier by the day. Reporter Lara Logan was brutally attacked in a 2011 Egypt demonstration yet survived. She is but one example of the many risks undertaken by these...
Nature
Narwhals, Unicorns of the Sea: When Myth Meets Reality
Narwhals, often referred to as the “unicorns of the sea,” are a strange, single-tusked species of whale. Despite being thought of as mythical or magical, these Arctic natives have had a role not just in Inuit history but also in...
Nature
Facts about Shield Volcanoes: A Trip on the Lava Train
Shield volcanoes are distinct from other volcanoes due to their sheer massiveness and the unique manner in which they erupt: effusively, not explosively. Come on a vicarious ride from beneath the Earth’s crust right up to the...
Nature
Towers of Terror: What Are Composite Volcanoes and How Do They Form?
Composite volcanoes, or stratovolcanoes, are the world’s most common and destructive types of volcanoes. When they erupt, they can change the world. Examples of this type include Vesuvius, St. Helens, and Krakatoa, among others that...
History
From Chinese Origins to Gutenberg's Bible: How the Invention of the Printing Press Changed the World
Most of us associate the name Johannes Gutenberg with the invention of the printing...
War
Secrets and Hollow Promises: How World War I Gave Rise to Arab Nationalism
The Middle East was an active theater of conflict during WWI. Following the war it was treated as spoils of war by the West, despite promises made for Arab self-determination. Arab nationalism arose in reaction, and its effects...
Culture
Polish Musical Nationalism – from Chopin to Right-Wing Rap
Nationalism has changed dramatically since its formation during the Enlightenment era. In the 1830s, Polish composer Frédéric Chopin made his musical mark as a defender of freedom. Today, neo-nationalism has a much different spin in...
Health
The Flexible Brain: Neuroplasticity’s Revolutionary Potential for Training and Healing
The human brain is extraordinary, and the skills we learn as humans seem limitless. But...
Science
Overpopulation Has a Solution: But Can We Get There?
Lowering the birth rate may be the “magic bullet” for addressing current and future climate and population emergencies. But governments are not always in alignment with scientific recommendations. How can we proceed for the health...
Health
Good Vibrations: How Sound Therapy Could Cure Depression, Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and More
Though it’s sometimes written off as New-Agey magic, sound healing is being used to...
History
Notorious to Courageous: Women of the Bible
Women in the Bible play many roles, and while few actually make it into the spotlight, the ones who do leave their mark. But who are some of the more famous - and infamous - ones? Learn who these women are, and what it is that makes...
Nature
What Are “Endangered” Species? (And How You Can Help Save Them)
Endangered and threatened species face possible extinction. Leading the effort to save...
History
How Alexander Became Great: From Child of Zeus to God of Egypt
Alexander entered Egypt in 332 BCE, liberating it from the Persians and advancing his ultimate goal of conquering the entire Persian Empire. In the process, he transformed Egypt, and that land also elevated him to the status of a...
Space
7 Threats Mars Colonizers Are Sure to Face in Outer Space
Humans appear to be on the verge of setting out in large numbers into space on commercial flights. Space visionaries are promoting these journeys as essential next steps for the human race, but other scientific minds express caution....
Crime
Raising a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Ted Bundy and the Making of a Serial Killer
Ted Bundy is one of history’s most notorious serial killers, and fascination surrounds...
Nature
From Sexy Maneuvers to Great Migrations, High-Speed Cameras Reveal Hummingbird Secrets
New scientific discoveries unlock the secrets of hummingbird behavior and shine a light...
History
The Hidden Legacy of the Homestead Act
The Homestead Act conjures images of the dusty plains and old west, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. The Homestead Act was a groundbreaking piece of progressive legislation with a legacy of technology innovation still felt...
War
Nuclear Weapons: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
During the Cold War, accidents and other incidents involving nuclear weapons were more common than many people know, but the bombs didn’t go off. How close have we come to nuclear war, and how was it averted? Is nuclear catastrophe...
Insider
Survey of Americans’ Documentary Watching Habits Might Surprise You
At MagellanTV we love documentaries, but does the American public share our passion? To find out we asked 1,027 Americans men and women about their documentary consumption patterns.
Science
Are Plants Intelligent? Surprising Evidence that Plants Can Feel
Researchers into plant life are continually discovering amazing facts concerning plant adaptations and their ability to “sense” their surroundings. However, some botanists resist identifying plants as “intelligent.”...
Science
Getting Into Your Genes: Gay Sexuality & 'Natural Selection'
Research into homosexuality has led to interesting and sometimes surprising discoveries, as well as to previously unconsidered questions about the balance between nature and nurture in a person’s sexual orientation.
Space
How We Learned the Night Sky is a Time Machine
Have you met Jim al-Khalili? (You’re about to.) He is a UK-based theoretical physicist and also a talented interpreter of technical science for people like us – sort of a British version of Neil DeGrasse Tyson or Bill Nye, the...
Contemporary
Tangled in the Web: Cyberbullying and Its Effects on Kids
Effects of cyberbullying are pernicious, serious, and long-lasting. Half of all teens with Internet access report to researchers that they’ve been cyberbullied, but 90 percent of those say they never reported it to parents or...
Crime
Cut and Run: The Black Market in Organ Trafficking
Black markets have been created across the world for illegal organ transplants. Mostly in severely poor, developing nations with incompetent or corrupt oversight, this trade is allowed to thrive despite its risk of lasting damage,...
Nature
Tsunamis: What, How, Why, Where
Tsunamis are among the most destructive natural disasters on Earth. What are these enormous waves that roll in from the ocean? How do they form? Why do tsunamis cause so much damage? And where are we most vulnerable to their...
Insider
Viewers’ Favorite Documentaries of 2018
2018 is coming to a close. Before it ends, let’s remember some of the highlights. You watched a lot of documentaries, but which stood out from the rest? Here are the top 10 most watched documentaries of 2018 – a list created by...
History
Absolutely Bananas: The Story of Entrepreneur Sam Zemurray
Think you know bananas? Meet Sam “the Banana Man” – the immigrant who founded his own banana empire, manipulated Central American governments, and took control of one of the largest banana distributors in the world – the...
Contemporary
Copyright in the Digital Age: 4 Eye-Opening Cases
In our digital age, artwork and other creative content can travel rapidly from author to user. But sometimes those users exploit digital content in ways unauthorized by copyright owners. Let’s explore examples of this new kind of...
Science, Science
Life Obsessed: What Is OCD?
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is a psychological condition that affects around 3% of the population – across all ages, races, and genders. But what is OCD, who is at risk, and why does it develop? Here’s what it means to live a life obsessed.
Science
Psychopath or Sociopath: What’s the Difference?
Psychopath or sociopath? While some use the terms interchangeably, there are clear differences between them that have been debated among psychologists. Let’s take a look at what defines the two. You may be surprised by what you...
Mystery
Very Superstitious: 5 Popular Superstitions in Today’s America
Superstitions have been common throughout history all around the world. But how much do they influence our everyday life? Let’s take a look at five of the most popular superstitions in America. Maybe you even practice some of these,...
History
Hawai‘i: A State, or a Nation?
Uncovering Hawai‘i’s history reveals an unexpected tale of 19th century American empire-building and a tradition of native resistance that runs counter to Hawai‘i’s status as America’s 50th state. Let’s examine the roots...
Nature
Scary Creatures: A Coward's List
Certain animals evoke revulsion and fear in billions of people, from Sakhalin Island to Timbuktu, Sydney to Sarasota. What fierce creatures would you least like to encounter up close and personal? Our timid but cantankerous...
World War III Flashpoint: North Korea
Has anything important changed since Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un first met? Kim still has his nukes, and the U.S. wants him to give them up. World War III is not the solution. Maybe the better move is just to get used to a...
Warfare
The Psychology of Propaganda: War Tool Turned Marketing Tactic
“Propaganda” and “war” generally go hand in hand. After World War I, however, propaganda became a marketing tool no longer reserved for posters of the enemy and national spirit. It evolved to become the calculated manipulation...
Music
Mozart's Problem With Authority
Mozart’s resistance to authority led to one of his less recognized impacts: a lasting change in composing as an occupation and music as an industry.
World War III Flashpoint: Taiwan
With China ascendant, the era of the United States as the world’s lone superpower may be ending. Where is a flashpoint that could draw the two nations into a military conflict that might escalate into a global conflagration?
Space
Journeys To Jupiter - 2001: A Space Odyssey Turns 50
Fifty years ago, Stanley Kubrick released his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, a classic tale of an epic journey to Jupiter. Let’s take a look back at Kubrick’s masterpiece. From today’s perspective, what was prescient – and what...
World War III Flashpoint: Cyberspace
The world wars of the 20th century were fought by soldiers, sailors, and airmen in clashes of steel across defined geographical battlefields. World War III, however, could well be fought in the realm of cyberspace.
Space
How the Apollo Moon Missions Changed Our Understanding of the Solar System
Find out how Apollo 11 and the manned moon missions that followed shaped the ongoing debate over moon formation theories, and how the first man to step on the moon played a part in what we know today.
Science
Hawking to Humanity: We Must Venture Into Space, Or Else!
No less a thinker than the late Stephen Hawking sought to warn us that our time is running out on planet Earth. Humankind’s continued existence requires us to prepare for mass space travel.
Science
Overpopulation: Myth, Reality, or Both?
Is the human population growing? Yes. Will overpopulation eventually threaten our species? Some leading experts say, “No.” There are many worries about overpopulation, but modern demographers have deflated several of them.
Health
7 Ways BMI is Useless, 6 Better Alternatives, & 5 Reasons to Stick With BMI Anyway
The BMI, or “body mass index,” is a common method to assess body composition. But how...
History
The Age of Greece: Rise and Decline of the Ancient Greek City-States
Greece is one in a constellation of ancient cultures that formed the foundations of Western civilization. In this timeline, we’ll mark the rise of Greece from its preliterate beginnings to its decline and eventual fall to Rome’s...
Nature
Snakes in the Everglades! Pythons Threaten Florida's Ecosystem
If you live in Florida, you probably already know from first-hand experience what I’m about to tell you. There are a lot of unusual fauna all across Florida, but the most concentrated area for large, bizarre, crawly things is the...
History
Tools of the Neolithic Era: Inventing a New Age
The Neolithic Era was the final stage of technological development for prehistoric humans. Read more about Neolithic tools from this study of Neolithic history.
Space
Planet 9 Coming Into Focus (And Maybe Planet 10, Too!)
A Caltech team is on the hunt for hidden planets. Building on research first published in 2016, they amassed enough unsexy but compelling evidence to book time at the Subaru Telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea and initiate a search for...
Space
Jupiter's Stormy Weather: Juno Reveals More Than the Eye Can See
The Juno probe has revealed Jupiter's majestic weather patterns in amazing detail. But are Jupiter's colors really that dynamic? It turns out, no. But just because these images utilize "false color" doesn't mean they're "fake news."
Culture
Encroaching Silence: The Impact of Deafness on Beethoven and His Music
Ludwig van Beethoven’s music includes some of the most memorable, profound, and beautiful compositions of all time. But for much of his career he was unable to listen to what he had written.
Culture
Beethoven and His Father: Alcoholism and the Gifted Child
Ludwig van Beethoven was among the greatest composers in history, yet is often seen as a moody, dark genius. What does his childhood tell us about him?
culture
Mozart and The Musical Flowering of the Age of Enlightenment
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart came to fame during the Age of Enlightenment, and his compositions were informed by this spirit. But in fact, whether we would even have some of his most beloved operas without the guiding principles of the...
culture
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: His Life, His Death, His Immortality
In a life of only 35 years, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart created an extraordinary volume of memorable work that will be performed for as long as we appreciate the genius of timeless music. But who was Mozart really? What path did he walk...
Nature
Plastic Pollution in the Ocean: What You Can Do About It
Conservationists are alarmed by masses of floating plastic garbage that endanger our oceans, including one they have dubbed the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” Finding new strategies for mitigating the threat posed by these patches...
Nature
Whale Sharks: Why the World's Biggest Fish is in a Struggle For Survival
Will space-age technology help save the largest fish on Earth – the whale shark? Despite their size, whale sharks are threatened by overfishing and the appalling practice of “finning.” Organizations now exist to educate...