MilkandCookies - David Attenborough

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 441 Comments: 2

The Blue Planet: The Deep Broadcast September 2001, this program explores the unknown depths of the ocean. RT 48:40. Over 60% of the sea is more than a mile deep and it forms the planet's most mysterious habitat. A sperm whale descends 1,000 meters to look for food and is followed. On the way down, a number of unusual creatures are witnessed, such as transparent squid and jellies, whose photophores give pulsating displays of colour. In such dark places, both being able to see (or sense movement) and the means of quick concealment are equally desirable. To that end, some use bioluminescence as a means of detecting food or evading predators. A descent to the very bottom of the ocean — some 4,000 metres — reveals life even at such cold temperatures, much of it new to science. It is dominated by echinoderms that sweep the sea bed; however, there are occasional large hunters, such as chimaera. In addition, sixgill sharks can grow up to eight metres in length and have remained unchanged for 150 million years. They are described as "living fossils" and relatively little is known about them. As the continental slope flattens out it joins the abyssal plain, which can form huge trenches. At seven miles, the deepest is the Mariana trench, and fish have been found there right down to the very bottom. Attenborough remarks that more is known about the surface of the moon. Species captured on film for the first time include the Dumbo octopus and the hairy anglerfish. This episode was nominated for two Emmy Award for oustanding sound editing and outstanding sound mixing in the non-fiction category. It was also nominanted for a BAFTA TV award for Best Innovation. User: spam_vigilante May 7, 2008 6:46 PM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 269 Comments: 2

BBC Planet Earth: Mountains Sir David Attenborough narrates this 46:59 documentary and second in the acclaimed series. All the main mountain ranges are explored with extensive aerial photography. Ethiopia's Erta Ale is the longest continually erupting volcano — for over 100 years. On the nearby highlands, geladas (the only primate whose diet is almost entirely of grass) inhabit precipitous slopes nearly three miles up, in troops that are 800-strong: the most numerous of their kind. Alongside them live the critically endangered walia ibex, and both species take turns to act as lookout for predatory Ethiopian wolves. The Andes have the most volatile weather and guanacos are shown enduring a flash blizzard, along with an exceptional group sighting of the normally solitary puma. The Alpine summits are always snow-covered, apart from that of the Matterhorn, which is too sheer to allow it to settle. Grizzly bear cubs emerge from their den for the first time in the Rockies, while Himalayan inhabitants include rutting markhor, golden eagles that hunt migrating demoiselle cranes, and the rare snow leopard. At the eastern end of the range, the giant panda cannot hibernate due to its poor nutriment of bamboo and one of them cradles its week-old cub. Also shown is the Earth's biggest mountain glacier: the Baltoro in Pakistan, which is 43 miles long and visible from space. Planet Earth Diaries demonstrates the difficulty of obtaining the first ever close-up footage of the snow leopards: a process which took over a year. User: spam_vigilante May 6, 2008 7:10 AM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 186 Comments: 0

The Blue Planet: Coral Seas Documentary narrated by Sir David Attenborough, RT 48:33. First broadcast October 17, 2001, this instalment is about coral reefs, which are so crowded that they play host to a perpetual battle for space, even among the coral itself. It starts life as a larva that becomes a polyp. Having multiplied, it hardens into a limestone skeleton and grows to form a reef. As the community flourishes, animals develop relationships with one another and such a place can feature a huge variety of ocean life. Although corals feed nocturnally on plankton, sunlight is vital because even though they are animals, each contains millions of single-celled algae. This in turn is the favoured sustenance of the humphead parrotfish, whose jaws are so powerful that it erodes much of the reef into fine sand. Algae also grows on the top of the reef and a battle for grazing rights between shoals of powder blue and convict tangs is shown, the former being initially overwhelmed by the latter's weight of numbers before regaining the upper hand. The night-time hunting of a marbled ray alerts other predators and a group of whitetip reef sharks moves in, from which few are safe. Several breeding strategies are examined, including the acrobatic habits of brown surgeonfish and the colourful courtship of the flamboyant cuttlefish. Humpback whales are visitors to the reef and males establish their seniority by the loudness and strength of their song. Being fixed to the seabed, corals must synchronise their reproduction with lunar phases and the rising spring temperatures. User: spam_vigilante May 6, 2008 4:15 AM

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 392 Comments: 0

The Blue Planet: Frozen Seas Originally broadcast October 3, 2001, this episode compares oceanic life in the Arctic and Antarctica. RT 48:39. The winter in these regions brings temperatures of minus 50°C and frozen seas that create the biggest challenge. However, there are polynyas in the Arctic, which are free of ice owing to the pressure of currents on either side, and such places do provide refuge for some species, like the walrus and the bowhead whale. A pod of belugas is shown: their movements are limited to a single hole in the ice — therefore putting them at risk of attack from polar bears. Everything changes with the arrival of summer, when melting ice brings a variety of migratory visitors. At the other end of the planet, in the Antarctic, winter is even more harsh, but emperor penguins and Weddell seals stay throughout. Under the sea ice, krill shrink in size and revert to their juvenile form in order to save energy. Chinstrap penguins overwinter to the north, beyond the ice, but return during the spring to breed. Having managed to get ashore, they have to walk a great distance to find a nest site, and the most favoured is Zavodovski Island, an active volcano whose warmth keeps ice from forming. Further south, as the icebergs break up, humpback and minke whales appear, their target the abundant krill. The leopard seal is the Antarctic's top predator. It is most effective underwater, and emperor penguins propel themselves at speed through its territory. Nonetheless, it almost invariably makes a kill. User: spam_vigilante May 5, 2008 2:35 AM

Headline Tag: Television Rating: Amazing Hits: 442 Comments: 1

Planet Earth: The Caves Sir David Attenborough narrates the second in this breathtaking series. RT 47:53. Many of the mysteries of the underground cavities are revealed and many new questions raised. User: spam_vigilante May 4, 2008 5:42 AM

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 202 Comments: 0

David Attenborough: Orangutans David Attenborough explains the social lives and the intelligence of this species of great ape. From The Life of Mammals: Food for Thought. User: White_Wolf Apr 12, 2008 1:41 PM

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 1008 Comments: 2

David Attenborough: Clever Caterpillars Sir David Attenborough describes how a larval insect protects itself from predator birds when eating a leaf. User: spam_vigilante Apr 6, 2008 8:27 AM

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 949 Comments: 7

Dawkins & Attenborough: Evolution of Wings Professor Richard Dawkins and Sir David Attenborough explain the evolution of the wing. Dawkins does so in response to Creationists' claims that there's no such thing as evolution. User: White_Wolf Apr 3, 2008 5:02 AM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 438 Comments: 0

Lost Worlds: The Rare Glimpses Sir David Attenborough presents the last of the four part series, Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives. RT 39:35, originally broadcast in April 1989. Four famous locations that have the most suitable conditions for fossilisation are explored. Not only are common animals preserved, but also plants and other, seldom-seen creatures. User: spam_vigilante Feb 19, 2008 2:09 AM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 244 Comments: 1

Lost Worlds-Vanished Lives: Dinosaurs In the series Lost Worlds- Vanished Lives, noted writer Sir David Attenborough uses paleontological evidence to reconstruct the daily lives of dinosaurs and give viewers a sense of what life was like on Earth some millions of years ago. In this particular episode, RT 39:32, viewers see the excavation of one of the largest dinosaur skeletons ever unearthed and examine the techniques used to preserve these valuable specimens. Also, Attenborough offers viewers an up-close look at the frontiers of this science, showing how scientists use the evidence they have to reconstruct a model of this lost world. User: spam_vigilante Feb 18, 2008 2:04 AM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 471 Comments: 0

Lost Worlds: Putting Flesh on Bone Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives is a four-part BBC documentary series concerning the discovery of fossils. It is written and presented by Sir David Attenborough and was originally broadcast in April 1989. In this particular episode, RT 39:23, viewers examine how paleontologists use fossil remains and dinosaur footprints to reconstruct the animals that left them behind. Attenborough uses paleontological evidence to reconstruct the daily lives of dinosaurs and give viewers a sense of what life was like on Earth some millions of years ago. Also, Attenborough offers viewers an up-close look at the frontiers of this science, showing how scientists use the evidence they have to reconstruct a model of this lost world. User: spam_vigilante Feb 17, 2008 4:44 AM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 463 Comments: 6

Lost Worlds: Magic in the Rocks In the series Lost Worlds - Vanished Lives, noted writer David Attenborough uses paleontological evidence to reconstruct the daily lives of dinosaurs and give viewers a sense of what life was like on Earth millions of years ago. RT 39:31. Also, Attenborough offers viewers an up-close look at the frontiers of this science, showing how scientists use the evidence they have to reconstruct a model of this lost world. In this particular episode, viewers are presented with an overview of the fossil record, including the history of the science surrounding them and how simple errors in interpretation led to much larger erroneous conclusions about the animals that left this record behind. User: spam_vigilante Feb 16, 2008 1:57 PM

Headline Tag: Science Rating: Amazing Hits: 436 Comments: 2

David Attenborough: A Blank on the Map A Blank on the Map (1971) is a BBC documentary written, produced, and presented by David Attenborough. It records an expedition to make first contact with a tribe of people that lives in an area of Central New Guinea thought to be ununhabited. User: White_Wolf Feb 8, 2008 2:25 PM

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 401 Comments: 3

Life of Mammals: Sloth David Attenborough introduces the sloth in this except of The Life of Mammals. Feb 6, 2008 7:59 PM

Headline Tag: Animals Rating: Amazing Hits: 301 Comments: 0

Mongoose Colony vs Juvenile Lion Mongoose Colony defending themselves, cooperate in succesfully chasing off a Juvenile Lion. Feb 3, 2008 11:47 AM