TVSquad

National Geographic's long-running series Explorer returns with a new season on August 8 at 8:00 p.m. The series will once again delve into interesting facets of science, technology and nature.

The special I'm most looking forward to is "Science of Dogs" on August 15. This episode will focus on the world of science dogs: you know, dogs who wear lab coats and work in laboratories, perfecting different types of kitten poison, that sort of thing.

National Geographic has eight new series (and some returning series) on tap, set to roll out over the next several months.

Inside the Green Berets airs June 3 at 9:00 p.m.

Inside the Taliban airs June 4 at 9:00 p.m.

Critical Situation, a new series that explores how people responded when faced with some of the most dramatic moments in history kicks off June 12 at 9:00 p.m. I'll be posting a preview of this new series soon.

I've listed a few upcoming series and specials for folks like myself who enjoy nature, but don't actually want to go outside. Here's a few you might find interesting:

On April 11 at 8:00 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel, Explorer will examine exactly what happens when a person is struck by lightening. "Struck By Lightning" uses brain imaging and CGI to follow the path of a lightning bolt through the human body.

NGC's Naked Science looks at evidence that a meteorite not only killed off the dinosaurs, but may have also been what caused them to spring up in the first place. How is that possible? I have absolutely no idea. "Dino Meteor" debuts April 12 at 10:00 p.m.

As much as some of us would like to rise above the media saturation that inevitably follows certain events (the recent death of Anna Nicole Smith being one example), it's not always an easy thing to do. Unfortunately, by the time the media coverage has receded and we can begin looking at the situation with better clarity, the focus has already shifted to the next Big Story.

In all of human history, no object is as revered as the mighty can: holder of both liquid and solids, aluminum liner of truck floors in most Southern states, and able to double as a phone or a bong whenever the situation calls for it. Where would we be without the can? I'll tell you where: at the store trying to mop loose soup into our grocery bags with a sponge, crying out to whomever will listen: "why isn't there some kind of receptacle that will hold this soup?"

On March 8 at 10:00 p.m., Man-Made: The Can premieres on the National Geographic Channel. The episode promises to delve into the history and making of the cylindrical items, and also promises not to be boring, even though it's a show about how cans are made. In all of recorded history, the phrase "hey, wanna know all there is to know about cans?" has never been met with an affirmative response. At least not that I know of.

On March 18 at 8 p.m., the National Geographic Channel will air a three-hour documentary on Galapagos, thirteen islands off the southern coast of South America that were central to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Put together from over 300 hours of footage shot over a three-year period, Galapagos is being lauded by National Geographic as the most in-depth look at the islands in over two decades.

The documentary will be presented in high def and will not only explore the various forms of wildlife, but also the surrounding ocean and the volcanoes that first gave form to the islands. If I sound like a commercial for the program, that's only because I live for any series having to do with the natural world. Galapagos is even more interesting because it's not only a remarkable ecosystem, but also the center of a time-tested theory about our origin that changed the way we see ourselves and the world around us.

On February 6 at 9 p.m., the National Geographic Channel will air Moonshine, a one-hour documentary about the history of moonshine and how the outlawed liquor led to one of the most popular sports franchises of all time, NASCAR.

The special will feature the last interview ever conducted with racing legend and NASCAR announcer Benny Parsons, who passed away last month. Also featured in the documentary is Junior Johnson, who almost faced jail time for transporting moonshine when he was younger.

When prohibition struck in the '20s, skilled drivers were recruited to transport moonshine, a corn-based concoction introduced to the South by Scots-Irish immigrants. What was once a way to evade the law soon evolved into the sport of stock car racing, and later into the phenomenon known as NASCAR. Let that be a lesson to anyone currently breaking the law: your unlawful exploits just might be the next big thing in sports.

You can watch a preview clip of Moonshine here.

The Aryan Brotherhood is a network of white power groups that began in the California prison system and is now spread throughout several other state prisons. The group consists of men who are trained to kill efficiently and mercilessly and control the drug trade. On March 4 at 8:00pm, Explorer: Aryan Brotherhood will go inside these prisons to give a first-hand look at how the group operates, and also delve into efforts by law enforcement to stop the Brotherhood, which boasts at least one former member who claims to have killed twenty-two of his fellow inmates.

National Geographic asks: were the moon landings faked?

I respond: No, no they were not.

However, if you want a little more substance to your answer, the National Geographic Channel is airing a six-part Behind the Mysteries airing January 23 through 25. The episodes will look into the aforementioned claims about the moon landings and ancient astronauts, Roswell, the possibilities of alien contact, life on Mars and the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. The dates and times for the episodes are:

• January 23 at 9pm: Roswell
• January 23 at 10pm: Alien Contact
• January 24 at 9pm: Life on Mars
• January 24 at 10pm: Conspiracy Moon Landing
• January 25 at 9pm: Ancient Astronauts
• January 25 at 10pm: Bermuda Triangle

I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I do know that ancient astronauts did in fact exist. I've provided a video that proves this, after the jump. Only click ahead if you're prepared for the truth.

A few weeks ago, National Geographic aired a two-hour special titled In the Womb: Animals that showed the development of dogs, elephants and dolphins while in utero through ultra sound imagery, CGI and visual effects. The special focused on, among other things, how these animals develop skills for survival while still inside their mothers.

On January 14 at 8pm, National Geographic will return to the womb with In the Womb: Multiples. The special will use 4d imagery to and CGI effects to show how twins and other muliple birth siblings develop bonds while in utero, and how those bonds continue after they're born.

On Sunday December 10, the National Geographic Channel will premiere In the Womb: Animals, a two-hour special that uses ultrasound imagery along with computer imagery and visual effects to show how different species such as elephants, dogs and dolphins develop while in utero. Call me a sucker for nature programs, because damn it, I live for these kind of specials. You'll see how a dolphin learns to swim while still in the womb, and get a glimpse of the wonders of evolution when the elephant fetus develops ducts like a fish, and the dolphin fetus develops "legs" of sorts.

Okay, now I'm starting to sound like a commercial for the program, but what can I say, this science stuff fascinates me. Just look at that picture on the right of an elephant developing in the womb and tell me it doesn't blow your mind*. Okay, I'll stop with the awe now, but if you're as into this stuff as I am, you should check out some video previews here.

*It's actually a CGI, but it's still pretty damn cool.