TVSquad

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.

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 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.