Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Stephen's bid to win Australia’s biggest balloon competition continues. A childhood dream is fulfilled when he walks out onto the pitch of the Melbourne Cricket Ground during an Aussie Rules game - and trumped the following morning when his balloon flies through the ground's goalposts. His balloon truck gets a makeover and the city's Greek festival nearly ends in a diplomatic incident. Then heavy rain prevents him flying over Canberra - and to get back on track he risks a flight to 10,000 feet.

Stephen Tompkinson's Australian Balloon Adventure
Stephen Tompkinson's adventure begins in dramatic fashion when his maiden flight over South Australia's Flinders Ranges ends in a crash landing at 40 mph. But he presses on to the Barossa Valley, where a serene flight over the vineyards is followed by a far from calm cricket match against local winemakers - the outcome of which sends Stephen packing for Victoria and a spell on the mighty Murray River.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

Have you ever wondered how things are made? Find out how the everyday objects people use become the things they are.

The Vatican may be one of the most famous places in the world, but it's also among the most mysterious; very few people have seen what lies beyond the Vatican's walls, and even fewer journalists have had free access to the tiny walled city that is the home of the Catholic Church. In 2001, National Geographic was given permission to enter the Vatican with a camera crew, and National Geographic: Inside The Vatican examines the city's 2000 years of history, as well as documenting the Vatican's historical archives and documenting private chapels which had never before been photographed to viewing by the public. Martin Sheen serves as host and narrator. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide.

Can animals sense imminent disasters?
The devastating tsunami that killed as many as 150,000 people in Asia has renewed a common -and controversial – theory that animals can somehow sense imminent disasters. For some, it’s local folklore, yet for others, it’s scientific fact. Animal Omens will survey the stories worldwide, from oral legend to divisive laboratory studies, to find the unexpected answers. The overwhelming evidence not only points to a deceptively simple scientific explanation, but also suggests ways we can actually forecast future catastrophes.

In this National Geographic Channel special, historians investigate claims of other messiahs aside from Jesus who were said to heal the sick and raise the dead. They too claimed to be the "sons of God." So why has the story of Jesus withstood the test of time, while the other tales have all been forgotten. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi.