National Geographic Channel October 2012 Highlights

The Link, Wednesdays at 8pm WAT
Technology is all around us. From computers to cameras, cell phones to sat navs – our dependence on technology has never been greater. But how many of us ever stop to question how these inventions actually came about? Challenging the commonly held view, that they appear fully formed, out of nowhere, The Link reveals the surprising origins of some of the most important technological breakthroughs, of the modern world.

Untamed Americas, Thursdays at 8pm WAT
From a grizzly bear hunting in the Rockies to a bat that has a tongue longer than its body; from a killer mouse that howls at the moon to the spectacle of thousands of rays “flying” through the air; from jaguars hunting caimans to dolphins swimming amongst the trees – the Americas are full of amazing surprises. It’s not just the creatures that are awesome, it’s also a land of superlatives with the longest mountain system the Andes, the largest rain forest the Amazon, and the driest desert the Atacama. Each of the four programs in Untamed Americas: Mountains, Deserts, Coasts and Forests, features epic landscapes, extreme conditions and tough challenges for the creatures that live in them.

Dog Whisperer 9, Saturdays at 8pm WAT
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, currently filming its ninth season, is a highly rated primetime reality television series airing on the National Geographic Wild Channel. Each episode, usually focusing on a unifying theme, tackles the real life problems faced by dog owners everywhere. Using his remarkable and instinctual understanding of dog psychology, Cesar Millan demonstrates case specific techniques that alter a dog’s problematic behaviour. Cesar uses unique rehabilitation techniques specifically tailored to the dog’s problems which allow him to break through fear, aggression, obsession, and/or anxiety to return his hardest cases to healthy, balanced dogs. Nominated for three primetime Emmys and winner of a People’s Choice Award, Dog Whisperer is beloved by fans and critics alike.

American Weed 2, Thursdays at 8pm WAT
The brand-new series American Weed finds Colorado medical marijuana businesses under scrutiny and facing mounting pressures from local residents. Medical cannabis entrepreneur and Fort Collins dispensary owner Josh Stanley works aggressively to counter such pressure with radio ads and fundraisers. As the oldest of 11 kids, Josh relies heavily on several of his brothers to work at the grove and keep his business supplied in medical marijuana. Meanwhile, Sgt. Jim Gerhardt and fellow officers on the North Metro Task Force continue to find illegal grows by residents claiming to be growing medical marijuana. Is the pendulum swinging back to curb the 10-year proliferation of medical marijuana in Colorado? In this season of American Weed, the sides of the medical marijuana debate come clashing together as the stakes for legitimacy have never been higher.

Dark Secrets of the Lusitania, Sundays at 8pm WAT
On the afternoon of May 7 1915, a German torpedo struck the passenger liner, RMS Lusitania. Seconds later, a massive second explosion rocked the ship. Within 20 minutes, the so-called “Greyhound of the Seas” was at the bottom of the ocean with nearly 1200 innocent men, women and children dead. Now, a new two-step investigation has been launched to determine what exactly sank the Lusitania. Was it an illicit shipment of gun cotton, a material used in war munitions? Was it the rupture of a boiler or steam line? Perhaps the accidental ignition of coal dust or aluminum powder?
The first stop in the journey is the wreck site itself, 13 miles off the coast of Ireland. There, a hi-tech dive expedition will attempt to gain unprecedented access to the ship’s interior. Then, the action moves to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, where a team of leading scientists will put the theories regarding the second explosion to the test. The end result is a remarkable journey through the shadows of history – one that may finally reveal Dark Secrets of the Lusitania.