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National Geographic Has The Greatest Stories Ever Told

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:30:03 PDT

Staring at the pictures in National Geographic or watching the travels on its cable channel has a way of making us want to sell all of our possessions and catch the next plane to whatever far-flung locale they're profiling. A more practical and interactive option now is the iPad app National Geographic Adventure Presents The Greatest Stories Ever Told ($2). Featuring explorers in their journeys around the world, the app includes video and high definition photography, taking you right into the heart of the experience.

Armchair travelers, adrenaline junkies, and natural science enthusiasts can get their kicks watching in-app content, including the sunken Titanic remains and extreme mountain climbing. Cave diving in the far depths of the ocean without buying a plane ticket is definitely what the iPad was made for.

Tune in Tonight: Official Launch of the New Network, "Nat Geo Wild"

PetSugar — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 17:00:18 PDT

I'm amazed by how long I can watch animal shows before even realizing the minutes (or hours) that pass! Provided it's nothing too grisly, I love watching bears especially. Now you may remember that sneak peek of a grizzly's swim lesson posted last week - am I the only one eagerly waiting to see more of cute Brutus? (If not, check out his fishing lesson below.)

Today marks the official launch of National Geographic's new channel, Nat Geo Wild. Included in the lineup are several wild series from the self-explanatory Caught in the Act (premiere March 30, 9 p.m.) to Mystery Gorillas (premiere April 5, 10 p.m.), hosted by an NFL-cheerleader-turned-primatologist following apes in the Congo. Of the shows airing on the network's first evening, I'll tune in to Expedition Wild, airing Mondays at 9 p.m. including tonight!

If you want to learn more about the four-legged star and his human BFF, Casey, see the show's promo clip - with a huge feast for Brutus - when you

Get a Glimpse of a Grizzly's Swim Lesson From Expedition Wild!

PetSugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 10:15:04 PDT

Do you remember learning to swim? While I don't remember my very first time in a pool, I remember being scared about not being able to touch bottom. And, bears, they're just like us! Catch this sneak peek from the premiere episode of Expedition Wild on the new Nat Geo Wild network - Brutus the grizzly gets his first swim lesson from BFF (and show host) Casey Anderson. Also cute is the snack that motivates it all inside the pool. Think it's something savory? Oh no, this is all sweet so take a peek.

Are People With Sensitive Noses More Empathetic?

TresSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:00:00 PDT

Are you cursed and blessed with a good sense of smell? Cursed because you smell every ungodly stink no matter how far away, and blessed because lovely smells affect you deeply?

Psychology professor Denise Chen at Rice University thinks you may also be more empathetic than your olfaction-challenged neighbor.

Sense of smell and emotions come from the same area of the brain (the limbic system), and Chen set out to test their connection. In an experiment with 22 pairs of dorm-dwelling women, Chen asked them all to sleep in identical t-shirts. The next morning, she presented each person with three t-shirts: one worn by her roommate, and two others worn by other people in the dorm. The women who were able to identify their roommates' t-shirts by smell alone also scored high in emotional tests.

"The olfactory brain overlaps with the emotional brain," said Chen, "and is believed to have contributed to its evolution." Do you have a good sense of smell or wish you did?

National Geographic's Portrait of the Global Food Crisis

YumSugar — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:00:14 PDT

While it's unlikely that there'll be any shortage of food at Memorial Day grill-outs across the country this weekend, National Geographic has released a special report on the global food crisis that's occurring at the same time.

In "The End of Plenty," writer Joel K. Bourne, Jr., and photojournalist John Stanmeyer address the fact that agricultural productivity isn't keeping up with population growth, and humanity's looked the other way. "For most of the past decade, the world has been consuming more food than it has been producing," Bourne writes. Consequently, the cost of wheat, corn, rice, and other basic commodities has skyrocketed worldwide, hitting the world's poorest billion people the hardest. And the situation will only get worse: based on the world's booming population, we'll need to double our current food production by 2030 in order to keep up with demand. Simply stated: there isn't going to be enough food to go around.

Predictably, the root of the problem lies with agribusiness, and the synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, and genetic engineering that come along with it. Overconsumption of meat is a problem, too: it takes up to 10 times more grain to get the same amount of calories from eating US grain-fed beef as it does from eating the grain itself. This alone is reason enough for a city to go meatless!

Check out the stunning photo slideshow, which profiles the world's interdependent food system. Do you feel the same urgency to address the world's food crisis?

Got Some Spare Time? Why Not Do a Puppy Puzzle?

PetSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:30:22 PDT

But not just any puzzle: an online version that's made all the more cute when you see a totally adoro pooch when completed! National Geographic is turning up the fun and offering us a creative way to get our puppy fix in one of nine dog jigsaws.

But the best part? It's free! Plus, you won't lose any pieces to the depths of your couch cushions, and your dog won't mistake it for a strange snack. So if you have time between walking Fido, caring for Sassy, and that mountain of laundry that's been waiting for you all week (sorry to remind you), then take some time to relax with a good, old fashioned puzzle – it could just help clear your mind and start the week off on the right paw!

Have You Always Wanted to Be on the Cover of a Magazine?

GiggleSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:00:00 PDT

Well, here's your chance. Just upload a picture to this site and you're on your way to stardom! Look below to see a sampling of some Sugar ladies enjoying their 15 minutes of fame. And me in the People magazine cover there? That's actually real.

View 5 Photos ›

(FabSugar, CasaSugar, BuzzSugar, FitSugar, and GiggleSugar)

Do You Like IMAX Movies?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:30:31 PDT

Coming to an IMAX theater near you (unless you already live near the Grand Canyon): Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets.

Hollywood Reporter today writes that the 1984 National Geographic documentary will be distributed to "3-D to Imax and 3-D-ready digital theaters worldwide."

I've never seen this documentary, and I'm personally excited to check it out in 3-D IMAX. I've been to the Grand Canyon, but I wasn't able to hike around much and it'll be fun to see "the secrets." Also, I love me some IMAX movies.

What do you think about IMAX?

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Will You Get Online With Cesar Millan?

PetSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 08:00:01 PDT

Not only does Cesar Millan help train Oprah to be the pack leader of her pampered pups (including helping beloved Sophie socialize with other dogs before she passed away), but he can help train you to do the same . . . online!

Cesar's new interactive training course is hitting his website in June to help you get calm and assertive with your pets, but you can sign up now for email alerts to get a head's up before it hits the web. I've watched almost every episode of the hit National Geographic show, so this course is a welcome distraction for me while I patiently wait until I can get in on one of his super popular seminars. I've personally seen the results with his methods since an old roomie of mine used them since day one with her puppy, but I know they aren't for everyone. Will you take Cesar's online training course?

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Cool Idea: National Geographic Home Collection

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:00:00 PDT

Palecek established the National Geographic Home Collection to celebrate authentic designs of artisan traditions and their countries of origin. What's even better is that net proceeds from the National Geographic Home Collection go to the World Cultures Fund, created to support the work of archaeologists, cultural anthropologists, and artists. Again, awesome.

Even though I definitely think that this collection is a cool idea, the styling for this photo is a little over the top. Although I realize that the intent was to highlight as many of the collection's products as possible, the overall effect is a jumbled, world-traveler-with-no-editing-ability mess. Am I just being harsh, or do you, too, find the overall effect a little unsettling?