TVSmarts Media Menu

Brain Games: The Power of Persuasion

Broadcast Date/Time:: 
Monday, May 20, 2013 - 9:00pm - 11:00pm

By exposing us to specific stimuli, Jason Silva, host of this documentary , can prime our brains to respond in certain ways. See how identical twins interview for the same job, in the same clothes, with the same resume. They even give the exact same answers—but the order of the words in their answers is slightly different. The result? One twin comes off negative, and the other gets the job. Would you believe that Texas seceded from the U.S. if a crazy-looking guy told you? Probably not, but what if a news reporter with a microphone did? This episode unveils the subtle tactics that advertisers, marketers and con men can use to get you to do what they want, without you noticing.

The Ghost Army

Broadcast Date/Time:: 
Tuesday, May 21, 2013 - 8:00pm - 9:00pm

This documentary , airing on KOCE , tells the story of the 23rd Headquarters  U.S. Special Troops, a top-secret World War II Army group in Europe that used rubber tanks, sound effects and illusions to trick and misdirect the enemy about the strength and location of American units.

NATURE : The Great Zebra Exodus

Broadcast Date/Time:: 
Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - 8:00pm - 9:00pm

This documentary , airing on KOCE, begins  in Botswana, home to the largest zebra population in southern Africa, but it’s not an easy life. There is no permanent water in the arid saltpans, so thousands of zebras are dependent on isolated summer rains for their survival. Fleeting thundershowers produce islands of grass scattered across the otherwise barren landscape. When the seasonal storms end, and the dry season begins, the striped nomads start their long trek west to the Boteti River for fresh drinking water. There, water is plentiful, but the zebras must travel further and further from the river to reach adequate grazing before trudging miles back to quench their thirst. It’s a grueling routine that will continue until the storm clouds return, the dry season ends, and the zebras can return home where they will welcome newborn foals into their families.