How to Survive the End of the World ends on NatGeo tonight

It's been a wild eight months.   Since early December 2013, David Bartell, I, and sundry commentators have been scurrying from bunker to bunker in Brooklyn - all at undisclosed locations - doing our best to combat zombies, volcanos, bone-shattering cold, and a planet-wide storm.  Tonight it all comes to end, as we witness and try to put into some semblance of perspective our civilization consumed by nano-tech, literally, at 9pm Eastern, followed by a Noah's Arc flood at 10pm.

Actually, if you're a real glutton for scientifically plausible doomsdays, you can tune in to NatGeo at 8pm this evening for their rebroadcast of Hell on Earth, the volcanic scenario.   But keep tuned for or DVR the following two hours for two different kinds of roller coaster rides from hell.

We were able to get these videos with a few clips of the action out of the bunker.  Enjoy.






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I'm on Monster Storm Tonight on National Geographic Channel

NatGeo's How to Survive the End of the World series returns tonight at 10pm Eastern (with repeat at midnight and tomorrow at 6pm Eastern) with its fourth episode, "Monster Storm," and, yep, I've made my way to that bunker again, in an undisclosed location (but it's in a catacomb in Brooklyn), to give a little "expert" commentary on the media and cultural implication of the planet nearly wiped out.

You may recall that I did this for the first three episodes - "Zombie Earth,"  "Hell on Earth" (volcanoes), and "Frozen Earth" (see vid clips below) - and it's been a wild two months in the ravaged streets, let me tell you.   What happens is after my expert commentary, I walk through a door, but it takes me into another dimension.  So I've gone from a world plagued by zombies to a hellish world of molten lava everywhere to a world with bone-chilling temperatures that make the last two months that you've just experienced feel like a walk in the park.

It's good to be in the bunker again, with that Monster Storm approaching.  I'm glad to see David Bartell has made it too, with the extensive packet of notes he carries.   Switching hats to another perspective, for a second, these scenario shows are based on sound scientific and sociological analysis and speculation.

Anyway ... the rain's beginning to pick up, I'm going to see if there's anything decent to eat in this bunker, and I'll see you tonight (I hope) at 10pm.  In the meantime, clips from the previous three episodes follow ...

Intelligence 1.7: Nanites

Nanites made their way on to Intelligence 1.7 last night, in the high-tech bio-tech science fictional manner which the series does so well.  Nanites have played a quasi-metaphysical role on Revolution this season, and will be the subject of a How to Survive the End of the World episode on the National Geographic series this season (the "Monster Storm" episode airs this Wednesday - all episodes feature brief appearances by me as an "expert" in an undisclosed underground location).

The plot features a latter-day uni-bomber who fields nanites that invade and quickly kill the body.   His targets are his competition, and eventually the elder Dr. Cassidy is "mechanically infected".  The nanite bomber turns out to be one of Cassidy's "favorite" students, but not the brightest, and his quest for fame and power got the better of him.  Cassidy survives a close call, but I wouldn't go to him for a letter of reference if someone was applying for a job at Fordham University, where I teach.

The personal chemistry between Gabriel and Riley is still percolating, which is good and I hope continues and develops into more.  Riley's defense of Gabriel as human, because he makes choices rather than responds to commands, is not only gratifying to Gabriel but makes an important point that goes beyond a man embedded with a telecommunicating chip.  To the extent that we just respond to stimuli or orders or anything without deliberation in our work, we are behaving more like robots than human beings.

Intelligence has struck a winning balance between high-tech and human life, in a way I find more satisfying and real than, say, Person of Interest, which also explores this intersection.  I'm looking forward to more.

See also Intelligence Debuts ... Intelligence 1.2: Lightning Changes ...Intelligence 1.3: Edward Snowden and 24 ... Intelligence 1.4: Social Media Weaponry ... Intelligence 1.5: The Watch ... Intelligence 1.6: Helix meets Rectify and Justified

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Like biological science fiction? Try The Silk Code

Intelligence 1.6: Helix meets Rectify and Justified

Intelligence 1.6 zoomed into Helix territory last night, with a sharp story that had Gabriel, Riley, and Cyber Command on what looks like a bio-terror virus-gone-wild case, but turns out to be our own military up to no good on behalf of what one general sees as a greater good for our country.

But the best part of the plot is the puzzle of the set-up in which Patient Zero turns out to be someone we just saw getting the death sentence in Texas, so how can he be the vector of an epidemic which started after he was dead?   Turns out our military spirited him away after injecting him with something not immediately lethal, to use him as a guinea pig for development of a vaccine for a possible terrorist attack via horrendous virus.

Some nice resonance in this twist on capital punishment to Rectify and last season's The Killing, and the contribution to viral fiction - writ large not only in Helix but of course The Walking Dead and even in National Geographic's Zombie Earth specu-docu-drama, where, believe it or not, I had a brief walk-on appearance as an "expert" - was good, too.

And speaking of welcome interconnections, it was great to see Nick Searcy as the wrong-minded General Carter, whose plan for the vaccine goes awry when the condemned prisoner escapes from the military lab, and becomes Patient Zero as he mixes into the crowd.  It's been a good week for Searcy, who put in one of his best performances on Justify last week, as Chief Deputy U. S. Marshal Mullen makes like the inimitable Givens in a diner.  (I'm glad I finally got a chance to mention Justified and Rectify in the same post.)

Back to Intelligence, we also find out more about how Gabriel came to be embedded with his chip, including that two previous candidates died and another wound up paralyzed in the process.  He did it in the hope it would help him find Amelia, we learn again, but with her gone now, he admits to Riley that he thinks all the time about whether it was all worth it.

Intelligence is shaping up as one of the best new shows on television this season.

See also Intelligence Debuts ... Intelligence 1.2: Lightning Changes ...Intelligence 1.3: Edward Snowden and 24 ... Intelligence 1.4: Social Media Weaponry ... Intelligence 1.5: The Watch

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Like biological science fiction? Try The Silk Code

Frozen Earth on National Geographic tonight

Actually, in another amazing feat of perfect timing, it's actually frozen earth - or impending blizzard - throughout most of the northeast right now.   And tonight, the other snow shoe will drop, in a big way, as National Geographic TV broadcasts the third episode in its How to Survive the End of the World series: "Frozen Earth".

I say "another" amazing feat, because the debut of the series - "Zombie Earth" - was broadcast in December just a week after the Fall finale of The Walking Dead, which drew a record number of viewers. That coincidence was likely planned by NatGeo.  It was a good bet that the world would be buzzing about zombies after The Walking Dead finale.  But tonight's frozen intersection is a sheer act of nature, which makes it even more chilling.

As with the other episodes, I'll be in my bunker, offering commentary from an undisclosed location. Also on hand will be David Bartell and other experts.   I'm not sure about the exact time of the broadcast.  NatGeo says 9pm Eastern on its site, which is likely right, but Cablevision in Westchester says 7pm - go figure, there's a frozen brain at work somewhere (in addition to mine).  But "Frozen Earth" will also be rebroadcast at 11pm.

Enjoy - and dress warmly!


See also How to Survive the End of the World on National Geographic and How to Survive the End of the World: The Story Continues and How to Survive the End of the World: From Biosphere to Frozen Earth

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How to Survive the End of the World on Nat Geo: from Biosphere to Frozen Earth

Hey, in case you missed the second episode last night in National Geographic Channel's six-part series How to Survive the End of the World - "Hell on Earth" - it will be rebroadcast this Saturday night (December 21) along with the first episode, "Zombie Earth".

I got to say a few words on "Hell on Earth" about how biospheres - self-contained, fully-enclosed environments, with their own living systems producing recycling air, water, and food - could be a way of helping a small number of people survive the volcanic ash which would cover the Earth in the end-of-the-world Hell on Earth scenario.  And I actually did have some passing experience with the Biosphere 2 out in Arizona in the 1990s  - a real not hypothetical biosphere - having worked on other projects with one of the Biosphere 2's early bio-planners, Carl Hodges.  The system was indeed mainly funded not by the government but a billionaire - Ed Bass - as I suggested on the show last night (see clips below).   And it indeed partially failed, but mainly due to problems in keeping the oxygen at proper levels, and other ecological issues, and not because the inhabitants fell to fighting (though there were some intellectual disagreements among the inhabitants).

Dave Bartell did his customary good job of commenting.  It was good to see him in the bunker last night, but we've once again gone to separate locations deep in the bedrock of Brooklyn, and will be back, with any luck, when the next episode, "Frozen Earth," airs on January 2, but a new time, 9 instead of 10pm Eastern.   See you then!




See also How to Survive the End of the World on National Geographic and How to Survive the End of the World: The Story Continues

more videos ...

from Evacuate Earth (2012) and Zombie Earth (2013





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How to Survive the End of the World - The Story Continues on NatGeo

If you didn't get a chance to see "Zombie Earth" last Tuesday night, the first installment in National Geographic's six-part series, it will be rebroadcast on December 21, 10pm Eastern, and likely throughout 2014 and beyond.

With all the chaos that ensued when the rabid zombies attacked the broadcast bunker, people have been emailing me, asking what happened after the episode ended.

Here's a report:  David Bartell (another expert commentator) and I were able to get out of the bunker - I don't know about the other experts.  But after exiting the bunker, we got separated.  I ran for my life, towards the Brooklyn Bridge.  I soon saw that I would never make it - there were zombies lurching around every corner, "oh the humanity!" - so I ducked into another cellar.

That's where I am now.  Let's just call it an undisclosed location.  What I can tell you is that there is a door on the far side of the room, marked "Hell on Earth".   I can hear the zombies scratching at the windows outside.  I'm tempted to open the door to Hell on Earth.  You'll be able to see what happened this Tuesday night (December 17), 10pm Eastern, when Nat Geo broadcasts "How to Survive the End of the World: Hell on Earth".

In the meantime, here are some clips from my Zombie Earth appearance...




See also How to Survive the End of the World on National Geographic

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How to Survive the End of the World on National Geographic

An important heads up if you value the future of this planet and our civilization: "How to Survive the End of the World" debuts on National Geographic television on December 10.   It's a multi-part series, and I'm in most or all of them, including the December 10 "Zombie Earth" aka rabies gone wild episode.

Other scenarios include freeze-out "Frozen Earth," volcanic "Hell on Earth," and you get the picture. It's part science fiction, part serious speculation and analysis, brought to you by the Atlas Media folks who did "Evacuate Earth" last year.

Here's the trailer - I'm 1-min 19-secs in

And here's a screenshot from "Frozen Earth" episode