1897: To the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon

Why do people in Europe refer to them as "Arabic numerals" when they were invented in India? How could ten tiny symbols conquer the world? And how did zero change the course of history? The Western world calls them "Arabic numerals," while in the Arab world, today's European notation is thought of as being Western. What is "Arabic" about the symbols that traveled from India to Europe and on to the rest of the world? Following the trail of our numbers leads us to Baghdad. There, in the eighth century, a scholar named al-Khwarizmi — Latinized as "Algorismi," later to be found in the word "algorithm" — helped spread Indian numerals. He would become known as the father of modern algebra. The "Arabic" numerals commonly used in Europe today derive from another variant, known as "Ghubar" — Arabic for "dust." That had emerged from the so-called "dust tables" used by Maghrebi merchants around the Mediterranean. From Europe to America, and from the dawn of modern science to the computer age — the fascinating history of these ten small digits is

Nimeksha Siddi is 18 years old and India's sprinting hope for the 2028 Olympics. Nimeksha belongs to the Siddi ethnic group, whose daily lives are marked by racism and exclusion. The 18-year-old sprinter Nimeksha flies down the home straight like a bolt of lightning. She's a Siddi. Hardly anyone knows about her people, not even in India, where the Siddi have lived for 500 years. Her ancestors came to India from Africa as slaves or mercenaries. It's not known how many Siddi live in India. They all have the surname Siddi. They are Muslim, Christian or Hindu - and are often mistaken for tourists by many Indians. Most live in poverty, scraping by as day laborers, gathering plants, honey or rubber. In 1983, India's Minister for Sport launched a program aimed at tapping into the community's athletic potential. Children from Siddi villages were recruited and coached in running. One of the most successful was Kamala Siddi. At the age of 15, she set a national record in the pentathlon, won bronze and gold at international level, and was rewarded with

Marine pilots must make crucial decisions under extreme conditions. Transferring from a cargo ship to a small pilot boat in hurricane-force gusts can be fatal. For marine pilots, this is the most dangerous moment in their daily working lives: climbing down a rope ladder from a cargo ship in gale-force gusts, and transferring to a small pilot boat. In mid-January, a pilot fell into the sea off Borkum and was taken to hospital suffering from hypothermia. Just a few days earlier, a British colleague died during a similar maneuver. Harbor pilot Gerhard Janssen and sea pilot Dominik Thieben are getting ready for their assignment. In force 8 winds, they set off in the pilot boat to the cargo ship "Silver Soul". They must guide it safely out of the harbor, along the Ems River in northern Germany, and out into the North Sea. They face oncoming traffic, poor visibility and a narrow channel that leaves little room to maneuver. Off the island of Borkum, a pilot boat will pick them up and take them back to shore. Transferring vessels in

In 2024, several Latin Americans were caught committing sabotage on behalf of Russia. A DW investigation reveals how they came to work for Moscow's secret services and who recruited them. It started with an arson attack at a Polish construction-supply business and continued with arrests in Czechia and Romania for similar offenses. Just weeks later, Lithuanian investigators uncovered a plot to set fire to military equipment. All of the suspects were from Spanish-speaking countries, but investigators traced the actions back to Russia's secret services - and a Cuban dance teacher in Russia, Oemis Romagoza Durruthy. DW and three other European broadcasters have spent more than a year looking into this case. This documentary reveals how Russia reached across continents to organize a destabilizing campaign against Europe and follow the trail of these attacks to a dance studio in Russia. ______ DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of

Astrophysicist Jim Al-Khalili investigates the invisible force that governs the cosmos: gravity. Tracing its story from Isaac Newton's groundbreaking discoveries to Einstein's game-changing theory of relativity, he uncovers how gravity controls everything from the motion of planets to the formation of black holes. Exploring warped space-time, gravitational waves and the universe's most extreme phenomena, this documentary reveals why gravity remains one of science's greatest unsolved puzzles.

Age-old stories and archaeological discoveries reveal magical practices and tell tales of both alluring and terrifying women with special powers. In early modern times, people believed they were working for the devil, bringing about crop failures and illnesses. Women suspected of witchcraft were often burned at the stake. Yet this belief in sorcery endures to this day, attracting an ever-increasing number of young female followers. So, what is behind the myth? Many researchers are trying to unravel it. Celebrated fairy tales and stories, fascinating archaeological discoveries and detailed archival records provide insight into the world and ideas surrounding witchcraft. Psychologists try to find out why magic seems to work on some people - and get some shocking results. -- Welcome to the official Get.factual the original video platform channel! 🌍 We are a documentary streaming channel covering history, science, technology, and nature. Explore worlds distant, forgotten, and unknown; from the depths of ocean trenches to the far reaches of the cosmos. New uploads of full-length documentaries and docu-series every week! The following assets were used for thumbnails design: Baker, Joseph