The shocking origins of the inhumane pseudoscience that influenced the Nazi death camps.

Watch Eugenics: Science's Greatest Scandal on BBC Select

Eugenics was the incorrect theory that humans could be improved by selective breeding. So-called ‘faults’ could be bred away; any ‘detrimental’ elements eradicated. Its origins lie with well-respected British medical practitioners; the Nazis put the ideas into practice.

Science expert Angela Saini and disability rights activist Adam Pearson look at the history and legacy of eugenics in this historical science documentary.

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history

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What does Bacchus, the ancient god of wine and excess, have in common with Jesus Christ?

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The original free thinkers. The stories of the Buddha, Confucius and Socrates.

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Mars Uncovered: Ancient God of War

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Venus Uncovered: Ancient Goddess of Love

Forget everything you thought you knew about the frequently nude, love goddess Venus.

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The Persians: A History of Iran

How was the world's first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?

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A History of Christianity

Where did Christianity originate and how did the religion develop and take hold globally?

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Archaeology: A Secret History

Better living through archeology. How can our past make sense of our present?

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Greek Myths: True Stories

Godlike genius. Exploring the inspiration of our Greek myths.

Stream Fake News - A True History on BBC Select

Fake News: A True History

Fake news isn’t new: an entertaining look at 200 years of lies and the media

Stream Cousins at War on BBC Select

Royal Cousins at War

It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.

Stream American History's Biggest Fibs on BBC Select

American History's Biggest Fibs

American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.

The Birth of Empire - The East India Company on BBC Select

The Birth of Empire: The East India Company

The world’s first megacorp. How Britain’s East India Company grew into an imperial power.

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The Romantic Revolution

Wild visionaries and imaginative truth seekers whose radical ideas still resonate today.

Stream Racism - A History on BBC Select

Racism: A History

Where did the notion of racism come from and how did such an abhorrent idea develop?

Stream Queen Victoria and her Nine Children on BBC Select

Queen Victoria and her Nine Children

Devastated by her husband’s death Queen Victoria starts to meddle in her children’s lives.

Watch The Flu That Killed 50 Million on BBC Select

The Flu That Killed 50 Million

Is Spanish flu the warning from history that should have crushed coronavirus?

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Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream

The rise of one of the great cities and how it offers a window into power, faith and war.

Stream Filthy Cities on BBC Select

Filthy Cities

Dan Snow explores the murky histories of London, Paris and New York from the bottom up.

Stream Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners on BBC Select

Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners

People as property: historian David Olusoga on the untold stories of British slavery.

Stream Suffragettes

Suffragettes

The violence, valor and sacrifices made by the women fighting for their right to vote.

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Secret Cities

How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?

Stream Genius of the Modern World on BBC Select

Genius of the Modern World

Emigres, recluses, enemies of the state. How Marx, Nietzsche and Freud changed the world.

Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds - A Tale of Three Cities on BBC Select

Bright Lights, Brilliant Minds

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Stream Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness on BBC Select

Philosophy: A Guide to Happiness

Can the thoughts and ideas of history’s greatest thinkers help in our day to day lives?

Watch Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard on BBC Select

Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard

World renowned historian, Mary Beard, is back to shatter myths about the Roman Empire.

Stream War Art with Eddie Redmayne on BBC Select

War Art with Eddie Redmayne

Academy Award winning actor Eddie Redmayne discovers the artists who saved lives during WW1

Stream The Six Queens of Henry VIII on BBC Select

The Six Queens of Henry VIII

Rediscover the Queens who shaped a King & his legacy in The Six Queens of Henry VIII, BBC's new look at the King's infamous wives.

Watch The World's First Computer on BBC Select

The World's First Computer

Think your computer’s had it? Meet one found in a shipwreck that’s 2,000 years old.

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science

Stream How to Go Viral on BBC Select

How To Go Viral

How did lolcats change the world? Decoding the cultural impact of the meme.

Stream CLimate Change - Ade on the Frontline

Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline

The islands that are being lost to climate change from Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline

Stream Story Of Maths on BBC Select

The Story Of Maths

It’s not just a numbers game. In what ways has math completely changed our world?

Stream Meat: A Threat to Our Planet? on BBC Select

Meat: A Threat To Our Planet?

Is our love of eating meat swiftly destroying the planet? What can we do to fix it?

Stream The Joy of Chance on BBC Select

The Joy Of Chance

Can the study of probability help us to avoid getting wet or even live longer lives?

Stream The Joy of Logic on BBC Select

The Joy Of Logic

A sharp, witty and exuberant foray into the world of logic with Professor Dave Cliff.

Stream The Joy of Stats on BBC Select

The Joy Of Stats

Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through the wonderful world of statistics.