Butterfly Effect

Season 1

TV-PG

Big movements of change have often started with tiny events or personal decisions that ended up affecting the history of our world.

13 Episodes

Bouvines, France in danger
E1
Bouvines, France in dangerA series of battles in France had an impact on modern day Europe and the fates of three countries down to our modern century. What might have happened if Richard the Lionheart had not been wounded? Or Philippe Auguste of France had fled the battlefield?
Genghis Khan: The Empire of the Steppes
E2
Genghis Khan: The Empire of the SteppesHow did the events of his childhood shape the man who would become Genghis Khan? What impact did the Mongol invasions have on the history of Asia and on the psyche of Europe?
Alexander Becomes Great
E3
Alexander Becomes GreatWhat if Alexander had not died at the age of 32? What if he had listened to advisors and returned to Macedonia instead of going on his worldwide conquest? How does the legacy of ideals and leadership left from Alexander's time resonate today?
Sekigahara, the battle of Samurai
E4
Sekigahara, the battle of SamuraiThe shape of Japan's internal politics and the country's response to external influences for centuries can be traced back to the choices of two warlords and a decisive battle. What was the Edo Period and how did it mold Japanese society?
Darwin discovering the world
E5
Darwin discovering the worldPicture the last two hundred years without the publication of Darwin's "On The Origin of Species" -- how might the scientific conversation have developed? What were the influences in Victorian England during Darwin's youth and how tenuous was his opportunity for sailing on the Beagle's voyage?
Chernobyl, a reactor out of control
E6
Chernobyl, a reactor out of controlThe decisions of only a handful of individuals determined the course of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. What transpired over a few hours would have an impact on the local community Russia Europe and the globe.
A bus for Martin Luther King
E7
A bus for Martin Luther KingWhat would the Civil Rights movement in the USA have been like if Martin Luther King Jr. had not been motivating change? How does the legacy of the American Civil War still affect the American democracy?
Confucius and Chinese thought
E8
Confucius and Chinese thoughtThe choices that Kong Qui known in the West as Confucius made during his career as a civil servant and administrator influenced an entire civilization. What if Kong Qui had been as opportunistic and corrupt as other officials? How might the fate of China and its worldview be changed?
Andrinople, Rome vs Barbarians
E9
Andrinople, Rome vs BarbariansThe untimely death of the Roman Emperor of the Western Empire and the poor decisions of the Roman Emperor of the Eastern Empire change the fortunes of the Roman Army in their battle with the Goths. And this changes the future of Europe.
Einstein and the Manhattan Project
E10
Einstein and the Manhattan ProjectA famous scientist wrote the President of the United States and the face of war and our world was changed forever. How and why did humanity develop a weapon capable of almost total destruction?
Rock, freedom and decibels
E11
Rock, freedom and decibelsElvis Presley paid $4 to record two songs for his mother and the rest as they say is history. But without Elvis would rock and roll have gone the same route? And how have the many iterations of rock and roll developed and changed our taste and culture since the 1950's?
Space Conquest, a little trip to the moon
E12
Space Conquest, a little trip to the moonWhat is the future of the human presence in space? How might things be different if there had not been a Cold War and a Space Race? What does humanity gain by venturing into our solar system...and beyond?
The Internet, the origins of the web
E13
The Internet, the origins of the webWhat if the source codes for the internet had remained with the US military rather than being released to the world? How did our lives of unfettered internet access become a reality?