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Free documentaries, series and short films, from Our Planet and Blue Planet to recitations and explainers. Every one opens where its makers put it.

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Free documentaries

On BBC iPlayer and the makers' own YouTube channels.

FreedocumentaryMuhammad: Legacy of a ProphetTells the Prophet (peace be upon him)'s story through ordinary American Muslims living it today - a gentle bridge for a general audience.2002 · 117 min · Kikim Media and Unity Productions Foundation (UP · UPF site / Kanopy (libraries); not on UK subscription services

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FreeYouTube videoThe Birmingham Qur'an manuscriptTwo parchment leaves in Birmingham, radiocarbon-dated close to the Prophet (peace be upon him)'s lifetime, show the Qur'an's text kept with care.2015 · 2:35 · University of Birmingham

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FreeYouTube videoHajj: journey to the heart of Islam (British Museum)Britain's national museum opened its doors to the Hajj, showing pilgrims' objects and stories to everyone.2012 · 0:52 · The British Museum

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FreeYouTube videoHajj: 7 things you don't know (BBC News)A short, friendly explainer of what pilgrims do and why, for people who have never thought about Hajj.2017 · 3:47 · BBC News

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FreeYouTube videoThe Dead Sea Scrolls (History Time)The story of how shepherds found the oldest Bible manuscripts in caves above the Dead Sea.2023 · 57:14 · History Time (Pete Kelly)

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Freeshort1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets (Ben Kingsley)Ben Kingsley plays al-Jazari in a short family film about the scientists of Muslim civilisation who studied God's creation.2010 · 13:18 · 1001 Inventions

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FreedocuseriesOur Planet (full episodes free on YouTube)The whole living planet in eight episodes, free to watch, every frame a reason to say 'subhan Allah'.2019 · 8 x ~50 min · Silverback Films with WWF for Netflix; narr. Dav

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FreeYouTube videoOur Planet: Humpback Whales (clip)Whales sing songs that travel across whole oceans - a sign tile that needs no words.2019 · 4:10 · Netflix

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FreedocuseriesPlanet Earth IIIThe newest landmark series shows life still finding a way in every corner of the Earth.2023 · 8 x 60 min · BBC Studios Natural History Unit; narr. David At · BBC iPlayer (free with TV licence); Sky Go

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FreedocuseriesBlue Planet IIThe ocean's darkness and light - the Qur'an's 'darkness upon darkness' in the deep sea, filmed for the first time.2017 · 7 x 60 min · BBC Natural History Unit; narr. David Attenborou · BBC iPlayer (free with TV licence); buy Apple TV, Amazon

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FreedocuseriesSeven Worlds, One PlanetOne episode per continent: seven worlds, each with its own creatures, all on one planet.2019 · 7 x 58 min · BBC Natural History Unit; narr. David Attenborou · BBC iPlayer, UKTV Play (free); Sky Go

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FreedocuseriesThe Green PlanetTime-lapse brings plants to life - seeds splitting, vines reaching, forests breathing.2022 · 5 x 60 min · BBC Studios Natural History Unit; narr. David At · BBC iPlayer (free); Sky Go

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FreeYouTube videoAttenborough's lesson on seeds (The Green Planet clip)A tiny seed holds a whole tree - three minutes that make Qur'an 6:95 visible.2022 · 3:17 · BBC Earth

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FreedocuseriesFrozen Planet IIIce, snow and the creatures that survive the coldest places on Earth.2022 · 6 x 60 min · BBC Studios Natural History Unit; narr. David At · BBC iPlayer (free); Sky Go

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FreedocuseriesA Perfect PlanetVolcanoes, sun, weather and ocean currents - the forces that make Earth exactly right for life.2021 · 5 x 44 min · Silverback Films for BBC; narr. David Attenborou · BBC iPlayer (free); buy Apple TV, Amazon

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FreedocuseriesWonders of Life (Brian Cox)What is life? Cox goes looking for the spark that makes stuff alive.2013 · 5 x 59 min · BBC Science; presenter Brian Cox · BBC iPlayer (free)

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FreedocuseriesUniverse (Brian Cox)The life story of the cosmos, from the first stars to its far future.2021 · 5 x 60 min · BBC Studios Science Unit; presenter Brian Cox · BBC iPlayer (free); buy Apple TV, Amazon

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FreeYouTube videoThe Waggle Dance (Inside the Animal Mind, BBC Earth)Bees dance to tell each other where the flowers are - the Qur'an says the bee was 'inspired'.2014 · 2:39 · BBC Earth

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FreeYouTube videoLeaf-cutter ants (BBC Earth)Ants that farm their own food - a whole society in a mound of earth.2011 · 2:17 · BBC Earth

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FreeYouTube videoSpider web build time-lapse (BBC Earth)A spider spins an engineering marvel overnight - yet the Qur'an calls it the frailest of houses.2015 · 4:37 · BBC Earth

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FreeYouTube videoTen million starlings (Superswarm, BBC Earth)Millions of birds move as one without a leader - who holds them up?2017 · 5:43 · BBC Earth

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FreeYouTube videoEarthflight: barn swallows drinking on the wing (BBC)Swallows sip water in mid-flight on journeys across continents.2011 · 1:47 · BBC

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FreeYouTube videoWebb's first full-colour images explained (NASA Science Live)The deepest views of the universe ever taken, explained by the people who made them.2022 · 52:42 · NASA

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FreeYouTube videoHubble Legacy Field zoom-out (NASA)Every dot is a galaxy - fifty seconds that change how big you think the universe is.2019 · 0:50 · NASA Video

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FreeYouTube videoEarthrise: a conversation with Apollo 8's Bill Anders (NASA)The astronaut who took the famous photo of Earth rising over the Moon tells what he felt.2018 · 6:29 · NASA

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FreeYouTube videoCarl Sagan: Pale Blue DotEarth as a speck in a sunbeam - a humbling picture for anyone asking how small we are.1994 · 3:31 · Carl Sagan (audio); carlsagandotcom channel

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Documentaries on subscription or to buy

The Story of God with Morgan Freeman

paiddocuseriesThe Story of God with Morgan FreemanMorgan Freeman travels the world asking how every faith answers the biggest questions, including who God is.2016 · 3 seasons x ~45 min · National Geographic; Revelations Entertainment · Disney+ (stream); buy Apple TV, AmazonArtwork not shown: it pictures a prophet.

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not currently availabledocuseriesThe Life of Muhammad (BBC Two, Rageh Omaar)A respected BBC journalist tells the life of the Prophet (peace be upon him) carefully, with scholars of many backgrounds.2011 · 3 x 60 min · Mentorn Media for BBC Two; presenter Rageh Omaar · Not on UK services per ScreenSearch; unofficial YouTube uploads only

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not currently availabledocuseriesIslam: Empire of FaithA calm, beautifully shot history of how a faith of mercy and learning spread from Arabia to Spain, India and Istanbul.2000 · 3 x 55 min · Gardner Films for PBS; narrated by Ben Kingsley · Not on UK services; DVD import; unofficial YouTube uploads

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not currently availabledocumentaryInside MeccaFollows three pilgrims - from South Africa, Texas and Malaysia - on Hajj, so outsiders see what the journey means.2003 · 56 min · National Geographic Television; dir. Anisa Mehdi · Not on UK services; Plex listing; NatGeo clip on YouTube

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not currently availabledocumentaryJerusalem (IMAX)Three young women - Jewish, Christian and Muslim - show us the one city all three faiths call holy.2013 · 45 min · Cosmic Picture / Arcane Pictures; dir. Daniel Fe · Not on UK streaming per ScreenSearch; IMAX/museum screenings

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not currently availabledocumentaryWhen the Moors Ruled in Europe (Bettany Hughes)A historian shows how Muslims, Christians and Jews in al-Andalus built libraries, poetry and science side by side.2005 · 102 min · Channel 4; presenter Bettany Hughes · Not on UK services; unofficial YouTube uploads

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not currently availabledocumentaryBesa: The PromiseAlbanian Muslims hid Jewish families from the Nazis because their word of honour - besa - demanded it.2012 · 86 min · Rachel Goslins (dir.); based on Norman Gershman · Not on UK services

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not currently availabledocumentarySufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam (William Dalrymple)Dalrymple follows devotional music from Morocco to Pakistan, where singing about God becomes a way of loving Him.2005 · 50 min · Channel 4; presenter William Dalrymple

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paiddocuseriesPlanet Earth IIMountains, jungles, deserts and cities filmed as never before - the planet as a gallery of its Maker's art.2016 · 6 x 50 min · BBC Natural History Unit; narr. David Attenborou · Sky Go; buy Amazon

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paiddocuseriesPlanet Earth (2006)The series that changed nature filmmaking - still the best single introduction to the variety of creation.2006 · 11 x 50 min · BBC Natural History Unit; narr. David Attenborou · Sky Go; buy Apple TV, Sky Store

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not currently availabledocuseriesHuman PlanetPeople living in harmony with desert, ice, ocean and jungle - humans as guardians of creation.2011 · 8 x 60 min · BBC Natural History Unit with Discovery; narr. J · Not on UK services per ScreenSearch; DVD

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paiddocuseriesCosmos: A Spacetime OdysseyA journey from the Big Bang to the atoms in our bodies, told with real awe at how vast it all is.2014 · 13 x 44 min · Fuzzy Door / Cosmos Studios for Fox and National · Buy Amazon, Sky Store

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paiddocuseriesWonders of the Universe (Brian Cox)Brian Cox explains light, time and stardust - we are made of the dust of stars.2011 · 4 x 60 min · BBC Science with Science Channel; presenter Bria · Buy Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store

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paiddocuseriesWonders of the Solar System (Brian Cox)Sun, moon and planets each running their course - order you can see from your back garden.2010 · 5 x 60 min · BBC Science; presenter Brian Cox · Buy Apple TV, Amazon, Sky Store

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paiddocuseriesOne Strange RockAstronauts describe the Earth from orbit - how fragile and finely balanced our home is.2018 · 10 x 47 min · Nutopia and Protozoa Pictures for National Geogr · Disney+ (stream); buy Apple TV, Amazon

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paiddocumentaryOcean with David AttenboroughAttenborough, at 99, on why the ocean matters most - wonder that turns into care.2025 · 85 min · Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios for Nat · Disney+ (stream); rent/buy Apple TV, Amazon, Rakuten, Sky Store

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paiddocumentaryMy Octopus TeacherA man befriends an octopus in a kelp forest and learns to see the world as full of intelligence and gentleness.2020 · 85 min · Sea Change Project; dirs Pippa Ehrlich and James · Netflix (stream)

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paiddocumentaryHoneylandA Muslim beekeeper in North Macedonia takes only half the honey: 'half for me, half for the bees.'2019 · 89 min · Trice Films / Apolo Media; dirs Tamara Kotevska · Rent/buy Apple TV, Amazon, Rakuten, Sky Store, BFI Player, YouTube

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not currently availabledocumentaryMicrocosmosA meadow seen from an insect's height - ladybirds, snails and raindrops as huge as boulders.1996 · 80 min · Galatée Films; dirs Claude Nuridsany and Marie P · Not on UK services per ScreenSearch

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paiddocuseriesThe Private Life of PlantsAttenborough's classic on how plants move, travel, feed and flower when we're not looking.1995 · 6 x 50 min · BBC Natural History Unit; presenter David Attenb · Sky Go; buy Apple TV, Amazon

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Signs and science

FreeYouTube videoHow to See God in Everything, Every Day (and How to Respond)A Catholic priest on seeing God in everything, every day.8:41 · Ascension Presents

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FreeYouTube videoYou Are The Center of The Universe (Literally)Why every one of us stands at the centre of our own observable universe.12:31 · Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

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FreeYouTube videoWhat Is Light?What light actually is, in four and a half minutes.4:39 · Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

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FreeYouTube videoWhy Are You Alive – Life, Energy & ATPThe tiny machines in every cell that keep you alive each second.10:16 · Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell

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FreeYouTube videoWhat Jumping Spiders Teach Us About ColorHow a jumping spider sees colour: a world of sight we never knew.32:37 · Veritasium

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FreeYouTube videoThe science of hearing - Douglas L. OliverHow the ear turns air into music and voices.5:17 · TED-Ed

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FreeYouTube videoThe complex geometry of Islamic design - Eric BrougThe hidden geometry behind Islamic patterns, drawn with a compass and ruler.5:07 · TED-Ed

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FreeYouTube videoHubble Legacy Field Zoom-OutFifty seconds pulling back from one patch of sky to reveal 265,000 galaxies.0:50 · NASA Video

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FreeYouTube videoJourneying through stunning cosmic views with James Webb Space TelescopeForty minutes of Webb telescope views: the universe as it has never been seen.43:26 · European Space Agency, ESA

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FreeYouTube videoTen Million Starlings Swarm (7 Tonnes of Bird Poo) | Superswarm | BBC EarthTen million starlings moving as one: one of nature's great wonders.5:43 · BBC Earth

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FreeYouTube videoHuman Body 101 | National GeographicA five-minute tour of the human body and how its systems work together.5:11 · National Geographic

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FreeYouTube videoIlkhanid MihrabA glowing tiled prayer niche from Iran, read slowly by two art historians.5:41 · Smarthistory

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FreeYouTube videoIslamic Calligraphy: The Development of the Art Through the Practice of its Masters with Soraya SyedBritish calligrapher Soraya Syed on writing the Arabic letters of the Qur'an.14:59 · Birmingham Museums Trust

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The word and the faith

FreeYouTube videoBeautiful Names of Allah (Part 2): The Name "Allah"What the single word 'Allah' carries, explained from its Arabic roots.14:12 · Yasir Qadhi (official)

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FreeYouTube videoThe Shema PrayerA one-minute explainer of the Shema, Judaism's central statement of faith.1:12 · My Jewish Learning

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FreeYouTube videoThe Way of Prayer: Speaking to God (Ten Paths to God | Unit 2)Rabbi Sacks on prayer as speaking to God: from the UK's best-loved Jewish voice.4:09 · The Rabbi Sacks Legacy

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FreeYouTube videoShema - ListenThe Shema unpacked by BibleProject: what 'listen' and 'one' meant in Hebrew.3:26 · BibleProject

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FreeYouTube videoGod's Name Has Changed?! (Learn Its Interesting Biblical History)Where the name of God in the Bible comes from, and why most Bibles print 'LORD'.4:00 · BibleProject

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FreeYouTube videoYahweh Is a Name. “Elohim” Is Something Else.Yahweh is a name; Elohim is a title: the Hebrew roots shared with 'Allah'.3:08 · BibleProject

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FreeYouTube videoCharacter of God • Character of God Series (Episode 1)The opening of a series on the character of God across the Hebrew Bible.6:06 · BibleProject

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FreeYouTube videoThe Lord's Prayer | ArabicThe Lord's Prayer in Arabic at a London church: hear Christians call God 'Allah'.0:27 · St Luke's Kentish Town

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Big questions

FreeYouTube videoHow Is God to Be Known? - Abdal Hakim MuradA Cambridge scholar on how a finite mind can know an infinite God at all.10:21 · Islam On Demand (third-party archive, run by Ayd

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FreeYouTube videoRabbi Sacks on Connecting to God & Finding Inspiration | Animation | Rabbi Jonathan SacksA short animation of Rabbi Sacks on how we connect to God and find inspiration.2:39 · The Rabbi Sacks Legacy

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FreeYouTube videoREThink - debate with Rabbi Sacks and Richard DawkinsRabbi Sacks and Richard Dawkins in a generous, honest conversation on science and God.1:02:39 · The Rabbi Sacks Legacy

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FreeYouTube videoBishop Barron on Who God Is & Who God Isn'tBishop Barron on who God is and who God isn't: not one thing among others.9:57 · Bishop Robert Barron / Word on Fire

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FreeYouTube videoThe Nature of Nothing | Space TimeWhat physicists mean by 'nothing', and why the question won't go away.16:07 · PBS Space Time

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Common ground

FreeYouTube videoRev Tom Thomas - why Christians should engage other faithsA Birmingham youth worker on why Christians should get to know other faiths.The Feast

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FreeYouTube videoDr Andrew Smith - why is talking about religion so difficult?Why talking about religion feels so hard, and how young people do it anyway.The Feast

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FreeYouTube videoYouth Interfaith Summit 2026 – Leaders Today.Young people of many faiths at the 2026 Youth Interfaith Summit.The Faith & Belief Forum

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FreeYouTube videoSt Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation & Peace recovering the Bedouin TentThe Bedouin tent in the City of London where people of every faith meet.2:26 · St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Pe

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FreeYouTube videoHISTORY | 14 Of The Oldest Mosques In The WorldA tour of fourteen of the world's oldest mosques.5:12 · Sacred Footsteps

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Full films, free

FreedocumentaryCosmic Dawn (NASA+ Original Documentary)A full NASA documentary on the first light of the universe: free to watch.1:36:46 · NASA

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FreedocumentaryHubble - 15 years of discoveryHubble's fifteen-year story of discovery: a free full documentary.1:21:10 · HubbleWebbESA

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FreedocumentaryEight Wonders Of Our Solar System | The Planets | BBC Earth ScienceAn hour from the BBC's 'The Planets' on the wonders of our solar system, free to watch.1:05:30 · BBC Earth Science

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Freeshort[FILM] 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets - starring Sir Ben Kingsley (English Version)Ben Kingsley as the engineer al-Jazari in a short family film on Muslim science.12:59 · 1001Inventions

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