Plot Synopsis

Narrated and executive produced by Laurence Fishburne and uniting the world's brightest scientific minds, YEAR MILLION is a six-part documentary series that paints a visual story of the distant future. From the moment our ancestors smashed two rocks together to forge the first tool, technology and imagination have propelled humanity forward. But now, technology has the power to shape a future beyond our imagination. What was once conceived by science fiction as entertainment is now the blueprint great scientists use to project the future of our world. YEAR MILLION weaves a thrilling -- sometimes frightening -- depiction of how we've used innovative science to create technology that will soon surpass our intelligence -- and perhaps exist beyond our control. For instance, the cell phone, a device most of us cannot live without, much less leave at home, has become exponentially more intelligent just in the last decade. This series' documentary sequences are comingled with illustrative, dramatic storytelling to depict a version of humanity's fate through the lens of a typical, futuristic American family - which includes an android daughter whose existence depends upon interactions with future scientific and technological advancements. These dramatic sequences shift between a robust roster of on-camera commentary and serve as touchstones of the world to come. In addition to consulting contemporary scientific/tech experts on camera -- including Ray Kurzweil, Michio Kaku, Peter Diamandis and Brian Greene -- the series features a mix of lay interviews with filmmakers, artists, writers and comedians who provide their perspectives on the future of humanity; noted graphic novelist Brian Michael Bendis, Nerdist co-host Matt Mira and musician/science enthusiast David Byrne join the mix. The six episodes are:

"Homo Sapien 2.0" (May 15): Advances in neuroscience and engineering are bringing us closer toward a reality first described in great science fiction, one in which artificial intelligence will become indistinguishable from - or perhaps even surpass - human intelligence. This could lead to a future in which AI beings become our essential collaborators or a threat to human value and life. What are the major milestones that are leading us towards this singularity, and how will that affect the evolution of the human species?

"Never Say Die" (May 22): Recent breakthroughs in genetics have given us a better understanding of the biology of humans, opening up new ways that could help us all live healthier for longer. In the future, will we move beyond treating individual diseases and, instead, treat the aging process itself? How would a dramatically protracted life change not only the fabric of society, but what it means to be a human being?

"Dude, Where's My Body?" (May 29): Advances in graphics and computing power have given rise to a renaissance in virtual technologies from world-building platforms like Second Life to manufacturers of VR headsets like Oculus Rift. We're seeing more and more of human activity transfer to virtual spaces, offering people profound experiences via online personas and even transforming the way the real-world functions. Will we reach a tipping point where reality becomes a pale shadow of the rich, imaginative, virtual worlds we've created for ourselves? What will that mean for our perception of humanity? What do we risk losing?

"Mind Meld" (June 5): Within a single generation, the Internet has transformed virtually every aspect of modern culture from the way we learn and work to the ways in which we communicate and express ourselves. How has this constant connectivity affected our views on privacy? How will they continue to change as new technologies like neural prosthetics help us create seamless, instantaneous connections to the cloud? Eventually, will we evolve to the point of telepathy? How will this affect our relationships to each other? Will this give us new tools or insight into communication with other civilizations that might exist beyond Earth?

"Energy Beyond Earth" (June 12): Overconsumption of energy and resources has lead us to a breaking point where we will either have to engineer our way around our problems, or look to other planets to inhabit. If we go off planet, we will have to make it habitable for humans through processes like terraforming, which may lead to unintended consequences for that ecosystem. Is this human-centric view of the universe the right approach? And is it possible there are alien civilizations that have reached this similar inflection point?

"Beyond the Cosmos" (June 19): Humans have always had a drive to explore the unknown. This indomitable spirit has led us to new shores, new depths and, in the last century, to new planets. As the number of mysteries remaining on home planet decreases, how will we have to adapt ourselves biologically in order to explore farther distances in space? Will we discover forms of life reminiscent of Earth or new forms of life entirely? What astrophysical phenomena may we experience, and how closely will it align to how we've imagined it in science fiction?
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On Wednesday, June 21, 2017 at 10pm ET/PT, Nat Geo Channel premiered "Beyond the Cosmos," the finale of YEAR MILLION. The human drive to explore has led us to new planets. What kind of biological adaptions must be made in order to travel farther in space? Will we discover forms of life reminiscent of Earth or new forms entirely? What astrophysical phenomena might we experience, and how closely will they align to how we've imagined them in science fiction?