NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL'S EMMY-NOMINATED HIT SERIES "BRAIN GAMES" KICKS OFF THE SUMMER WITH A TWO-NIGHT SPECIAL EVENT

SIX NEW EPISODES PREMIERE SUNDAY, JUNE 28, AND MONDAY, JUNE 29

Host Jason Silva Leads on-the-Street and in-the-Lab Experiments That Explore Topics of Positive Thinking, Scams, Sleep, Perspective, Imagination and More

(WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 16, 2015) All new episodes of National Geographic Channel's (NGC's) Emmy-nominated series Brain Games return Sunday, June 28 (9:00 - 11:00 p.m. ET/PT) and Monday, June 29 (9:00 - 10:00 p.m. ET/PT) during a two-night premiere event. Kicking off the summer and just before the July 4 weekend, host, futurist and "Shots of Awe" creator Jason Silva hits the streets of New York and Las Vegas with new, captivating social experiments that reveal mysteries of the human mind.

Experts across the fields of cognitive science, neuroscience and psychology join Silva in uncovering the processes behind daily activities, such as positive thinking, sleep, perspective, imagination, the unscrupulous world of scams and more. What really happens to our brain when we're extremely sleep deprived? What makes rational human beings susceptible to con artists? And delve into the differences and similarities between humans and animals in relation to jealousy, eating, memory, mating and more.

Episodes include:

BRAIN GAMES: POSITIVE THINKING Premieres Sun., June 28, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Positive thinking is more than just a warm, fuzzy idea. That little voice in your head can change your thoughts, your reality and even your life. We're going to mess with your mood to show you what really makes that glass seem half empty or half full, why people who stand tall stand happy, and how a little smiling might even improve your life span.

BRAIN GAMES: SCAMS Premieres Sun., June 28, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT No one likes to think they might be gullible, but nearly everyone is. Scammers and con artists make it their business to know how your brain works, and how to use its flaws to their advantage. Brain Games is in Vegas with illusionist Eric Leclerc as he demonstrates how easy it is to misdirect your brain and shows why gambling is the ultimate con. And hidden cameras roll as we convince innocent people to give up their money and valuable possessions.

BRAIN GAMES: SLEEP Premieres Sun., June 28, at 10 p.m. ET/PT The average adult will spend more than 220,000 hours - or roughly 25 years - in bed sleeping. That's one-third of your life spent in slumber! Brain Games challenges three participants to stay awake for 36 hours and then tests their memory, motor skills and reaction time. Who will fare best - the young math tutor, the burly plumber or the mother of four? Explore what exactly sleep is, why it's important and why we spend so much time doing it.

BRAIN GAMES: PERSPECTIVE Premieres Sun., June 28, at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT Your brain is constantly taking in different bits of information to make meaningful patterns that eventually form a complete picture of the world around you. Whether it's light, shadow, distance or sound, the way your brain perceives this information creates your unique perspective. Brain Games questions if reality really exists the way we experience it and how we can radically shift the way we see the world. Our brains aren't always as honest as you'd think!

BRAIN GAMES: ANIMAL VS. HUMAN Premieres Mon., June 29, at 9 p.m. ET/PT Have you ever questioned why humans are the most dominant species on the planet, if we're not the strongest, fastest or largest, and don't have the best sight, smell or hearing? It's actually our brains that set us apart from the rest. But how do our brains compare with those of other species? Brain Games pits animal against human in a series of unique experiments!

BRAIN GAMES: IMAGINATION Premieres Mon., June 29, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT We often associate imagination with creativity and the arts, but we don't always think about how important it is to our daily lives. Imagination helps us solve daily problems, and through a series of games, you'll learn how to tap into the imaginative process to keep the creative, innovative ideas flowing.

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National Geographic Channel

Based at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C., the National Geographic Channels US are a joint venture between National Geographic and Fox Networks. The Channels contribute to the National Geographic Society's commitment to exploration, conservation and education with smart, innovative programming and profits that directly support its mission. Launched in January 2001, National Geographic Channel (NGC) celebrated its fifth anniversary with the debut of NGC HD. In 2010, the wildlife and natural history cable channel Nat Geo WILD was launched, and in 2011, the Spanish-language network Nat Geo Mundo was unveiled. The Channels have carriage with all of the nation's major cable, telco and satellite television providers, with NGC currently available in more than 90 million U.S. homes. Globally, National Geographic Channel is available in more than 440 million homes in 171 countries and 45 languages. For more information, visit www.natgeotv.com.