Name: NOVA: Baltimore Bridge Collapse
Uploaded: 2025-02-25T18:23:33+00:00
Duration: 3212 s
Description: On March 26, 2024, a massive container ship plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six highway workers. How did the ship lose control? Why did the bridge fail so catastrophically? And how many other bridges around the world are at risk?

Baltimore Bridge Collapse

53m 32s

On March 26, 2024, a massive container ship plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six highway workers. How did the ship lose control? Why did the bridge fail so catastrophically? And how many other bridges around the world are at risk?

Episodes
Extras + Features
Schedule

Baltimore Bridge Collapse

S52 E6 - 53m 32s

On March 26, 2024, a massive container ship plowed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, killing six highway workers. How did the ship lose control? Why did the bridge fail so catastrophically? And how many other bridges around the world are at risk?
Pompeii's Secret Underworld

S52 E5 - 53m 40s

For over two centuries, archaeologists have hailed Pompeii as a sophisticated city at the heart of an advanced ancient civilization. But a series of new excavations is painting a much more complex picture of the city tragically buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
Egypt's Tombs of Amun

S52 E4 - 53m 40s

Follow archaeologists as they discover a long lost ancient cemetery in Egypt’s sacred desert. Treasures emerge unlike anything seen by the team, revealing details of a unique period, when women had extraordinary power.
Dino Birds

S52 E3 - 53m 40s

Why are birds the only dinosaurs still alive today? Rare fossil discoveries are revealing the secrets of bird evolution, telling the story of how some resilient feathered dinos became the vast array of colorful bird species that fill our skies.
Extreme Airport Engineering

S52 E2 - 53m 40s

In New York City, a team of elite engineers and construction workers are on a mission to build the ultimate airport. Follow their ups and downs as they race to build a new, world-class LaGuardia on the site of one of America’s busiest aviation hubs.
What Are UFOs?

S52 E1 - 53m 43s

After decades in the shadows, UFOs are being studied seriously. Are they weather balloons, optical illusions, secret military technology? Or something else? Follow scientists as they try to unravel the mystery of the strangest objects in our skies.

Secrets of the Forest Preview

S52 E8 - 30s

Can forests help cool the planet? Follow scientists through spectacular landscapes as they study complex networks of trees, fungi, and creatures large and small – all in a quest to tackle the twin threats of climate change and species extinction.
Revolutionary War Weapons Preview

S52 E7 - 30s

How did a ragtag army defeat the most powerful army in the world to win American independence? Discover the key military technologies that helped propel the colonies to victory, from the Brown Bess musket to the world’s first military submarine.
Do Aliens Exist? This Famous Equation Offers a Clue

S52 - 5m 4s

It’s an age-old question: Do aliens exist? And what are the odds we’ll make contact? A famous mathematical equation, known as the Drake Equation, helps scientists estimate the odds of finding intelligent alien civilizations, but new discoveries and unknown factors could change everything.
The Rocket-Less Future of Space Travel

S52 - 5m 17s

Imagine taking an elevator to space. Or blasting off in a nuclear rocket. That might sound like science fiction, but scientists are racing to develop new, more efficient methods of space travel - and some pretty wild ideas are on the table. Discover the rocket-less future of space travel and the quest to make it happen.
4 Ways the Universe Could End

S52 - 5m 7s

If the universe as we know it started with the Big Bang, will it also have an end? And if it’s going to end someday - how? Discover the four main ideas about how the universe might end, and find out which one has the most evidence supporting it. With host Athena Brensberger, dive into our universe's very distant future in this episode of What the Physics?!
Building Blocks of Life Discovered on Distant Asteroid

S52 - 6m 3s

In January 2025, scientists announced the discovery of organic molecules— the building blocks of life— in samples retrieved from a distant asteroid named Bennu. What can this discovery reveal about the secrets of life's origins? Or how common life may be elsewhere in the universe?
What Caused Baltimore’s Key Bridge to Collapse?

S52 E6 - 2m 57s

On March 26, 2024, a container ship lost power and veered off course, striking a critical support of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Engineers explain how a vulnerability in the bridge's design led to a devastating chain reaction, causing the bridge to collapse and blocking the busy Port of Baltimore for eleven weeks.
What Went Wrong on the Dali Before the Baltimore Bridge Collapse

S52 E6 - 2m 57s

How did the massive container ship Dali drift into Baltimore’s Key Bridge, causing the deadly collapse? Just minutes before impact, the ship suffered two devastating blackouts, causing it to lose steering control and triggering disaster. Investigators piece together the chain of events that led to the catastrophic collapse.
Baltimore Bridge Collapse Preview

S52 E6 - 30s

On March 26, 2024, the world collectively gasped as a massive container ship, the Dali, lost control and plowed into the landmark Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The busy four-lane bridge suffered a catastrophic collapse and crashed into the Patapsco River. How did a modern ship lose all power and propulsion? And why did the bridge fail so catastrophically?
This Asteroid Might Make Impact With Earth in 2032

S52 - 3m 33s

An asteroid is on a collision course with Earth, possibly making impact in 2032. In the unlikely event that Asteroid 2024 YR does strike Earth, it would generate an explosion equal to nearly 8 million tons of TNT. That’s 500 times the power of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima during WWII. But there’s no cause for alarm: Space agencies estimate there’s about a 2% chance of impact.
Pompeii's Secret Underworld Preview

S52 E5 - 30s

For over two centuries, archaeologists have hailed Pompeii as a sophisticated city at the heart of an advanced ancient civilization. But a series of new excavations is painting a much more complex picture of the city tragically buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.
A Brutal Gladiator Fight in Ancient Pompeii

S52 E5 - 2m 37s

Gladiatorial games were a vital part of ancient Roman life, and in Pompeii, the amphitheater was a stage for both bloodsport and spectacle. But the violence wasn’t always contained to the arena. Discover how tensions between rival towns turned deadly, spilling blood in the streets as the games devolved into a citywide riot.

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NOVA

Building the Eiffel Tower

Sunday
Mar 23

4:00 am

1 Hour

The three decades of engineering, innovations, successes and failures that led to the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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NOVA

Building the Eiffel Tower

Sunday
Mar 23

4:00 am

1 Hour

The three decades of engineering, innovations, successes and failures that led to the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Image

NOVA

Building the Eiffel Tower

Sunday
Mar 23

10:00 am

1 Hour

The three decades of engineering, innovations, successes and failures that led to the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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NOVA

Building the Eiffel Tower

Tuesday
Mar 25

7:00 pm

1 Hour

The three decades of engineering, innovations, successes and failures that led to the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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NOVA

Building the Eiffel Tower

Wednesday
Mar 26

12:00 am

1 Hour

The three decades of engineering, innovations, successes and failures that led to the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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NOVA

Building the Eiffel Tower

Wednesday
Mar 26

8:00 am

1 Hour

The three decades of engineering, innovations, successes and failures that led to the creation of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
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NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Wednesday
Mar 26

9:00 pm

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Wednesday
Mar 26

9:00 pm

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Thursday
Mar 27

2:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Thursday
Mar 27

3:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Thursday
Mar 27

3:00 pm

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Thursday
Mar 27

4:00 pm

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Sunday
Mar 30

4:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Sunday
Mar 30

4:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Sunday
Mar 30

10:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Tuesday
Apr 1

7:00 pm

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Wednesday
Apr 2

12:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

Hunt for the Oldest DNA

Wednesday
Apr 2

8:00 am

1 Hour

Scientists discover the oldest DNA ever found and reveal the genes of long-extinct creatures that once thrived in the Arctic.
Image

NOVA

When Whales Could Walk

Wednesday
Apr 2

9:00 pm

1 Hour

Paleontologists uncover a whole new species of whale in a parched valley not far from Cairo.
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NOVA

When Whales Could Walk

Wednesday
Apr 2

9:00 pm

1 Hour

Paleontologists uncover a whole new species of whale in a parched valley not far from Cairo.

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