Interview: De-Extinction, Dire Wolves, and Jurassic Park with Beth Shapiro
Can we bring extinct species back to life? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro claims we just did. As Chief Science Officer at Colossal, her team made headlines in spring 2025 with the announcement of the de-extinction of the dire wolf. She takes us behind the headlines to explain how this is no “Jurassic Park” fantasy.
Episodes
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Secrets of the Forest
S52 E8 - 53m 41s
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.
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Revolutionary War Weapons
S52 E7 - 53m 39s
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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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Dino Birds
S52 E3 - 53m 35s
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.
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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.
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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.
Extras + Features
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Operation Space Station: Science and Survival Preview
S52 E20 - 30s
Witness life-or-death decisions 250 miles above Earth, as astronauts and Mission Control work together to survive moments of high danger on board humanity’s remarkable orbiting laboratory, the International Space Station.
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Operation Space Station: High-Risk Build Preview
S52 E19 - 30s
From ammonia leaks to Space Shuttle disasters to a spacewalk gone terribly wrong, astronauts and Mission Control insiders relive the most terrifying moments during construction of the International Space Station.
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Superfloods: Preview
S52 E18 - 30s
Recent deadly flash floods have wreaked havoc in the US and beyond. Explore why dangerous floods are on the rise and what can be done to protect more lives when they strike.
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Ancient Desert Death Trap: Preview
S52 E17 - 30s
Deep in the Arabian Desert lie thousands of enigmatic stone megastructures whose true form is visible only from the sky. Follow archaeologists as they decipher the mysterious remnants of a Stone Age culture and discover their true purpose.
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Human: Building Empires Preview
S52 E16 - 30s
Discover how Homo sapiens transformed from nomads to empire builders. Witness the innovations – from animal domestication to writing – that revolutionized ancient life and shaped our modern world.
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Human: Into the Americas Preview
S52 E15 - 30s
Follow ancient humans’ perilous journey into the Americas, where a frigid Ice Age landscape, mammoths, and other fearsome beasts tested their resilience.
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Human: Neanderthal Encounters Preview
S52 E14 - 30s
For 400,000 years, Neanderthals thrived across frigid, Ice Age Europe. What happened when Homo sapiens arrived, and how did these encounters change our species – including our DNA – in ways still with us today?
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Human: Journeys Preview
S52 E13 - 30s
Follow Homo Sapiens as they venture across the world, farther than any other human species. See how they invented new tools to thrive in challenging environments – and meet the mysterious hobbit-like humans they may have encountered along the way.
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Signs of Life on Mars? NASA's Discovery, Explained
S52 - 3m 38s
Billions of years ago, Mars’ Jezero Crater held a lake fed by rivers that could have carried minerals and maybe even organic matter. On Earth, places like that are teeming with microbial life.
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Human: Origins Preview
S52 E12 - 30s
Where did humans come from, and what makes us unique? Discover the remarkable origins of Homo sapiens, and the crucial moments of innovation, communication, and ritual that set us on our path.
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The Next Big Earthquake Could Sink Parts of the Pacific Northwest
S52 - 5m 8s
A 2025 study suggests that when the next "Big One" hits, coastal land could sink by up to 6 feet. That sudden drop could instantly double the number of people, homes, and roads exposed to flooding.
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How Harvard Discovered It Has an Original Copy of the Magna Carta
S52 - 3m 13s
Researchers used ultraviolet scans to compare Harvard Law School’s copy of the Magna Carta, word for word, against the other known originals. Their analysis helped confirm it was an original from 1300.
Schedule
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Image
NOVA
Ice Age Footprints
Wednesday
Dec 10
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Wednesday
Dec 10
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
Ice Age Footprints
Thursday
Dec 11
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Thursday
Dec 11
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
Ice Age Footprints
Thursday
Dec 11
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Ice Age Footprints
Saturday
Dec 13
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Saturday
Dec 13
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
Ice Age Footprints
Sunday
Dec 14
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Sunday
Dec 14
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
Ice Age Footprints
Tuesday
Dec 16
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Tuesday
Dec 16
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
Ice Age Footprints
Wednesday
Dec 17
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Wednesday
Dec 17
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
Ice Age Footprints
Wednesday
Dec 17
1 Hour
A look at what thousands of prehistoric footprints in New Mexico's White Sands National Park might reveal about the peopling of the Americas. -
Image
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Wednesday
Dec 17
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
Polar Extremes
Wednesday
Dec 17
2 Hours
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the polar extremes of the planet, including miles-high ice sheets and warm polar forests brimming with life. -
Image
NOVA
Polar Extremes
Wednesday
Dec 17
2 Hours
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the polar extremes of the planet, including miles-high ice sheets and warm polar forests brimming with life. -
Image
NOVA
Polar Extremes
Thursday
Dec 18
2 Hours
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the polar extremes of the planet, including miles-high ice sheets and warm polar forests brimming with life. -
Image
NOVA
Polar Extremes
Thursday
Dec 18
2 Hours
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the polar extremes of the planet, including miles-high ice sheets and warm polar forests brimming with life. -
Image
NOVA
Polar Extremes
Thursday
Dec 18
2 Hours
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the polar extremes of the planet, including miles-high ice sheets and warm polar forests brimming with life.
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