Decoding the Universe: Cosmos
How big is the universe? Will it ever end? Why is so much of it made of mysterious dark matter and energy? See how mind-bending discoveries over the past 50 years have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
Episodes
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Decoding the Universe: Cosmos
S51 E8 - 53m 38s
How big is the universe? Will it ever end? Why is so much of it made of mysterious dark matter and energy? See how mind-bending discoveries over the past 50 years have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
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Great American Eclipse
S51 E6 - 53m 34s
Explore the spectacular cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse. In April 2024, the Moon’s shadow is sweeping from Texas to Maine, as the U.S. witnesses its last total eclipse until 2044, and scientists scramble to unlock the secrets of our Sun.
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A.I. Revolution
S51 E5 - 53m 30s
A.I. tools like ChatGPT seem to think, speak, and create like humans. But what are they really doing? From cancer cures to Terminator-style takeovers, leading experts explore what A.I. can – and can’t – do today, and what lies ahead.
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Secrets in Your Data
S51 E7 - 53m 40s
Whether you’re on social media or surfing the web, you’re probably sharing more personal data than you realize. Find out where your data is going, who’s selling it, and how you – and a new kind of web – could put control back in your hands.
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Hunt for the Oldest DNA
S51 E4 - 53m 10s
For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. Follow the dramatic quest to recover DNA millions of years old and reveal a lost world from before the last Ice Age.
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Building the Eiffel Tower
S51 E3 - 53m 29s
Explore the revolutionary engineering behind Paris’s iconic landmark. Completed in 1889, the iron tower smashed the record for the tallest structure on Earth, ushering in a new age of global construction that reached for the skies.
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Easter Island Origins
S51 E2 - 53m 17s
The giant stone heads of Easter Island have inspired theories for centuries. Now, new research reveals intriguing evidence of the origins and inspirations of the ancient Rapanui people who created the iconic monoliths.
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When Whales Could Walk
S51 E1 - 53m 31s
A spectacular fossil graveyard reveals a 43-million-year-old whale that had four legs and could walk. Follow scientists as they search for new clues to how mammals moved from land into the sea to become the largest animals on Earth.
Extras + Features
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The discovery of worlds beyond our solar system
S51 - 1m 39s
In the early 90s’ scientists combed through data and found something surprising that led to the discovery of planets beyond our solar system. It changed science forever.
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Rare stellar explosion will ignite a "new star"
S51 - 1m 17s
The star system will become bright enough to see with the naked eye for several days before it dims again for about 80 years.
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How to make your data more private online
S51 E7 - 4m 2s
Online privacy isn’t a switch—it’s a dial. And you get to control how much data you share, and with who. Here’s how to make your data more private.
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Is your phone listening to you?
S51 E7 - 4m 25s
A product you were just talking about pops up in an online ad. How? Advertising algorithms are so good that they may know what you want even before you do.
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Secrets in Your Data Preview
S51 E7 - 30s
Whether you’re on social media or surfing the web, you’re probably sharing more personal data than you realize. Find out where your data is going, who’s selling it, and how you – and a new kind of web – could put control back in your hands.
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The force that makes up more than half of the universe
S51 - 1m 40s
Astronomers looked at extremely distant and extremely bright exploding stars and discovered that universe is not just expanding - it’s accelerating in its expansion.
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Hunt for the Oldest DNA Preview
S51 E4 - 30s
For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. Follow the dramatic quest to recover DNA millions of years old and reveal a lost world from before the last Ice Age.
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When Camels Roamed the Arctic
S51 E4 - 2m 54s
Some 2 million years ago, when the high Arctic was a much warmer, greener place, a unique collection of animals coexisted: Caribou, geese, hares, even camels.
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How parrots swing like monkeys
S51 - 1m 36s
Researchers call this movement “beakiation” which is a play on an existing term, “brachiation,” used to describe how Gibbons move by swinging from their arms.
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Building the Eiffel Tower Preview
S51 E3 - 30s
Explore the revolutionary engineering behind Paris’s iconic landmark. Completed in 1889, the iron tower smashed the record for the tallest structure on Earth, ushering in a new age of global construction that reached for the skies.
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5 things to know about the Eiffel Tower
S51 E3 - 1m 40s
The Eiffel Tower is an engineering icon that changed the face of the modern world.
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Why is the Eiffel Tower Shaped Like That?
S51 E3 - 1m 58s
At the time of its construction, the Eiffel Tower was the tallest structure ever built. That meant that the engineers had a key challenge: making sure the structure could survive the wind.
Schedule
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Image
NOVA
Ancient Builders of the Amazon
Tuesday
Jul 16
1 Hour
Discoveries reveal traces of ancient civilizations that flourished for centuries with prehistoric populations in the Amazon. -
Image
NOVA
Emperor's Ghost Army
Tuesday
Jul 16
1 Hour
High-action experiments and 3-D technology provide insight into how China's terracotta army was made. -
Image
NOVA
Emperor's Ghost Army
Wednesday
Jul 17
1 Hour
High-action experiments and 3-D technology provide insight into how China's terracotta army was made. -
Image
NOVA
Ancient Builders of the Amazon
Wednesday
Jul 17
1 Hour
Discoveries reveal traces of ancient civilizations that flourished for centuries with prehistoric populations in the Amazon. -
Image
NOVA
Ancient Builders of the Amazon
Wednesday
Jul 17
1 Hour
Discoveries reveal traces of ancient civilizations that flourished for centuries with prehistoric populations in the Amazon. -
Image
NOVA
Ancient Builders of the Amazon
Wednesday
Jul 17
1 Hour
Discoveries reveal traces of ancient civilizations that flourished for centuries with prehistoric populations in the Amazon. -
Image
NOVA
Emperor's Ghost Army
Wednesday
Jul 17
1 Hour
High-action experiments and 3-D technology provide insight into how China's terracotta army was made. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Wednesday
Jul 24
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
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NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Wednesday
Jul 24
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Thursday
Jul 25
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Thursday
Jul 25
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Thursday
Jul 25
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Friday
Jul 26
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Sunday
Jul 28
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Sunday
Jul 28
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Sunday
Jul 28
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Tuesday
Jul 30
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Wednesday
Jul 31
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Sunken Ship Rescue
Wednesday
Jul 31
1 Hour
Efforts to secure, raise and salvage the Costa Concordia cruise ship which capsized off the Italian coast on Jan. 13, 2012, killing 32 people. -
Image
NOVA
Operation Bridge Rescue
Wednesday
Jul 31
1 Hour
The rebuilding of the 19th-century Blenheim covered bridge; traditional artisans in China restore ancient covered bridges.
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