Science and Nature

NOVA

NOVA brings you stories from the frontlines of science and engineering, answering the big questions of today and tomorrow, from how our ancestors lived, to whether parallel universes exist, to how technology will transform our lives. Visit the official website to watch full-length documentaries, or explore our world through short-form video, on our digital publication NOVA Next.

Great American Eclipse

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.

Episodes

  • Great American Eclipse: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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.

  • A.I. Revolution: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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.

  • Hunt for the Oldest DNA: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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.

  • Building the Eiffel Tower: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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.

  • Easter Island Origins: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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.

  • When Whales Could Walk: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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

  • Why is the Eiffel Tower Shaped Like That?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    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.

  • What really led to the collapse of Easter Island?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    What really led to the collapse of Easter Island?

    S51 E2 - 2m 58s

    There are multiple theories about what happened to the people of Rapa Nui - also known as Easter Island - and the famous Moai statues. Some say the civilization fell into collapse and ruin. But a new theory tells a different story, one of resilience and ingenuity against all odds.

  • Easter Island Origins Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Easter Island Origins Preview

    S51 E2 - 30s

    How were Easter Island’s giant stone heads made? New research challenges the idea that their construction led to environmental and social collapse – and uncovers surprising clues about the origins, innovations, and resilience of the Rapanui people.

  • Ancient whale fossils found in the desert: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Ancient whale fossils found in the desert

    S51 E1 - 2m 10s

    This part of the Sahara Desert is the resting place of some of the earliest whales ever found. These fossils may hold the key to how whales evolved.

  • When Whales Could Walk Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    When Whales Could Walk Preview

    S51 E1 - 30s

    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.

  • The whale that could walk: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The whale that could walk

    S51 E1 - 2m 48s

    A small furry carnivore that lived both on land and sea is the ancestor of modern whales.

Schedule

  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Life

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    The intertwined story of life and the landscape in North America -- from origins to dinosaurs and an ancient primate invasion.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Life

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    The intertwined story of life and the landscape in North America -- from origins to dinosaurs and an ancient primate invasion.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Life

    Sunday
    Apr 28

    1 Hour

    The intertwined story of life and the landscape in North America -- from origins to dinosaurs and an ancient primate invasion.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Life

    Tuesday
    Apr 30

    1 Hour

    The intertwined story of life and the landscape in North America -- from origins to dinosaurs and an ancient primate invasion.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Banner-L1

    NOVA

    Wednesday
    May 1

    1 Hour

    This long-running, award-winning documentary series focuses on science, its many applications, speculation, history and researchers. Inspired by the BBC documentary program "Horizons, " the U.S. series frequently features interviews with scientists directly involved in the topic at hand, and sometimes even boasts footage of a particular discovery.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Life

    Wednesday
    May 1

    1 Hour

    The intertwined story of life and the landscape in North America -- from origins to dinosaurs and an ancient primate invasion.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Wednesday
    May 1

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Wednesday
    May 1

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Thursday
    May 2

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Thursday
    May 2

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Friday
    May 3

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Sunday
    May 5

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Sunday
    May 5

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Sunday
    May 5

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Tuesday
    May 7

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Wednesday
    May 8

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Making North America: Human

    Wednesday
    May 8

    1 Hour

    From Ice Age to the oil boom, humans face challenges and uncover wealth hidden in North America's landscape.
  • Image
    NOVA: Why Bridges Collapse: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Why Bridges Collapse

    Wednesday
    May 8

    1 Hour

    The 2018 collapse of a section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy; bridge collapses in the U.S.; engineering techniques that can make bridges safer and prevent them from breaking down.
  • Image
    NOVA: Why Bridges Collapse: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Why Bridges Collapse

    Wednesday
    May 8

    1 Hour

    The 2018 collapse of a section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy; bridge collapses in the U.S.; engineering techniques that can make bridges safer and prevent them from breaking down.
  • Image
    NOVA: Why Bridges Collapse: TVSS: Iconic

    NOVA

    Why Bridges Collapse

    Thursday
    May 9

    1 Hour

    The 2018 collapse of a section of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy; bridge collapses in the U.S.; engineering techniques that can make bridges safer and prevent them from breaking down.

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