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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 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.
-
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.
Extras + Features
-
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?!
-
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.
-
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 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?
-
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.
-
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.
-
This Pompeii Priest Had an Unexpected Rise to Power
S52 E5 - 2m 58s
In a recently discovered tomb in Pompeii, archeologists made a startling discovery: partially mummified remains. The custom in the Roman Empire was for the dead to be cremated, not buried. The unusual choice reveals a surprising history and one man’s unexpected rise to power. Discover who this mysterious person was, and why did he decided to forgo tradition when he died.
-
How the Afterlife Shaped Ancient Egypt
S52 E4 - 1m 15s
Were ancient Egyptians obsessed with death? That common misconception hides the true relationship between life and death in ancient Egypt. Discover how they thought about death, why they invested so much in life after death, and how their belief in the afterlife shaped Egyptian culture.
-
Egypt's Tombs of Amun Preview
S52 E4 - 30s
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.
Schedule
-
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.
PBS PASSPORT
Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA+ and PBS Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.
Similar Shows
Out of Our Elements
Science and Nature
Breakthrough Women in Science & Medicine: Dr. Carey Anders
Science and Nature
Crash Course Botany
Science and Nature
Stellar
Science and Nature
Mysteries of Mental Illness
Science and Nature
Fascinating Fails
Science and Nature
Crash Course Computer Science
Science and Nature
DOODLES AND DIGITS: How It's Math
Science and Nature
Phoenix Mars Mission: Onto the Ice
Science and Nature
Nature's Big Year
Science and Nature