Great American Eclipse
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
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The Cannabis Question
S48 E11 - 53m 36s
As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA investigates the latest scientific evidence for its potential benefits and risks, and how criminalization has disproportionately harmed communities of color.
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Bat Superpowers
S48 E10 - 53m 13s
Bats have been implicated in deadly epidemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola, yet scientists are discovering evidence that they may hold a key to a longer and healthier life. From caves in Thailand and Texas to labs around the globe, NOVA meets the scientists who are decoding the superpowers of the bat.
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Ship That Changed the World
S48 E9 - 53m 12s
The Age of Exploration and Europe’s imperial colonization of far-off lands was launched by a revolution in ship design that made long-distance voyages practical. A newly discovered 500-year-old wreck offers vital clues to this momentous innovation.
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Great Electric Airplane Race
S48 E7 - 53m 7s
Can new emission-free electric planes replace our polluting airliners and revolutionize personal transportation in our cities? NOVA takes a ride in some quiet, energy-efficient, prototypes that are vying for success as electric flight takes off.
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Hindenburg: The New Evidence
S48 E6 - 53m 13s
80 years after the world’s largest airship ignited in a giant fireball, newly discovered footage sparks a reinvestigation of what exactly caused the Hindenburg disaster.
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Fighting for Fertility
S48 E5 - 53m 6s
What causes infertility, and how can assisted reproductive technologies help? Follow the journeys of people navigating fertility challenges from structural inequalities and racism to falling sperm counts, egg freezing, and IVF.
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Reef Rescue
S48 E4 - 54m 6s
If oceans continue to warm at the current pace, coral reefs could be wiped out by the end of the century. But scientists from around the globe are rushing to help corals adapt to a changing climate through assisted evolution.
Extras + Features
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How Wildfires and Ozone Led to Terrible Air Quality
S48 - 6m 5s
During summer 2021, cities like New York and Sacramento reported higher-than-normal air pollution — with Denver on Aug. 7 reporting the worst air quality in the world.
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What will it take to get out of this pandemic?
S48 - 28m 19s
In most U.S. states, a surge in cases is reigniting conversations about the country’s response to the pandemic. Dr. Alok Patel speaks with a leading epidemiologist and a specialist in infectious diseases to gain perspective on pressing concerns, from vaccine effectiveness and boosters to vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and inequity at a national and global scale.
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Toxic “Forever Chemicals” Found in Americans' Blood
S48 - 6m 50s
What makes PFAS chemicals extremely useful — and extremely hard to get rid of — are bonds between carbon and fluorine atoms that are almost impossible to break.
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How COVID-19 and Climate Change Affect Breathing
S48 - 4m 13s
An ornithologist and conservationist shares how the coronavirus pandemic's effects on his ability to breathe has echoed the disproportionate effects of climate change on certain communities
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The Science of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
S48 - 28m 7s
According to a recent report released by the U.S. government, nearly 150 aerial objects observed between 2004 and 2021 remain unidentified—with the exception of one large deflated balloon. But what if there’s another explanation out there? Could extraterrestrial intelligence explain some sightings? To find out, Dr. Alok Patel explores the possibilities with an astrophysicist and a NASA engineer.
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Using Technology to Cope With Drought
S48 - 28m
With the help of hydrologists and innovators on the ground and in the lab, Dr. Alok Patel learns about the traditional ecological knowledge of the Navajo Nation in the especially hard-hit Southwest. And he speaks with innovators applying advanced technology to agricultural practices, like drone surveillance and artificial intelligence, to prepare for and cope with drought.
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Preparing for the Pacific Northwest's Next Major Earthquake
S48 - 6m 12s
An earthquake with a magnitude of 8 or higher hasn’t rumbled beneath the contiguous U.S. in more than 300 years. Now, the Pacific Northwest is due for another "big one."
Clues from the past, along with modern-day science, can help coastal Indigenous communities understand the risks and develop novel mitigation strategies. -
How California's Droughts Lead to Other Disasters
S48 - 5m 54s
Each year, California and the Southwest break new records for droughts and high temperatures, which bring damaging heat waves, wildfires, and even flooding. Learn how these catastrophes operate together—and how engineers are working on new technologies to help us survive.
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Can Solar Storms Knock Out Our Power Grid?
S48 - 6m 55s
Solar storms have the potential to affect our power grid and cause widespread blackouts. Watch how researchers and engineers are working together to make sure that doesn’t happen.
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Fact or CAP? How to Deal With Clickbait
S48 - 7m 7s
Why do people make clickbait, and how do we identify false information in it? Sometimes it helps to have a system to ID the CAP.
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Can Humans Deflect an Asteroid?
S48 - 6m 12s
NASA is launching a new spacecraft mission, DART, which will test scientists' ability to deflect asteroids at risk of colliding with Earth.
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The Science of Exercise—and Getting Back in the Game
S48 - 30m 1s
We’re stretching it out and exploring the science of exercise and—after more than a year of unexpected interruption—getting back in the game. Dr. Alok Patel checks in with an expert in exercise physiology and an Olympic athlete, biomechanist, and chiropractor.
Schedule
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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. -
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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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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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NOVA
Why Bridges Collapse
Friday
May 10
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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NOVA
Why Bridges Collapse
Sunday
May 12
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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