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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Zero to Infinity
S49 E19 - 53m 32s
Zero and infinity. These seemingly opposite, obvious, and indispensable concepts are relatively recent human inventions. Discover the surprising story of how these key concepts that revolutionized mathematics came to be – not just once, but over and over again as different cultures invented and re-invented them across thousands of years.
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Crypto Decoded
S49 E18 - 53m 22s
From Bitcoin to NFTs, crypto is making headlines. But what exactly is it, and how does it work? Experts go beyond the hype and skepticism to unravel the social and technological underpinnings of crypto – exploring how it came to be and why this new technology may change more than just money.
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Nazca Desert Mystery
S49 E17 - 53m 31s
One of the world’s greatest ancient enigmas, the Nazca lines are a dense network of criss-crossing lines, geometric shapes, and animal figures etched across 200 square miles of Peruvian desert. Who created them and why? Ever since they were rediscovered in the 1920s, scholars and enthusiasts have raised countless theories about their purpose.
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Ocean Invaders
S49 E16 - 53m 32s
Lionfish–long prized in home aquariums–have invaded the Atlantic, and are now one of the ocean’s most successful invasive species, wreaking havoc in waters across the globe. Join ocean explorer Danni Washington on a journey to find out how they took over, why they’re doing so much damage, and what can be done about it.
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Can Psychedelics Cure?
S49 E15 - 53m 47s
Hallucinogenic drugs—popularly called psychedelics—have been used by human societies for thousands of years. Today, scientists are taking a second look at many of these mind-altering substances – both natural and synthetic – and discovering that they can have profoundly positive clinical impacts, helping patients struggling with a range of afflictions from addiction to depression and PTSD.
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Computers v. Crime
S49 E14 - 53m 30s
In police departments and courts across the country, artificial intelligence is being used to help decide who is policed, who gets bail, how offenders should be sentenced, and who gets parole. But is it actually making our law enforcement and court systems fairer and more just? This timely investigation digs into the hidden biases, privacy risks, and design flaws of this controversial technology.
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Rebuilding Notre Dame
S49 E13 - 53m 30s
In April 2019, the world watched as a devastating fire almost destroyed Paris’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral. Go behind the scenes with a team of engineers, masons, and timber workers tackling the daunting challenges of restoring the historic landmark.
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Ending HIV in America
S49 E11 - 53m 33s
Almost 40 years after the discovery of HIV, could we be on the verge of ending the AIDS epidemic in America? How did scientists tackle one of the most elusive deadly viruses to ever infect humans? Can innovative drugs bring new infections to zero?
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Saving Venice
S49 E12 - 53m 31s
Rising seas and sinking land threaten to destroy Venice. Can the city’s new hi-tech flood barrier save it? Discover the innovative projects and feats of engineering designed to stop this historic city from being lost to future generations.
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Ultimate Space Telescope
S49 E10 - 53m 33s
Follow the dramatic story of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – the most complex machine ever launched into space – in hopes of peering deeper back in time than ever before and answering some of astronomy’s biggest questions.
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Ice Age Footprints
S49 E9 - 53m 21s
Ancient footprints in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park reveal new evidence of Ice Age humans that walked the land alongside enormous ground sloths and mammoths—thousands of years earlier than archaeologists thought people were in the Americas.
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Why Ships Crash
S49 E8 - 53m 20s
When the colossal Ever Given container ship crashed in the Suez Canal in March 2021, international supply chains ground to a halt. How did it happen? Follow the investigation into one of the most expensive shipping disasters ever.
Extras + Features
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Why Wombats Poop Cubes
S49 E2 - 3m
Scientists solve a mammal poop mystery: Why do wombats have cube-shaped feces?
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Animal-to-Human Organ Transplants
S49 - 4m 59s
Of the over 100,000 people on the waitlist for an organ in the United States, 17 die every day. Now, the first pig-to-human heart transplant reveals some of the challenges of xenotransplantation.
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Predicting My MS Preview
S49 E101 - 38s
In 2005, filmmaker Jason DaSilva was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, a rare type of MS that has no known cure and inflicts progressively debilitating symptoms. In this moving personal film, DaSilva looks back on the challenges he’s faced, delves into the science behind MS, and investigates the potential risk factors that may–or may not–have contributed to his rare diagnosis.
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Predicting My MS
S49 E101 - 30m 37s
In 2005, filmmaker Jason DaSilva was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis, a rare type of MS that has no known cure and inflicts progressively debilitating symptoms. In this moving personal film, DaSilva looks back on the challenges he’s faced, delves into the science behind MS, and investigates the potential risk factors that may–or may not–have contributed to his rare diagnosis.
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Augmented Preview
S49 E4 - 31s
Follow the dramatic personal journey of Hugh Herr, a biophysicist working to create brain-controlled robotic limbs. At age 17, Herr’s legs were amputated after a climbing accident. Frustrated by the crude prosthetic limbs he was given, Herr set out to remedy their design, leading him to a career as an inventor of innovative prosthetic devices.
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Climbers Tell Story of Mt. Washington Climbing Accident
S49 E4 - 5m 10s
Climbers Hugh Herr and Jeff Batzer recount an experience that led to them needing limb amputations.
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Great Mammoth Mystery Preview
S49 E3 - 28s
Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique site in southern England where amateur fossil hunters uncovered giant mammoth bones and evidence of Neanderthals. A team of paleontologists and archaeologists soon discover that the site preserves rare evidence of the extinct beasts and early human inhabitants of Britain dating to over 200,000 years ago.
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The Mammoth Species You've Never Heard Of
S49 E3 - 3m
Remains—particularly teeth—reveal that two species of mammoth once lived in what is now Southern England.
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What is 5G, and is it Safe to Use on Planes?
S49 - 5m 39s
5G is a leap forward in wireless technology, providing data speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G. So why is this seemingly revolutionary tech raising concern in the aviation industry?
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Introducing NOVA's Financial Lab
S49 - 1m 22s
Managing money is hard! Even when you know what you should do, it can be hard to actually do it. In NOVA’s Financial Lab, students practice strategies for making financial decisions by taking care of a pet while learning how to overcome common behavioral biases.
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Can Poop Help Protect Rhinos from Poachers?
S49 E2 - 3m 3s
The chemicals in rhinoceros feces help the animals communicate with one another. But to scientists and police, rhino scat tells a different story.
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Secrets in the Scat Preview
S49 E2 - 30s
Scott Burnett is “Scatman”—an Australian ecologist on the trail of the secrets of poop. By identifying and analyzing animal scat for DNA and hormones, he discovers essential details of their behavior, how they fit in the ecosystem, and even how to protect them.
Schedule
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NOVA
Making North America: Origins
Sunday
Apr 21
1 Hour
The shaping of North America, including palm trees that once thrived in Alaska and an eruption that nearly tore the Midwest in two. -
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NOVA
Making North America: Origins
Sunday
Apr 21
1 Hour
The shaping of North America, including palm trees that once thrived in Alaska and an eruption that nearly tore the Midwest in two. -
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NOVA
Making North America: Origins
Sunday
Apr 21
1 Hour
The shaping of North America, including palm trees that once thrived in Alaska and an eruption that nearly tore the Midwest in two. -
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NOVA
Weathering the Future
Monday
Apr 22
1 Hour
Americans use ancient wisdom and new solutions to fight against extreme weather, from intense rainstorms to megafires and droughts. -
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NOVA
Making North America: Origins
Tuesday
Apr 23
1 Hour
The shaping of North America, including palm trees that once thrived in Alaska and an eruption that nearly tore the Midwest in two. -
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NOVA
Making North America: Origins
Wednesday
Apr 24
1 Hour
The shaping of North America, including palm trees that once thrived in Alaska and an eruption that nearly tore the Midwest in two. -
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NOVA
Making North America: Origins
Wednesday
Apr 24
1 Hour
The shaping of North America, including palm trees that once thrived in Alaska and an eruption that nearly tore the Midwest in two. -
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NOVA
Making North America: Life
Wednesday
Apr 24
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: Life
Wednesday
Apr 24
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: Life
Thursday
Apr 25
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: Life
Thursday
Apr 25
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: 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. -
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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
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. -
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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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