Support Provided By
Full Episodes
Season
Episode
53:38
Nova
S47 E9: Decoding COVID-19
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has upended life as we know it in a matter of mere months. But at the same time, an unprecedented global effort to understand and contain the virus-and find a treatment for the disease it causes-is underway.
Episode
53:31
Nova
S47 E9: Nature's Fear Factor
When top predators disappeared from Mozambique's Gorongosa National Park, other animals fell into unusual patterns. Now scientists are reintroducing wild dogs to restore the park's "landscape of fear" and with it the natural balance of the ecosystem.
Episode
53:47
Nova
S47 E8: Saving Notre Dame
When the Notre Dame cathedral caught fire in April 2019, Paris came perilously close to losing over 800 years of history. As engineers rebuild, researchers use cutting-edge technology to piece together what happened and restore the cathedral.
Episode
53:40
Nova
S47 E7: Eagle Power
What makes eagles so remarkable? Researchers study one special bird, revealing her exceptional strength, eyesight and flying skills. Meanwhile, in-the-nest footage of a new bald eagle family captures the drama of chicks struggling to survive.
Episode
53:38
Nova
S47 E6: The Truth About Fat
Scientists are coming to understand fat as a system akin to an organ — one whose size may have more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Explore the mysteries of fat and its role in hormone production, hunger and even pregnancy.
Episode
53:45
Nova
S47 E5: Cuba's Cancer Hope
When the U.S. trade embargo left Cuba isolated from medical resources, Cuban scientists developed their own biotech industry — and promising lung cancer vaccines. Can they now team up with U.S. partners to make the treatments available to all?
Episode
53:14
Nova
S47 E4: Mysteries of Sleep
From fruit flies to whales, virtually every animal sleeps. But why? Why do we need to spend nearly a third of our lives in such a vulnerable, defenseless state? Scientists are peering more deeply into the sleeping brain than ever before.
Episode
53:40
Nova
S47 E3: Cat Tales
They may have stolen many hearts-and the internet-but cats can be perplexing pets. As much cuddly and playful as they are aloof and uncaring, they've often raised the question: Did humans ever really domesticate felines?
Episode
54:11
Nova
S47 E2: Dog Tales
Dogs have long been dependable companions by our sides. But it wasn't always that way-and a look at their closest living relative, the wolf, makes it clear why.
Episode
1:53:06
Nova
S47 E1: Polar Extremes
Following a trail of fossils found in all the wrong places — beech trees in Antarctica, redwoods and hippo-like mammals in the Arctic — uncover the bizarre history of the poles, from miles-thick ice sheets to warm polar forests teeming with life.