The essential episodes of NOVA
Watch these 15 in order and you've got NOVA — each pick states its reason.
- 01
The Making of a Natural History Film
NOVA premieres on public television with a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a nature film. Oxford Scientific Films Unit shows how it tackles such problems as filming a wood-wasp laying its egg inside trees, the hatching of a chick and the courtship rituals of the stickleback.
- 02
In 1900, a storm blew a boatload of sponge divers off course and forced them to take shelter by the tiny Mediterranean island of Antikythera. Diving the next day, they discovered a 2,000 year-old Greek shipwreck. Among the ship's cargo they hauled up was an unimpressive green lump of corroded bronze. Rusted remnants of gear wheels could be seen on its surface, suggesting some kind of intricate mechanism. The first X-ray studies confirmed that idea, but how it worked and what it was for puzzled scientists for decades. Recently, hi-tech imaging has revealed the extraordinary truth: this unique clockwork machine was the world's first computer. An array of 30 intricate bronze gear wheels, originally housed in a shoebox-size wooden case, was designed to predict the dates of lunar and solar eclipses, track the Moon's subtle motions through the sky, and calculate the dates of significant events such as the Olympic Games. No device of comparable technological sophistication is known from anywhere in the world for at least another 1,000 years. So who was the genius inventor behind it? And what happened to the advanced astronomical and engineering knowledge of its makers? NOVA follows the ingenious sleuthing that finally decoded the truth behind the amazing ancient Greek computer.
- 03
The asteroid that exploded over Siberia—injuring more than 1,000 and damaging buildings in six cities—was a shocking reminder that Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting range. From the width of a football field to the size of a small city, these space rocks have the potential to be killers. In a collision with Earth, they could set off deadly blast waves, raging fires and colossal tidal waves. But some audacious entrepreneurs look up at asteroids and see payday, not doomsday. Some asteroids are loaded with billions of dollars' worth of elements like iron, nickel, and platinum. NASA is planning an ambitious mission to return samples from a potentially hazardous asteroid, and would-be asteroid miners are dreaming up their own program to scout for potentially profitable asteroids. Will asteroids turn out to be our economic salvation—or instruments of extinction?
- 04
In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2,200 years, this clay army, 8,000-strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave. Now, a new archaeological campaign is probing the thousands of figures entombed in the mausoleum. With exclusive access to pioneering research, "Emperor's Ghost Army" explores how the Emperor directed the manufacture of the tens of thousands of bronze weapons carried by the clay soldiers. NOVA tests the power of these weapons with high-action experiments and reports on revolutionary 3D computer modeling techniques that are providing new insights into how the clay figures were made, revealing in the process the secrets of one of archaeology's greatest discoveries.
- 05
On November 25th, 1915, Einstein published his greatest work: general relativity. The theory transformed our understanding of nature's laws and the entire history of the cosmos, reaching back to the origin of time itself. Now, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of Einstein's achievement, NOVA tells the inside story of Einstein's masterpiece. The story begins with the intuitive thought experiments that set Einstein off on his quest and traces the revolution in cosmology that is still playing out in today's labs and observatories. Discover the simple but powerful ideas at the heart of relativity, illuminating the theory—and Einstein's brilliance - as never before. From the first spark of an idea to the discovery of the expanding universe, the Big Bang, black holes, and dark energy, NOVA uncovers the inspired insights and brilliant breakthroughs of "the perfect theory." "Inside Einstein's Mind" was nominated for an Emmy Award.
- 06
On August 21, 2017, millions of Americans witnessed the first total solar eclipse to cross the continental United States in 99 years. As in all total solar eclipses, the moon blocked the sun and revealed its ethereal outer atmosphere—its corona—in a wondrous celestial spectacle. While hordes of citizens flocked to the eclipse's path of totality, scientists, too, staked out spots for a very different reason: to investigate the secrets of the sun's elusive atmosphere. During the eclipse's precious seconds of darkness, they gathered new clues on how our sun works, how it can produce deadly solar storms, and why its atmosphere is so hot. NOVA investigates the storied history of solar eclipse science and joins both seasoned and citizen-scientists alike as they don their eclipse glasses, tune their telescopes, and revel in the eclipse that spanned the continent.
- 07
Delve into America's opioid crisis - in a world in which many other diseases can be traced to addictive behavior, how do addictions work, and what can the science of addiction tell us about how we can resolve this dire social issue?Hear firsthand from individuals struggling with addiction and follow the cutting-edge work of doctors and scientists as they investigate why addiction is not a moral failing, but a chronic, treatable medical condition. Easy access to drugs like heroin, fentanyl, and even prescription medications like OxyContin has fueled an epidemic of addiction—the deadliest in U.S. history.
- 08
Einstein called it "spooky action at a distance," but today quantum entanglement is poised to revolutionize technology from computers to cryptography. Physicists have gradually become convinced that the phenomenon—two subatomic particles that mirror changes in each other instantaneously over any distance—is real. But a few doubts remain. NOVA follows a ground-breaking experiment in the Canary Islands to use quasars at opposite ends of the universe to once and for all settle remaining questions.
- 09
Worshipped as a goddess, condemned as satanic, and spun into a stunning array of breeds, cats have long fascinated humans. But did we ever really domesticate them? And what can science tell us about our most mysterious companions?
- 10
Some 30 million people have sent their DNA to be analyzed by companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA. But what happens once the sample is in the hands of testing companies, and how accurate are their results? NOVA explores the power of genetic data to reveal family connections, ancestry, and health risks—and even solve criminal cold cases. But alongside the benefits of these rapidly growing genetic databases are serious unintended consequences.
- 11
Determined: Fighting Alzheimer's
Three women at risk of developing Alzheimer's join a groundbreaking study to prevent the disease while sharing their ups and downs, anxiously watching for symptoms, and hoping they can make a difference. Barb, Sigrid, and Karen all had mothers with Alzheimer's and witnessed firsthand the devastation wrought by the disease, not only on the mind and body but on patients' families. Now, they are all participating in a major study that tracks the health and memory of thousands of people over many years, as researchers hunt for lifestyle changes and medicines that could improve all our chances and ultimately protect the brain and body from one of the world's deadliest diseases.
- 12
Your Brain: Perception Deception
Is what you see real? Join neuroscientist Heather Berlin on a quest to understand how your brain shapes your reality and why you can't always trust what you perceive. In the first hour of this two-part series, learn what the latest research shows about how your brain processes and shapes the world around you, and discover the surprising tricks and shortcuts your brain takes to help you survive.
- 13
From a dwarf planet that looks like a deflated football to a tiny moon with cliffs taller than Mt. Everest to the spectacular rings of Saturn, discover how the effects of gravity produce the amazing variety of weird worlds in our solar system.
- 14
Can forests help cool the planet? Follow scientists working in spectacular forest landscapes in Costa Rica, Brazil, Australia, and beyond as they try to untangle 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.
- 15
A half-century after American astronauts walked on the Moon, NASA and its international partners are taking the dream of Apollo a giant step further. In the coming years, the Artemis missions – named after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology – aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station for scientific and commercial exploration. Follow the four members of the Artemis II crew as they embark on a perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon, venturing beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo and farther into the Solar System than any humans have gone before. And get an inside look at the preparations needed to overcome the extreme engineering challenges of human-crewed spaceflight, all the way from launch to splashdown.Correction: This film previously stated that the four engines of the core stage generate 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. In fact, that much thrust is generated by the entire rocket including the boosters, not the core stage alone. The film has been updated accordingly.
Shows like NOVA
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Nature·History·MysteryThe essential episodes of Cosmos1980–2020·National GeographicHosted by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Cosmos will explore how we discovered the laws of nature and found our coordinates in space and time.
- 02Nature·HistoryThe essential episodes of Prehistoric Planet2022
Experience the wonders of our world like never before in this epic docuseries from Jon Favreau and the producers of Planet Earth. - 03Nature·History·ActionThe essential episodes of In the Eye of the Storm2024–present·Discovery
In the Eye of the Storm Megastorms like 2021's Hurricane Ida and the 2023 Maui Wildfires were captured by onlookers who found themselves in the wrong place at the right time and boldly held up their camera phones to… - 04Nature·History·MysteryThe essential episodes of What on Earth?2015·ScienceWhat on Earth? is a documentary series using satellite images of strange geological occurrences and man-made structures on Earth to examine such matters as the planet's extreme locations, phenomena and species.
- 05Nature·History·MysteryThe essential episodes of The Sky at Night1957–present·BBC FourOur team of astronomers tell us what's on view in the night sky.
- 06Nature·HistoryThe essential episodes of Our Universe2022–2022
Witness the remarkable story of our universe over billions of years and its inextricable link to life on Earth in this sweeping documentary series.
