Losing one's nose was not completely uncommon in 16th century Europe. To replace their lost sniffers, some brave patients underwent an early form of rhinoplasty, which was performed without antibiotics or anesthesia.

To keep their technicians safe from potential bombs, police departments use remote controlled robots to investigate.

On May 20, 2013, a ferocious EF5 tornado over a mile wide tore through Moore, Oklahoma, inflicting 24 deaths and obliterating entire neighborhoods. It was the third time an exceptionally violent tornado had struck the city in 14 years. Yet predicting when and where these killer storms will hit still poses a huge challenge. Why was 2011—the worst ever recorded tornado season?

Host David Pogue explores the cutting-edge research behind a new wave of innovation.

See how the ancient Egyptians built their deadly composite bows.

Follow the manhunt, step-by-step, for the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Gross Science: How bed bugs reproduce is the stuff of nightmares.

An ancient Greek computer could predict eclipses with impressive accuracy.

A blinding flash of light streaked across the Russian sky, followed by a shuddering blast strong enough to damage buildings and send more than 1,000 people to the hospital. On the morning of February 15, 2013, a 7,000-ton asteroid crashed into the Earth's atmosphere. According to NASA, the Siberian meteor exploded with the power of 30 Hiroshima bombs.

After a massive extinction, diverse marsupials came to dominate this isolated continent.

Some 250 million years ago, some of the largest, most dangerous reptiles ruled this land.

Fossils reveal how life’s explosion in the ocean was recreated on dry land.

Australia’s ancient landscape holds clues to Earth's early history and the beginning of life.

We know more about the Earth now than ever before, but that knowledge is in jeopardy as many Earth-observing satellites are nearing the end of their lives.

What makes a person walk into a theater or a church or a classroom full of students and open fire? What combination of circumstances compels a human being to commit the most inhuman of crimes? Can science in any way help us understand these horrific events and provide any clues as to how to prevent them in the future?

Produced, edited, and animated by Anna Rothschild Production Assistant Allison Eck Special Thanks Stefanie Kaiser Original Footage © WGBH Educational Foundation 2013 ADDITIONAL MEDIA CREDITS (Ceratothoa sp in Blacktail) Host: Diplodus sargus sargus (common names: blacktail or white seabream) Locality: Tsitsikamma National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa © Nico Smit

Hurricane Sandy was born just like any other tropical storm: the warm water acts as a “heat engine,” and produces strong winds. But an unfortunate turn catapulted Sandy into the Northeast—making it unusually devastating for those living on or near the coast.

The Vikings didn’t invent crucible steel, so where did it come from? Many experts believe that the Volga trade route supplied Vikings with prized crucible steel from the Middle East, where people were more practiced in the art of forging it.

Protective armor was a necessity in Egyptian chariot warfare. Military historian Mike Loades explains what made it so strong.

Military historian Mike Loades explores the weapons that the ancient Egyptians used in war. Then, he takes them on a one-of-a-kind chariot ride.