Australia: Monsters Preview
Some 250 million years ago, some of the largest, most dangerous reptiles ruled this land.
Australia: Life Explodes Preview
Fossils reveal how life’s explosion in the ocean was recreated on dry land.
Australia: Awakening Preview
Australia’s ancient landscape holds clues to Earth's early history and the beginning of life.
The Looming Satellite Gap
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.
Mind of a Rampage Killer Preview
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?
The Tongue-Eating Parasite
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
When Hurricane Sandy Went Rogue
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 Volga Trade Route
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.
Egyptian Armor
Protective armor was a necessity in Egyptian chariot warfare. Military historian Mike Loades explains what made it so strong.
Chariot Weapons
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.
Scripting the Truth
An innovative computer-based handwriting analysis technique helps NOVA dig deeper into the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s baby. But while the results might sway investigators in a certain direction, they certainly aren’t definitive.
Parachute Problems
While testing Curiosity’s parachute in the world’s largest wind tunnel, JPL scientists and engineers were confounded by a failed trial run. The parachute had never failed to open in the past, so why this strange anomaly? By replicating the error and analyzing it in high-resolution footage, they were able to pinpoint the problem.
Swarming Drones
A University of Pennsylvania lab is developing tiny drones that sense their environment.
What Drones Can See
An engineer describes the next-generation surveillance sensor for UAVs, called ARGUS.
Neanderthal Superglue
The world’s first industrial process likely began with the Neanderthals. In this video, watch as NOVA reenacts the Neanderthal technique of pitch extraction through a complex called dry distillation.
Scanning the Dead
Virtual autopsies paint remarkably informative pictures of a body's post-mortem condition. Watch Dr. Anders Persson and his team get under the virtual skin of a victim in order to uncover more information about his death.
A Neanderthal Burial
Until recently, scientists have encountered scant evidence of Neanderthal ritual or religious practice. A new discovery, though, suggests that Neanderthals—much like today’s bear hunters—ceremoniously cut off panther paws and kept them as trophies.
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