NOVA

Science and Nature Series / 24 Seasons

NOVA brings you stories from the frontlines of science and engineering, answering the big questions of today and tomorrow, from how our ancestors lived, to whether parallel universes exist, to how technology will transform our lives. Visit the official website to watch full-length documentaries, or explore our world through short-form video, on our digital publication NOVA Next.

Watch Latest: S51 E15

53m 40s / TV-G

Mind of a Rampage Killer Preview

30s

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

2m 34s

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

2m 6s

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

2m 58s

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.

Scripting the Truth

1m 57s

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

2m 54s

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.

Neanderthal Superglue

2m 58s

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

2m 10s

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

2m 16s

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.

Earth from Space Preview

50s

"Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. Produced in extensive consultation with NASA scientists, NOVA takes data from earth-observing satellites and transforms it into dazzling visual sequences, each one exposing the intricate and surprising web of forces that sustains life on earth.

Meet the Volcanoes

2m 57s

Volcanoes can come in many shapes and sizes. PRODUCTION CREDITS Produced, animated, and edited by Anna Rothschild Original Footage ©WGBH Educational Foundation For a full list of credits, see http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/meet-volcanoes.html

A Volcanic Labyrinth

2m 59s

Thrihnukagigur crater is the only place on Earth where the anatomy of a volcano can be studied from the inside. When geologists journeyed into its heart, they discovered that a network of fissures links together distant volcanoes.

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