Modern fighter aircraft possess a remarkable degree of automation, yet the skill of a seasoned pilot remains paramount to achieving victory in aerial combat. NOVA explores the evolving relationship between advanced aircraft and the human el…

Julia Child offers a glimpse into the scientific artistry behind snack foods, presented in a special feature by NOVA. The program reveals the surprising ways in which scientific principles contribute to the development of these everyday tre…

Researchers are studying the preserved bodies of those who were part of the 19th-century Franklin Expedition in the Canadian Arctic, seeking answers to the mystery of their complete demise.

Fires on airplanes frequently prove fatal. *NOVA* examines the ongoing work to reduce the likelihood of such incidents and to improve the chances of survival should they occur.

In the first installment of a two-part special, NOVA examines the trials assessing whether the novel drug Interleukin-2 – the first to harness the body's inherent defenses against disease – will fulfill its potential as a transformative adv…

Every hour, four American women succumb to breast cancer. Jane Pauley, of NBC News, hosts and narrates this NOVA report, detailing the intensified efforts to lower the mortality rate of this pervasive disease.

Robert Mark, a Princeton professor and author, delves into the ingenious engineering behind some of the world's most stunning structures. His investigations encompass architectural marvels like Notre Dame in Paris, St. Paul's Cathedral in L…

December 1986 brought a tempestuous day to the New England coast. A winter storm raged, fueled by powerful onshore gales and an unusually high tide – conditions that created a perilous trap in the shallow waters of Cape Cod. NOVA chronicle…

NOVA delves into the life of Srinivasa Ramanujan, a humble clerk from India whose extraordinary mathematical intuition captivated the minds of mathematicians in the 1910s.

A quiet revolution in electronics is unfolding, spearheaded by both Japan and the United States in the pursuit of a groundbreaking material: one capable of conducting electricity without resistance, and at ordinary room temperature.

Here in the country, the majority of polio cases stem from the very vaccine intended to eradicate the disease. NOVA delves into the contentious debate surrounding the nation's approach to vaccination.

This installment in a series exploring the origins of modern surgery turns back the clock to a perilous era. In those early days, surgical procedures were undertaken without the comfort of anesthesia or the protection of antisepsis, and pat…

What was once considered impossible is now a commonplace triumph of modern medicine. NOVA explores the dedicated physicians and courageous individuals who bring this remarkable procedure to fruition.

NOVA explores the bold endeavors to restore life with organ transplantation, examining procedures from kidney to heart.

The pursuit of healing has long driven surgeons, sometimes to perilous extremes. NOVA examines instances where surgical practices have ventured too far, and explores how advancements in pharmaceuticals and technology are making certain proc…

A contentious endeavor seeks to revive the celebrated frescoes of Michelangelo within the Sistine Chapel, blurring the lines between scientific precision and artistic reverence.

Three decades following the launch of Sputnik, the American space program finds itself adrift in a fog of doubt, as other nations – Russia, Europe, Japan among them – press relentlessly forward with their ambitions.

NOVA delves into the unsettling issue of scientific misconduct, exploring its extent, the motivations of those who engage in it, and the consequences faced when such deceit is exposed.

With access to newly emerged technologies, NOVA revisits the existing evidence concerning the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

To recapture a Greek myth demands a feat of considerable magnitude, as NOVA documents in its behind-the-scenes account of a human-powered flight across the Aegean. The journey, a symbolic recreation of Daedalus's legendary escape, unfolds w…

NOVA presents, for the first time, a film documenting the life of the elusive black bear in its natural habitat: a world of foraging, courtship, playful moments, and the constant, underlying preparation for its long winter sleep.

NOVA launches an ambitious ten-year endeavor to document the complete journey of a physician's education. The initial episode introduces a small group of students as they begin their first year at Harvard Medical School, participating in a …