The ability to foresee earthquakes is no longer a distant hope. Successful predictions have already been achieved in the United States, at least twice, and a third was in progress while the NOVA team documented the process. This program exp…

NOVA offers a glimpse into the life of Joey Deacon, a man of fifty-four who has lived with cerebral palsy since birth. For much of his existence, Joey was isolated within institutional walls, unable to connect with others until he encounter…

Singer Peggy Lee, New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath, and Congressman Richard Nolas share a practice: Transcendental Meditation, or TM. *NOVA* explores the recent surge in popularity of this movement within the United States.

The past fourteen years have witnessed a profound shift in how we perceive our place within the cosmos. The journey began in 1961 with a Soviet probe to Venus, gaining momentum with the Apollo missions that landed men on the Moon. The era t…

In the heart of the desert, NOVA witnesses an enigmatic ecosystem: a sudden snowstorm, followed by a fierce summer monsoon. From a pool formed mere moments before, a pair of adult spadefoot toads emerge. These amphibians, having patiently w…

Each year, approximately 5,000 infants in the United States are born with spina bifida, a birth defect affecting the central nervous system. In this program, NOVA delves into the enigma of spina bifida's origins and considers the complex et…

A singular location on Earth remains untouched by the common cold. The frigid waters there are so intensely bitter, in fact, that a fish has evolved a natural antifreeze within its system. NOVA journeys to Antarctica, the world's most desol…

In a special program for NOVA, the visionary author Isaac Asimov recounts the extraordinary tale of DNA's unraveling. Joining him are James Watson and his former colleague Francis Crick, who share recollections of the pivotal moments that p…

The weekly publication of the New York Times devours 153 acres of trees each Sunday. Meanwhile, the paper products, napkins, paper cups, and packaging utilized by McDonald's consume 315 square miles of trees daily. NOVA poses the question o…

NOVA journeys with Ivor Noel Hume, chief archaeologist of Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, to uncover a compelling portrait of the lives led by the nation's founders. The exploration includes meticulously recreated homes, shops, workshops, …

We have grown accustomed to the ready availability of antibiotics, but this reliance is subtly diminishing their effectiveness. In its latest exploration, NOVA examines the growing issue of antibiotic resistance within the very bacteria the…

At Stanford University, Dr. Norman Shumway stands as the most prolific heart surgeon, having performed more transplants than any other. *NOVA* delves into the remarkable period of 1968-69, a time when it seemed a wave of surgeons were attem…

NOVA delves into the hidden world beneath our feet, revealing the lives of creatures ranging from foxes and badgers to moles and worms, and the vast community of microorganisms that transform soil into Earth's most intricate habitat. The fi…

NOVA depicts the Netsilik Inuit of Pelly Bay, offering a glimpse into their enduring traditions and the profound changes that occur when Western society intrudes upon their world.

We first encounter Benjamin at his birth, a healthy and typical infant. His first year forms the core of this illuminating NOVA program exploring early childhood development.

Margaret Sanger alone wrought a transformation in the prevailing attitudes of the male-dominated medical establishment toward what were then considered "women's issues," and most significantly, secured social and political acceptance for th…

Even as recently as 1967, smallpox ravaged populations across 43 nations, affecting as many as 15 million and claiming an estimated two to three million lives. Today, experts consider the disease to be on the precipice of extinction. *NOVA*…

The notoriety surrounding "Jaws" has unfairly branded sharks as monstrous creatures. Yet, is this apex predator truly so savage? NOVA examines the life of this remarkable survivor, tracing its lineage back to an era when dinosaurs dominated…

Advances in science now allow for the detection of numerous anomalies in developing fetuses. This progress compels us to confront a fundamental ethical dilemma: What constitutes a defect? Does a diagnosis of abnormality necessitate terminat…

Since 1945, hundreds of vessels and aircraft, along with thousands of individuals, have vanished without explanation in a region of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida, a place widely known as the Bermuda Triangle. *NOVA* explores t…