Astrophysicist and novelist Janna Levin discusses black holes and their profound significance for understanding the cosmos.

In a pioneering feat, two daring aviators have completed the first circumnavigation of the globe in a craft powered solely by the sun.

In a submerged cave in Mexico, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a teenager who lived over 13,000 years ago.

In the spring of 1940, during the monumental evacuation of Dunkirk, it was not simply bravery, but a potent combination of courage and resourceful innovation that ensured the survival of Allied soldiers. Facing overwhelming odds, the troops…

Why do some forecasts prove accurate while others fall short? Explore the factors that distinguish successful predictions from those that miss the mark, as experts grapple with the challenge of anticipating what lies ahead.

Devastating hurricanes. Prolonged droughts and wildfires. Unrelenting heat. Torrential downpours. It is difficult to ignore the signs that the weather is shifting, a conclusion shared by a growing number of scientists. These changes stem fr…

A single month wrought irreversible change upon Houston, Florida, and the Caribbean. The summer of 2017 witnessed a relentless assault from the Atlantic, as three colossal hurricanes sequentially devastated the region, breaking historical s…

NOVA offers an intimate glimpse into the operating room, where transplant teams meticulously transfer life-sustaining organs from donors to those in need. The program follows families on both sides of this profound exchange, alongside resea…

The effort to restore the Old Blenheim Bridge in New York State, a landmark of 19th-century American engineering, unfolds with urgency. Devastated by Hurricane Irene in 2011, the bridge is now the focus of a race against time. A team of ski…

Ascend with volcanologists to the summit of Nyiragongo, a volatile peak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The mountain has erupted twice in recent years, each event devastating Goma, a city of a million inhabitants nearby. To underst…

Nyamuragira, a formidable and enigmatic volcano in Africa, remains one of the continent's most active. Decades of conflict have hindered scientific study, but a temporary lull in hostilities allows an international team of specialists to as…

Voices of those battling addiction are shared directly, alongside the pioneering research of physicians and scientists who are illuminating the truth: addiction is not a matter of moral weakness, but a chronic, treatable medical condition. …

NOVA journeys into the history of an ambitious international endeavor: the race to create the world's first supersonic airliner, the Concorde. Through firsthand accounts from those who orchestrated its design and construction across two nat…

In the depths of the Adriatic, a search is underway for the Tulsamerican, a B-24 bomber that met its fate off the coast of Croatia during World War II. The aircraft was discovered by divers in 2010. Now, a collaborative effort is poised to …

The world watched with bated breath in July of 2018 as an international team of cave divers embarked on a desperate mission to save twelve boys and their coach, trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand. This is the story of the harrowing opera…

Imagine the world as a peregrine falcon sees it – a breathtaking panorama of speed and keen observation. Once teetering on the brink of extinction in the United States, this magnificent predator has made a remarkable recovery, now flourishi…

The men who flew Apollo 8, alongside the engineers who built it, share the compelling story of humanity's first journey around the moon. The American space program had suffered a devastating blow when the Apollo 1 crew perished in a fire du…

The world resonates with the voices of its inhabitants – the songs of whales, the chatter of bats, the rustle of spiders, the clicks of dolphins. What messages do they convey? Can we unlock the secrets of their communication? *NOVA Wonders*…

From causing digestive distress to sparking emotional turmoil, microbes exert a profound influence over our existence. Trillions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi—bacteria, viruses, and fungi so numerous they surpass human cells in number—inh…

The pursuit of life beyond Earth is a quest as old as humanity's gaze toward the stars. Yet, recent advances mark an era unprecedented in astronomical history. From the thrilling exploration of our solar system to the Kepler mission’s asto…

Intelligent machines, crafted by human hands, are increasingly shaping our world. Their influence permeates daily existence, often subtly and unseen. They decipher handwriting, discern emotions, entertain with games, and even function as pe…

“It’s alive!” The phrase, uttered by Dr. Frankenstein, has resonated through the centuries, capturing our enduring fascination with the possibility of crafting life in a laboratory. Today, advancements in genetic engineering and the burgeon…

The universe holds secrets, vast and numerous. The entirety of our earthly experience, from the familiar stars to distant galaxies—all the matter and energy we currently comprehend—constitutes a mere five percent of the cosmos. Explore how …