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United States

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Puerto Rico

American Samoa

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US & Territories

In this two-hour special, renowned paleontologist Kirk Johnson takes us on an epic adventure through time at the polar extremes of our planet. Following a trail of strange fossils found in all the wrong places—beech trees in Antarctica, hippo-like mammals in the Arctic—Johnson uncovers the bizarre history of the poles, from miles-high ice sheets to warm polar forests teeming with life. What caused such dramatic changes at the ends of the Earth? And what can the past reveal about our planet’s climate today—and in the future? (Premiered February 5, 2020)

Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the dynamic history—and future—of ice at the poles.

Polar Extremes

General - US & Territories

6 footprints embedded in beige, crusty desert surface

Thousands of ancient footprints stretch for miles across New Mexico’s White Sands National Park, capturing moments when Ice Age humans encountered now-extinct beasts, including mammoths and enormous ground sloths. These footprints tell an intimate story about what life was like during the Ice Age and reveal surprising new evidence about when humans arrived in North America. (Premiered May 25, 2022)

Ancient footprints provide new evidence of humans and extinct giant beasts of the Ice Age.

Ice Age Footprints

Canada

US, US Territories, Canada

In 1775, a ragtag army of farmers and tradesmen went to war against the most powerful army in the world, ultimately winning American independence. What military technologies did the American colonies use in their fight for freedom, and how did they help propel them to one of history’s most unlikely victories? Archaeologists and historians uncover the real stories of innovation, skill, and strategy that determined the outcome of important battles. From the Brown Bess musket to the world’s first military submarine, get a closeup look at the powerful and sometimes ingenious weapons that helped the colonies win the war. (Premiered April 9 at 9 pm on PBS)

Explore key military technologies in the American colonies’ fight for freedom.

Revolutionary War Weapons

International Space Station floating above the Earth

Imagine a place where more than 280 people have defied Earth's gravity, risking their lives to do science 250 miles above us. Here, on the International Space Station, unexpected challenges are a daily threat, from an astronaut's helmet filling with water on a spacewalk, to the entire station spinning out of control. Witness the ingenuity, courage, and international cooperation required to overcome these life-threatening emergencies. And discover how this unique orbiting laboratory continues to push the boundaries of science, uniting humanity in a shared pursuit of knowledge beyond our planet, even as its own incredible journey approaches its fiery conclusion. (Episode two of a two-part series premieres November 12 at 9 pm on PBS.)

See how ingenuity and teamwork keep the crew alive and doing science 250 miles above Earth.

Operation Space Station: Science and Survival

Witness an unprecedented feat of engineering: the construction of the International Space Station, a habitable space lab hurtling around Earth at 17,000 mph. Every step of this ambitious project unfolds against the backdrop of a merciless vacuum, dangerous radiation, and extreme temperatures. Experience high-stakes drama as astronauts confront life-threatening malfunctions, including a toxic ammonia leak during a critical spacewalk. And see how each time, a combination of quick thinking and nerves of steel help the crew survive and thrive in a hostile environment – a testament to international collaboration and the relentless pursuit of scientific discovery. (Episode one of a two-part series, premiering November 5, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Astronauts and Mission Control relive terrifying moments during construction of the ISS.

Operation Space Station: High-Risk Build

Massive flood going through road and cars

The deadly flash floods in Texas over the 2025 Fourth of July weekend were just the latest reminder of an alarming new reality: Once-rare "superfloods" are striking with unprecedented ferocity, devastating communities around the globe. Join investigators as they piece together a moment-by-moment account of the Asheville, North Carolina disaster in 2024, when Hurricane Helene triggered flash floods and mudslides in a city 2,000 feet above sea level and more than 250 miles inland. Discover how hidden atmospheric phenomena, combined with a warming planet, are creating a new era of risk. Can science offer a lifeline to communities facing an increasingly dangerous future? (Premiering October 29, 2025)

Find out why deadly flash floods are on the rise and how we can protect ourselves from them.

Superfloods

Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future. (Premiered February 2, 2022)

In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.

Arctic Sinkholes

NOVA revolves around a simple premise: the world of science is exciting! For NOVA viewers, science means adventure and exploration--because from ants to aliens, this weekly documentary series probes the far reaches of earth, sea and stars.  NOVA proves that science is neither secret lore nor sacred ritual but rather, at its heart, a lifelong journey of discovery.

You might sign up for a dating app to find the love of your life. But while you’re swiping, these apps are collecting all kinds of information about you. What do you they know about you? And what are they doing with your data?

You might be collecting matches, but dating apps are collecting your data.

What Dating Apps Know About You

Don’t fret – at-risk cheeses are not going to disappear instantly but they getting much harder to make.

The culprit is a lack of microbial biodiversity in the mold used to make iconic French cheeses.

These cheeses are at risk of going extinct

In California an AI tool uses more than a thousand mountaintop surveillance cameras to look for early signs of wildfires.

Firefighters are using AI to find wildfires before they explode.

How A.I. is fighting wildfires

A product you were just talking about pops up in an online ad. How? Advertising algorithms are so good that they may know what you want even before you do.

It doesn’t have to – advertisers may already have all the information they want to know about you.

Is your phone listening to you?

Invisible and mysterious, dark matter shapes the cosmos, but scientists are still trying to figure out what exactly it is.

A team of researchers hunt for dark matter deep underground in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

The Deepest Underground Lab in the U.S.

Bones and tools found in a Sri Lankan cave show how Homo sapiens adapted to dense rainforest environments as early as 45,000 years ago.

These monkey bones showed that early humans could thrive in the rainforest.

How Did Early Humans Hunt Monkeys?

Small black unidentified flying object zooming across night vision background

For decades UFOs have captivated the public, even as many scientists saw them as too taboo to investigate. Now, after highly publicized sightings of unidentified objects by Navy pilots, UFOs are moving out of the shadows and into the light, as NASA pledges to study them scientifically. So what does science have to say? Though some are identified as balloons or drones, weather phenomena, or optical illusions, others remain mysterious. Could they be the result of secret new technology developed by other governments – or our own? And what would it take for alien engineers to traverse vast distances to send probes or visit Earth from other solar systems? Explore the evidence, as astrophysicists and engineers use new technologies to investigate the strangest objects in our skies. (Premiered January 22, 2025 at 9 pm on PBS)

Can science reveal the secrets of mysterious objects seen in our skies?

What Are UFOs?

Asteroids in the sky traveling crashing towards Earth

Imagine a time when Earth was a molten, volcanic wasteland, heavily bombarded by colossal asteroids. We’ve long feared these cosmic impacts as destroyers of life, but what if they were the key to our very existence? Explore a revolutionary theory suggesting that these violent collisions provided the essential ingredients – water, minerals, and energy – needed for life to ignite on our planet. Discover how scientists are unearthing evidence from lunar rocks and ancient impact craters, revealing that the very objects known for extinguishing life might have actually sparked it. (Premiering January 21, 2026 at 9 pm on PBS)

What if violent asteroid impacts actually jump-started life on Earth? Explore a dramatic theory.

Asteroids: Spark of Life?

Uncover the lost secrets of a once-mighty empire. The city of Angkor, the seat of the great Khmer Empire in Southeast Asia for 500 years, was once the biggest city in the world. For centuries, this incredible civilization flourished, building the largest religious monument on Earth, Angkor Wat, and mastering urban engineering in a challenging landscape. But then it was mysteriously abandoned, swallowed by the jungle. Now, cutting-edge technology and new discoveries are finally revealing how this astounding empire rose to global prominence – and what likely led to its devastating collapse. Follow a scientific detective story that is challenging everything we thought we knew about this ancient metropolis. (Premiering January 28, 2026 at 9 pm on PBS)

New evidence sheds light on the remarkable life – and mysterious collapse – of the ancient jungle city.

Angkor: Hidden Jungle Empire

Imagine a world where your furry best friend could tell you exactly what they're thinking. A growing number of dog owners claim this is already happening, thanks to innovative word buttons that seem to unlock a new realm of canine communication. But are these dogs truly understanding what we’re saying — and talking back? Are they really thinking creatively, applying words in new contexts? Or is this just clever conditioning? To find out, scientists are conducting the largest animal communication study in history, analyzing millions of button presses from thousands of dogs worldwide. Witness astonishing moments that challenge our assumptions about animal intelligence, from dogs that seemingly engage in conversations to those who learn new words with incredible speed. Prepare to question everything you thought you knew about the minds of dogs and discover just how far their linguistic abilities might stretch. (Premieres February 4, 2026 at 9 pm on PBS.)

Do speech buttons really allow dogs to talk to us? Scientists investigate.

Can Dogs Talk?

Small mammal ancestor emerging from burrow

Uncover the surprising ancient origins of mammals, a story that began long before the dinosaurs' reign. Surveying Earth's tumultuous past reveals how some of our earliest ancestors, the therapsids – creatures that looked like reptiles but were starting to develop mammalian traits – survived multiple global catastrophes. Through remarkable adaptations like burrowing and the emergence of warm-bloodedness, they forged a lineage that persevered against all odds. Fascinating fossil clues and cutting-edge science reveal how a small, resilient group of animals faced extinction events, outlived giants, and ultimately gave rise to the diverse world of mammals we know today, including us. (Premiering February 11, 2026 at 9 pm on PBS)

Explore mammals’ surprising origins, long before the age of dinosaurs.

Mammal Origins

A powerful downburst (“rain bomb”) releases a column of rain beneath a thunderstorm.

An invisible, unpredictable atmospheric force is wreaking havoc across the globe, sinking superyachts and bringing down planes. Follow scientists as they race to understand these catastrophic weather events, exploring how they form, what causes their devastating impacts, and how we might someday learn to predict them. From high-tech simulations and drone expeditions into thunderclouds to possible links with climate change, join investigators on the cutting edge of research to discover what's truly behind these terrifying "rain bombs" and how we can protect ourselves from their growing power. (Premiering February 18 at 9 pm on PBS)

A deadly—and growing—global weather phenomenon mystifies scientists.

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Arctic Sinkholes

Upcoming Schedule

What Are UFOs?

Asteroids: Spark of Life?

Angkor: Hidden Jungle Empire

Episodes

Polar Extremes

Ice Age Footprints

Revolutionary War Weapons

Operation Space Station: Science and Survival

Operation Space Station: High-Risk Build

Superfloods

Shorts

What Dating Apps Know About You

These cheeses are at risk of going extinct

How A.I. is fighting wildfires

Is your phone listening to you?

The Deepest Underground Lab in the U.S.

How Did Early Humans Hunt Monkeys?

Watch Page

Hero Area

Arctic Sinkholes

Upcoming Schedule

What Are UFOs?

Asteroids: Spark of Life?

Angkor: Hidden Jungle Empire

Episodes

Polar Extremes

Ice Age Footprints

Revolutionary War Weapons

Operation Space Station: Science and Survival

Operation Space Station: High-Risk Build

Superfloods

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Shorts

What Dating Apps Know About You

These cheeses are at risk of going extinct

How A.I. is fighting wildfires

Is your phone listening to you?

The Deepest Underground Lab in the U.S.

How Did Early Humans Hunt Monkeys?