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The Big Bang is when many think the universe started and time itself began. But what clues can we discover about this ultimate genesis of everything? And can we ever know what existed before the Universe’s birthday? With stunning animation based on space telescope images, NOVA explores infant galaxies filled with violent blue stars that formed just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. Before that—before the coming of visible light itself—stretch the “cosmic Dark Ages.” But scientists haven’t stopped there; instead, they’ve come up with an incredible theory for what happened billionths of a billionth of a second from the universe’s birth. If they’re right, we’re on the brink of understanding more than we could ever have hoped about our cosmic origins.

Venture back to the birth of space and time as NOVA probes the mystery of the Big Bang.

NOVA Universe Revealed: Big Bang

Take a seat on the ultimate thrill ride to explore nature’s strangest and most powerful objects. Black holes can reshape entire galaxies, warp the fabric of space and time, and may even be the key to unlocking the ultimate nature of reality. A new generation of high-energy telescopes is bringing these invisible voids to light, showing that “supermassives” millions or billions of times larger than our sun lurk at the center of nearly every galaxy, including our own. But what happens if you stray too close to one? And what lies beyond the black hole’s abyss? If nothing can ever escape it, is that the end of the story? Or could they be a portal to another dimension—or another universe, full of black holes? (Premiered November 17, 2021)

Take a seat on the ultimate thrill ride as NOVA explores the universe’s strangest objects.

NOVA Universe Revealed: Black Holes

It’s an age-old question: are we alone? Or do other lifeforms and intelligences thrive on worlds far beyond our own? Ultra-sensitive telescopes and dogged detective work are transforming alien planet-hunting from science fiction into hard fact. Join NOVA on a visit to exotic worlds orbiting distant suns, from puffy planets with the density of Styrofoam to thousand-degree, broiling gas giants. Most tantalizing of all are the Super-Earths in the “Goldilocks zone,” just the right distance from their sun to support life, and with one of them signaling life’s essential ingredient, water, in its atmosphere. Are we on the brink of answering that haunting question. (Premiered November 10, 2021)

Visit exotic worlds orbiting distant suns as NOVA tackles the big question: are we alone?

NOVA Universe Revealed: Alien Worlds

Straddling the night sky, the Milky Way reminds us of our place in the galaxy we call home. But what shaped this giant spiral of stars and what will be its destiny? NOVA travels back in time to unlock the turbulent story of our cosmic neighborhood, from its birth in a whirling disk of clouds and dust to colossal collisions with other galaxies. Finally, peer into the future to watch the Milky Way’s ultimate fate as it collides with the Andromeda galaxy, over 4 billion years from now. (Premiered November 3, 2021)

Explore the wonders and mysteries of our galaxy—the giant city of stars we call home.

NOVA Universe Revealed: Milky Way

Coral reefs are not just beautiful, they are also home to over a quarter of all marine life and are crucial to human societies around the globe. But as the climate changes and oceanic heat waves become commonplace, corals are bleaching and reefs are dying off. Now, marine biologists from across the world are teaming up to counteract this catastrophe with a technique called assisted evolution. Follow scientists as they attempt to crossbreed heat-resistant corals, and even transplant corals’ algae, in a race to save the coral reefs from extinction. (Premiered April 21, 2021)

Scientists race to help corals adapt to warming oceans through assisted evolution.

Reef Rescue

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(This program is no longer available for online streaming.) A sequel to one of the most popular NOVAs of all time, "Miracle of Life," this Emmy Award-winning program tracks human development from embryo to newborn using the extraordinary microimagery of Swedish photographer Lennart Nilsson.

Trace human development from embryo to newborn through the stunning microimagery of photographer Lennart Nilsson.

Life's Greatest Miracle

US, US Territories, Canada

Eagles dominate the skies. But what makes these predators so special? Researchers study one special bird—and stunning up-close footage reveals her exceptional strength, eyesight, and flying skills. With intimate access to a new bald eagle family, NOVA takes you into the nest to witness the drama of chicks struggling to survive. (Premiered May 20, 2020)

Follow eagles from the nest to the skies to see what makes these predators so remarkable.

Eagle Power

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.

By studying dog noses, scientists at MIT are building an electronic nose that is learning to analyze odors to sniff out diseases. Could this tech someday be integrated into smartphones?

Researchers at MIT create an electronic nose using chemical odor sensors.

This Device Smells Diseases by Imitating a Dog's Nose

How could one ship shut down the global economy? An investigator shows why the Ever Given crashed into the bank of the Suez Canal, while the Cosco Galaxy—which passed through the waterway on the same day—did not.

The Suez Canal is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

The Crash That Shut Down the Global Economy, Explained

To uncover the secrets of a pterosaur egg, Sir David Attenborough visits researchers using the latest technology to analyze these extinct creatures’ fossils.

Bones and shells can tell us a lot about how these creatures lived.

Inside a Fossilized Pterosaur Egg

With teamwork, careful handling, and a little help from liquid nitrogen, scientists unearth a remarkable baenid turtle fossil.

The Late Cretaceous period was kind of the heyday of turtles.

Watch Scientists Extract a Rare Turtle Fossil

Watch scientists uncover what might be the first dinosaur fossil ever found from the day the dinosaurs died.

This might be the first time in 66 million years that this leg has seen the light of day.

New Fossil May Reveal Clues to Dinosaurs' Final Days

Russia's invasion of Ukraine brings "unprecedented" threats to nuclear power plant safety, a nuclear researcher told NOVA.

Ukraine's 15 active nuclear reactors generate about half of the country's electricity.

War Threatens Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants

On the picturesque bluffs at the very tip of the island of Martha’s Vineyard, disaster looms. The historic Gay Head Lighthouse is soon to become the next victim of the persistent erosion of the island’s cliffs. Built in 1856, the more than 400-ton structure soars 175 feet above the sea. But over the years, storms and the raging ocean have eroded the headland away. With fierce storms and hurricanes only intensifying as the global climate warms, this historic landmark is precipitously close to toppling into the ocean. Now, an epic rescue is underway as a team of engineers attempts to move the iconic red brick structure 134 feet inland to safety. As they race to save this national treasure, discover the geology they encounter, the archeology they discover, and technology they employ in this Lighthouse Rescue. (Premiered May 4, 2016)

Join engineers as they race to rescue a historic lighthouse from certain doom.

Operation Lighthouse Rescue

Where would we be without the world’s alphabets? Writing has played a vital role in the development and expansion of cultures throughout history. But researchers are only now uncovering the origin story to our own alphabet, which may have gotten its beginnings in a turquoise mine 4,000 years ago. From the shape of the letter A to the role of writing in trade and storytelling, discover how the written word shaped civilization itself. (Premiered September 23, 2020)

The birth of writing and the first alphabet were among the world’s most vital inventions.

A to Z: The First Alphabet

Just as writing changed the course of human history, the evolution of paper and printing revolutionized the spread of information. While the invention of paper boosted Chinese and Islamic societies, the simple fact that the Latin alphabet could be printed using a small number of discrete, repetitive symbols helped popularize moveable type, handing Europe a crucial advantage at the beginning of the Renaissance. The printing press itself kicked off the scientific revolution that fast-tracked us to the current digital age. (Premiered September 30, 2020)

The creation of printing, the first information technology, drove empires and revolutions.

A to Z: How Writing Changed the World

NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed on the Mall in Washington, D.C.

Almost 40 years after the discovery of HIV, could we be on the verge of ending the AIDS epidemic in America? As of 2019, in the US, there were only 34,000 new cases of the disease––a feat that once seemed near-impossible to achieve. How did scientists and the public health community tackle one of the most elusive deadly viruses to ever infect humans? Can innovative drugs bring new infections to zero? This is the story of an incredible scientific achievement and the public health work that still needs to be done to end HIV in America. (Premiering September 21 at 9 pm on PBS.)

Science has made extraordinary progress against HIV. Can innovative drugs and therapies finally end it?

Ending HIV in America

Rising sea levels and sinking land threaten to destroy Venice. Leading scientists and engineers are racing against the clock and battling the forces of nature to try to save this historic city for future generations. Discover the innovative projects and feats of engineering currently underway, including a hi-tech flood barrier, eco-projects to conserve the lagoon, and new efforts to investigate erosion beneath the city. This is Venice as never seen before, at a critical moment in its rich history. (Premiering Wednesday, September 28 at 9 pm on PBS.)

Rising seas threaten the survival of Venice. Can innovative engineering projects save it?

Saving Venice

Following the April, 2019 fire that almost destroyed Paris’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral, a team of engineers, masons, and timber workers set out on the daunting challenge of restoring France’s historic landmark. The program traces the dramatic human and technical challenges of the project’s first three years, going behind-the-scenes with carpenters shaping lumber for the new roof and spire, stone masons repairing gaping holes in the vault, and artisans who use traditional techniques to restore stained glass windows. A symbol of the nation’s identity and resilience, Notre Dame gradually rises from the ashes, thanks to a restoration project like no other. (Premiering Wednesday, October 5 at 9 pm on PBS)

A team of engineers and artisans tackles the restoration of iconic Notre Dame Cathedral.

Rebuilding Notre Dame

Lionfish – long prized in home aquariums – have invaded the Atlantic, and are now one of the ocean’s most successful invasive species, wreaking havoc in waters across the globe. Join ocean explorer Danni Washington on a journey to find out how they took over, why they’re doing so much damage, and what can be done about it. These fascinating creatures are a window into the impacts of invasive species in a globalized world where human activity is an increasingly powerful evolutionary force. (Premiering Wednesday, October 26 at 9 pm on PBS)

Meet one of the ocean’s most beautiful and destructive species: Lionfish.

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Eagle Power

Upcoming Schedule

Operation Lighthouse Rescue

A to Z: The First Alphabet

A to Z: How Writing Changed the World

Episodes

NOVA Universe Revealed: Big Bang

NOVA Universe Revealed: Black Holes

NOVA Universe Revealed: Alien Worlds

NOVA Universe Revealed: Milky Way

Reef Rescue

Life's Greatest Miracle

Shorts

This Device Smells Diseases by Imitating a Dog's Nose

The Crash That Shut Down the Global Economy, Explained

Inside a Fossilized Pterosaur Egg

Watch Scientists Extract a Rare Turtle Fossil

New Fossil May Reveal Clues to Dinosaurs' Final Days

War Threatens Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants

Watch Page

Hero Area

Eagle Power

Upcoming Schedule

Operation Lighthouse Rescue

A to Z: The First Alphabet

A to Z: How Writing Changed the World

Episodes

NOVA Universe Revealed: Big Bang

NOVA Universe Revealed: Black Holes

NOVA Universe Revealed: Alien Worlds

NOVA Universe Revealed: Milky Way

Reef Rescue

Life's Greatest Miracle

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Shorts

This Device Smells Diseases by Imitating a Dog's Nose

The Crash That Shut Down the Global Economy, Explained

Inside a Fossilized Pterosaur Egg

Watch Scientists Extract a Rare Turtle Fossil

New Fossil May Reveal Clues to Dinosaurs' Final Days

War Threatens Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants