Koch Foundation

NOVA Science Trust Logo

Draper

United States

Northern Mariana Islands

Puerto Rico

American Samoa

Guam

U.S. Virgin Islands

U.S. Minor Outlying Islands

US & Territories

As France fell to the German armies in May 1940, 400,000 Allied troops were trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk. Their annihilation seemed certain—a disaster that could have led to Britain’s surrender. But then, in a last-minute rescue, Royal Navy ships and a flotilla of tiny civilian boats evacuated hundreds of thousands of soldiers to safety across the Channel—the legendary “miracle of Dunkirk.” Now, NOVA follows a team of archaeologists and historians as they recover fresh evidence of the courage, technical ingenuity, and brilliant planning that led to the operation’s success. With access to previously classified files recently released by the British government, they uncover the truth behind the myths of Dunkirk—notably, a claim that the Royal Air Force failed to protect the stranded men from the Luftwaffe’s constant bombing of the beaches. Featuring an exclusive excavation of a newly-found Spitfire wreck, NOVA debunks the myth and highlights the essential role of RAF planes and pilots in reversing the desperate stakes that played out in the air above the beleaguered men.

How courage and ingenuity saved Allied troops during the epic Dunkirk operation in 1940.

Great Escape at Dunkirk

Canada

US, US Territories, Canada

Five centuries ago, the Age of Exploration and Europe’s imperial colonization of far-off lands was launched by a revolution in ship design that made long-distance ocean voyages practical. But exactly how this momentous innovation happened eludes historians. Now, the excavation of a rare intact wreck discovered off the coast of Sweden offers vital new clues to a maritime mystery. (Premiered June 2, 2021)

As we excavate a 500-year-old wreck, learn the secrets behind history’s great ships.

Ship That Changed the World

Follow along as NASA launches the Mars 2020 Mission, perhaps the most ambitious hunt yet for signs of ancient life on Mars. In February 2021, the spacecraft blazes into the Martian atmosphere at some 12,000 miles per hour and lowers the Perseverance Rover into the rocky Jezero Crater, home to a dried-up river delta scientists think could have harbored life. Perseverance will comb the area for signs of life and collect samples for possible return to Earth. Traveling onboard is a four-pound helicopter that will conduct a series of test flights—the first on another planet. During its journey, Perseverance will also test technology designed to produce oxygen from the Martian atmosphere, in hopes that the gas could be used for fuel—or for humans to breathe—on future missions. (Premiered February 24, 2021)

NASA launches its most ambitious search yet for traces of ancient life on Mars.

Looking for Life on Mars

From the front line of the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California history, NOVA tells the stories of residents who had to flee for their lives during the 2018 fire season. Scientists racing to understand what’s behind the rise of record-breaking megafires across the American West take to the forest, and even a fire lab, in search of answers. They investigate how forestry practices, climate change, and the physics of fire itself play a role in the dramatic increase in wildfires in recent decades. (Premiered May 8, 2019)

Scientists investigate what was behind the deadly megafires that swept through California in 2018.

Inside the Megafire

Black holes are the most enigmatic and exotic objects in the universe. They’re also the most powerful, with gravity so strong it can trap light. And they’re destructive, swallowing entire planets, even giant stars. Anything that falls into them vanishes…gone forever. Now, astrophysicists are realizing that black holes may be essential to how our universe evolved—their influence possibly leading to life on Earth and, ultimately, us. In this two-hour special, astrophysicist and author Janna Levin takes viewers on a journey to the frontiers of black hole science. Along the way, we meet leading astronomers and physicists on the verge of finding new answers to provocative questions about these shadowy monsters: Where do they come from? What’s inside? What happens if you fall into one? And what can they tell us about the nature of space, time, and gravity? (Premiered January 10, 2018)

Take a mind-blowing voyage to the most powerful and mysterious objects in the universe.

Black Hole Apocalypse

NOVA Wonders What Are Animals Saying? Hero

From singing whales and squeaking bats to thumping spiders and clicking dolphins, the world is filled with the exotic sounds of our fellow creatures. What are they saying? While we believe language sets us apart, some animals demonstrate they can learn our language—like Chaser the dog, who recognizes hundreds of words, and Kanzi the bonobo, who appears to have a sophisticated understanding of spoken English. But can we decode their own communications? NOVA Wonders follows researchers around the globe who are deciphering an amazing array of clues that reveal how animals share information critical to their survival. Will we one day be able to write the bat dictionary or decode the hidden sign language of chimps? And what can these findings tell us about the roots of our own language?

Can we crack the code of animal communication?

What Are Animals Saying?

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.

The Big Lie about Monarch Butterflies Hero

Discover a piece of false information about monarch butterflies and Mexico’s Indigenous Purépecha community, and why tourism may be partly to blame.

Join NOVA producer Arlo Pérez as he unlearns a “fact” he was taught as a child.

The Big Lie about Monarch Butterflies

Trystan Reese felt grateful that he was able to become pregnant and give birth. But for parents about to transition, there are steps they can take to preserve their fertility.

LGBTQ+ couples face many hurdles to biological reproduction.

Can Two Men Make a Baby?

Scientists Breed a New Generation of "Super Corals" Hero

Some corals, called &quot;super corals,&quot; are more resistant to temperature changes and bleaching. Discover how scientist Ruth Gates began a &quot;super coral&quot; breeding program to create more resilient reefs.

Coral reefs are in crisis as ocean heatwaves are draining them of life.

Scientists Breed a New Generation of "Super Corals"

The Coronavirus Pandemic's Toll on Mental Health Hero

The precautions we’ve taken to quell the coronavirus pandemic—sheltering in place, social distancing, not spending much time with people outside our own households—have exacerbated America’s mental health crisis.

We should treat mental health with the same sense of urgency as the COVID pandemic.

The Coronavirus Pandemic's Toll on Mental Health

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing Hero

At 39, Brigitte Adams became an early adopter of egg vitrification, a technology that can dramatically improve the preservation of a woman&#x27;s eggs and, potentially, her future fertility. Here’s her story.

A woman is born with over a million eggs, but only 10% remain by the time she&#x27;s 30.

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing

Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm? Hero

Facial recognition technology has great potential to help law enforcement identify suspects. But collecting and storing data from online photos has raised concern among critics.

This algorithm isn&#x27;t looking for your face only in the photos you&#x27;ve posted.

Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm?

The advent of horse riding was a momentous step in human history. But when and how did our ancestors first learn to master these animals? In a spectacular adventure, NOVA unlocks the mystery on the vast, grassy plains of Kazakhstan, where wild horses still roam free, and nomadic herders follow their traditional way of life. Investigating clues from archaeology and genetics, researchers reveal vivid evidence of the very first horsemen. They also discover warriors who swept across Europe, and turn out to be the ancestors of millions today. (Premiered May 15, 2019)

The advent of horse riding changed the course of human history and the genetic makeup of humankind.

First Horse Warriors

When the U.S. trade embargo left Cuba isolated from medical resources, Cuban scientists were forced to get creative. Now they’ve developed lung cancer vaccines that show so much promise, some Americans are defying the embargo and traveling to Cuba for treatment. In an unprecedented move, Cuban researchers are working with U.S. partners to make the medicines more widely available. (Premiered April 1, 2020)

Can Cuba&#x27;s innovative lung cancer vaccines give new hope to patients across the world?

Cuba's Cancer Hope

A blinding flash of light streaked across the Russian sky, followed by a shuddering blast strong enough to damage buildings and send more than 1,000 people to the hospital. On the morning of February 15, 2013, a 7,000-ton asteroid crashed into the Earth&#x27;s atmosphere. According to NASA, the Siberian meteor exploded with the power of 30 Hiroshima bombs and was the largest object to burst in the atmosphere since the Tunguska event of 1908, which was also in Siberia and left few eyewitnesses or clues. This time, the event was captured by digital dashboard cameras, now common in Russian autos and trucks. Within days, NOVA crews joined impact scientists in Russia as they hunted for clues about the meteor&#x27;s origin and makeup. From their findings, it&#x27;s clear we came close to a far worse disaster, which NOVA sets in perspective by looking at greater explosions from the past, including Tunguska and the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. &quot;Meteor Strike&quot; asks: Is our solar system a deadly celestial shooting gallery with Earth in the crosshairs? And what are the chances that another, more massive asteroid is heading straight for us? (Premiered March 27, 2013)

A meteor burst into a fireball over Siberia. Can we spot the next deadly asteroid in time?

Meteor Strike

The asteroid that exploded over Siberia—injuring more than 1,000 and damaging buildings in six cities—was a shocking reminder that Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting range. From the width of a football field to the size of a small city, these space rocks have the potential to be killers. In a collision with Earth, they could set off deadly blast waves, raging fires and colossal tidal waves. But some audacious entrepreneurs look up at asteroids and see payday, not doomsday. Some asteroids are loaded with billions of dollars&#x27; worth of elements like iron, nickel, and platinum. NASA is planning an ambitious mission to return samples from a potentially hazardous asteroid, and would-be asteroid miners are dreaming up their own program to scout for potentially profitable asteroids. Will asteroids turn out to be our economic salvation—or instruments of extinction? (Premiered November 20, 2013)

Will future asteroids trigger massive extinctions—or be mined for precious minerals?

Asteroid: Doomsday or Payday?

On a summer’s night, there’s nothing more magic than watching the soft glow of fireflies switching on and off. Few other life forms on land can light up the night, but in the dark depths of the oceans, it’s a different story: nearly 90% of all species shine from within. Whether it’s to scare off predators, fish for prey, or lure a mate, the language of light is everywhere in the ocean depths, and scientists are finally starting to decode it. NOVA and National Geographic take a dazzling dive to this hidden undersea world where most creatures flash, sparkle, shimmer, or simply glow. Join deep sea scientists who investigate these stunning displays and discover surprising ways to harness nature’s light—from tracking cancer cells to detecting pollution, lighting up cities, and even illuminating the inner workings of our brains.

Deep in the ocean, animals that flash, sparkle, and glow use light to survive in the dark.

Creatures of Light

In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China&#x27;s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2,200 years, this clay army, 8,000-strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave. Now, a new archaeological campaign is probing the thousands of figures entombed in the mausoleum. With exclusive access to pioneering research, &quot;Emperor&#x27;s Ghost Army&quot; explores how the Emperor directed the manufacture of the tens of thousands of bronze weapons carried by the clay soldiers. NOVA tests the power of these weapons with high-action experiments and reports on revolutionary 3D computer modeling techniques that are providing new insights into how the clay figures were made, revealing in the process the secrets of one of archaeology&#x27;s greatest discoveries. (Premiered April 8, 2015)

Explore the buried clay warriors, chariots, and bronze weapons of China&#x27;s first emperor.

Emperor's Ghost Army

General - US & Territories

For animals in Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park, the normal balance of competition and predation was upended when a war wiped out the top predators. The remaining animals didn’t simply grow in numbers—they began behaving in unusual ways, veering outside their typical territories and feeding patterns. Could it be that it’s not just predators’ kills that keep other populations in check, but also the fear they inspire? NOVA joins a team of scientists as they reintroduce wild dogs to Gorongosa to find out if restoring the park’s “landscape of fear” can restore balance to an entire ecosystem. (Premiered October 14, 2020)

Can bringing predators—and fear—back into an ecosystem help restore its natural balance?

Nature's Fear Factor

Sixty-six million years ago, an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs in a fiery global catastrophe. But we know little about how their successors, the mammals, recovered and took over the world. Now, hidden inside ordinary-looking rocks, an astonishing trove of fossils reveals a dramatic new picture of how rat-sized creatures ballooned in size and began to evolve into the vast array of species—from cheetahs to bats to whales to humans—that rule our planet today.

Amazing fossils reveal how mammals took over after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.

Rise of the Mammals

Skyscrapers are gleaming symbols of prestige, and an ingenious way to save space in dense urban areas. But as buildings rise ever higher, what are the risks of these architectural behemoths? Do we truly know how they will hold up in earthquakes, fires, and other potential disasters? What have--or haven’t—we learned from past tragedies? (Premiering September 8 at 9 pm on PBS)

Can skyscrapers be made safer, more efficient, and livable in our rapidly growing cities?

High-Risk High-Rise

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA investigates the latest evidence for its potential benefits in treating seizures, autism, and insomnia, as well as the risks that it might pose to the developing brain.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

Watch Page

Hero Area

Eagle Power

Upcoming Schedule

First Horse Warriors

Cuba's Cancer Hope

Meteor Strike

Episodes

Great Escape at Dunkirk

Ship That Changed the World

Looking for Life on Mars

Inside the Megafire

Black Hole Apocalypse

What Are Animals Saying?

Shorts

The Big Lie about Monarch Butterflies

Can Two Men Make a Baby?

Scientists Breed a New Generation of "Super Corals"

The Coronavirus Pandemic's Toll on Mental Health

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing

Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm?

Watch Page

Hero Area

Eagle Power

Upcoming Schedule

First Horse Warriors

Cuba's Cancer Hope

Meteor Strike

Episodes

Great Escape at Dunkirk

Ship That Changed the World

Looking for Life on Mars

Inside the Megafire

Black Hole Apocalypse

What Are Animals Saying?

NOVA Newsletter Signup

Follow NOVA on Facebook

Shorts

The Big Lie about Monarch Butterflies

Can Two Men Make a Baby?

Scientists Breed a New Generation of "Super Corals"

The Coronavirus Pandemic's Toll on Mental Health

To Start a Family, This Woman Turned to Egg Freezing

Are You Feeding a Powerful Facial Recognition Algorithm?