Koch Foundation

Draper

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Space. It separates you from me, one galaxy from the next, and atoms from one another. It is everywhere in the universe. But to most of us, space is nothing, an empty void. Well, it turns out space is not what it seems. From the passenger seat of a New York cab driving near the speed of light, to a pool hall where billiard tables do fantastical things, Brian Greene reveals space as a dynamic fabric that can stretch, twist, warp, and ripple under the influence of gravity. Stranger still is a newly discovered ingredient of space that actually makes up 70 percent of the universe. Physicists call it dark energy, because while they know it&#x27;s out there, driving space to expand ever more quickly, they have no idea what it is.Probing space on the smallest scales only makes the mysteries multiply. Down there, things are going on that physicists today can barely fathom—forces powerful enough to generate whole universes. To top it off, some of the strangest places in space, black holes, have led scientists to propose that like the hologram on your credit card, space may just be a projection of a deeper two-dimensional reality taking place on a distant surface that surrounds us. Space, far from being empty, is filled with some of the deepest mysteries of our time.

The Fabric of the Cosmos, Hour 1: Surprising clues indicate that space is very much something and not nothing.

The Fabric of the Cosmos: What Is Space?

Rise of the Superstorms Hero

In just one devastating month, Houston, Florida, and the Caribbean were changed forever. In summer 2017, three monster hurricanes swept in from the Atlantic one after another, shattering storm records and killing hundreds of people. First, Harvey brought catastrophic rain and flooding to Houston, causing $125 billion in damage. Less than two weeks later, Irma lashed the Caribbean with 180 mile per hour winds—and left the island of Barbuda uninhabitable. Hot on Irma’s heels, Maria intensified from a Category 1 to a Category 5 hurricane in just 30 hours, then ravaged Puerto Rico and left millions of people without power. As the planet warms, are these superstorms the new normal? How well can we predict them? And as the U.S. faces the next hurricane season, does it need to prepare for the reality of climate refugees? NOVA takes you inside the 2017 superstorms and the cutting-edge research that will determine how well equipped we are to deal with hurricanes in the future.

Witness the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017.

Rise of the Superstorms

Great Escape at Dunkirk Hero

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

The Origami Revolution Hero

The centuries-old tradition of folding two-dimensional paper into three-dimensional shapes is inspiring a scientific revolution. The rules of folding are at the heart of many natural phenomena, from how leaves blossom to how beetles fly. But now, engineers and designers are applying its principles to reshape the world around us—and even within us, designing new drugs, micro-robots, and future space missions. With this burgeoning field of origami-inspired-design, the question is: can the mathematics of origami be boiled down to one elegant algorithm—a fail-proof guidebook to make any object out of a flat surface, just by folding? And if so, what would that mean for the future of design? Explore the high-tech future of this age-old art as NOVA unfolds “The Origami Revolution.”

Engineers are using origami to design drugs, micro-robots, and future space missions.

The Origami Revolution

Black Hole Apocalypse Hero

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

Can Alzheimer's Be Stopped? Hero

(This program is no longer available for online streaming.) Alzheimer’s disease strikes at the core of what makes us human: our capacity to think, to love, and to remember. The disease ravages the minds of over 40 million victims worldwide, and it is one of the greatest medical mysteries of our time. Join investigators as they gather clues and attempt to reconstruct the molecular chain of events that ultimately leads to dementia, and follow key researchers in the field who have helped to develop the leading theories of the disease. Along the way, meet individuals from all walks of life who will reveal what it’s like to struggle with Alzheimer’s. Among them, members of a unique Colombian family who have learned that their genetic predisposition all but guarantees early onset Alzheimer’s. Yet there may be hope. Join these courageous patients participating in clinical trials, and then go behind the scenes of the major drug trials to see how researchers target and test therapies that may slow and even prevent Alzheimer’s.

Join investigators as they untangle the cause of Alzheimer’s and race to develop a cure.

Can Alzheimer's Be Stopped?

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Their beauty has captivated us for millennia. Their cost can be extraordinary–some are even considered priceless. Precious gems like diamonds, rubies, emeralds, opal, and jade are the ultimate treasures of the earth, and each one is made from a specific–and often torturous–recipe of chemistry, pressure, and heat. The secrets to their sparkle, color, and even strength lie deep inside the gems themselves, but could they also hold clues to one of the most enduring mysteries in the field of geology? From Tiffany’s workshop in New York to the sapphire mines of Sri Lanka, from North Carolina’s emerald fields to the jade-laden Forbidden City of China, join NOVA in the first episode of a 3-part series, &quot;Treasures of the Earth,&quot; as we explore the fascinating science of gems.

What processes in the depths of the Earth forge beautiful and precious stones?

Treasures of the Earth: Gems

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.

How Voyager discovered that Neptune is oddly warm and stormy Hero

Despite Neptune&#x27;s distance from the Sun, the Voyager mission discovers that Neptune is warmer than its neighbor, Uranus. And, it has the strongest winds of any planet in the Solar System.

Neptune has swirling clouds and strong winds. Can scientists figure out why?

How Voyager Discovered That Neptune is Oddly Warm and Stormy

Why Diamond Light is Beautiful Hero

Much of a diamond&#x27;s brilliance and fire comes down to physics. In 1919, a mathematician used optical physics to calculate the optimal number and angle of facets to maximize the light captured and reflected by the gemstone.

Much of a diamond&#x27;s brilliance and fire comes down to physics.

Why Diamond Light is Beautiful

Five Facts About the Largest Kuiper Belt Object Hero

Pluto has a thin atmosphere with a blue tint. Find out what else makes Pluto interesting.

Learn more about Pluto and its moon, Charon.

Five Facts About Pluto, the Largest Kuiper Belt Object

Healing After Hurricane Maria Hero

<div class="rich-text">Antonio Paris grew up in Utuado, Puerto Rico, and today he works as a planetary scientist in Florida researching how to survive on Mars. Since Hurricane Maria, he has returned to Utuado ten times and raised over $100,000 in relief aid, bringing water, food, and medical supplies to the people of his community. He&rsquo;s also finding ways to translate his research on surviving on another planet into the practical matter of surviving here on Earth.
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<div class="rich-text">Antonio Paris translates how to survive on other planets into surviving after Maria.</div>

Healing After Hurricane Maria

Why There's No Climate Hoax Hero

<div class="rich-text">Ecologist Stephen Pacala says a climate change conspiracy is impossible.
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<div class="rich-text">Ecologist Stephen Pacala says a climate change conspiracy is impossible.</div>

Why There's No Climate Hoax

Five Facts About the Sideways Planet Hero

Uranus, despite not being the farthest, is the coldest planet in our solar system. What else makes the seventh planet from the Sun special?

Uranus is more than just the tilted planet in our solar system.

Five Facts About Uranus, the Tilted Planet

Inside the Megafire Image

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 race 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

Day the Dinosaurs Died Hero

A seven-mile-wide asteroid collided with Earth 66 million years ago, triggering a chain of events that coincide with the end of the dinosaurs. But experts have long debated exactly what happened when the asteroid struck and how the giant beasts met their end. Now, scientists have uncovered compelling new clues about the catastrophe—from New Jersey to the wilds of Patagonia—and an international expedition of scientists has drilled into the impact crater off the coast of Mexico, recovering crucial direct evidence of the searing energy and giant tsunami unleashed by the asteroid. Join NOVA as scientists piece together a chillingly precise unfolding of the Earth’s biggest cataclysm, moment by moment, and discover how our early mammalian ancestors managed to survive and repopulate the Earth. (Premiered December 27, 2017)

Experts drill into the impact crater of an asteroid that created a worldwide cataclysm.

Day the Dinosaurs Died

Why Bridges Collapse

In 2018, Italy’s Morandi Bridge collapsed, tragically killing 43 people. For 50 years, the iconic bridge had withstood the elements—and stress from ever-increasing traffic. What went wrong that fateful day? And how can new engineering technology protect bridge infrastructure to prevent such tragic failures in the future? Through eyewitness testimony, expert interviews, and dramatic archival footage, NOVA investigates the Morandi disaster and other deadly bridge collapses. (Premiering Oct. 16 at 9 pm on PBS)

Can new engineering techniques help prevent deadly bridge collapses?

Look Who's Driving

After years of anticipation, autonomous vehicles are now being tested on public roads around the world. As ambitious innovators race to develop what they see as the next high-tech pot of gold, some experts warn there are still daunting challenges ahead, including how to train artificial intelligence to be better than humans at making life-and-death decisions. How do self-driving cars work? How close are we to large-scale deployment of them? And will we ever be able to trust AI with our lives?

As self-driving cars take to the streets, investigate how they work, and if they are safe.

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The towering Himalayas were among the last places on Earth that humanity settled. Scaling sheer cliff sides, a team of daring scientists hunts for clues to how ancient people found their way into this forbidding landscape and adapted to survive the high altitude. They discover rock-cut tombs filled with human bones and enigmatic artifacts, including gold masks and Chinese silk dating back thousands of years, and piece together evidence of strange rituals and beliefs designed to ward off the restless spirits of the dead.

Evidence discovered in the world’s highest tombs reveals ancient rituals and beliefs.

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Treasures of the Earth: Gems

Upcoming Schedule

Inside the Megafire

Day the Dinosaurs Died

Why Bridges Collapse

Episodes

The Fabric of the Cosmos: What Is Space?

Rise of the Superstorms

Great Escape at Dunkirk

The Origami Revolution

Black Hole Apocalypse

Can Alzheimer's Be Stopped?

Shorts

How Voyager Discovered That Neptune is Oddly Warm and Stormy

Why Diamond Light is Beautiful

Five Facts About Pluto, the Largest Kuiper Belt Object

Healing After Hurricane Maria

Why There's No Climate Hoax

Five Facts About Uranus, the Tilted Planet

Watch Page

Hero Area

Treasures of the Earth: Gems

Upcoming Schedule

Inside the Megafire

Day the Dinosaurs Died

Why Bridges Collapse

Episodes

The Fabric of the Cosmos: What Is Space?

Rise of the Superstorms

Great Escape at Dunkirk

The Origami Revolution

Black Hole Apocalypse

Can Alzheimer's Be Stopped?

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Shorts

How Voyager Discovered That Neptune is Oddly Warm and Stormy

Why Diamond Light is Beautiful

Five Facts About Pluto, the Largest Kuiper Belt Object

Healing After Hurricane Maria

Why There's No Climate Hoax

Five Facts About Uranus, the Tilted Planet