NOVA

Season 23

TV-PG
A weekly documentary series, each episode providing an in-depth look at a different subject of scientific research. Subjects examined by this show have included the cutting edge of theoretical physics, a return to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, the long-term effects of Amazon deforestation, and the development of life-saving medical techniques.

Where to Watch Season 23

19 Episodes

  • Anastasia Dead or Alive?
    E1
    Anastasia Dead or Alive?NOVA follows forensic tests of skeletons discovered in Ekaterinburg in 1979 that are alleged to be the remains of Russian royals, and explores the claim that Anna Anderson of Charlottesville, Virginia, was really the long lost Anastasia.
  • Venus Unveiled
    E2
    Venus UnveiledVenus reveals its true face, recorded in detail for the first time by the radar spacecraft Magellan. Our next-door planetary neighbor turns out to be one of the most bizarre places in the solar system.
  • Hawaii Born of Fire
    E3
    Hawaii Born of FireNOVA explores the fiery moonscapes and lush rainforests of the world's most isolated archipelago: the Hawaiian islands. From blistering beginnings as molten rock, the islands have developed into a verdant paradise of unique lifeforms.
  • The Doomsday Asteroid
    E4
    The Doomsday AsteroidIs there an asteroid or comet out there with our name on it? NOVA scans the skies and the geological record on Earth, for evidence that giant rocks from outer space have struck before and will eventually plow into our planet again.
  • Lightning!
    E5
    Lightning!NOVA follows several teams of investigators collecting information and images to answer questions such as how lightning is formed, how to predict and prevent lightning strikes, and how to protect people from its dangers.
  • Hunt for the Serial Arsonist
    E6
    Hunt for the Serial ArsonistIn the spring of 1991, a rash of suspicious store fires in Los Angeles set fire investigators on the trail of a serial arsonist. Using ingenious techniques to "read" burn patterns and reconstruct the chain of events at each fire, the team uncovered a crucial clue—a fingerprint on a crude incendiary device. Eight months later, the team closed in on their chief suspect and revealed the shocking truth behind his identity. A classic scientific detective story with a final twist that will keep viewers guessing until the end.
  • Treasures of the Great Barrier Reef
    E7
    Treasures of the Great Barrier ReefRecording sights that will astonish even experienced divers, NOVA documents an extraordinary day in the life of the largest coral reef in the world, capturing for the first time the annual spawning of coral and other unusual creatures of the reef.
  • Race to Catch a Buckyball
    E8
    Race to Catch a BuckyballIn 1985 a chemist looking at stardust, paired with one searching for brand new materials, stumbled across what science said could not exist – a third form of carbon. They named the soccer ball-shaped molecules "Buckminsterfullerene" after the architect who invented the geodesic dome. Today "Buckyballs," as the molecules are playfully known, are revolutionizing chemistry and promise countless technological applications. NOVA traces this remarkable tale of serendipity in scientific discovery.
  • Can Buildings Make You Sick?
    E9
    Can Buildings Make You Sick?A search for the causes of Sick Building Syndrome. Experts look at various problem buildings, inspecting their air conditioning, lights and carpets for clues to the mysterious maladies afflicting the workers inside.
  • Terror in the Mine Fields
    E10
    Terror in the Mine FieldsNOVA's unprecedented access to the elusive Khmer Rouge in Cambodia reveals the ease of laying mines and the difficulty and danger of clearing them.
  • The Day the Earth Shook
    E11
    The Day the Earth ShookOn the same date in January one year apart, earthquakes of almost identical power shook Northridge, California (1994) and Kobe, Japan (1995). NOVA probes why almost 100 times more people died in Japan than in the United States.
  • B-29 Frozen in Time
    E12
    B-29 Frozen in TimeFamed test pilot Darryl Greenamyer and his crew go on a perilous mission to repair and re-fly a B-29 bomber stranded on the Greenland icecap since 1947. Facing incredible hardships, the team struggles to bring the old warbird back to life.
  • Plague Fighters
    E13
    Plague FightersIn the spring of 1995 a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus swept through Kikwit, Zaire, killing 77 percent of those who fell ill. NOVA filmed the inside story of the battle to contain one of the most feared diseases on the planet.
  • War Machines of Tomorrow
    E14
    War Machines of TomorrowNOVA travels to the testing ranges and training grounds for a leaner, meaner and more effective United States military force that can fight and win on almost any battlefield in the world. One innovation in the works: super-accurate "brilliant" weapons, designed as successors to the smart munitions used in the Gulf War.
  • Kidnapped by U.F.O.'s?
    E15
    Kidnapped by U.F.O.'s?Carl Sagan and other scientists investigate claims that people have been visited or abducted by aliens.
  • Flood!
    E16
    Flood!In 1993, the Mississippi River swept away bridges, levees, and entire towns in the largest flood ever recorded in America's heartland. NOVA covers the human drama of the flood-fight to stop a river overflowing from weeks of nonstop rain.
  • Dr. Spock the Baby Doc
    E17
    Dr. Spock the Baby DocNOVA profiles Dr. Benjamin Spock, whose best-selling baby and child care guide revolutionized the way Americans raise their children. At ninety-something, Dr. Spock continues to mix a lively interest in babies with his long-standing activism for world peace, on the theory that war is potentially more dangerous to children than accidents or illness.
  • Warriors of the Amazon
    E18
    Warriors of the AmazonExplore the unique culture of the Yanomami, an isolated tribe living deep in the Amazonian rainforest.
  • Bombing of America
    E19
    Bombing of AmericaBombing is on the rise across the United States. But science is fighting back. Hidden within the chaos of a crime scene lie clues that can solve the case. Can science help stop the "Bombing of America"?

Cast of Season 23

  • Paula S. ApsellProducer

 

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