NOVA
Season 39
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 39
19 Episodes
- Engineering Ground Zero
E1Engineering Ground ZeroTo commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11, NOVA presents an epic story of engineering, innovation, and the perseverance of the human spirit. With extraordinary access granted by The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, “Engineering Ground Zero” follows the five-year construction of One World Trade Center (1 WTC) and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. - Surviving the Tsunami
E2Surviving the TsunamiThe earthquake that hit the northern coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, was recorded at magnitude 9.0 the worst ever recorded in Japan. It generated an unprecedented tsunami, obliterating coastal villages and towns in a matter of minutes. In some areas, the tsunami climbed above 100 feet in height and traveled miles inland. Amazingly, amateur and professional photographers captured it all on video, including remarkable tales of human survival, as ordinary citizens became heroes in a drama they never could have imagined. As the waves rush in, a daughter struggles to help her elderly mother ascend their rooftop to safety; a man climbs onto an overpass just as the wave overtakes his car. These never-before-seen stories are captured in video and retold after the fact by the survivors who reveal what they were thinking as they made their life-saving decisions. Their stories provide lessons for how we should all act in the face of life-threatening disasters. - Finding Life Beyond Earth: Are We Alone?
E3Finding Life Beyond Earth: Are We Alone?Scientists are on the verge of answering one of the greatest questions in history: Are we alone? Finding Life Beyond Earth immerses audiences in the sights and sounds of alien worlds, while top astrobiologists explain how these places are changing how we think about the potential for life in our solar system. - Iceman Murder Mystery
E4Iceman Murder MysteryHe's been dead for more than 5,000 years, yet Otzi the Iceman, continues to keep many secrets. Now, a new autopsy yields fresh clues to his way of life and the mysterious circumstances of his murder. Otzi's frozen remains reveal intriguing details of his life and times in the ancient Copper Age. Join NOVA as we defrost the ultimate time capsule, the 5,000-year-old man. - The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?
E5The Fabric of the Cosmos: What is Space?Space. It separates you from me, one galaxy from the next, and atoms from each other. 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. - The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time
E6The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of TimeTime. We waste it, save it, kill it, make it. The world runs on it. Yet, ask physicists what time actually is, and the answer might shock you: They have no idea. Even more surprising, the deep sense we have of time passing from present to past may be nothing more than an illusion. How can our understanding of something so familiar be so wrong? - The Fabric of the Cosmos: Quantum Leap
E7The Fabric of the Cosmos: Quantum LeapJoin Brian Greene on a wild ride into the weird realm of quantum physics, which governs the universe on the tiniest of scales. Brian brings quantum mechanics to life in a nightclub like no other, where objects pop in and out of existence, and things over here can affect others over there, instantaneously-without anything crossing the space between them. - The Fabric of the Cosmos: Universe or Multiverse?
E8The Fabric of the Cosmos: Universe or Multiverse?Hard as it is to swallow, cutting-edge theories are suggesting that our universe may not be the only universe. Instead, it may be just one of an infinite number of worlds that make up the multiverse. In this show, Brian Greene takes us on a tour of this brave new theory at the frontier of physics, explaining why scientists believe it's true and showing what some of these alternate realities might be like. - Deadliest Volcanoes
E9Deadliest VolcanoesMillions of people around the world live in the shadow of active volcanoes. Under constant threat of massive volcanic eruptions, their homes and their lives are daily at risk from these sleeping giants. From Japan’s Mount Fuji to the "Sleeping Giant" submerged beneath Naples to the Yellowstone "supervolcano" in the United States, we will travel with scientists from around the world who are at work on these sites, attempting to discover how likely these volcanoes are to erupt, when it might happen, and exactly how deadly they could prove to be. - Bombing Hitler's Dams
E10Bombing Hitler's DamsIn 1943 a squadron of Lancaster bombers staged one of the most audacious raids in history, destroying two gigantic dams in Germany's industrial heartland with a revolutionary bouncing bomb invented by British engineer Barnes Wallis. Now, NOVA re-creates the extreme engineering challenges faced by Wallis and the pilots. - 3D Spies of WWII
E113D Spies of WWIINova looks at Allied efforts to spy on Hitler's weapons of mass destruction. It looks at how Allied intelligence examined over millions of photographs taken over German territory by specially converted high-flying spitfires and how photo interpreters used special stereoscopes to catch details that might have been missed. - Mystery of a Masterpiece
E12Mystery of a MasterpieceNOVA meets a new breed of experts who are approaching "cold case" art mysteries as if they were crime scenes, determined to discover "who committed the art," and follows art sleuths as they deploy new techniques to combat the multi-billion dollar criminal market in stolen and fraudulent art. - Ice Age Death Trap
E13Ice Age Death TrapIn a race against developers in the Rocky Mountains, archeologists uncover a unique fossil site packed with astonishingly well-preserved bones of mammoths, mastodons, and other giant extinct beasts. The discovery opens a highly focused window on the vanished world of the Ice Age in North America. - Separating Twins
E14Separating TwinsThis is the incredible story of Trishna and Krishna, twin girls born joined at the head. Abandoned shortly after birth at an orphanage in Bangladesh, they had little chance of survival, until they were saved and taken to Australia by an aid worker. After two years battling for life, the twins are ready for a series of delicate operations that will prepare them for the ultimate challenge: a marathon separation surgery that will allow them to live truly separate lives. Since the beginning, surgeons knew there was no guarantee of survival for either of the girls—but without surgery there was no hope at all. With exclusive access to this extraordinary human and medical drama, our cameras have been with Trishna and Krishna and their caregivers at each moment of their journey. - Cracking Your Genetic Code
E15Cracking Your Genetic CodeThose in the know contend that soon gene sequencing will be cheap enough that anyone can have their genome deciphered. This program shows how confusing this knowledge can be as people struggle with how to chart their lives and protect their privacy. But it is also leading to promising treatments for previously intractable diseases and patients with mysterious illnesses. - Deadliest Tornadoes
E17Deadliest TornadoesIn April 2011, the worst tornado outbreak in decades left a trail of destruction across the U.S., killing more than 360 people. Why was there such an extreme outbreak? How do such outbreaks form? With modern warning systems, why did so many die? Is our weather getting more extreme—and, if so, how bad will it get? In this NOVA special, we meet scientists striving to understand the forces at work behind last year's outbreak. Could their work improve tornado prediction in the future? We also meet people whose lives have been upended by these extreme weather events and learn how we all can protect ourselves and our communities for the future. - Why Ships Sink
E18Why Ships SinkNo matter how sophisticated civilian sailing vessels can get, there is always the risk of them sinking. This film explores several modern sinkings, such as the RMS Titanic and the Costa Concordia, to find out how those disasters happened. In addition, the performance of the crews during such emergencies is also examined to show how human behavior and poor training for such high stress situations can make make them worse. - Secrets of the Sun
E19Secrets of the SunNova reviews what scientists have learned in recent years about the sun's behavior and how it works. Most significantly, astronomers are at last beginning to understand the the solar phenomenon that impact our civilization; solar flares and coronal mass ejections.
