NOVA Vodcast | PBS

Eco-engineers in the Netherlands are taking hints from nature to rein in flooding. One idea is to plant trees in front of dikes to lower the height of approaching waves. They compare this type of approach to judo—they are using the forces of nature, rather than fighting against them, to produce powerful results.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Witnesses to JFK's assassination heard three shots, and police found three cartridges in Oswald's perch. Nevertheless, only two bullets were ever found. Could this missing bullet have hit a tree or the pavement? And if so, why was it never located? Forensics experts Luke and Mike Haag perform tests with a Carcano rifle to solve the mystery of the missing bullet.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Since 1972, a company called Alcor has been preserving legally dead people at very low temperatures. The hope is that in the future, scientists will be able to revive these "patients," giving them a chance for eternal life. It may sound like the stuff of science fiction, but host David Pogue met with Alcor president and CEO Max More to tour the facility and learn about the field of "cryonics."

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Clouds affect us every day, no matter the weather. But what exactly are clouds and how do they form? And how can they help us predict severe storms, the availability of water, and our future climate?

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for the Cloud Lab is provided by NASA.

We might prefer beautiful weather reports, but we really pay attention when severe storms are predicted. So how do Earth's most powerful storms develop, and how is this related to cloud formation?

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for the Cloud Lab is provided by NASA.

What exactly is a cloud? Why do clouds form over some areas and not others? Take a look inside: learn about factors that cause clouds to develop in the first place and find out why there are so many different types.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for the Cloud Lab is provided by NASA.

A perfectly sunny day one moment and driving rain the next. What atmospheric conditions are involved in the development of storm clouds and the dramatic weather effects they can unleash?

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for the Cloud Lab is provided by NASA.

Clouds have a powerful influence on the temperature of our planet. Just how they will respond as global temperatures increase is one of the most pressing scientific questions of our time.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for the Cloud Lab is provided by NASA.

Mice placed in enriched environments can recover lost memories, giving hope to those who study Alzheimer's.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

A computer named Watson is the latest contestant in machine versus human battles of the "mind."

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Researchers who've studied Einstein's brain have long known that parts of his parietal lobe—a part of the brain involved in spatial imagination—were unusually large. But now, a collection of 14 photographs missing since 1955 have revealed that Einstein's right frontal lobe has four ridges instead of the standard-issue three, giving him more brain power. And, in an unusual twist, it turns out that the host of NOVA scienceNOW, David Pogue, shares this same trait.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Researchers have begun to zero in on genes that might be responsible for autism.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

If you were a spy, how could you ensure that an encrypted message got safely to your allies? Send it using entangled particles! Here, watch how a technique called quantum cryptography could save a state secret from falling into enemy hands.

Major funding for "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is provided by the National Science Foundation.

Additional funding for this program is provided by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Water buffalo tusks, fish bladders, and animal sinew all went into the making of the ancient Egyptian composite bow. While the materials may seem primitive, this powerful weapon was not so different from the bows of today.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

A computer scientist finds novel ways to stop spammers and harness the brainpower of millions of people.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Three separate teams overcome a biomedical hurdle-creating stem cells without the use of human embryos.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

It used to be standard practice that all patients received chemotherapy after surgery to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. Today, a genetic test called Oncotype DX allows doctors to analyze the genome of a patient's cancer cells. The results can help oncologists determine whether a patient actually needs to endure chemotherapy post-surgery, thereby avoiding needless suffering.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Knocks to the head may seem funny in cartoons, sports replays, and YouTube videos, but even minor head injuries often lead to serious concussions. A concussion may leave no trace on a conventional MRI scan yet cause permanent memory loss, attention problems, and depression. NOVA scienceNOW investigates promising new leads in understanding this puzzling condition, which affects millions of people in the U.S., including many high-school and college athletes who suffer concussions yet are encouraged to return to the playing field.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Custom-made hearts, lungs, kidneys, and other organs could revolutionize organ transplantation.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

See how "exercise in a pill" could one day help the elderly and the bedridden.
For more, visit pbs.org/sciencenow

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Thousands of people are signing up to post their DNA sequences on the Internet, for all to see. Are they crazy?

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

How did molecules first make the leap from non-living to living? An English chemist may have solved part of the mystery.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Learn more about dark matter, and how science is searching for it.

Watch past episodes of the program, try out interactives, and more on our Web site: www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

The Personal Genome Project, spearheaded by George Church, the Director of Harvard's Center for Computational Genetics, aims to recruit 100,000 people to offer up their DNA and personal life histories, all in an effort to further knowledge of human genetics and why we get-or don't get-diseases.

Watch past episodes of the program, try out interactives, and more on our Web site: http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Video podcast produced by Julia Cort. Edited and narrated by Melissa Salpietra. Original footage and interviews for NOVA scienceNOW produced by Julia Cort. Stock footage provided by istockphoto.com.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

National corporate funding for NOVA is provided by The Boeing Company. Major funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Go behind the scenes at CERN for exclusive interviews with lead scientists on the historic 4 July announcement. Hear from Joe Incandela of CMS, Fabiola Gianotti of ATLAS, and Lyn Evans of the Large Hadron Collider Project on what the exciting and long-awaited announcement means to them.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

To learn more about the Higgs boson, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/

In 1964, physicist Peter Higgs predicted the existence of the Higgs boson, a particle that would confer mass on other particles. Today, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN may be on the brink of finding the Higgs. In this clip from "The Fabric of the Cosmos," learn about Higgs' theory and hear from Peter Higgs himself.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

To learn more about the Higgs boson, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/

The Vikings didn't invent crucible steel, so where did it come from? Many experts believe that the Volga trade route supplied Vikings with prized crucible steel from the Middle East, where people were more practiced in the art of forging it.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

© WGBH Educational Foundation

NOVA visits David Wake, a renowned evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, as he explains why members of the same species of California salamander look and behave so differently. It's a case study of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, and an example, Wake says, that Darwin himself would have loved.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

Video podcast produced by Melissa Salpietra and Susan K. Lewis. Edited and narrated by Melissa Salpietra. Original footage produced by Joe McMaster. "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial" is produced by NOVA and Vulcan Productions, in association with The Big Table Film Company.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

An innovative computer-based handwriting analysis technique helps NOVA dig deeper into the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby. But while the results might sway investigators in a certain direction, they certainly aren't definitive.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

© WGBH Educational Foundation

Thrihnukagigur crater is the only place on Earth where the anatomy of a volcano can be studied from the inside. When geologists journeyed into its heart, they discovered that a network of fissures links together distant volcanoes.

Additional funding for this program is provided by Millicent Bell, through the Millicent and Eugene Bell Foundation.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

In big blockbuster films, all volcanoes look the same: they are huge pointed peaks that violently erupt, destroying everything in their path. While some volcanoes do look like their Hollywood stand-ins, many others do not. In fact, they vary in size, lifespan, and even in the way they erupt.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Bruce Jackson is Professor and Head of the Biotechnology Programs at Massachusetts Bay Community College. His work focuses on how DNA - in conjunction with other tools - can help solve mysteries of ancestry, forensics and evolution. Bruce is also an expert scuba diver and the founder of the Diving Buddies program, where he shares his love of diving with young children.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

Ian Lipkin is a self-described "microbe hunter." A professor at Columbia University, he does research on a wide array of infectious diseases. When Ian's not in the lab, he helps Hollywood put science up on the silver screen. Among his many other contributions to the film "Contagion," Ian taught Gwyneth Paltrow how to have a seizure.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

We ask Tom Yang 10 Questions, and he tells us about a surprise Elvis sighting. Tom Yang is a food technologist for the US Army's Food Processing, Engineering and Technology Team. In his off-hours, Tom makes like his idols, Elvis Presley and Mick Jagger, and sings his heart out karaoke-style.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

For Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineers, Curiosity's landing represented the culmination of many years of hard work and personal aspiration. In this video, they trace their love of space back to their childhood and express their gratitude for being given the opportunity to put a rover on Mars.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© WGBH Educational Foundation

Scientists have never set foot on an alien world, but that hasn't kept them from looking for life beyond our solar system. In this short video, astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger explains how we determine whether a far-off planet could harbor life.

Video podcast produced and edited by Melissa Salpietra. Original footage produced by Julia Cort.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

© WGBH Educational Foundation

Honeybees communicate using the "Waggle Dance," a form of bee body language. A worker bee will shake her body after finding a food source or potential nest site. The direction and length of each shimmy indicates to her hivemates the distance and direction of the valuable resource. Watch as David Pogue learn to speak bee and gets his waggle on.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Written and Produced by
Anna Lee Strachan

Edited by
Daniel Gaucher

Original Footage
©WGBH Educational Foundation 2012
© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

We ask Michelle Thaller 10 questions, and she talks a lot about Carl Sagan. Michelle Thaller is an astronomer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. She loves to study binary stars and the life cycles of the stars. In her off-hours, Michelle often puts on about 30 lbs of Elizabethan garb and performs intricate Renaissance dances.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

Looking for a culinary adventure? Try some bugs for dinner. They are a nutritious and eco-friendly alternative to common livestock. But, whether they're delicious or not is a matter of personal taste.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

Meet Eran Egozy-a developer of Guitar Hero and Rock Band by profession and a clarinetist on the side. He is one of the scientists that we are profiling on "The Secret Life of Scientists," a web-exclusive series from NOVA. Every two weeks, you'll have a chance to meet a new scientist or engineer. Watch their videos. Ask them questions. Find out how their surprising secret lives fuel their science, and vice versa.

"The Secret Life of Scientists" is produced for NOVA by Seftel Productions. Visit pbs.org/nova/secretlife.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

What could you learn just by looking at a brain? As it turns out, Dean Falk could probably tell you a lot. She is an anthropologist at Florida State University and at the School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe, New Mexico. And when she examines David Pogue's brain scan she correctly predicts that he is colorblind.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

Meet the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and navigation. Then, stay tuned for some brainy slapstick comedy.

Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

© 2012 WGBH Educational Foundation

How does the "intelligence" of an ant colony or the stock market arise out of the simple actions of its members?

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0229297. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

NOVA scienceNOW is a trademark of the WGBH Educational Foundation

NOVA scienceNOW is produced for WGBH/Boston by NOVA

© 2007 WGBH Educational Foundation

The names of the victims of September 11 are inscribed on 152 bronze panels that will line the 9/11 Memorial. In this short video, take a tour of the plant where the panels are fabricated with co-owner Jim Moretti to learn how these beautiful plaques are made.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Meet Mark Siddall-a leech expert by profession and a culinary adventurer on the side. He is one of the scientists that we are profiling on "The Secret Life of Scientists," a web-exclusive series from NOVA. Every two weeks on our website, pbs.org/nova/secretlife, you'll have a chance to meet a new scientist or engineer. Watch their collection of short videos. Ask them questions. Find out how their surprising secret lives fuel their science, and vice versa.

"The Secret Life of Scientists" is produced for NOVA by Seftel Productions. Visit pbs.org/nova/secretlife.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance pubic understanding of science and technology and to portray the lives of men and women engaged in scientific and technological pursuit.

Meet Joe DeGeorge-a physics student by day and a rock star by night. He is one of the scientists that we are profiling on "The Secret Life of Scientists," a web-exclusive series from NOVA. Every two weeks, you'll have a chance to meet a new scientist or engineer. Watch their videos. Ask them questions. Find out how their surprising secret lives fuel their science, and vice versa.

"The Secret Life of Scientists" is produced for NOVA by Seftel Productions. Visit pbs.org/nova/secretlife.

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Meet Gavin Schmidt—a climate scientist by profession and juggler on the side. He is one of the scientists that we are profiling on "The Secret Life of Scientists," a web-exclusive series from NOVA. Every two weeks, you'll have a chance to meet a new scientist or engineer. Watch their videos. Ask them questions. Find out how their surprising secret lives fuel their science, and vice versa.

"The Secret Life of Scientists" is produced for NOVA by Seftel Productions. Visit pbs.org/nova/secretlife

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Go behind the scenes at CERN for exclusive interviews with lead scientists on the historic 4 July announcement. Hear from Joe Incandela of CMS, Fabiola Gianotti of ATLAS, and Lyn Evans of the Large Hadron Collider Project on what the exciting and long-awaited announcement means to them.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

To learn more about the Higgs boson, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/

In 1964, physicist Peter Higgs predicted the existence of the Higgs boson, a particle that would confer mass on other particles. Today, scientists at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN may be on the brink of finding the Higgs. In this clip from "The Fabric of the Cosmos," learn about Higgs' theory and hear from Peter Higgs himself.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

To learn more about the Higgs boson, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/

In this video clip, see why an explosion three miles above Earth would act like a white-hot tornado on the surface. Watch NOVA Wednesday nights on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

To learn more, visit http://www.pbs.org/nova/clovis

William Herschel often gets the credit, but his sister Caroline was also a pioneer astronomer. For more watch NOVA's Hunting the Edge of Space airing April 6 and 13 on PBS. www.pbs.org/nova/telescope

"Hunting the Edge of Space" produced for NOVA by Brook Lapping Productions and TPT National Productions, in association with Green Umbrella Films, LLC

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

In this excerpt from NOVA's "Ocean Animal Rescue," join biologist Daniel Costa and his team in the field as they study the surprising behavior of northern elephant seals.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

"Ocean Animal Rescue" is a NOVA Production produced by Hamilton Land & Cattle, Inc. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation and PBS viewers.

To learn more, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/ocean-animal-emergency.html

Meet neuroscientist Steffie Tomson, who studies the fascinating phenomenon of synesthesia and happens also to be a synesthete herself. She is one of the scientists whom we are profiling on "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers," a web-exclusive series from NOVA. Every two weeks, you'll have a chance to meet a new scientist or engineer. Watch their videos. Ask them questions. Find out how their surprising secret lives fuel their science, and vice versa.

"The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers" is produced for NOVA by Seftel Productions. Visit pbs.org/nova/secretlife

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers" is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

By night she's a rocker. By day, she's a Harvard geneticist tracking the evolution of the human genome.

Watch past episodes of the program, try out interactives, and more on our Web site: www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Watch NOVA on Wednesday nights on PBS. Check local listings.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Can we predict earthquakes? NOVA scienceNOW visits Haiti and California in search of answers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

They shuffle around, find the ball, plan their next move, and, of course, kick—all on their own. Designed by Manuela Veloso, a computer scientist at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute and her team, these soccer-playing robots stand at the forefront of machines that can learn about the world and act appropriately. They can sense their surroundings and respond to changing conditions, like the arrival of another player in the vicinity. The long-term goal of Veloso's and other AI labs? To win the World Cup against humans by 2050. But they've got a few bugs to work out of their 'bots—like keeping them upright.

For more, watch "The Smartest Machine on Earth" on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 9pm on PBS, or online at pbs.org/nova.

Original footage produced for NOVA by Michael Bicks. Video (all) © WGBH Educational Foundation

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

With a "small sun" for an engine, a new rocket might be able to zip us to Mars and back in under three months.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

If you ever thought the periodic table was a boring collection of elements that has nothing to do with your life, this app will show you otherwise. "NOVA Elements" lets you explore an interactive periodic table, build the elements, play a game hosted by The New York Times technology correspondent David Pogue, or watch the two-hour NOVA program, "Hunting the Elements." Find out why the periodic table is shaped the way it is, what gives each element its own unique set of properties, and even how elements combine to make everyday objects such as a cup of coffee.

Watch NOVA's "Hunting the Elements" on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 9pm on PBS.

Major funding for "Hunting the Elements" is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Additional funding for "Hunting the Elements" is provided by the Department of Energy and by the Millicent and Eugene Bell Foundation.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-SC0007358. Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendations, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

The ability of the elements to change phase—to transform from a solid to a liquid to a gas—is a perfect set-up for romantic comedy. Watch the story of an unlikely laboratory love affair, and learn about one of the basic properties of matter in the process.

Watch NOVA's "Hunting the Elements" online:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/hunting-elements.html

Watch NOVA on PBS every Wednesday night at 9pm.

Major funding for "Hunting the Elements" is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Additional funding for "Hunting the Elements" is provided by the Department of Energy and by the Millicent and Eugene Bell Foundation.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-SC0007358. Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendations, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Host David Pogue had his fair share of comic mishaps on the set of NOVA's "Hunting the Elements." Watch as David generally wreaks havoc on some of the most high-tech labs in the country, and makes even the most serious scientists laugh in the process.

Watch NOVA's "Hunting the Elements" on Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 9pm on PBS.

Major funding for "Hunting the Elements" is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Additional funding for "Hunting the Elements" is provided by the Department of Energy and by the Millicent and Eugene Bell Foundation.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Award Number DE-SC0007358. Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendations, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

It used to be standard practice that all patients received chemotherapy after surgery to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer. Today, a genetic test called Oncotype DX allows doctors to analyze the genome of a patient's cancer cells. The results can help oncologists determine whether a patient actually needs to endure chemotherapy post-surgery, thereby avoiding needless suffering.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Watch NOVA's "Cracking Your Genetic Code" on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 9pm on PBS.

Meet an archeologist who is helping to rewrite the history of the Old West.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Watch NOVA Wednesdays at 9pm on PBS.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Meet Jean Berko Gleason—psycholinguist by profession and speed demon on the side. She is one of the scientists that we are profiling on "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers," a web-exclusive series from NOVA. Every two weeks, you'll have a chance to meet a new scientist or engineer. Watch their videos. Ask them questions. Find out how their surprising secret lives fuel their science, and vice versa.

"The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers" is produced for NOVA by Seftel Productions. Visit pbs.org/nova/secretlife

Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists" is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Three massive earthquakes struck the American Midwest in 1811-12. Could it happen again?

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

By peering into the sex lives of Australian redback spiders, this evolutionary biologist has shown the upside of cannibalism.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Can we engineer bridges that tell us what's wrong with them before it's too late?

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Move over Evian. While filming "Ice Age Death Trap," the excavation team had some fun and quenched their thirst in an unusual way—by drinking water trapped in ancient mastodon and bison bones. What did they name their new beverage? Mastodon juice, of course!

For more information, watch NOVA's "Ice Age Death Trap," airing February 1, 2012 on PBS, and visit our website:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/ice-age-death-trap.html

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Vincent van Gogh has inspired several talented artists to turn their hands to forgery. Can computers be used to identify which works are really his? To find out, NOVA scienceNOW, working in cooperation with the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, commissioned an expert in art reconstruction to make a meticulous copy of a van Gogh painting. Then, we challenged three different computer teams—from Princeton, Penn State, and Maastricht universities—to see if they could spot the imitation in a group that included five genuine van Goghs.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

Bill Nye, TV's "Science Guy," conducts a pasta-making experiment that can save you money.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

Video podcast produced and edited by Melissa Salpietra. Original footage produced for NOVA by Larry Klein. Stock footage copyright istockphoto.com. Detailed credits available at pbs.org/nova/energy/credits.html.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

To learn more, visit http://www.pbs.org/nova/energy

In this video, Neil deGrasse Tyson meets a genetically modified mouse that can't sense bitter.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Examine the biology behind the compulsion to eat.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Her insight into how bacteria "talk" has launched a revolution in biological and medical research.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Is the weather on Mars anything like the weather on Earth? NOVA asked Vicky Hipkin from the Canadian Space Agency, who was part of the recent Phoenix Mission to explore conditions on the Red Planet.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

Video podcast produced and edited by Melissa Salpietra. Still images and footage courtesy NASA, JPL, Caltech, University of Arizona, Texas A and M University, Cornell University and istockphoto.com. Detailed credits available at pbs.org/nova/mars/credits.html.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lockheed Martin Corporation, and PBS viewers.

NOVA visits David Wake, a renowned evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, as he explains why members of the same species of California salamander look and behave so differently. It's a case study of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, and an example, Wake says, that Darwin himself would have loved.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

Video podcast produced by Melissa Salpietra and Susan K. Lewis. Edited and narrated by Melissa Salpietra. Original footage produced by Joe McMaster. "Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial" is produced by NOVA and Vulcan Productions, in association with The Big Table Film Company. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

In this excerpt from NOVA's "The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies," see just how astounding the monarch butterfly's sense of navigation is, and learn how monarchs are tracked across North America.

Watch NOVA every Wednesday night on PBS. Or join us online at pbs.org/nova.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

To learn more, visit http://www.pbs.org/nova/butterflies

Dr. Steve Jefferts of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado is an expert on how we measure time. In fact, he uses one of the world's most accurate atomic clocks to calibrate time in the United States. But why do we need such accuracy? Learn why atomic clocks are so important in our everyday lives.

Major funding for "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is provided by the National Science Foundation.

Additional funding for this program is provided by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

It took hundreds of hours to shoot and animate a scene in the so-called Quantum Club, from "The Fabric of the Cosmos" with Brian Greene. NOVA's Julia Cort, one of the producers of the show, explains how she and her colleagues created the scene to make the quantum world come alive.

Major funding for "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is provided by the National Science Foundation.

Additional funding for this program is provided by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

If you were a spy, how could you ensure that an encrypted message got safely to your allies? Send it using entangled particles! Here, watch how a technique called quantum cryptography could save a state secret from falling into enemy hands.

Major funding for "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is provided by the National Science Foundation.

Additional funding for this program is provided by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

According to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, you can't know both the location and momentum of a particle at the same time. You might not think this could be funny, but watch this video and you might think again.

For more on the Uncertainty Principle, check out this article on "Inside NOVA." And, post your own science joke on our Facebook page.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

After years of planning and construction, the 9/11 Memorial opened to the public on September 12, 2011. In this short video, visitors weigh in on the design and importance of the memorial. "It's very moving, it's graceful, and it's also dignified," says one visitor from Miami, Florida. "It's beautiful. The only other memorial that I can think of that comes close would be the Pyramids."

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

7 World Trade Center was the first tower rebuilt at Ground Zero after 9/11. Developer Larry Silverstein describes some of the building's new features, and explains why he and architect David Childs made changes to the original design.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Bronze, granite, and water will all play a role at the 9/11 Memorial. In this short video, the memorial's architect and designer, Michael Arad, examines a small mock-up that has been assembled at the Brooklyn Navy Yard to see how the materials interact, how they hold up to the elements, and what the finished memorial will look like to visitors.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

The names of the victims of September 11 are inscribed on 152 bronze panels that will line the 9/11 Memorial. In this short video, take a tour of the plant where the panels are fabricated with co-owner Jim Moretti to learn how these beautiful plaques are made.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

What are composting toilets, computers, and a restaurant doing suspended hundreds of feet above Ground Zero? In this short video, learn how an engineering conundrum allowed the steel company, DCM Erectors, to install modern amenities at the One World Trade Center worksite.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

The glass façade, or curtain wall, of One World Trade Center does far more than let light into the building. In this short video, learn how state-of-the-art glass panels covering the tower offer strength, safety, and beauty to the new skyscraper.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Would summer be complete without hot days, lemonade stands, and... cosmology? We asked people near the MIT campus to explain spacetime in exchange for free lemonade. See what they said.

Got your own explanation for spacetime? Post your videos on our Facebook page.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Major funding for "The Fabric of the Cosmos" is provided by the National Science Foundation.

A synthetic biologist's Nebraska farm roots are serving him well in his search for new, clean-burning biofuels.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Our electric grid is a marvel of 20th-century engineering, but it's showing signs of strain. Can a "smart grid" help?

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Tiny, battery-powered cars called EN-Vs, now in R&D, can talk to each other, come when called, even drive themselves.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Can we predict earthquakes? NOVA scienceNOW visits Haiti and California in search of answers.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Would you want a robotic friend who could chitchat, do chores, even take care of you? Such bots may be here soon.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Can we erase bad memories with a shot? This neurobiologist has glimpsed the possibility.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Icky and itchy, yes, but lice hold important clues to our evolution in their DNA.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

How did molecules first make the leap from non-living to living? An English chemist may have solved part of the mystery.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

The shock wave from a supernova may have triggered the formation of our sun and planets five billion years ago.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

One woman's 30-year relationship with an African gray parrot transformed our understanding of bird intelligence.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Hold your fork—octopuses and other mollusks are more intelligent than you may think.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

These brainy marine mammals can "read," plan ahead, and communicate in astounding ways.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Meet an extraordinary Border collie and other dogs that are changing our view of canine intelligence.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

A neuroscientist finds inventive ways to study the brain—like sending test subjects into free-fall.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Using magnetic wands, researchers can control the brain functions of human subjects and treat depression.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

A computer named Watson is the latest contestant in machine versus human battles of the "mind."

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

Neuroscientists join Penn and Teller to explore why humans are so easily fooled by magic tricks.

NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and PBS viewers.

Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.