Nova
NOVA brings you stories from the frontlines of science and engineering, answering the big questions of today and tomorrow, from how our ancestors lived, to whether parallel universes exist, to how technology will transform our lives. Visit the official website to watch full-length documentaries, or explore our world through short-form video, on our digital publication NOVA Next.
- 1974-2027
- 54 seasons
- PBS
- Documentary
- TV-PG
NOVA brings you stories from the frontlines of science and engineering, answering the big questions of today and tomorrow, from how our ancestors lived, to whether parallel universes exist, to how technology will transform our lives. Visit the official website to watch full-length documentaries, or explore our world through short-form video, on our digital publication NOVA Next.
Season 52 Episode Guide
20 Episodes 2025
Episode 1
What Are UFOs?
Wed, Jan 22, 2025
Astrophysicists and engineers look at evidence that supports the existence of UFOs.
Episode 2
Extreme Airport Engineering
Wed, Jan 29, 2025
Laguardia airport in New Your City, operating under various names since the 1930s, was in bad need of updating. Some considered it to be the worst airport in the USA. However, as one of three major New York area airports, it could not be shut down. This documentary is about how they did it, state of the art planning and engineering to effectively build and demolish in sequence to convert Laguardia into a state-of-the-art airport with minimum disruption to daily operations.
Episode 3
Dino Birds
Wed, Feb 5, 2025 54 mins
Fossils reveal how birds survived the killer asteroid and became today's only living dinosaurs.
Episode 4
Egypt's Tombs of Amun
Wed, Feb 12, 2025 54 mins
A long-lost ancient cemetery opens the door to a unique period in Egyptian history.
Episode 5
Pompeii's Secret Underworld
Wed, Feb 19, 2025 54 mins
Archaeologists uncover new truths about Pompeii, a wealthy Roman playground with dark secrets.
Episode 6
Baltimore Bridge Collapse
Wed, Feb 26, 2025 54 mins
Follow the investigation into the deadly container ship collision that closed the Port of Baltimore.
Episode 7
Revolutionary War Weapons
Wed, Apr 9, 2025
How did a ragtag army defeat the most powerful army in the world to win American independence? Discover the key military technologies that helped propel the colonies to victory, from the Brown Bess musket to the world's first submarine.
Episode 8
Secrets of the Forest
Wed, Apr 16, 2025 54 mins
Researchers around the globe gather data on how forests work and try to figure out how these ecosystems can help tackle the threats of climate change and species extinction
Episode 9
Critical Condition: Health in Black America
Wed, Apr 30, 2025 115 mins
Nova traces the roots of systemic racism in our medical system and its biological impact to understand why Black Americans experience such disproportionately poor health outcomes; long before COVID-19 highlighted the health disparities.
Episode 10
Ultimate Crash Test: Countdown
Wed, May 7, 2025
What really happens in a multi-vehicle pileup? A first-of-its-kind experiment aims to stage a high speed crash to gain new insights on car safety. But how can they create and study a complex collision without putting any lives in danger?
Episode 11
Ultimate Crash Test: Impact
Wed, May 14, 2025
Car safety experts just pulled off a first-of-its-kind remote controlled multi-vehicle pile up. Now investigators are put to the test as they analyze the data and look for insights into driver behavior and vehicle design.
Episode 12
Human: Origins
Wed, Sep 17, 2025 54 mins
Where do we come from? Journey back when multiple human species walked the earth. Discover how radical fossil finds suggest we did not have a single birthplace, but that modern Homo sapiens emerged from a mosaic of early human communities.
Episode 13
Human: Journeys
Wed, Sep 24, 2025 53 mins
From the time humans arose in Africa, they have been on the move - but one species, Homo sapiens, has journeyed farther than any other. As they traveled the globe, how did Homo sapiens manage to thrive across the planet?
Episode 14
Human: Neanderthal Encounters
Wed, Oct 1, 2025 53 mins
For hundreds of thousands of years, Neanderthals thrived across Europe. Then, Homo sapiens arrived. Explore the surprising encounters between these two human species that has reshaped our understanding of early human history.
Episode 15
Human: Into the Americas
Wed, Oct 8, 2025 53 mins
Journey back to when humans first ventured into the Americas, a world teeming with colossal megafauna and dramatic climate shifts. Witness their ingenious survival tactics against formidable predators.
Episode 16
Human: Building Empires
Wed, Oct 15, 2025 54 mins
What caused humans to stop roaming and start building? How did we transform from a tiny, fragile population of Homo sapiens into the 8 billion strong, globally interconnected species we are today?
Episode 17
Ancient Desert Death Trap
Wed, Oct 22, 2025 53 mins
A team of archaeologists researches the desert kites, the stone megastructures across northern Saudi Arabia and southern Jordan.
Episode 18
Superfloods
Wed, Oct 29, 2025 53 mins
Examines three floods: Asheville, North Carolina after remnants of Hurricane Helene, Texas flash flood and Valencia, Spain flood. Connects these events with climate change and investigates how warnings could have been better.
Episode 19
Operation Space Station: High-Risk Build
Wed, Nov 5, 2025 54 mins
A documentary about the planning and building of the International Space Station (ISS) and its uses. This episode presents some notable risks faced by astronauts who helped assemble the ISS.
Episode 20
Operation Space Station: Science and Survival
Wed, Nov 5, 2025 54 mins
Here, on the International Space Station, unexpected challenges are a daily threat, Witness the ingenuity, courage, and international cooperation required to overcome these life-threatening emergencies.
