Columbia: Space Shuttle Disaster
Season 3, Episode 1 TV-PG
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On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated over Texas just 16 minutes before it was due to land. All seven astronauts aboard perished; NASA responded by announcing the retirement of the shuttle program in 2010. What caused the Columbia disaster? An engineering flaw? A failure within NASA? Could this catastrophe have been avoided? Through interviews with astronauts, NASA personnel, and members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, Space Shuttle Disaster gives viewers a new look at the Columbia tragedy, and at NASA itself. Space Shuttle Disaster gets to the heart of what went wrong and explores why the shuttle program fell short of its ambitious goal to make space travel routine, cheap, and safe. The film also spotlights NASA’s ambitious plans for the future of U.S. spaceflight following the shuttle’s scheduled retirement.
Fractals: Hunting the Hidden Dimension
Season 3, Episode 2 TV-PG
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What do movie special effects, the stock market, heart attacks, and the rings of Saturn have in common? They all consist of fractals, irregular repeating shapes that are found in cloud formations and tree limbs, in stalks of broccoli and craggy mountain ranges, and even in the rhythm of the human heart. NOVA takes viewers on a fascinating quest with a group of pioneering mathematicians determined to decipher the rules that govern fractal geometry. Their remarkable findings are deepening our understanding of nature and stimulating a new wave of scientific, medical and artistic innovation stretching from the ecology of the rainforest to fashion design.
Alien from Earth
Season 3, Episode 3 TV-PG
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NOVA presents an exclusive new investigation into the sensational discovery of the bizarre ancient bones of the so-called “Hobbit” unearthed in a cave on the island of Flores, Indonesia. No more than 3 feet tall when fully grown, these tiny humans survived in the cave for tens of thousands of years, hunting the huge and fierce Komodo dragons that roamed their remote island home. In Alien from Earth, NOVA explores the latest evidence in a furious scientific debate on what the Hobbit bones represent. Are they the remains of a dwarf race of modern humans suffering from a strange disease? Or are they the unique and tantalizing testament to a previously unknown branch of the human family?
The Bible's Buried Secrets
Season 3, Episode 4 TV-PG
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The Bible's Buried Secrets is a landmark two-hour NOVA special taking viewers on a fascinating scientific journey that began 3,000 years ago and continues to this day. The film presents the results of more than 100 years of excavation and centuries of biblical scholarship, digging deep into the origins of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. This archeological detective story tackles some of the biggest questions in biblical studies. Where did the ancient Israelites come from? Who wrote the Bible, when, and why? How did the worship of one god—the foundation of modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—emerge? A powerful intersection of science, scholarship, and scripture, The Bible's Buried Secrets provides unique insight into the deeper meaning of the biblical texts and their continuing resonance through the centuries.
Ocean Animal Emergency
Season 3, Episode 5 TV-G
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NOVA takes you inside a very special ER to showcase the efforts of a renowned team of wildlife veterinarians as they fight to save sick and injured ocean mammals including full-grown feisty California sea lions and adorable but weak harbor seal pups. For many of their patients, The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, makes the difference between life and death. Witness amazing rescues of ocean mammals in distress and marvel at the cutting-edge research into many of the diseases plaguing these animals, some the result of the devastating effect that humans have on our environment. Ocean Animal Emergency gives an insider’s view of the work of wild animal veterinarians and illustrates the devastating changes happening in the ecology of our oceans.
Is There Life on Mars?
Season 3, Episode 6 TV-G
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Four years after they landed on Mars, NASA’s twin robot explorers, Spirit and Opportunity, have lasted 16 times longer and driven 20 times farther than expected. Today they are joined by an aerial armada of hi-tech satellites, surveying Mars from orbit to reconstruct the planet’s mysterious history. And on May 25, 2008, they also got company on the ground: NASA’s Phoenix probe. NOVA’s Is There Life on Mars? showcases the latest scientific revelations from a planet, once alien, now poised to reveal provocative new clues in the tantalizing quest to plumb its past for signs of water and, perhaps, even life.
The Big Energy Gamble
Season 3, Episode 7 TV-G
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A vast majority of Americans believe we are facing a global climate crisis, but we don't know how the various energy solutions we hear about can help. NOVA looks at everything California--an oasis of energy conservation--is doing, from conservation and efficiency to the development of new sources of carbon-free power, to find out how the rest of the country can join in their aggressive pursuit of a sustainable energy future.
The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies
Season 3, Episode 8 TV-G
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Nowhere in nature is there a more powerful mix of scientific marvel, awesome beauty and epic struggle for survival than the Monarch butterfly. Journey into the Monarch's secret and fascinating world as NOVA visits the spectacular locations the Monarch calls home, meets its friends and enemies (including humans in both camps) and flies with it on one of the most inspiring migratory odysseys imaginable
The Spy Factory
Season 3, Episode 9 TV-PG
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NOVA exposes the hidden, high-tech workings of the world's largest intelligence agency, the National Security Agency (NSA). Their mission is to eavesdrop on the world -- from phone calls in Europe and Afghanistan to email messages from Pakistan to Baghdad. Based on the best-seller by James Bamford, this is a report on the threat to privacy and the effectiveness of high-tech surveillance in the age of terrorism.
Last Extinction
Season 3, Episode 12 TV-PG
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What killed the mammoths? Near the end of the last ice age 13,000 years ago, these mighty beasts disappeared from North America together with some 35 other groups of mammals. For four decades, debate has raged over the cause of their abrupt demise. NOVA presents an in-depth investigation of a controversial new hypothesis which suggests that a massive impact from space could be the culprit, and also explores alternate theories.
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