NOVA examines how individuals' interests are safeguarded, and asks under what circumstances should experiments be conducted on children. Yet such procedures are often dangerous, and may not be of direct benefit to the subject. The advance of medicine depends inevitably on the testing of experimental procedures on human volunteers from either the healthy or the sick. NOVA uses radar to track and identify migrating birds that travel at night, focusing on how they choose routes that avoid bad weather and make the best of prevailing winds – information that can aid meteorologists. " Bird Brain: The Mystery of Bird Navigation"īirds migrate in search of perpetual summer, sometimes traveling as many as 20,000 miles every year. NOVA explores this mysterious explosion that led to the discovery of the Crab Nebula. It was the explosion of a dying star that was bigger than our sun. In 1054 AD, the Chinese recorded the explosion of a star so bright that it lit the sky for three weeks, even during the day.
This NOVA docudrama depicts the pioneers of medicine.
Medicine was transformed in the 19th century by the discovery of anesthesia surgery, until then hasty, bloody and completely unable to deal with internal disorders, subsequently took its place in the front rank of medical practice. How does a primitive nomadic tribe of the Amazon basin cope with the encroachment of Western settlers? NOVA looks at both sides of the story, revealing the misunderstandings between the two cultures. NOVA explores how life started on Earth and examines the Viking Lander being built in its germ-free room before starting its long journey. NOVA explores the impact of whaling and the goods it produces for the industry, versus the grace and beauty of this intelligent mammal of the sea.ĭoes life exist outside this planet? The Viking lander will set down on Mars in July 1976 to try to find out just that. The program examines the political expediency and technological over-optimism that has led to some major miscalculations of the river's capacity. NOVA explores the mighty Colorado River which today has become the lifeblood of the Southwest, providing water and electricity to the farms and cities of California, Nevada, and Arizona. Oxford Scientific Films Unit shows how it tackles such problems as filming a wood wasp laying its eggs inside trees, the hatching of a chick and the courtship rituals of the stickleback. We give you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a nature film. Re-narrated Horizon episode, first aired in the UK in 1972. Therefore, NOVA scienceNOW episodes are not included in this list.
In 2008, NOVA scienceNOW was officially declared its own series and given its own time slot. For two seasons, NOVA scienceNOW episodes aired in the same time slot as Nova. In 2005, Nova began airing some episodes titled NOVA scienceNOW, which followed a newsmagazine style format. Most of the episodes aired in a 60-minute time slot. All acquired programs are edited for Nova, if only to provide American English narration and additional voice of interpreters (translating from another language).
Many of the programs in this list were not originally produced for PBS, but were acquired from other sources such as the BBC. Nova is an American science documentary television series produced by WGBH Boston for PBS.