Name: Arctic Sinkholes
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Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate

Arctic Sinkholes

A pilot flying over Esieh Lake, located on the lands of the Indigenous Inupiat people, spotted something unusual on its surface.

Scientists look for the source of large bubbles in an Arctic lake.

What's Causing Water to Bubble in the Arctic?

Arctic Sinkholes Preview

As Alaska's permafrost thaws, Indigenous communities are looking for housing solutions, including building homes on steel sleds.

See how one Alaskan community is dealing with the effects of rising Arctic temperatures.

Portable Homes Help Communities Adapt to Climate Change

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Colossal explosions shake a remote corner of the Siberian tundra, leaving behind massive craters. In Alaska, a huge lake erupts with bubbles of inflammable gas. Scientists are discovering that these mystifying phenomena add up to a ticking time bomb, as long-frozen permafrost melts and releases vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. What are the implications of these dramatic developments in the Arctic? Scientists and local communities alike are struggling to grasp the scale of the methane threat and what it means for our climate future.

In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.

In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate.

Planet Earth

NOVA investigates the story of cannabis from the criminalization that has disproportionately harmed communities of color to the latest medical understanding of the plant. What risks does cannabis pose to the developing brain? How much do we know about its potential medical benefits? As cannabis becomes socially accepted, scientists are exploring its long-term health consequences. (Premiered September 29, 2021)Check out a previously recorded panel discussion and audience Q&amp;A featuring experts and producers from "The Cannabis Question" <a href="https://youtu.be/nSTT5RZ_hxA">here</a>.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

The Cannabis Question

A 2006 composite image from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer Telescope shows the chaos of baby stars in the Orion nebula some 1,500 light-years away. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI

With the upcoming launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, the Hubble era is gradually drawing to a close. Here are some highlights from the countless wonders Hubble has shown us during its 31 years in space.

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A statue of Zheng He at the Sam Poo Kong Temple in Java, Indonesia. Image Credit: Budianto Santosa, Shutterstock

In the 1400s, Zheng He sailed thousands of miles around Asia and Africa in ships the size of soccer fields, spreading Chinese innovations like compasses and gunpowder in the process.

Arctic Sinkholes

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Scientists Use Drones to Track Dead Sea Sinkholes

What's Causing Water to Bubble in the Arctic?

Portable Homes Help Communities Adapt to Climate Change

Arctic Sinkholes

This Alaska Community is Losing Sea Ice to Climate Change

Saving the Dead Sea