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The hidden scientific secrets of butterflies reveal them to be more inventive and resilient than we ever imagined. Follow their extraordinary life cycle and migrations to tropical rainforests, windswept prairies, and even inside a cocoon as it’s being spun.

Explore how the scientific secrets of butterflies are inspiring technological innovations.

Butterfly Blueprints

By studying the structural color of morpho butterflies, scientists are learning more about producing color without using pigments or paint.

How does nature produce a color that looks so unnatural?

How the Morpho Butterfly Gets its Iridescent Color

The hidden scientific secrets of butterflies reveal them to be more inventive and resilient than we ever imagined. Follow their extraordinary life cycle and migrations to tropical rainforests, windswept prairies, and even inside a chrysalis as it’s being spun.

Butterfly Blueprints Preview

While most butterflies feed on nectar only, this genus of butterfly also feeds on pollen.

A special diet could be the secret to its exceptional longevity.

How Did This Butterfly Get So Old?

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The hidden scientific secrets of butterflies reveal them to be more inventive and resilient than we ever imagined. Follow their extraordinary life cycle and migrations to tropical rainforests, windswept prairies, and even inside a chrysalis as it’s being spun. Discover how butterfly science is inspiring groundbreaking technology, including more efficient solar power cells, and bulletproof vests stronger than Kevlar.

Explore how the scientific secrets of butterflies are inspiring technological innovations.

Nature

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.

10 spectacular Hubble Space Telescope images

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.

Butterfly Blueprints

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How Did This Butterfly Get So Old?

The Evolution of the Bioinspired Robot

The Big Lie about Monarch Butterflies

These Super Rare Butterflies Thrive on Army Bases. The U.S. Military is Helping Them.

How the Morpho Butterfly Gets its Iridescent Color

Monarch Butterfly Populations at Risk, But There’s an Easy Way to Help

Butterfly Blueprints

Using butterfly wings as a template for nanotech

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Support Provided By

Explore More

How Did This Butterfly Get So Old?

The Evolution of the Bioinspired Robot

The Big Lie about Monarch Butterflies

These Super Rare Butterflies Thrive on Army Bases. The U.S. Military is Helping Them.

How the Morpho Butterfly Gets its Iridescent Color

Monarch Butterfly Populations at Risk, But There’s an Easy Way to Help

Butterfly Blueprints

Using butterfly wings as a template for nanotech