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A skeleton of a whale in a desert-like area.

In Egypt’s Sahara Desert, massive skeletons with strange skulls and gigantic teeth jut out from the sandy ground. This fossil graveyard, millions of years old, is known as the “Valley of the Whales.” Now, paleontologists have unearthed a whole new species of ancient whale dating to 43 million years ago, and this predator wasn’t just able to swim – it also had four legs and could walk. Follow scientists as they search for new clues to the winding evolutionary path of mammals that moved from the land into the sea to become the largest animals on Earth. (Premiered January 31, 2024 at 9 pm on PBS.)

Giant fossils uncovered in the Sahara Desert reveal new secrets of how whales evolved.

When Whales Could Walk

When we look at the world at the tiniest scales in the subatomic realm, things get weird – very weird. Welcome to the quantum universe, where particles can spin in two directions at once, observing something changes it, and something on one side of the galaxy can instantly affect something on the other, as if the space between them didn’t exist. Buckle up for a wild ride through the discoveries that proved all of this to be true and paved the way for the digital technologies we enjoy today – and the powerful quantum sensors and computers of tomorrow. Premiered November 6, 2024 at 9 pm on PBSCorrection: The original version of this film had misplaced punctuation, which falsely implied that in 1974, Stephen Hawking was the first to predict black holes. The film, captions, and transcript have been amended to clarify that in 1974, Stephen Hawking first predicted the phenomenon now known as Hawking radiation, referred to in the film as the “Achilles’ heel” of black holes.

Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.

Decoding the Universe: Quantum

Canada

US, US Territories, Canada

How big is the universe? If it began with the Big Bang, will it also have an end? Is there life beyond our planet? Questions like these inspired the launch of Voyager I in 1977 and have driven innovative space research and exploration ever since. Trace ground-breaking discoveries that have transformed our picture of the universe, from an age when we knew of no planets beyond our solar system, to today, when we have evidence of thousands and estimate trillions more. And follow the teams trying to solve two of the biggest mysteries in cosmology today: What are dark matter and dark energy? (Premiered May 22 at 9 pm on PBS)

Explore big discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.

Decoding the Universe: Cosmos

General - US & Territories

The United States has experimented with democracy for 250 years, but our system of government was once a radical idea, born in ancient Greece. Ravaged by civil war and tyranny 2,500 years ago, the city of Athens forged a revolutionary new system that gave power to the citizens. Witness the archaeological quest to unearth the ingenious tools and pivotal moments that shaped this unprecedented experiment in self-government. From mysterious fragments of ancient voting machines to mass graves and dramatic assassinations, discover the dark secrets and innovative solutions that defined the world's first direct democracy. What enduring lessons can this surprising historical journey offer us today? (Premiered April 29, 2026 at 9 pm on PBS)

Archaeologists investigate the dramatic origins of democracy in ancient Greece 2,500 years ago.

Athens: Birth of Democracy

A powerful downburst (“rain bomb”) releases a column of rain beneath a thunderstorm.

An invisible, unpredictable atmospheric force is wreaking havoc across the globe, sinking superyachts and bringing down planes. Follow scientists as they race to understand these catastrophic weather events, exploring how they form, what causes their devastating impacts, and how we might someday learn to predict them. From high-tech simulations and drone expeditions into thunderclouds to possible links with climate change, join investigators on the cutting edge of research to discover what's truly behind these terrifying "rain bombs" and how we can protect ourselves from their growing power. (Premiered April 22 at 9 pm on PBS)

A deadly—and growing—global weather phenomenon mystifies scientists.

Rain Bombs

Spacecraft passing in front of the moon with the Earth in the background

A half-century after American astronauts walked on the Moon, NASA and its international partners are taking the dream of Apollo a giant step further. In the coming years, the Artemis missions – named after Apollo's twin sister in Greek mythology – aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station for scientific and commercial exploration. Follow the four members of the Artemis II crew as they embark on a perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon, venturing beyond Earth orbit for the first time since Apollo and farther into the Solar System than any humans have gone before. And get an inside look at the preparations needed to overcome the extreme engineering challenges of human-crewed spaceflight, all the way from launch to splashdown. Premiered Wednesday, April 15 at 9 pm on PBS.Correction: This film previously stated that the four engines of the core stage generate 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. In fact, that much thrust is generated by the entire rocket including the boosters, not the core stage alone. The film has been updated accordingly.

Follow the Artemis mission to bring humanity back to the Moon for the first time since Apollo.

Return to the Moon

Sir David Attenborough investigates a unique site in southern England where amateur fossil hunters uncovered giant mammoth bones and evidence of Neanderthals. A team of paleontologists and archaeologists soon discover that the site preserves rare evidence of the extinct beasts and early human inhabitants of Britain dating to over 200,000 years ago. What skills did the early humans have to help them survive during the Ice Age? How did they hunt and protect themselves against formidable creatures such as mammoths? With hands-on experiments with replicas of Neanderthal-era spears and stone tools, the world of prehistoric Britain comes to life. (Premiered February 16, 2022)

Sir David Attenborough explores a site with traces of ancient mammoths and Neanderthals.

Great Mammoth Mystery

NOVA revolves around a simple premise: the world of science is exciting! For NOVA viewers, science means adventure and exploration--because from ants to aliens, this weekly documentary series probes the far reaches of earth, sea and stars.  NOVA proves that science is neither secret lore nor sacred ritual but rather, at its heart, a lifelong journey of discovery.

You might sign up for a dating app to find the love of your life. But while you’re swiping, these apps are collecting all kinds of information about you. What do you they know about you? And what are they doing with your data?

You might be collecting matches, but dating apps are collecting your data.

What Dating Apps Know About You

Don’t fret – at-risk cheeses are not going to disappear instantly but they getting much harder to make.

The culprit is a lack of microbial biodiversity in the mold used to make iconic French cheeses.

These cheeses are at risk of going extinct

In California an AI tool uses more than a thousand mountaintop surveillance cameras to look for early signs of wildfires.

Firefighters are using AI to find wildfires before they explode.

How A.I. is fighting wildfires

A product you were just talking about pops up in an online ad. How? Advertising algorithms are so good that they may know what you want even before you do.

It doesn’t have to – advertisers may already have all the information they want to know about you.

Is your phone listening to you?

Invisible and mysterious, dark matter shapes the cosmos, but scientists are still trying to figure out what exactly it is.

A team of researchers hunt for dark matter deep underground in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

The Deepest Underground Lab in the U.S.

Four and a half billion years ago, Earth was battered by relentless asteroid impacts powerful enough to vaporize oceans and melt its crust. Despite the chaos, life emerged anyway.

What studying the surface of the Moon revealed about Earth’s apocalyptic youth.

When Earth Was Bombarded by Asteroids

A team of intrepid paleontologists discovers dinosaurs that thrived in the unlikeliest of places—the cold and dark of winter in the Arctic Circle. How did they survive year-round and raise their young in frigid and dark winter conditions? A dinosaur expedition explores a remote, treacherous, and stormy terrain where the team knows that every bone they find there will likely be a first, adding up to a unique picture of a lost northern world.

Intrepid paleontologists discover dinosaurs that thrived in the Arctic’s cold and dark.

Alaskan Dinosaurs

Can forests help cool the planet? Follow scientists working in spectacular forest landscapes in Costa Rica, Brazil, Australia, and beyond as they try to untangle complex networks of trees, fungi, and creatures large and small – all in a quest to tackle the twin threats of climate change and species extinction. (Premiering April 16 at 9 pm on PBS)

Follow scientists in a quest to understand how complex forest ecosystems can help cool our planet.

Secrets of the Forest

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Across the Arabian Desert lie colossal, enigmatic structures, some stretching for miles, visible only from the sky. Rediscovered a century ago and once believed to be defensive or ritualistic in nature, new technology is finally uncovering their true purpose and the secrets of the Stone Age people who engineered them. What were these immense, sophisticated constructions used for? Join scientists as they unearth groundbreaking clues, including evidence of a previously unknown culture and their astonishing methods for survival, revealing a monumental story etched into the very stones of the desert. (Premiered October 22, 2025)

Explore mysterious 9,000-year-old Stone Age megastructures found in the Arabian Desert.

Ancient Desert Death Trap

In 1775, a ragtag army of farmers and tradesmen went to war against the most powerful army in the world, ultimately winning American independence. What military technologies did the American colonies use in their fight for freedom, and how did they help propel them to one of history’s most unlikely victories? Archaeologists and historians uncover the real stories of innovation, skill, and strategy that determined the outcome of important battles. From the Brown Bess musket to the world’s first military submarine, get a closeup look at the powerful and sometimes ingenious weapons that helped the colonies win the war. (Premiered April 9 at 9 pm on PBS)

Explore key military technologies in the American colonies’ fight for freedom.

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Great Mammoth Mystery

Upcoming Schedule

Alaskan Dinosaurs

Secrets of the Forest

Ancient Desert Death Trap

Episodes

When Whales Could Walk

Decoding the Universe: Quantum

Decoding the Universe: Cosmos

Athens: Birth of Democracy

Rain Bombs

Return to the Moon

Shorts

What Dating Apps Know About You

These cheeses are at risk of going extinct

How A.I. is fighting wildfires

Is your phone listening to you?

The Deepest Underground Lab in the U.S.

When Earth Was Bombarded by Asteroids

Watch Page

Hero Area

Great Mammoth Mystery

Upcoming Schedule

Alaskan Dinosaurs

Secrets of the Forest

Ancient Desert Death Trap

Episodes

When Whales Could Walk

Decoding the Universe: Quantum

Decoding the Universe: Cosmos

Athens: Birth of Democracy

Rain Bombs

Return to the Moon

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Shorts

What Dating Apps Know About You

These cheeses are at risk of going extinct

How A.I. is fighting wildfires

Is your phone listening to you?

The Deepest Underground Lab in the U.S.

When Earth Was Bombarded by Asteroids