NOVA S53E12 · Space Wars

Overview

An arms race is escalating above us, as military powers vie for control of space. Discover how satellites we rely on are vulnerable to attack, how debris is filling increasingly crowded orbits, and what can be done to protect them.

Torrents

Subtitles

Episodes

1. 1 1. Asteroids: Spark of Life?2026-01-21 · 54mWhat if asteroids, long feared as destroyers of life, were key to our existence? Explore a revolutionary theory that these violent collisions provided the essential ingredients – w
2. 2 2. Angkor: Hidden Jungle Empire2026-01-28 · 54mDeep in the Cambodian jungle lie the ruins of Angkor, a marvel of urban engineering and seat of the once-mighty Khmer Empire. New discoveries are revealing how this ancient metropo
3. 3 3. Can Dogs Talk?2026-02-04 · 54mCan dogs understand what we say—and talk back? Witness amazing moments from a major experiment, as thousands of dogs use speech buttons. Pet owners are convinced, but are our furry
4. 4 4. Mammal Origins2026-02-11 · 54mThe surprising story of mammal evolution begins long before the age of dinosaurs. Witness how some of our prehistoric mammal relatives survived global catastrophes, defying extinct
5. 5 5. Stone Age Temple Mystery2026-02-25 · 54mSurprising evidence at the world's oldest temple overturns our understanding of human history. The latest excavations at the 12,000 year-old Göbekli Tepe in Turkey are making archa
6. 6 6. Return to the Moon2026-04-15 · 54mA half-century after Apollo, the Artemis missions aim to bring astronauts back to the Moon and establish a lunar space station. Follow the Artemis II engineers and crew on the peri
7. 7 7. Rain Bombs2026-04-22 · 54mAn invisible force is causing chaos around the globe. Follow scientists racing to understand the catastrophic "rain bombs" that are sinking ships and downing planes. Can they learn
8. 8 8. Athens: Birth of Democracy2026-04-29 · 54mFollow archaeological investigations into the dramatic origins of democracy in Greece 2,500 years ago. Mass graves and ancient ruins where tyrants were murdered shine new light on
9. 9 9. The Battle to Breathe2026-09-16 · 54mOnce a death sentence, cystic fibrosis now faces an apparent miracle cure. Follow the decades-long scientific quest, fueled by desperate parents, that led to this breakthrough with
10. 10 10. Knowledge Keepers2026-09-23 · 54mFor millennia, Indigenous peoples in North America have practiced a unique form of science. From navigating the featureless Arctic to building energy-efficient homes in the desert,
11. 11 11. Stone Age Masterpiece2026-09-30 · 54mHidden in the gorges of Southern France lies one of the most stunning decorated caves ever discovered: Chauvet, 'the Sistine Chapel of Paleolithic art.' For thousands of years, thi
12. 12 12. Space Wars2026-10-07 · 54mAn arms race is escalating above us, as military powers vie for control of space. Discover how satellites we rely on are vulnerable to attack, how debris is filling increasingly cr
13. 13 13. Evolution: Brain Power2026-10-14 · 57m · Coming soonBrains might be the most complex structures on our planet – so how did evolution build them? To find out, rewind the clock three billion years to trace the evolutionary story of th
14. 14 14. Evolution: Need to Feed2026-10-21 · 57m · Coming soonThe relentless pursuit of energy, the very act of eating, has profoundly shaped life on Earth. Follow the evolution of the bat to discover the untold story behind every bite we tak
15. 15 15. Evolution: Body Builders2026-10-28 · 57m · Coming soonEarth teems with life in every imaginable form – creatures that walk, swim, slither, and fly. Some grow to astonishing size, like the elephant, while others boast extravagant adapt
16. 16 16. Evolution: The Mating Game2026-11-04 · 57m · Coming soonSex changed everything – evolutionarily speaking, that is. By shuffling the genetic deck it unleashed variation, fueling diversity and throwing evolution into overdrive. But how di
17. 17 17. Evolution: On the Run2026-11-11 · Coming soonRun. Leap. Swim. Pounce. Slither. Fly. Life moves in countless ways – but it wasn’t always this way. When animals first emerged, they clung to the seafloor, until a single twitch s