NOVA Season 53, Episode 4: Mammal Origins

Asteroids: Spark of Life?

What 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 – water, minerals, and energy – needed to jumpstart life on Earth.

54 min

Angkor: Hidden Jungle Empire

Deep 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 metropolis was built – and what likely led to its devastating collapse.

54 min

Can Dogs Talk?

Can 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 friends really communicating their thoughts and desires with us?

54 min

Stone Age Temple Mystery

Surprising 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 archaeologists rethink the roots of civilization.

54 min

Return to the Moon

A 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 perilous 10-day journey to orbit the Moon.

54 min

Rain Bombs

An 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 to predict these devastating weather events and save lives?

54 min

Athens: Birth of Democracy

Follow 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 the birth of a revolutionary form of government.

54 min

The Battle to Breathe

Once 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 potential implications for the future of personalized medicine.

57 min

Knowledge Keepers

For 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, see how cultural traditions have led to remarkable innovations.

57 min

Stone Age Masterpiece

Hidden 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, this geological wonder was visited only by animals. But around 37,000 years ago people arrived, and some covered its walls with drawings of exceptional beauty. Since its re-discovery in 1994, only a few scientists have been granted access to study it.

57 min

Space Wars

Exploring the technology and strategy of a rapidly developing arms race in which global military powers vie to weaponize space.

57 min

Evolution: Brain Power

Brains 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 the dolphin, one of the smartest animals alive today. Discover how the first light sensing cells led to eyes that helped wire bodies to think, how a fluke viral infection supercharged the speed of thought, and how the neocortex emerged as early mammals re-wired their brains to attune to the night.

Evolution: Need to Feed

The 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 take – one marked by astonishing evolutionary leaps revealing the strange origins of fundamental body parts like powerful jaws.

Evolution: Body Builders

Earth 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 adaptations, like the hummingbird’s long beak. How did evolution craft such a dazzling variety of body plans? To find the answer, trace life back to its ultimate ancestor, LUCA, and follow the innovations that shaped complexity.

Evolution: The Mating Game

Sex changed everything – evolutionarily speaking, that is. By shuffling the genetic deck it unleashed variation, fueling diversity and throwing evolution into overdrive. But how did this radical innovation begin? From the first exchange of genes to the origins of males and females, uncover the evolutionary leaps that reshaped life.

Evolution: On the Run

Run. 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 sparked a revolution. From the first muscle to the first heartbeat, from lobe fins that pushed life onto land to legs built for speed, movement reshaped the planet.