Explore the science behind the headlines in PBS’ premier science series. With compelling stories and spectacular visuals, NOVA demystifies science and technology for viewers of all ages and spotlights people involved in scientific pursuits.
Do we control our fat, or does it control us? For generations, overweight individuals have been stigmatized and cast as lazy. But scientists are coming to understand fat as a fascinating and dynamic organ — one whose size has more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, sumo wrestlers and supermodels, NOVA explores the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones and even reproduction.
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Could it be that body fat has more to do with biological processes than personal choices?
Discovered in 1947 by a shepherd boy in a cave in the Judaean Desert, through the decades these fragile parchment relics have retained their tantalising mystery.
A collection of scrolls - some intact, others ravaged by time - dating back some twenty centuries, they include the oldest known versions of the Hebrew Bible, and hold vital clues about the birth of Christianity.
Now, in the 21st century, s
Since the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1947, these fragile parchment relics have intrigued scholars, religious leaders and profiteers alike. The 2,000-year-old scrolls include the oldest known versions of the Hebrew Bible and hold vital clues about the birth of Christianity. While certain scrolls have survived intact, others have been ravaged by time — burnt, decayed or torn to pieces — and remain an enigma. Now, scientists are using new technologies to read the unreadable, solve mysteries that have endured for millennia and discover million dollar fakes.
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The Dead Sea is dying. Since 1976, its level has dropped more than 100 feet, leaving its coastline pockmarked with thousands of sinkholes. After more than a decade of research and debate, scientists, engineers and political leaders have come up with a daring plan: Connect the Red Sea to the Dead Sea by way of a massive desalination plant. If it’s successful, the project could not only revive the sea, but also help ease political tensions and water shortages in the region.
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Can a daring water engineering project revive the Dead Sea without altering its unique chemistry?
NOVA travels on the Polarstern, a state-of-the-art research vessel, to the frigid ice pack in the dead of winter. From camps established on the ice, scientists dive beneath the surface in search of the ice caves that shelter juvenile krill during the winter. There, they hope to discover what’s causing the krill to vanish and, ultimately, how the shifting seasons caused by climate change could disrupt ecosystems around the world.
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