What’s the difference between a fact, a law, and a theory? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong unpack the hierarchy of scientific ideas and reveal how laws of nature elegantly unify the universe.

For more, check out the extended interview with Robert Hazen and Michael Wong.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Sorry, Beyoncé, it turns out microbes rule the world. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains how to conceptualize just how many microbes are on Earth… and how understanding this helps us look for life on other worlds.

For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Scientists have discovered the oldest DNA ever found: tiny fragments hidden in the dirt. The idea that soil could hold genetic traces from creatures that vanished millions of years ago seemed impossible – until one researcher had the wild idea to go and look. But how did he find DNA that most scientists thought could never survive? What forgotten worlds can this buried DNA reconstruct? And what might these revelations tell us about our own future on a rapidly changing planet?

To watch the full film, visit here.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Growth rings on trees can measure time, allowing scientists to date things from the deep past. But, paleobotantist Dr. Kirk Johnson explains why, in the tropics, some trees have no rings.

For more, check out the extended interview with Kirk Johnson.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Nature has been solving problems for billions of years. Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals why scientists still turn to evolution’s inventions for life-saving breakthroughs, from GLP-1 drugs to statins.

For more, check out the extended interview with Sean B. Carroll.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Science's most astonishing breakthroughs, from whale evolution and thawing permafrost to black holes and quantum entanglement, to the hidden chambers of the Great Pyramid. NOVA Remix transforms decades of award-winning storytelling into immersive audio adventures. Discoveries that don't just change science, they change how you see the world. Whether you're a diehard nerd or just curious by nature, subscribe and hear it like never before.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

In 2024, scientists claimed they achieved the unthinkable: the birth of dire wolf pups, reviving a species that vanished thousands of years ago. Now, those pups are growing—and changing. Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro reveals what it’s like to watch these predators mature into modern beasts.

For more, check out the extended interview with Beth Shapiro.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Is AI coming for your job? AI Expert Hany Farid breaks down how AI is taking jobs once considered “future-proof” and shares his advice to prepare young people for the future.

For more, check out the extended interview with Hany Farid.

Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.