NOVA Now Podcast
1) Were Dinosaurs Able to Sing? | Erich Jarvis
Dinosaurs might not have been the roaring beasts many imagine. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains why modern birds—living dinosaurs—offer clues about vocal learning and why dinosaurs could have been...Show More
2) Space-Time Expansion, Explained | Adam Riess
If the universe is expanding, why aren’t galaxies stretching apart? Cosmologist Adam Riess breaks down the physics behind cosmic expansion, the forces that resist it, and why dark energy dominates the...Show More
3) Black Hole Apocalypse
What if black holes are hiding the answers cosmologists have been chasing for a century? Born from the explosive deaths of massive stars, black holes are so dense even light cannot escape – making the...Show More
4) Your Brain’s Peak Performance Mode | Heather Berlin
Why does thinking too hard ruin your rhythm? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin unpacks the science of flow states, explaining why mastery means trusting your brain’s hidden systems to do what they do best...Show More
5) Black Hole Geometry Will Warp Your Brain | Janna Levin
Black holes can be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains how this is possible, and what that means about how black holes work. For more, check out th...Show More
6) Your Brain: Perception and Control
Are we really in control of our own minds? Research suggests our sense of control may be far more fragile – and far stranger – than we imagine. From moments when the body seems to act without us, to t...Show More
7) What Exactly Is a Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
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 un...Show More
8) How Many Microbes Live on Earth? | Peter Girguis
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 ...Show More
9) Hunt for the Oldest DNA
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 impossib...Show More
10) Why Tropical Trees Don’t Have Rings | Kirk Johnson
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, c...Show More