NOVA, Vol. 22

Can Cuba's innovative lung cancer vaccines give new hope to patients across the world?

Scientists are coming to understand fat as a dynamic organ--one whose size may have more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Explore the mysteries of fat, and its role in hormone production, hunger, and even pregnancy.

What makes eagles so remarkable? Researchers study one special bird, revealing her exceptional strength, eyesight, and flying skills. And, in-the-nest footage of a new bald eagle family captures the drama of chicks struggling to survive.

Scientists investigate the bizarre “intelligence” of slime molds, which appear to learn and make decisions--without a brain. These cunning, single-celled blobs can navigate mazes and create efficient networks. Can they redefine cognition?

A bold experiment to bring rare and fierce African wild dogs back to Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique reveals how predators—and the fear they trigger—play a surprising and crucial role in keeping wild ecosystems healthy.

If spacecraft OSIRIS-REx can grab a piece of an asteroid and bring it to Earth, scientists could gain insight into our planet's origins—and even how to defend against rogue asteroids. But NASA only gets three shots at collecting a sample.

As global temperatures rise, scientists are exploring solutions from planting trees to sucking carbon out of the air to geoengineering. But would they work? And what are the risks of engineering Earth's climate?

When the Notre Dame cathedral caught fire in April 2019, Paris came very close to losing over 800 years of history. Now engineers are in a different race against time: to rebuild the roof and secure the medieval structure. Underneath the charred scaffolding and vaulted ceilings of the cathedral, scientists study the components of Notre Dame’s iconic structure to puzzle out how best to repair it.

Millions of people have sent their DNA to be analyzed by private companies, which are revealing customers' ancestry and family connections, and reporting health risks. But what are the pitfalls and unintended consequences of sharing genetic data?

NASA launches its most ambitious hunt for traces of life on Mars, landing a rover in a rocky, ancient river delta. The rover will stow samples for possible return to Earth and test technology that may pave the way for human travel to Mars.