See historical recreations of
great moments in low-temperature research and hear interviews with
historians and scientists that reveal how civilization has been profoundly affected by the mastery of cold. 2 hrs.
Diamond Deception, The
Makeshift labs in China and Russia are turning out synthetic gemstones that rival natural diamonds. 1 hr.
Learn what a dirty bomb is and see Washington and London attack scenarios played out by radiation experts. 1 hr.
Escape! Because Accidents Happen -- Fire
Learn about 2,000 years of human effort to be safe from fire, including such inventions as the automatic sprinkler. 1 hr.
Pyrotechnists use hi-tech firing systems and ancient alchemy to create dazzling fireworks displays. 1 hr.
Discover the compelling story of 20th-century chemist Percy Lavon Julian, a world-class scientist and civil rights pioneer who helped break new ground in the chemistry of plants. 2 hrs.
Explore the science of explosions - from fireworks to building demolitions. 1 hr.
NOVA scienceNOW: Island of Stability
Learn about scientists' efforts
to add to the Periodic Table of the Elements. Running time: 13:00 minutes.
Origins: Back to the Beginning
Learn about the chemical nature of the universe and how the cosmic microwave background may help reveal how the universe began. 1 hr.
Origins: How Life Began
Join the hunt for hardy microbes that flourish in the most unlikely places and the investigation of comets as possible sources for the ingredients for life. 1 hr.
Race to Catch a Buckyball
Hear the story of the chance discovery of an entirely new form of carbon -- a soccer-ball-shaped molecule called a Buckyball. 1 hr.