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Episodes

Poison in the Rockies
E1

Poison in the Rockies

NOVA reports on the 100-year-old legacy of pollution from mining that poisons the once-pristine waters of the Rocky Mountain states. Acid Rain and economic development also contribute to stress on the West's scarce water supply.

55 min

Race for the Top
E2

Race for the Top

Using some of the largest machines ever built on earth, American and European physicists race to discover one of the most fundamental and most elusive objects in nature—the top quark.

55 min

Disguises of War
E3

Disguises of War

Sixty-five years after attempts to ban them, chemical weapons pose more of a threat than ever. NOVA looks at the problem of controlling substances that are easily produced and cruelly effective.

55 min

The Bomb's Lethal Legacy
E4

The Bomb's Lethal Legacy

NOVA examines an alarming nuclear waste problem at the Hanfrod Nuclear Reservation in eastern Washington state, where 45 years of mismanagement in the nuclear weapons industry will cost billions to correct.

55 min

The Big Spill
E5

The Big Spill

Covering last year's Exxon Valdez oil spill from an unexplored angle, NOVA focuses on how technology failed in preventing, containing and cleaning up the Alaskan disaster.

55 min

The Genius That Was China: Rise of the Dragon
E6

The Genius That Was China: Rise of the Dragon

China in the 13th century was the richest, most powerful, most technologically advanced civilization on earth. NOVA looks at how China achieved what it did, and what in Chinese politics, culture and economy kept it from doing more. Part one of a four part series.

55 min

The Genius That Was China: Empires in Collision
E7

The Genius That Was China: Empires in Collision

NOVA examines the extraordinary transformation that propelled Europe outward into the world from the 15th to 18th centuries, while China remained the insular middle kingdom. Part two of a four part series.

55 min

The Genius that Was China: The Threat from Japan
E8

The Genius that Was China: The Threat from Japan

Ever wonder how junk mail finds you? NOVA investigates the hidden world of direct marketing, pointing out how advertisers know a lot more about us than we think.

55 min

The Genius That Was China: Will the Dragon Rise Again?
E9

The Genius That Was China: Will the Dragon Rise Again?

NOVA covers China's long road to economic and technological equality with the West, punctuated by frequent setbacks such as the 1989 massacre of pro-democractic demonstrations in Beijing. Part four of a four part series.

55 min

The KGB, The Computer and Me
E10

The KGB, The Computer and Me

This documentary covers the surprising tale of an average systems administrator who stumbled upon a KGB spy operation. Clifford Stoll carried out one of the first successful digital forensics investigations by tracking down Markus Hess, a KGB hacker, after noticing a discrepancy in the logs of a University of California computer.

55 min

Neptune's Cold Fury
E11

Neptune's Cold Fury

NOVA visits Neptune, the planet that took Voyager 12 years to reach. Mysteries abound in and around this big, blue world at the outer limits of the solar system. Actor Patrick Stewart hosts.

55 min

To Boldly Go...
E12

To Boldly Go...

NOVA chronicles the Voyager space mission—from Earth to the ends of the solar system. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and dozens of moons star in this epic voyage of exploration. Actor Patrick Stewart hosts.

55 min

Poisoned Winds of War
E13

Poisoned Winds of War

Sixty-five years after attempts to ban them, chemical weapons pose more of a threat than ever. NOVA looks at the problem of controlling substances that are easily produced and cruelly effective.

55 min

The Blimp is Back!
E14

The Blimp is Back!

NOVA examines the troubled past and promising future of blimps, zeppelins, cyclocranes and other species of airships. There's life in the old gasbags yet.

55 min

Earthquake!
E15

Earthquake!

NOVA looks at the high-stakes quest to predict earthquakes. Despite past disappointments, geologists still hope to divine the clues that precede nature's ultimate upheavals.

55 min

Killing Machines
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E16

Killing Machines

Robotic weapons that seek out and destroy ships, planes, and other targets are the wave of the future. NOVA questions whether their proliferation may spell an end to superpower invincibility.

55 min

Can the Elephant Be Saved?
E17

Can the Elephant Be Saved?

Is the ivory ban in the elephant's best interest? NOVA looks at the controversial strategies to save the world's largest land animal from extinction.

55 min

We Know Where You Live
E18

We Know Where You Live

Ever wonder how junk mail finds you? NOVA investigates the hidden world of direct marketing, pointing out how advertisers know a lot more about us than we think.

55 min

In the Land of the Llamas
E19

In the Land of the Llamas

NOVA profiles the llama, alpaca, vicuna and guanaco of South America. At one time nearly extinct, these four members of the camel family are exceptionally well adapted to life in the beautiful high Andes.

55 min

What's Killing the Children?
E20

What's Killing the Children?

NOVA tracks a mysterious disease that suddenly and fatally attacks the children of a small Brazilian town. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta are called in to crack the case.

55 min

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