Episodes

  • Your Brain’s Peak Performance Mode | Heather Berlin
    Feb 25 2026

    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.

    For more, check out the extended interview with Heather Berlin.

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    Show More Show Less
    1 min
  • Black Hole Geometry Will Warp Your Brain | Janna Levin
    Feb 18 2026

    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 the extended interview with Janna Levin.

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
  • What Exactly Is a Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
    Feb 11 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • How Many Microbes Live on Earth? | Peter Girguis
    Feb 4 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    1 min
  • Why Tropical Trees Don’t Have Rings | Kirk Johnson
    Jan 28 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    1 min
  • How Weight Loss Drugs Were Inspired by Gila Monsters | Sean B. Carroll
    Jan 21 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    6 mins
  • De-Extincted” Dire Wolf Pups Are Growing Up | Beth Shapiro
    Jan 14 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    2 mins
  • How AI Is Taking “Future-Proof” Jobs | Hany Farid
    Jan 7 2026

    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.

    Show More Show Less
    1 min