Experts from over twenty different nations join the voyage of the massive Polarstern icebreaker as it’s gripped by the polar ice and drifts for nearly an entire year. Facing hungry polar bears, perilous sea ice cracks, and brutal cold, the team strives to understand the forces that are changing the region—and the world—forever.

Outnumbering atoms a billion to one, neutrinos are the universe’s most common yet most elusive and baffling particle. NOVA joins an international team of neutrino hunters whose discoveries may change our understanding of how the universe works.

Fifty-five million Americans say they currently use cannabis, and that number is growing as voters push for legalization in more and more states. NOVA The Cannabis Question explores what scientists have discovered about the plant’s effects on the body and brain, including its potential risks and medicinal benefits.

While bats have been implicated in deadly epidemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola, scientists are discovering evidence that they may hold a key to a longer and healthier life.

On Extreme Animal Weapons, explore the secrets that underlie nature’s battleground. Every animal has some kind of weapon, whether it’s claws or horns, fangs or stings. But why are some armaments huge and extreme, far beyond any practical need?

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

The Planets: Inner Worlds features the rocky planets - Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. All four were born of similar material around the same time, yet only one supports life. Were Earth's neighbors always so extreme? Is there somewhere else in the solar system where life might flourish?

In the dark depths of the oceans, nearly 90 percent of all species shine from within. Whether it’s to scare off predators, fish for prey or lure a mate, the language of light is everywhere in the ocean depths, where most creatures flash, sparkle, shimmer, or simply glow.

In a collision with Earth, asteroids could set off raging fires and colossal tidal waves. Yet some asteroids are loaded with billions of dollars’ worth of elements. Will asteroids turn out to be our economic salvation — or instruments of extinction?

A newly discovered 500-year-old wreck offers vital clues to this momentous innovation.