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How Close Can You Safely Get to a Black Hole? | Janna Levin Apr 08, 2026

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Black holes aren’t the cosmic monsters Hollywood makes them out to be. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains why they’re so hard to detect, why they’re not as destructive as you might assume, and how you could safely orbit much closer than you think.

For more, check out the extended interview with Janna Levin.

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A New Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong Apr 01, 2026

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Could the universe be governed by a law we haven’t discovered yet? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong propose a new rule—the law of increasing functional information—to explain why complex systems evolve and why complexity keeps emerging over time.

For more, check out the extended interview with Robert Hazen and Michael Wong.

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Arctic Sinkholes Mar 31, 2026

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What happens when the Arctic’s ancient freezer starts to fail?Scientists have uncovered the truth behind giant sinkholes exploding from the frozen ground in Siberia, and a vast lake bubbling with methane in Alaska .They are pointing to a dramatic shift beneath our feet – one driven by thawing Arctic permafrost, the vast frozen layer that stores nearly twice as much carbon as the entire atmosphere. Learn why these geological curiosities reveal a dangerous climate wildcard – one powerful enough to accelerate global warming in ways current models don’t yet predict.

To watch the full film, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/arctic-sinkholes/

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AI Is Coming for Blue Collar Jobs | Hany Farid Mar 25, 2026

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AI isn’t just coming for office jobs—it’s coming for some hands-on blue collar professions, too. AI expert Hany Farid explains which jobs are safe, and which are at risk.

For more, check out the extended interview with Hany Farid.

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What Species Can We De-Extinct? | Beth Shapiro Mar 18, 2026

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Scientists claimed in 2024 that they "de-extincted" the dire wolf… so what’s next, and what determines whether a species can be brought back? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro explains some of the factors that go into deciding what to try and bring back.

For more, check out the extended interview with Beth Shapiro.

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Einstein’s Quantum Riddle Mar 17, 2026

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Quantum particles are breaking the rules of reality – or so it seems. Can they truly communicate across time and space instantly? Einstein dismissed this “spooky action at a distance,” convinced it exposed flaws in quantum theory. But the deeper scientists looked, the stranger the universe became. From fierce debates to important discoveries, discover how a once‑controversial quantum oddity is now reshaping how we think, how we compute, and how the future gets built.

To watch the full film, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/einsteins-quantum-riddle/

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Were Dinosaurs Able to Sing? | Erich Jarvis Mar 11, 2026

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Dinosaurs might not have been the roaring beasts many imagine. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains why modern birds—living dinosaurs—offer clues about vocal learning and why dinosaurs could have been singers.

For more, check out the extended interview with Erich Jarvis.

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Space-Time Expansion, Explained | Adam Riess Mar 04, 2026

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If the universe is expanding, why aren’t galaxies stretching apart? Cosmologist Adam Riess breaks down the physics behind cosmic expansion, the forces that resist it, and why dark energy dominates the vast spaces between.

For more, check out the extended interview with Adam Riess.

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Black Hole Apocalypse Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

What if black holes are hiding the answers cosmologists have been chasing for a century? Born from the explosive deaths of massive stars, black holes are so dense even light cannot escape – making them challenging to observe. But after decades of chasing the unseeable and building ever more sophisticated observation tools, researchers are now discovering that they hold profound clues about the nature of spacetime, the formation of galaxies, and the energy that powers our universe.

To watch the full film, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/black-hole-apocalypse/

Learn more aboutNOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

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

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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.

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