NOVA Presents

There’s no single ‘smoking gun’ for life beyond Earth. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains the subtle fingerprints scientists hunt for—and why finding them on Mars could change everything.For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Scientists are editing genes for human speech into mice to see if they can learn vocal patterns. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains how this could unlock not just speech—but entirely new ways of thinking.For more, check out the extended interview with Erich Jarvis. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Can we bring extinct species back to life? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro claims we just did. As Chief Science Officer at Colossal, her team made headlines in spring 2025 with the announcement of the de-extinction of the dire wolf. She takes us behind the headlines to explain how this is no “Jurassic Park” fantasy. She breaks down exactly how her team used ancient DNA, CRISPR genome editing, and the genomes of modern relatives to bring back lost traits and create animals capable of thriving in today’s ecosystems. Along the way, she dives into the surprising challenges of this work — from the quest for artificial wombs to the ethics of genetic engineering — and reveals how the same tools powering de-extinction are already helping endangered species survive. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. —————————Guest Bio: Beth Shapiro is an evolutionary biologist and Chief Science Officer at Colossal, a company notably responsible for the de-extinction of  the dire wolf. She is also a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. Her research focuses on species evolution and the continued impact of human activities, considering questions about domestication, speciation and pathogen evolution. She is also exploring techniques to recover trace amounts of DNA from samples and the possible role of genomic technologies in the fields of conservation and medicine.Timestamps(00:00) What is De-Extinction? Reviving the Dire Wolf(29:45) Ethics and Backlash for Cloning (38:10) Modifying DNA to Bring Species Back to Life(45:31) The Future of De-Extinction(54:30) Credits

Beth Shapiro, an ancient DNA scientist and Chief Science Officer at Colossal, shares her insights on de-extinction and genome sequencing. She reveals how her team is working to bring back traits of the extinct dire wolf, clarifying that real science is far from the fiction of Jurassic Park. Beth discusses the ethical considerations, the use of CRISPR for genome editing, and how ancient genomes guide their strategies. Her exciting revelations about restoring ecosystems and protecting biodiversity make for a thought-provoking conversation.

The deepfake game is getting real. Deepfake detective Hany Farid gets under the hood of AI and explains exactly how it can now make such convincing fake content –  so convincing that he himself has trouble identifying his own real voice from an AI-generated fraud. Can you spot the deepfake?For more, check out the extended interview with Hany Farid.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Ever wonder why you get déjà vu? Or why you keep losing your keys? Your brain does some weird stuff. Neuroscientist Heather Berlin explains the surprising science behind these everyday mysteries.For more, check out the extended interview with Heather Berlin.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Space itself rings with gravitational waves when black holes collide—the most powerful events detected since the Big Bang. Astrophysicist Janna Levin reveals why, when the cosmic symphony fades, the merged black hole is stripped to flawless simplicity.For more, check out the extended interview with Janna Levin.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

Could a Martian rock hold the most promising sign of life beyond Earth? Microbiologist Peter Girguis unpacks NASA’s stunning discovery of ‘leopard spots’ on a rock from Mars’s Jezero Crater—and why they look eerily like the handiwork of microbes on our own planet.For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

A sinkhole can become a time capsule full of skeletons - layers upon layers of beasts that once walked the Earth - and Florida’s landscape is full of them. Discover the surprising science of how Florida’s sinkholes form, what they really are, and what can be found inside them. Come along with Dr. Kirk Johnson, Sant Director of the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, as he describes what he calls "the best sinkhole experienceFor more, check out the extended interview with Kirk Johnson.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

In a world flooded with fake videos and voice recordings that seem real, how can you detect deepfakes? Turns out, there are some aspects of the physical world that are not yet known to artificial intelligence - and those gaps are the key. Expert Hany Farid reveals techniques that can be used to detect AI-generated media.For more, check out the extended interview with Hany Farid. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.