NOVA Now

Nina Porzucki

Now is the time to go beyond the headlines and understand the science behind the most pressing questions of our time. From the PBS science series NOVA, a biweekly podcast separating fact from fiction—it’s NOVA Now.

  • 1 minute 48 seconds
    AI Is Coming for Blue Collar Jobs | Hany Farid

    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. 

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

    25 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 1 minute 36 seconds
    What Species Can We De-Extinct? | Beth Shapiro

    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. 

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

    18 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 20 minutes 30 seconds
    Einstein’s Quantum Riddle

    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/ 

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

    17 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 41 seconds
    Were Dinosaurs Able to Sing? | Erich Jarvis

    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. 

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

    11 March 2026, 10:00 am
  • 1 minute 41 seconds
    Space-Time Expansion, Explained | Adam Riess

    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.

    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

    4 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 25 minutes
    Black Hole Apocalypse

    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 about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

    3 March 2026, 11:00 am
  • 1 minute 8 seconds
    Your Brain’s Peak Performance Mode | Heather Berlin

    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. 

    25 February 2026, 11:00 am
  • 2 minutes 14 seconds
    Black Hole Geometry Will Warp Your Brain | Janna Levin

    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. 

    18 February 2026, 11:00 am
  • 18 minutes 48 seconds
    Your Brain: Perception and Control

    Are we really in control of our own minds? Research suggests our sense of control may be far more fragile – and far stranger – than we imagine. From moments when the body seems to act without us, to the eerie ways our brains can warp what we think we’ve heard, scientists are uncovering a picture of the mind that’s anything but straightforward. And beneath it all lies a surprising discovery: the brain is less an observer of reality than a prediction engine, forever guessing what comes next.


    To watch the full film, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/your-brain/ 


    Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

    17 February 2026, 11:00 am
  • 2 minutes 33 seconds
    What Exactly Is a Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong

    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. 

    11 February 2026, 11:00 am
  • 1 minute 8 seconds
    How Many Microbes Live on Earth? | Peter Girguis

    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. 

    4 February 2026, 11:00 am
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