Gleaming symbols of prestige, skyscrapers are an ingenious way to save space in dense urban areas. But even as we devise ways to defend them against fires, wind, and earthquakes, can we also make them more livable, interactive, and eco-friendly?

In this five-part series, NOVA delves into the vastness of space to capture moments of high drama when the universe changed forever. State-of-the-art animation gives us astonishing, photorealistic glimpses of the birth of a star in a stellar nursery, the chaos created as two galaxies collide, and the power of a supermassive black hole as it flings a star across space.

From crunchy crickets to nutty fly grubs, NOVA takes a tasty look at insect foods and how they could benefit our health and our warming planet.

Join scientists on the biggest Arctic research expedition of all time. 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.

THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, binds to receptors in and outside of the brain, causing cells to behave differently. Cannabinoid receptors, named after cannabis, are found in nearly every organ of the human body.

To manage his post-traumatic stress after serving in Iraq, Sean Worsley got a medical cannabis card in Arizona. Then he and his wife were charged with possession in Alabama, which changed the course of their lives.

As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA investigates the latest scientific evidence for its potential benefits and risks, and how criminalization has disproportionately harmed communities of color.

In an attempt to reduce the number of disease-carrying mosquitoes in Florida, scientists turn to genetic modification.

Explore the possible explanations behind Mexico’s earthquake lights and whether we may see them again as the ground continues to shift beneath us.

Laboratories around the world are mobilizing to find the answers because just how this stealthy nocturnal animal functions remains largely a mystery.

The heartbeats of some species of flying bat can reach 1,066 beats per minute. Could this level of activity — unrivaled by any other mammal — help explain bat super immunity?

Bats have been implicated in deadly epidemics such as COVID-19 and Ebola, yet scientists are discovering evidence that they may hold a key to a longer and healthier life. From caves in Thailand and Texas to labs around the globe, NOVA meets the scientists who are decoding the superpowers of the bat.

During summer 2021, cities like New York and Sacramento reported higher-than-normal air pollution — with Denver on Aug. 7 reporting the worst air quality in the world.

In most U.S. states, a surge in cases is reigniting conversations about the country’s response to the pandemic. Dr. Alok Patel speaks with a leading epidemiologist and a specialist in infectious diseases to gain perspective on pressing concerns, from vaccine effectiveness and boosters to vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and inequity at a national and global scale.

What makes PFAS chemicals extremely useful — and extremely hard to get rid of — are bonds between carbon and fluorine atoms that are almost impossible to break.

An ornithologist and conservationist shares how the coronavirus pandemic's effects on his ability to breathe has echoed the disproportionate effects of climate change on certain communities

According to a recent report released by the U.S. government, nearly 150 aerial objects observed between 2004 and 2021 remain unidentified—with the exception of one large deflated balloon. But what if there’s another explanation out there? Could extraterrestrial intelligence explain some sightings? To find out, Dr. Alok Patel explores the possibilities with an astrophysicist and a NASA engineer.

With the help of hydrologists and innovators on the ground and in the lab, Dr. Alok Patel learns about the traditional ecological knowledge of the Navajo Nation in the especially hard-hit Southwest. And he speaks with innovators applying advanced technology to agricultural practices, like drone surveillance and artificial intelligence, to prepare for and cope with drought.

Each year, California and the Southwest break new records for droughts and high temperatures, which bring damaging heat waves, wildfires, and even flooding. Learn how these catastrophes operate together—and how engineers are working on new technologies to help us survive.