Description (podcaster-provided):
Ever wonder what's really going on in the world of science? We've got you covered. Join us for conversations with the researchers making tomorrow's breakthroughs, deep dives into the universe's biggest mysteries, and clear explanations of the discoveries that matter most. We're talking climate breakthroughs, space mysteries, AI developments, and quantum leaps, all explained by the people doing the work.
Whether you're curious about breaking headlines, fascinated by black holes and alien worlds, or ready for mind-bending conversations with brilliant scientists, NOVA Presents delivers four incredible series that make complex science feel like chatting with your smartest friend. For over 50 years, NOVA has been your trusted guide to understanding the world, now we're bringing that same curiosity and clarity straight to your ears. Come explore with us.
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Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Scientist interviews and explainers • cosmology: Big Bang, dark energy, Hubble tension, black holes, gravitational waves • astrobiology: Mars biosignatures, extremophiles, exoplanets • evolution/genetics: fossils, venom, de-extinction, animal communication • neuroscience: consciousness, motivation, fame • AI: deepfakes, jobs • climate/energy/health tech
This podcast presents science journalism and long-form conversations designed to make current research and big scientific questions understandable to a general audience. Across the feed, hosts and guests—often working scientists—explain how discoveries are made, what evidence supports them, and where uncertainty remains. The tone is exploratory and explanatory, moving from foundational concepts to what new tools and data might change in the coming years.
A major throughline is space and cosmology: the origins and evolution of the universe, the Big Bang and inflation, the structure of the Milky Way, and the physics of black holes. Listeners hear about methods used to measure cosmic expansion, why results can disagree, and what puzzles such tensions create for prevailing models. Related discussions touch on gravitational waves, event horizons, and the interplay between gravity and quantum physics.
Another prominent theme is life’s evolution and the search for life beyond Earth. Episodes connect genetics, development, and speciation to real-world examples such as venom and its medical implications, as well as practical paleontology topics like how fossils form and how particular landscapes preserve deep-time records. The podcast also examines astrobiology through extremophiles, Mars geology, and the kinds of biosignatures scientists would consider meaningful on other worlds.
Neuroscience and behavior appear frequently, including how the brain constructs perception, why everyday cognitive phenomena occur, and how reward circuitry relates to status and fame. These conversations extend to language and communication—why vocal learning is rare, what animal communication can reveal about the brain, and what gene editing might (and might not) enable.
The show also covers science and technology shaping society, especially artificial intelligence. Topics include how generative AI affects work, how deepfakes are created and detected, and what digital forensics can and cannot guarantee in an environment saturated with synthetic media. Public-facing, policy-relevant science rounds out the mix, with reporting on climate and extreme weather, energy transitions such as electric vehicles and fusion, public health during the COVID-19 era, and emerging technologies that affect daily life.
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Episodes:
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Why Tropical Trees Don’t Have Rings | Kirk Johnson
2026-Jan-28
1 minute
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How Weight Loss Drugs Were Inspired by Gila Monsters | Sean B. Carroll
2026-Jan-21
5 minutes
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Introducing NOVA Remix
2026-Jan-20
1 minute
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De-Extincted” Dire Wolf Pups Are Growing Up | Beth Shapiro
2026-Jan-14
1 minute
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How AI Is Taking “Future-Proof” Jobs | Hany Farid
2026-Jan-07
1 minute
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Discovering Dark Energy and the Hubble Tension with Adam Riess
2025-Dec-18
75 minutes
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Hubble Tension, Explained | Adam Riess
2025-Dec-17
8 minutes
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Einstein’s “Biggest Blunder” | Adam Riess
2025-Dec-15
6 minutes
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How Fame Affects the Brain | Heather Berlin
2025-Dec-11
9 minutes
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How Fossils Form and How to Find Them | Kirk Johnson
2025-Dec-10
15 minutes
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Why Only Some Species Can Talk—and Dance | Erich Jarvis
2025-Dec-08
9 minutes
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Evolution of New Species, Venom, Wings, and More with Sean B. Carroll
2025-Dec-04
83 minutes
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How the Fruit Fly Revolutionized Biology | Sean B. Carroll
2025-Dec-03
12 minutes
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The Evolution of Venom & Antivenom | Sean B. Carroll
2025-Dec-01
12 minutes
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A Black Hole Is a Place, Not a Thing | Janna Levin
2025-Nov-30
4 minutes
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How To Recognize Alien Life | Peter Girguis
2025-Nov-26
9 minutes
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Can We Make Animals Talk? | Erich Jarvis
2025-Nov-24
7 minutes
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De-Extinction, Dire Wolves, and Jurassic Park with Beth Shapiro
2025-Nov-20
54 minutes
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De-Extinction: A How-To Guide | Beth Shapiro
2025-Nov-19
12 minutes
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How AI Deepfakes Are Really Made | Hany Farid
2025-Nov-17
13 minutes
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What's My Brain Doing? Goosebumps & Other Strange Phenomena | Heather Berlin
2025-Nov-13
9 minutes
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When Black Holes Collide | Janna Levin
2025-Nov-12
8 minutes
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Leopard Spots on Mars? NASA’s Big Discovery, Explained | Peter Girguis
2025-Nov-10
6 minutes
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Sinkholes in Florida Reveal Amazing Fossils | Kirk Johnson
2025-Nov-06
7 minutes
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How to Detect Deepfakes: Recognizing AI-Generated Content | Hany Farid
2025-Nov-05
13 minutes
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Extremophiles, the Deep Sea, and Alien Life with Peter Girguis
2025-Nov-03
70 minutes
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Bird Song and the Evolution of Language with Erich Jarvis
2025-Oct-21
63 minutes
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Neuroscience of Consciousness, Personality, and Creativity with Heather Berlin
2025-Oct-07
88 minutes
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A Missing Law of Nature with Bob Hazen and Mike Wong
2025-Sep-23
70 minutes
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Black Holes and Quantum Weirdness with Janna Levin
2025-Sep-09
79 minutes
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Deepfake Detection and the Future of AI with Hany Farid
2025-Aug-26
84 minutes
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Fossil Hunting, Sinkholes, and Paleobotany with Kirk Johnson
2025-Aug-26
96 minutes
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Introducing Particles of Thought
2025-Aug-12
1 minute
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The Big Bang: started from inflation, now we’re here
2021-Dec-02
33 minutes
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Black holes: to the event horizon and beyond
2021-Nov-25
31 minutes
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The hitchhiker’s guide to exoplanets and alien life
2021-Nov-18
30 minutes
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How to make a Milky Way: the ultimate galactic recipe
2021-Nov-11
25 minutes
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Fusion: Can we recreate the renewable power of stars down on Earth?
2021-Nov-04
27 minutes
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This is NOVA Now Universe Revealed
2021-Oct-29
2 minutes
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Would you eat insects to help the planet?
2021-Oct-28
29 minutes
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Cryptocurrency: the future of money in a digital world?
2021-Oct-14
31 minutes
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Cannabis: Discovering its effects on the body and brain
2021-Sep-30
31 minutes
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The case of hurricanes and climate change
2021-Sep-16
19 minutes
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Back to school during a pandemic: experts weigh in
2021-Sep-02
35 minutes
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Electric vehicles: infrastructural needs and environmental effects
2021-Aug-19
21 minutes
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Covid Vaccines & Variants: What will it take to get out of this pandemic?
2021-Aug-05
28 minutes
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The science of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena
2021-Jul-22
28 minutes
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Using technology to cope with drought
2021-Jul-08
27 minutes
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The science of exercise—and getting back in the game
2021-Jun-24
29 minutes
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Welcome to NOVA Now season 2!
2021-Jun-17
2 minutes
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The science of positive motivation for the New Year
2020-Dec-31
25 minutes
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How the future of satellites might affect life on Earth
2020-Dec-17
27 minutes
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Covid vaccines are coming: What’s inside, and how and when you’ll get one
2020-Dec-03
27 minutes
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The future of food
2020-Nov-19
30 minutes
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The statistical science behind polling
2020-Nov-02
21 minutes
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The science of fear
2020-Oct-22
31 minutes
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Science in the courtroom
2020-Oct-08
29 minutes
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Rising health risks from West Coast wildfires
2020-Sep-24
31 minutes
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COVID meets CRISPR
2020-Sep-10
27 minutes
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The hidden science of mail-in voting
2020-Aug-27
28 minutes
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Welcome to NOVA Now season 1!
2020-Aug-13
2 minutes
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