NOVA scienceNOW

In this podcast, radio producer Nick Van der Kolk describes how he ran into Al Gore on an elevator in Chicago. Do you have an elevator story of your own? Have you ever been stuck in one? Did you overcome an elevator phobia? Tell us about your experience at pbs.org/nova/tech . Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Lawrence Lanahan and Bruce Wallace. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

In this podcast, Paul Goldberger, an architecture critic for The New Yorker, describes how the elevator changed the face of New York City. Produced by David Levin. Interview by Joe Seaman. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Hear the story of one New Yorker who was stuck in an elevator for almost two days. Find it at pbs.org/nova/tech

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, ethnobotanist Ina Vandebroek explains why her job is like Star Trek. Listen in. Produced by David Levin and Rob Chapman. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

When 33 Chilean miners were trapped in a cave-in this August, rescuers had to dig through more than 2000 feet of solid rock to free them. It was the deepest rescue ever attempted, and it would have to be done fast. but how? To find out, we talked to Greg Hall, owner of Drillers Supply International, a small Texas company that helped drill the rescue shaft in a record 33 days. Produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about the Chilean mine rescue, go to pbs.org/nova/tech

In light of the amazing mine rescue in Chile last week, our partners at PRI's "The World" asked whether technology could be used to prevent mining accidents in the first place. In this podcast, The World's Lisa Mullins interviews Mark Yim, a mechanical engineer at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Interview produced by PRI's The World. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about the Chilean mine rescue, go to pbs.org/nova/tech

When designing Gothic cathedrals, some medieval builders drew on sacred measurements laid out in the pages of the Bible. In this podcast, we talked to art historian Stephen Murray from Columbia University to find out why. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about Gothic architecture, visit pbs.org/nova/ancient

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, game developer Eran Egozy from Harmonix--the video game company that created Rock Band and Guitar Hero--explains how he uses ones and zeros to bring music-making to everyone. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, hear mechanical engineer Nate Ball explain why a spectacular failure helped him learn how to build a life-saving device. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

In this podcast, art historian Jeff Hurwitt explains what made the Parthenon the greatest temple of Ancient Greece. Produced by Susan Lewis. Original interview by Gary Glassman. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more about the history of the Parthenon at pbs.org/nova/parthenon

In this podcast, NOVA's Peter Tyson interviews former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin was the second man to set foot on the Moon, and thinks that a human presence on Mars is inevitable in the future. Listen in to find out why. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Peter Tyson. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more about the future of human spaceflight at pbs.org/nova/space

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, biologist Mark Siddall from the American Museum of Natural History tells us how he found a rare species of leech in the rectum of a hippo. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, nanoscientist Rich Robinson from Cornell University explains what inspired him to become a professor. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, geneticist Cliff Tabin from Harvard Medical School explains how limbs form in an embryo. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by John Rubin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/evolution

In order to develop from an embryo, animals as different as fruit flies and humans call on a nearly identical set of genes. But how does this one common genetic toolkit create so many different species? It turns out that it's not the genes you have-it's how you use them. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interviews by John Rubin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/evolution

We've come a long way toward understanding evolution since the "Origin of Species" was first published 150 years ago. So what would Darwin think if he could see his theory's impact today-both on a scientific and social level? In this podcast, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, historian Jim Moore, and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker offer their best guesses. Podcast produced by David Levin and Susan K. Lewis. Original interviews by Susan K. Lewis and David Espar. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/evolution

In 1859, Charles Darwin published the "Origin of Species", a book that changed science forever. But why is it still important to understand his theories today? In this podcast, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, biologist Ken Miller, and the late paleontologist Steven Jay Gould offer their takes on the subject. Podcast produced by David Levin and Susan K. Lewis. Original interviews by Susan K. Lewis and David Espar. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/evolution

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, hear zoologist Jonathan Losos explain why small lizards outlasted the dinosaurs. Produced by David Levin. Original audio courtesy WCAI-FM, Woods Hole, MA. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/evolution

Evolving an ability to run long distances might have been key to survival for early humans. In this podcast, we talked to Dan Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University, to find out why. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Gaia Remerowski. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Funding for NOVA is provided by David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. Learn more about human evolution at pbs.org/nova/evolution

Today, humans are rapidly changing the world's climate-but some anthropologists think climate may have once changed us. In this podcast, Rick Potts, director of the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, explains why a rapidly shifting environment could have shaped early human behavior. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Graham Townsley. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Additional funding is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0229297. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. For more fun science stories, visit our website at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Slowly, inevitably, Alzehimer's disease robs a person of their memories. Not just everyday memories--like where to find keys or a wallet--but more profound ones, like the names and faces of loved ones. Right now, there's no cure. But one pair of researchers thinks music might help mitigate the effects of the disease. Podcast produced by Rebecca Cheung. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about memory and the brain, go to pbs.org/nova/body

In this podcast, engineer Bruce Carmichael from the National Center for Atmospheric Research describes how new weather forecasting technology could make flights over oceans safer. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about aviation safety, go to pbs.org/nova/space

NOVA Minutes are regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, hear naturalist E.O. Wilson give his thoughts on the ways humans interact with the natural world. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Gail Willumsen. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/eowilson

In this NOVA Minute, biologist Bonnie Bassler explains how bacteria "talk" to one another. Produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Can man-made diamond pave the way for the electronics of the future? It depends who you talk to. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Julia Cort. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Additional funding is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0229297. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. For more fun science stories, visit our website at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

In this podcast, marine biologist Roger Hanlon explains why octopuses are masters of camouflage. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Susan Lewis. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more about the remarkable camouflage of octopuses--and their cousins, cuttlefish--on pbs.org/nova/camo.

This July is "flight month" at NOVA. In this podcast, hear pilot Neil Herman from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome describe what it's like to fly antique aircraft. Produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova

In this podcast, biologist Christine Drea explains why social intelligence is the key to hyena's deadly hunting skills. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Susan K. Lewis. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. You can learn more about animal intelligence on pbs.org/nova/sciencenow.

This July is "flight month" at NOVA. In this podcast, hear pilot Chad Wille from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome describe what it's like to fly antique aircraft. Produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova

In this "NOVA Minute", geologist Sam Bowring from MIT offers his thoughts on mass extinctions. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Julia Cort. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

In this podcast, glaciologist Lonnie Thompson describes why global warming and melting glaciers could impact everything from drinking water supplies to the spread of infectious disease—and even political issues like refugees and terrorism. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Dana Rae Warren. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

In this podcast, hear a taste of what we're airing on WGBH 89.7 FM in Boston. We call audio tidbits like these "NOVA Minutes", and air them three time per week during Morning Edition. Since they're not yet available online, we'll sprinkle them liberally into the podcast feed over the next few months. Stay tuned! Produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

Vanessa Woods is a science journalist and primate researcher who studies Bonobos, a close relative to chimpanzees. She says that when it comes to emotional intelligence, they put the human world to shame. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Susan K. Lewis. Music by Ja Prawn (freemusicarchive.org/music/Ja_Prawn). NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. You can learn more about bonobos, chimps, and what makes us human on pbs.org/nova/sciencenow.

Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks has come across plenty of odd stories while studying the human brain, but none are quite as mysterious as that of his colleague, Tony Cicoria. In 1994, Cicoria was struck by lightning, and developed a sudden, inexplicable passion for playing and writing piano music. In this podcast, hear Sacks describe Cicoria's transformation. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Dempsey Rice/Daughter One productions. Music by The New You. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/musicminds

In this podcast, learn why studying the emotions of our close primate relatives--chimpanzees and bonobos--might shed light on the evolution of human culture. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. You can learn more about bonobos, chimps, and what makes us human on pbs.org/nova/sciencenow.

In the mid 1960s, NASA launched the first of five lunar orbiters. Each one transmitted hundreds of images of the moon's surface back to Earth, which NASA recorded onto miles of analog tape. It was state of the art technology for the 1960s. But today, it's mostly forgotten. For the last 40 years, the tapes from the Lunar Orbiter missions have collected dust in a warehouse, and the computer drives that could read them have gone the way of the dinosaurs. In this podcast, we talked to Dennis Wingo, an engineer who's working to recover the images from the now-obsolete tapes. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

Thirty years ago, a violent eruption ripped through the side of Mt. St. Helens in western Oregon. The blast killed 57 people and countless animals, and turned hundreds of miles of forest into barren wasteland. In this podcast, hear from ecologist Charlie Crisafulli on the slow recovery of the Mt. St. Helens ecosystem, and learn how the timing of the eruption actually spared some plant and animal life. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Kristine Allington. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about the Hubble, go to pbs.org/nova/sthelens

For more than 100 years, academic economists have treated the market almost like a force of nature--a vast invisible system that operates independently from human emotions. But on a day-to-day basis, emotion plays a big role in the choices we make. In this podcast, we talked to Jennifer Lerner, a social psychologist at Harvard University, about how our feelings affect our financial decisions. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Malcolm Clark. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobill, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Additional funding for "Mind Over Money" provided by T. Rowe Price.

On Saturday, April 24th, the Hubble Space Telescope will reach its 20th year in orbit. To mark the anniversary, we spoke to Ed Weiler, Chief Scientist for the Hubble mission from 1979 to 1998. He talked to us about the Hubble's early days--its conception, its first years in space, and its infamous optical problems, which blurred its view until a repair mission replaced faulty cameras in 1993. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about the Hubble, go to pbs.org/nova/hubble

On April 24th, NASA celebrates the Hubble Space Telescope's 20th year in orbit. Over the last two decades, it's sent back thousands of stunning images of deep space. For scientists, these pictures have allowed a deeper understanding of the universe. For the public, they've been a source of wonder and inspiration. With the Hubble's anniversary around the corner, we asked Neil deGrasse Tyson to give his take on the telescope's legacy. He's the director the Hayden Planetarium in New York, and is one of Hubble's biggest fans. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about the Hubble, go to pbs.org/nova/hubble

Galileo has been called the "father of modern science". His observations of the night sky in the early 1600s confirmed a new model of the universe, where the Earth orbited the sun--not the other way around. But before he was studying the universe, Galileo was working on practical problems. And his early goals for the telescope weren't so scientific. Podcast produced by David Levin. Origial interview by David Axelrod. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Additional funding for "Hunting the Edge of Space" is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Mt. Cuba Astronomical Foundation and the Research Corporation for Science Advancement. To learn more about the history of the telescope, go to pbs.org/nova/telescope.

The Large Hadron Collider, CERN's massive particle collider in Geneva, Switzerland, is finally online. It's the most powerful physics experiment in the world, capable of creating tiny black holes as it smashes sub atomic particles together. Not to worry, though: In this podcast, physicist Dave Wark explains that there's no way these can destroy the world. This podcast was produced by David Levin. Interview with Dave Wark by Rima Chaddha. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Additional funding is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. To learn more, visit www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

New DNA evidence shows that dogs were probably domesticated from wolves in the Middle East about eight thousand years ago. But wolves are generally fierce animals that travel in packs, and they're usually afraid of humans. That's pretty far off from the behavior of today's family pets. So how could that poodle in your backyard have come from a wolf? To find out, we spoke to Clive Wynne, who studies animal behavior at the University of Florida. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Gaia Remerowski. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about undersea archeology, go to pbs.org/nova

Brenden Foley hunts ancient shipwrecks for a living. But he's not after sunken treasure--he's after information. Foley is a marine archeologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He's taking a new approach to the field. Instead of just focusing on a handful of shipwrecks, he wants to take a broad look, finding and cataloging wrecks in the Mediterranean that date to a wide timeframe. In this podcast, he talks to us about his work. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about undersea archeology, go to pbs.org/nova

NASA's twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been exploring the surface of Mars for more than six years. It's an impressive fact, considering they were only designed to last for three months. But despite this longevity, recent mechanical failures have brought the Spirit rover to a standstill. In this podcast, we talked to Bruce Banerdt, the Project Scientist for the Mars rover missions, about the fate of this now-stationary rover. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Susan K. Lewis. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more about the Mars rovers, go to pbs.org/nova/mars

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union decided on new definition of a planet--and Pluto didn't make the grade. It was bumped down to "dwarf planet" status. But it's not alone. It's now one of five known dwarf planets in the solar system. One of them, called Ceres, may hold clues to how life formed on Earth. In this podcast, we talked to planetary scientist Mark Sykes about this tiny world. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Susan K. Lewis. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/pluto

After Pluto was discovered in 1930, it enjoyed the title of planet for more than 75 years. But in 2006, that all changed. At a meeting in Prague, the International Astronomical Union adopted a new definition for planethood, leaving the solar system with only eight planets. But not everyone agrees with its decision. In this podcast, planetary scientist Alan Stern talks to us about Pluto's demotion, and why he thinks it should be back on list of planets. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers.

James Balog has been working as a nature photographer for more than 30 years. His latest project, the Extreme Ice Survey, is helping scientists document the rapid melt of glaciers worldwide—something he says is visible evidence of human-caused climate change. In this interview, he discusses his work. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/extremeice

Scientists are excited about the Bahamas, and it's not just the tropical vacations that have their interest. It's what's underneath the surface of the islands—huge caves systems filled with water. They're called blue holes, and deep inside of them lie clues to past climate change, new species of invertebrates, even human remains from people who lived on the islands long before Columbus visited. In this podcast, hear from Kenny Broad, a researcher who led a diving expedition into blue holes last year. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by James Barrat. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Music courtesy APM music and Universildo (freemusicarchive.org/music/Universildo/). Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/cavedive

For thousands of years, people around the world have modified their bodies with tattoos and piercings. But some cultures, like the ancient Inca in Peru, took that practice beyond skin deep. They sometimes used ropes and boards to slowly change the shape of human skulls. It's a process called "cranial modification." In this podcast, bioarcheologist Valerie Andrushko explains. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Melissa Salpietra. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/machupicchu.

Egyptologist Mark Lehner thinks it took almost 20,000 people to build the Great Pyramids. But where did all those workers live? In this podcast, Lehner describes how he found evidence of a "lost city" on the Giza plateau. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Peter Tyson. Music courtesy Pharaoh's Daughter (freemusicarchive.org/music/Pharaohs_Daughter/), Selva de Mar (freemusicarchive.org/music/Selva_de_Mar/), and APMmusic. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/sphinx