NOVA scienceNOW

While filming "The Pluto Files" Neil deGrasse Tyson and NOVA producer Terri Randall took a cross-country journey to trace the history of that distant cosmic body. Along the way, they met with the family of the late Clyde Tombaugh—the man who discovered Pluto in 1930. In this podcast, Neil talks to Terri about his experience on the trip. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Terri Randall. 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

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

150 years ago, 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. 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, go to pbs.org/nova/evolution

Even though Darwin's theory is the foundation of modern biology, it's still controversial in some religious circles. But was evolution considered a serious threat to religion in Darwin's day? And can devoutly religious people accept evolution today? In this podcast, historian Jim Moore, professor of philosophy Dan Dennett, and Biologist Ken Miller weigh in 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. 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, go to 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. 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

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

In this podcast, Neil deGrasse Tyson visits Portland, Oregon, to participate in a monthly event called the "Science Pub." Sponsored by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the "Pub" invites researchers to talk about their work, answer audience questions, and have a beer. It's a science conversation done Oregon style. The original event lasted over two hours, but we trimmed the Q&A down to about 30 minutes. Podcast edited 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on looking up at the night sky. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on bad news. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on the search for life in the universe. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on dark matter. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on finding water on other planets. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on coming to our senses. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on the Northern Lights. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on the search for other planets. Audio editing 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. 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

As an astrophysicist, NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson has a unique view of the universe. Hear his "Cosmic Perspective" on the element carbon. Audio editing 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. 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

Learning to sing like the pros isn't something you can do overnight. Over the last decade, though, recording studios have been fudging things a bit with software called Auto-Tune. It lets engineers change the pitch of sour notes. But can it make even hopeless amateurs sound decent? In this podcast, we enlisted the help of a few brave souls on the NOVA staff to find out. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interviews by David Levin and Vin Liota. 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, 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

For a boy from Costa Rica, being an astronaut must have seemed like a pipe dream. But despite long odds, Franklin Chang-Diaz made the cut. In this podcast, he reflects on hurdles he's cleared on his path to space, and describes the sense of both danger and elation that comes with the job. Podcast produced by David Levin. 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. 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

In this podcast, biologist Maydianne Andrade explains that sexual cannibalism-a gruesome mating behavior shown of Redback Spiders-is a prime example of how evolution works. Podcast produced by David Levin. 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. 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

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. 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

In this podcast, computer scientist Luis Von Ahn describes how tapping into the countless hours people spend playing games can help solve complex problems that stump computers. Podcast produced by David Levin. Inteview 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. 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

In this podcast, David Morrison, interim director of NASA's Lunar Science Institute, discusses why he thinks it's important for humans to return to the Moon. 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. 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

In this podcast, our series host, Neil deGrasse Tyson, describes where he'd point the Hubble Space Telescope if he had the chance. He also touches on past debates over whether or not to keep the Hubble program alive. 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. 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

Our series host Neil deGrasse Tyson says that despite all those doomsday claims on the Internet, the world will NOT end in 2012. 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. 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 Web site 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

Did a massive asteroid kill off the dinosaurs? Maybe not. Entomologist George Poinar thinks something much smaller might have done the job. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Terri Randall. 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

The Kepler Space Telescope, which is scheduled to launch in 2009, may help astronomers find other earth-like planets for the first time. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interviews 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 Web site at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Some parrots can talk-but can they really understand what they're saying? In this podcast, researcher Irene Pepperberg describes her cognitive experiments with African grey parrots, and discusses why the line between human and animal intelligence is sometimes blurry. Produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

CERN's massive particle collider in Geneva, Switzerland, may create tiny black holes when it goes online-hopefully-in 2008. 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. Major funding for NOVA is provided by The DOW Chemical Company, 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

Mark Siddall, a.k.a. Dr. Leech, says that while searching for the giant Amazonian leech, bloodsucking creatures were the least of his problems. Produced by David Levin. Interview conducted by Peter Tyson. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Engineer Karl Iagnemma of MIT talks to NOVA scienceNOW's Susan Lewis about his dual life as a roboticist and award-winning fiction author. Produced by Susan K. Lewis. Audio editing by David Levin. Interview conducted by Susan Lewis. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

In this podcast, NOVA scienceNOW correspondent David Duncan talks to Dr. Jeffrey Friedman of Rockefeller University about the connection between genetics and obesity. Audio editing by David Levin. Produced by Dean Irwin. Interview conducted by David Duncan. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW producer Joe McMaster asks our series host, Neil deGrasse Tyson, why everyone should know about the Permian extinction. Produced by Susan K. Lewis. Audio editing by David Levin. Interview conducted by Joe McMaster. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW producer Julia Cort talks to MIT geologist Sam Bowring about a mass extinction at the end of the Permian period and discusses whether it could happen again. Audio editing by David Levin. Produced by Susan K. Lewis. Interview with Sam Bowring conducted by Julia Cort. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW producer Chad Cohen describes a new study that may link longevity to a gene controlling a certain type of cholesterol. Produced by Chad Cohen and Lexi Krock. Audio editing by David Levin. Interviews conducted by Chad Cohen. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Bonnie Bassler of Princeton University explains how bacteria can "talk" with one another, and even join together in coordinated efforts. Scientists are beginning to see these microscopic creatures-once thought completely asocial-in a whole new way. Podcast produced by Susan K. Lewis and edited by David Levin. Interview by Carla Denley. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and public television viewers. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson offers a birthday greeting to America's space agency. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson gives his "Cosmic Perspective" on what an alien civilization picking up radio signals from Earth might think. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Seth Shostak, senior astronomer for SETI, explains the organization's search for other intelligent life in the universe. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Andrea Kissack. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. You can visit us online at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Mark Siddall, a leech expert at the American Museum of Natural History, wants to change how you think about nature's most notorious blood-suckers. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Julia Cort. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by Pfizer, the National Science Foundation, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0407101. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. For more fun science stories, visit http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Structural engineer Michael Todd describes the state of bridge monitoring around the world. Interview by Rima Chaddha. Edited by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson gives his "Cosmic Perspective" on telescopes in space. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Dr. Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa is a neurosurgeon and cancer researcher at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. In this podcast, hear the remarkable story of his career, which began as a migrant farm worker in southern California. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Robe Imbriano. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Dr. Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses the ethical issues raised by commercial genetic testing. Podcast produced by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

Geneticist Pardis Sabeti does it all -- she finished a PhD while working her way through Harvard Medical School, wrote a computer algorithm that is now widely used for studying evolution, and even finds time to make music with her band, Thousand Days. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Robe Imbriano. Music by Thousand Days. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW's Dean Irwin discusses what he learned about this new computer technology while producing his story on digital art authentication. Podcast produced by David Levin. Music by Jeff Allen. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

In this podcast, Dartmouth College computer scientist Hany Farid discusses his work on mathematical and computational methods for spotting digital forgeries. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Rima Chaddha. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

In this podcast, hear from MIT's Eric Lander and Li-Huei Tsai about new experiments that are exploring whether "lost" memories can be regained. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Betsey Arledge and Peter Standring. Music by www.animalhospital.com. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

NOVA scienceNOW host Neil deGrasse Tyson gives his "Cosmic Perspective" on dark matter and dark energy. Podcast produced by David Levin. Music by www.animalhospitalmusic.com. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. 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 Web site at http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow