How Do You Get a Rocket to Land Back on Earth?

Returning a rocket safely back to the launch site involves a series of complex steps which begin on the edge of space, when still traveling at over 3,500 miles per hour.

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Clip Season 46 Episode 5 Length 02:23 Premiere: 02/13/19

Recent Episodes

Evolution: Brain Power

S53 E13 Length 53:34 Premiere Date 10/14/26

Space Wars

S53 E12 Length 53:54 Premiere Date 10/07/26

Stone Age Masterpiece

S53 E11 Length 53:42 Premiere Date 09/30/26

Knowledge Keepers

S53 E10 Length 53:41 Premiere Date 09/23/26

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S53 E9 Length 53:34 Premiere Date 09/16/26

Clips & Previews

The World Wide Web Celebrates its 30th Birthday

Clip Length 02:39 Premiere Date 03/12/19

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Clip Length 03:29 Premiere Date 02/21/19

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Clip Length 02:29 Premiere Date 02/20/19

Rise of the Rockets Preview

Preview Length 00:29 Premiere Date 02/13/19

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Clip Length 02:23 Premiere Date 02/13/19

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Clip Length 03:28 Premiere Date 02/06/19

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Clip Length 03:01 Premiere Date 01/23/19

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Specials

Interview: The Fusion Future with Dennis Whyte

Length 1:30:21 Premiere Date 10/08/26

Interview: Talking Dogs, Grumpy Cats, and Animal Communication with Federico Rossano

Length 1:19:51 Premiere Date 09/24/26

Interview: How to Save The “Doomsday Glacier” with Brent Minchew

Length 1:29:07 Premiere Date 09/10/26

Interview: The Hidden Math Behind Everything with Jordan Ellenberg

Length 1:16:29 Premiere Date 08/27/26

Interview: Hobbits, Neanderthals, and Dragon Man with Ella Al-Shamahi

Length 58:04 Premiere Date 08/13/26

Interview: The Future of AI and Us with Daniela Rus

Length 1:08:49 Premiere Date 07/30/26

Interview: Good Anxiety, Exercise, and Connection on the Brain with Wendy Suzuki

Length 1:15:20 Premiere Date 07/16/26

Interview: T. Rex to Birds with Steve Brusatte

Length 1:24:42 Premiere Date 07/02/26

Interview: Dark Matter = Black Holes? with David Kaiser

Length 1:23:48 Premiere Date 06/18/26

Interview: Discovering Dark Energy and the Hubble Tension with Nobel Prize Winner Adam Riess

Length 1:16:19 Premiere Date 12/19/25

Interview: Evolution of New Species, Venom, Wings, and More with Sean B. Carroll

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Interview: De-Extinction, Dire Wolves, and Jurassic Park with Beth Shapiro

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Particles of Thought: The Extremophile’s Guide to Life

Length 1:11:15 Premiere Date 11/04/25

Interview: The Animal Translator with Erich Jarvis

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Interview: Brain Guru with Heather Berlin

Length 1:28:59 Premiere Date 10/07/25

Interview: Bob and Mike’s Big Idea with Bob Hazen and Mike Wong

Length 1:11:13 Premiere Date 09/23/25

Interview: Black Hole Badass with Janna Levin

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Interview: The Deepfake Detective with Hany Farid

Length 1:25:01 Premiere Date 08/26/25

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Length 1:37:18 Premiere Date 08/18/25

When Machines Prescribe

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Sands of Time

Length 06:47 Premiere Date 09/13/24

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Length 07:51 Premiere Date 09/13/24

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Length 09:22 Premiere Date 09/13/24

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Length 53:30 Premiere Date 08/07/24

Sea Change: Peril in the Gulf of Maine

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Sea Change: Bounty in the Gulf of Maine

Length 53:30 Premiere Date 07/24/24

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Length 53:21 Premiere Date 02/15/23

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Length 1:52:37 Premiere Date 04/14/21

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Length 02:09 Premiere Date 12/09/16

A Labyrinth of Lava

Length 01:13 Premiere Date 11/02/15

From Mud to Rock

Length 01:36 Premiere Date 10/22/15

Finding Stromatolites

Length 01:23 Premiere Date 10/22/15

Stromatolites Were Kings

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Ancient Life

Length 00:28 Premiere Date 10/22/15

Millions of Years Captured in Chalk

Length 01:17 Premiere Date 10/22/15

A Fourteen-Foot Fish From Kansas

Length 01:38 Premiere Date 10/22/15

Hell Creek Formation

Length 01:10 Premiere Date 10/22/15

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Length 02:00 Premiere Date 10/22/15

Mammal Survivors

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Length 01:53 Premiere Date 10/22/15

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Length 02:16 Premiere Date 10/22/15

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Length 01:14 Premiere Date 10/22/15

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Length 01:18 Premiere Date 10/21/15

The Sandstone Top of the Canyon

Length 01:15 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Fossil-Filled Limestone

Length 00:54 Premiere Date 10/21/15

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From Lava to Land

Length 02:14 Premiere Date 10/21/15

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Length 00:26 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Tearing North America Apart

Length 01:01 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Fossilized Sand Dunes

Length 01:15 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Volcanoes of Sand

Length 01:33 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Rockies 2.0

Length 02:00 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Manhattan Schist

Length 01:13 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Manhattan Skyline

Length 00:52 Premiere Date 10/21/15

New York's Mountains

Length 01:13 Premiere Date 10/21/15

Mendenhall Glacier

Length 02:51 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Monument Rocks 1

Length 01:18 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Monument Rocks 2

Length 01:48 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Exuma Cays 1

Length 01:26 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Exuma Cays 3

Length 00:28 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Exuma Cays 4

Length 03:22 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Gooseberry Falls 1

Length 00:57 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Gooseberry Falls 2

Length 00:24 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Gooseberry Falls 3

Length 01:06 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Gooseberry Falls 4

Length 01:01 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Mount Kilauea

Length 01:30 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Grand Canyon 1

Length 01:19 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Grand Canyon 2

Length 01:05 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Grand Canyon 3

Length 00:58 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Grand Canyon 4

Length 00:19 Premiere Date 08/02/15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 1

Length 04:11 Premiere Date 05/12/15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 2

Length 01:00 Premiere Date 05/12/15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 3

Length 00:35 Premiere Date 05/12/15

Lethal Seas Excerpt 4

Length 00:51 Premiere Date 05/12/15

The Mother of Hubble

Length 02:28 Premiere Date 04/14/15

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Length 01:34 Premiere Date 06/25/14

Flatfish Larvae

Length 00:51 Premiere Date 05/06/14

RNAi Explained

Length 01:47 Premiere Date 04/22/14

Dolphin Mirror

Length 03:18 Premiere Date 04/22/14

Dogs' Sense of Time

Length 01:28 Premiere Date 04/13/14

Cockatoo Excerpt

Length 01:30 Premiere Date 04/08/14

How Solar Cells Work

Length 00:33 Premiere Date 02/26/14

Solar Power's Promise

Length 00:51 Premiere Date 02/26/14

Microneedle

Length 01:41 Premiere Date 12/30/13

GM Plants

Length 01:27 Premiere Date 11/15/13

Non-Newtonian Gel

Length 01:00 Premiere Date 11/15/13

Soft-Story Buildings

Length 07:36 Premiere Date 11/13/13

Levitation

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Superconductor

Length 01:47 Premiere Date 10/24/13

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Length 02:35 Premiere Date 10/24/13

Animal Robot 2

Length 02:02 Premiere Date 10/24/13

Therapeutic Hypothermia

Length 01:11 Premiere Date 10/24/13

Therapeutic Hypothermia 2

Length 01:07 Premiere Date 10/24/13

Therapeutic Hypothermia 3

Length 01:43 Premiere Date 10/24/13

Therapeutic Hypothermia 4

Length 02:01 Premiere Date 10/24/13

Swarming Robots

Length 01:31 Premiere Date 10/21/13

Sneak Peek: Making Stuff Wilder

Length 06:14 Premiere Date 10/21/13

Virus Battery

Length 02:21 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Robot Arm

Length 00:56 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Elephant Arm

Length 01:22 Premiere Date 10/19/13

FinGripper

Length 00:55 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Sail Wing

Length 01:02 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Hydrofoil

Length 01:01 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Chicken Feathers

Length 01:56 Premiere Date 10/19/13

KillaCycle

Length 00:48 Premiere Date 10/19/13

How Batteries Work

Length 00:49 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Muon Detection

Length 01:52 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Muons

Length 01:25 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Plants White

Length 02:11 Premiere Date 10/19/13

DNA Patch

Length 01:19 Premiere Date 10/19/13

DNA Vaccine

Length 00:38 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Earthquake Test

Length 02:03 Premiere Date 10/19/13

David Drives

Length 01:27 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Shelley

Length 02:07 Premiere Date 10/19/13

Pitcher Plant

Length 01:48 Premiere Date 10/17/13

SLIPS

Length 01:01 Premiere Date 10/17/13

Hagfish

Length 00:51 Premiere Date 10/17/13

Hagfish Defense

Length 01:36 Premiere Date 10/17/13

Slime Clothes

Length 01:00 Premiere Date 10/17/13

New York City One Year Later: Telecommunications

Length 03:14 Premiere Date 10/16/13

Sneak Peek: Making Stuff Faster

Length 05:06 Premiere Date 10/15/13

David's Race

Length 01:28 Premiere Date 10/15/13

Steffen's Plan

Length 01:59 Premiere Date 10/15/13

Traveling Salesman

Length 01:21 Premiere Date 10/15/13

Eye Robot

Length 01:51 Premiere Date 10/10/13

Corkscrew Robot

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Slow Goldfish

Length 01:39 Premiere Date 10/10/13

Bee Toxin

Length 01:31 Premiere Date 10/10/13

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Length 03:36 Premiere Date 10/07/13

Invisibility Cloak

Length 01:22 Premiere Date 09/24/13

Shape Memory Alloys

Length 00:32 Premiere Date 09/08/13

Jellyfish

Length 00:38 Premiere Date 09/08/13

Bird Wings

Length 01:56 Premiere Date 09/08/13

Shrinking Chips

Length 01:06 Premiere Date 09/05/13

Pizza Transistor

Length 01:34 Premiere Date 09/05/13

Graphene

Length 01:11 Premiere Date 09/05/13

Wheat Straw Plastic

Length 01:04 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Solar Leaves

Length 00:53 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Battle Jacket

Length 01:49 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Oobleck

Length 00:40 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Magnetic Oobleck

Length 00:54 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Life-Saving Non-Newtonian Fluids

Length 01:43 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Silicon Transistors

Length 00:50 Premiere Date 08/29/13

Starling 8

Length 00:44 Premiere Date 07/15/13

sandy-raw-1-2

Length 00:04 Premiere Date 07/08/13

sandy-raw-5-1

Length 01:02 Premiere Date 07/08/13

Chemotherapy Goes Small

Length 01:17 Premiere Date 07/01/13

The Making of a Cloud Old

Length 03:10 Premiere Date 06/30/13

Why So Many Cloud Types?

Length 03:35 Premiere Date 06/30/13

Clouds and Weather

Length 03:21 Premiere Date 06/30/13

Severe Storms

Length 03:37 Premiere Date 06/30/13

The Climate Wild Card

Length 03:02 Premiere Date 06/30/13

Life on Europa?

Length 02:25 Premiere Date 06/09/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_03

Length 01:41 Premiere Date 05/29/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_04

Length 01:43 Premiere Date 05/29/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_05

Length 01:04 Premiere Date 05/29/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_06

Length 00:40 Premiere Date 05/29/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_07

Length 03:07 Premiere Date 05/29/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_01

Length 00:35 Premiere Date 05/28/13

CloudLab_Megastorm_02

Length 00:31 Premiere Date 05/28/13

What Made the 1918 Flu So Deadly?

Length 01:28 Premiere Date 05/13/13

How the 1918 Flu Infected People

Length 00:25 Premiere Date 05/13/13

Fertilizing the Amazon

Length 03:27 Premiere Date 04/21/13

Flu Probabilities

Length 01:53 Premiere Date 04/16/13

Rare Earth Elements

Length 04:17 Premiere Date 04/01/13

CHNOPS: Ingredients for Life

Length 02:36 Premiere Date 03/12/13

Electromagnetic Spectrum

Length 00:44 Premiere Date 02/28/13

MODIS Sensor

Length 00:26 Premiere Date 02/28/13

Solving the Storage Problem

Length 02:26 Premiere Date 10/25/12

Putting Energy to Use Old

Length 02:14 Premiere Date 10/08/12

Season 46 Episodes

Show Episodes

Show Clips & Previews

Decoding da Vinci

S46 E21 Length 53:30 Premiere Date 11/13/19

The World Wide Web Celebrates its 30th Birthday

Clip Length 02:39 Premiere Date 03/12/19

Can Super Corals Save Reefs?

Clip Length 03:29 Premiere Date 02/21/19

Did Climate Change Cause Hurricane Harvey?

Clip Length 02:32 Premiere Date 02/21/19

Climate Change Flooding: A Threat to National Security?

Clip Length 04:01 Premiere Date 02/21/19

Why Hurricane Florence Caused So Much Flooding

Clip Length 03:02 Premiere Date 02/21/19

What is Coral Bleaching?

Clip Length 02:29 Premiere Date 02/20/19

Rise of the Rockets Preview

Preview Length 00:29 Premiere Date 02/13/19

How Do You Get a Rocket to Land Back on Earth?

Clip Length 02:23 Premiere Date 02/13/19

Why Kicking a Field Goal is Harder Than it Looks

Clip Length 03:28 Premiere Date 02/06/19

What Does the Polar Vortex Have to do With Climate Change?

Clip Length 03:18 Premiere Date 02/01/19

AI Helps Young Man with Cerebral Palsy Find Independence

Clip Length 04:46 Premiere Date 01/31/19

How Does a Government Shutdown Affect Science?

Clip Length 03:01 Premiere Date 01/23/19

Five Moon Names to Know for Successful Moongazing

Clip Length 02:06 Premiere Date 01/23/19

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Evolution: Need to Feed - S53 E14

The surprising story of how our planet's diverse creatures became the furious feeding machines they are today.

Wednesday October 21, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday October 21, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET
Thursday October 22, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Thursday October 22, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET
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Tuesday October 27, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday October 27, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2

Evolution: Body Builders - S53 E15

Discover the process behind the incredible variety of animal shapes and sizes.

Wednesday October 28, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday October 28, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET
Thursday October 29, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Thursday October 29, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET
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Tuesday November 3, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday November 3, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2

Evolution: The Mating Game - S53 E16

Discover how the rise of sexual reproduction fuels diversity, pushing life to specialize and shaping everything from tiny single-celled organisms to towering ostriches.

Wednesday November 4, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday November 4, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET
Thursday November 5, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Thursday November 5, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET
Friday November 6, 2026 2:00 am ET on KET
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Sunday November 8, 2026 7:00 pm ET on KET2
Sunday November 8, 2026 6:00 pm CT on KET2
Tuesday November 10, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday November 10, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2

Evolution: On the Run - S53 E17

An evolutionary ride from early aquatic ancestors to highly optimized runners like the horse.

Wednesday November 11, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday November 11, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET
Thursday November 12, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Thursday November 12, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET
Friday November 13, 2026 2:00 am ET on KET
Friday November 13, 2026 1:00 am CT on KET
Sunday November 15, 2026 7:00 pm ET on KET2
Sunday November 15, 2026 6:00 pm CT on KET2
Tuesday November 17, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday November 17, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2

NOVA Universe Revealed: Age of Stars - S48 E15

Premiered On: 10/27/2021

The Hubble Space Telescope and a heat-resistant solar probe reveal new clues about the sun's 5-billion-year history.

Monday November 16, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Monday November 16, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET

NOVA Universe Revealed: Milky Way - S48 E16

Premiered On: 11/03/2021

Explore the history of the Milky Way, including what shaped this spiral of stars, gas and dust and what its destiny will be.

Tuesday November 17, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Tuesday November 17, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET

NOVA Universe Revealed: Alien Worlds - S48 E17

Premiered On: 11/10/2021

New science and discoveries made possible by ultra-sensitive telescopes and detective work transform alien planet-hunting from science fiction into fact.

Wednesday November 18, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday November 18, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET

NOVA Universe Revealed: Black Holes - S48 E18

Premiered On: 11/17/2021

A new generation of high-powered telescopes brings black holes to light. Animation reveals what happens when objects stray too close to a black hole's point of no return.

Thursday November 19, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Thursday November 19, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET

NOVA Universe Revealed: Big Bang - S48 E19

Premiered On: 11/24/2021

Nova probes the mystery of the Big Bang with stunning animation based on space telescope images.

Friday November 20, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Friday November 20, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET

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Evolution: Brain Power - S53 E13

Tuesday October 20, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
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Space Wars - S53 E12

Tuesday October 13, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday October 13, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2
Sunday October 11, 2026 7:00 pm ET on KET2
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Wednesday October 7, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday October 7, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET

Stone Age Masterpiece - S53 E11

Tuesday October 6, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday October 6, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2
Sunday October 4, 2026 7:00 pm ET on KET2
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Wednesday September 30, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
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Knowledge Keepers - S53 E10

Tuesday September 29, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday September 29, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2
Sunday September 27, 2026 7:00 pm ET on KET2
Sunday September 27, 2026 6:00 pm CT on KET2
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Friday September 25, 2026 1:00 am CT on KET
Thursday September 24, 2026 5:00 pm ET on KET
Thursday September 24, 2026 4:00 pm CT on KET
Wednesday September 23, 2026 9:00 pm ET on KET
Wednesday September 23, 2026 8:00 pm CT on KET

The Battle to Breathe - S53 E9

Tuesday September 22, 2026 1:00 am ET on KET2
Tuesday September 22, 2026 12:00 am CT on KET2
Sunday September 20, 2026 7:00 pm ET on KET2
Sunday September 20, 2026 6:00 pm CT on KET2

Top

How Do You Get a Rocket to Land Back on Earth?

Recent Episodes

Evolution: Brain Power

Space Wars

Stone Age Masterpiece

Knowledge Keepers

The Battle to Breathe

Sponsored by:

Clips & Previews

The World Wide Web Celebrates its 30th Birthday

Can Super Corals Save Reefs?

Did Climate Change Cause Hurricane Harvey?

Climate Change Flooding: A Threat to National Security?

Why Hurricane Florence Caused So Much Flooding

What is Coral Bleaching?

Rise of the Rockets Preview

How Do You Get a Rocket to Land Back on Earth?

Why Kicking a Field Goal is Harder Than it Looks

What Does the Polar Vortex Have to do With Climate Change?

AI Helps Young Man with Cerebral Palsy Find Independence

How Does a Government Shutdown Affect Science?

Five Moon Names to Know for Successful Moongazing

Specials

Interview: The Fusion Future with Dennis Whyte

Interview: Talking Dogs, Grumpy Cats, and Animal Communication with Federico Rossano

Interview: How to Save The “Doomsday Glacier” with Brent Minchew

Interview: The Hidden Math Behind Everything with Jordan Ellenberg

Interview: Hobbits, Neanderthals, and Dragon Man with Ella Al-Shamahi

Interview: The Future of AI and Us with Daniela Rus

Interview: Good Anxiety, Exercise, and Connection on the Brain with Wendy Suzuki

Interview: T. Rex to Birds with Steve Brusatte

Interview: Dark Matter = Black Holes? with David Kaiser

Interview: Discovering Dark Energy and the Hubble Tension with Nobel Prize Winner Adam Riess

Interview: Evolution of New Species, Venom, Wings, and More with Sean B. Carroll

Interview: De-Extinction, Dire Wolves, and Jurassic Park with Beth Shapiro

Particles of Thought: The Extremophile’s Guide to Life

Interview: The Animal Translator with Erich Jarvis

Interview: Brain Guru with Heather Berlin

Interview: Bob and Mike’s Big Idea with Bob Hazen and Mike Wong

Interview: Black Hole Badass with Janna Levin

Interview: The Deepfake Detective with Hany Farid

Interview: Mind of a Fossil Hunter with Kirk Johnson

When Machines Prescribe

Sands of Time

Keepers of the Coastline

Tides of Tradition

Standing the Heat

Megadroughts and Indigenous Voices

Harvesting the Future

Sea Change: Survival in the Gulf of Maine

Sea Change: Peril in the Gulf of Maine

Sea Change: Bounty in the Gulf of Maine

When Whales Could Walk (Español)

Ancient Builders of the Amazon (Español)

Ancient Maya Metropolis (Español)

Picture a Scientist (with Audio Description)

Treasures Metals Eiffel Tower

A Labyrinth of Lava

From Mud to Rock

Finding Stromatolites

Stromatolites Were Kings

Ancient Life

Millions of Years Captured in Chalk

A Fourteen-Foot Fish From Kansas

Hell Creek Formation

No Dinosaurs Above the Line

Mammal Survivors

Dinosaur Fossils

King of Gore

Driving Dinosaur Diversity

Pangea

Making Granite From Volcanic Rock

A Massive Volcanic Eruption

Rock Time Capsules

The Sandstone Top of the Canyon

Fossil-Filled Limestone

The Grand Canyon's Oldest Rocks

From Lava to Land

Semi-Precious Pebbles

Five Steps of Volcanic Rock