PBS Announces Full NOVA Programming Slate for Fall 2013

PBS' preeminent science series, NOVA, unleashes a lively and diverse 2013 fall programming line-up that explores some of the tallest, deadliest, strangest, safest, fastest, coldest and wildest innovations from an array of exciting scientific fields. Ultracold physics, super engineering, cold case forensics, space mining, cutting edge materials science--all can be found in the spectacular new season of NOVA launching on Wednesday, September 11 at 9pm ET/8c on PBS.

"In one of the most vibrant and varied seasons yet, NOVA investigates a ton of highly provocative science, space, engineering, and technology stories, and calls on David Pogue to unveil what could be the next big things to improve our lives and change our future," says Paula S. Apsell, Senior Executive Producer for NOVA.

Ground Zero Supertower Premieres Wednesday, September 11th at 9PM/8c on PBS
NOVA kicks off the fall season with a return to Ground Zero to witness the final chapter in an epic story of engineering, innovation, and the perseverance of the human spirit: the completion of One World Trade Center. Ground Zero Supertower examines the new skyscraper rising up 104 stories and 1,776 feet from the site where the Twin Towers once stood. In this update of NOVA's Emmy-nominated special Engineering Ground Zero, which featured extraordinary behind-the-scenes access to the struggles of the engineers and architects working at 1 WTC and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, NOVA goes inside the construction of the tower's final floors and the installation of its soaring, 800-ton spire and beacon. NOVA also goes underground to see another engineering marvel taking shape here: the construction of a museum that will house artifacts from 9/11. The greatest test is still to come, though: Will the final product be a fitting site for national remembrance?

Megastorm Aftermath Premieres Wednesday, October 9th at 9PM/8c on PBS In October 2012, superstorm Sandy cut a path of devastation across the Caribbean and the East Coast, killing hundreds and doing tens of billions of dollars in damage. To many, it was a wake-up call. Now, one year after Sandy's deadly strike, correspondent Miles O'Brien and NOVA follow up on the 2012 film Inside the Megastorm with a fresh investigation of the critical questions raised by this historic storm: Was Hurricane Sandy a freak combination of weather systems? Or are hurricanes increasing in intensity due to a changing climate? What can we do to prepare ourselves for the next Sandy, and what progress has been made toward making our urban infrastructure more resilient? Much of Sandy's wrecking power was due to an extreme storm surge that left large swaths of New York and New Jersey underwater. And with sea levels on the rise, flooding will only become more frequent. NOVA examines the role of global warming in driving these rising seas, and looks at some of the latest extraordinary engineering employed in other areas, as well as what it may take to make cities like New York more resilient in the future.

Making Stuff with David Pogue Premieres October 16, 23, 30 and November 6th at 9PM/8c on PBS In this four-part special series, New York Times technology correspondent and best-selling author David Pogue takes a wild ride through the cutting-edge science that is powering a next wave of technological innovation. With his zany humor and zest for discovery, Pogue meets the scientists and engineers who are plunging to the bottom of the temperature scale, finding design inspiration in nature, and breaking every SPEED limit to make tomorrow's "stuff" Colder, Faster, Safer and Wilder.

Making Stuff Colder Cold is the new HOT, in this brave new world.. For centuries we've fought it, shunned it, and huddled against it. Cold has always been the enemy of life, but now it may hold the key to a new generation of science and technology that will improve our lives. In COLDER, David Pogue explores the frontiers of cold science from saving the lives of severe trauma patients and cooling a warming planet to ultracold physics, where bizarre new properties of matter are the norm and the basis of new technologies like levitating trains and quantum computers.

Making Stuff Faster Ever since humans stood on two feet we have had the basic urge to go FASTER. But are there physical limits to how fast we can go? David Pogue wants to find out, and he'll investigate everything from electric muscle cars and ultrafast cameras to quantum teleportation. Along the way, he finds that SPEED is more than just getting us from point A to B; it's also about getting things done in less time. From the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to UPS headquarters and inside a packed 737, Pogue's quest for ultimate SPEED limits takes him to unexpected places where he'll come face-to-face with the final frontiers of speed.

Making Stuff Safer Is it possible to engineer an absolutely safe world for ourselves? In SAFER, David Pogue explores the extent to which science and technology can protect us from monumental forces of nature like earthquakes and epidemics. He challenges researchers to save us from dangers of our own making, like traffic accidents and contact sports. Our increasing reliance on the Internet makes us vulnerable to new risks: Pogue delves into cyber security, where computer experts work to shield us from attacks by hackers and terrorists. Risk is all around us, but can we be safer?

Making Stuff Wilder What happens when engineers open up Nature's toolbox? In WILDER, David Pogue explores bold new innovations inspired by the Earth's greatest inventor, Life itself. From underwater wi-fi based on dolphin communication, to robotic "mules" and "cheetahs" for the military, to swarms of robotic bees, Pogue travels the world seeing the "wildest" ideas put into action in new inventions and technologies. It is a journey that sees today's bacteria turned into tomorrow's metallurgists, viruses building batteries and even DNA, the Code of Life, put to work in "living" computers. Will the "stuff" of the future take on a life of its own?

Cold Case JFK Premieres Wednesday, November 13, 2013 at 9PM/8c on PBS Fifty years later, what can science tell us about the Kennedy assassination -- and the investigations that followed? The 1963 murder, in broad daylight in front of hundreds of witnesses, was a homicide investigator's best-case scenario. Yet somehow the JFK assassination became a forensic nightmare, plagued by mishandled evidence, a controversial autopsy and, incredibly, a prime suspect murdered while in police custody before he could be tried--all of it captured on film. Now, NOVA follows a group of experts trying to unravel the lingering mysteries of the assassination: private investigator Josiah Thompson; gunshot wound authority Larry Sturdivan; laser scanning specialist Tony Grissim; medical examiner and forensic neuropathologist Peter Cummings; and firearms experts Lucien and Michael Haag. Cold Case JFK is part of a series of specials airing on PBS in November to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's death.

At the Edge of Space Premieres Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 8PM/7c on PBS Between the blue sky above us and the infinite blackness of space lies a frontier full of enigmas that scientists have only just begun to investigate. At the Edge of Space takes viewers on a spectacular exploration to probe the earth-space boundary zone, which is home to some of nature's most puzzling and alluring phenomena: the shimmering aurora, streaking meteors, and fleeting flashes that shoot upwards from thunderclouds, known as sprites. Discovered in 1989, sprites have eluded Capture because they flicker into existence for a mere split-second - 40 times faster than an eye blink. NOVA rides with scientists in a high-flying weather observation plane as they hunt for sprites and finally succeed in snaring them in 3D video, gaining vital clues to unravel their mystery. NOVA also combines advanced video technology with stunning sequences shot from the International Space Station.

Asteroids: Doomsday or Payday? Premieres Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 9PM/8c on PBS The asteroid that exploded in the skies over Siberia injuring more than 1,000 and damaging buildings in six cities was a shocking reminder that Earth is a target in a cosmic shooting range. From the width of a football field to the size of a small city, these space rocks have the potential to be killers. In a collision with Earth, they could set off deadly blast waves, raging fires and colossal tidal waves. But some audacious entrepreneurs look up at asteroids and see payday, not doomsday. Some asteroids are loaded with billions of dollars-worth of elements like iron, nickel, and even platinum. While NASA plans an ambitious mission to return samples from a potentially hazardous asteroid, would-be asteroid miners are dreaming up their own program to scout for potentially profitable asteroids. Will asteroids turn out to be our economic salvation - or instruments of extinction?

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