NOVA Now

Would you eat insects to help the planet?

You may think of insects as creepy-crawly pests. But for at least 2 billion people on the planet, they’re a source of nourishment. Entomophagy, the practice of eating ins

Cryptocurrency: the future of money in a digital world?

The internet revolutionized how we communicate and exchange information. Now, it’s causing the ways in which we invest and spend money to change, laying the foundation fo

Cannabis: Discovering its effects on the body and brain

The cannabis industry has flowered into a billion-dollar industry in the last decade. Now, cannabis is easier than ever to legally access for medical or recreational use

The case of hurricanes and climate change

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season is half-way through and, like 2020, is expected to be another above-normal Atlantic hurricane season as estimated by NOAA’s Climate Pre

Back to school during a pandemic: experts weigh in

Back-to-school jitters are in the air as many schools across the U.S. welcome students back to in-person learning for the 2021 to 2022 school year. But, after more than a

Electric vehicles: infrastructural needs and environmental effects

Gasoline-powered passenger cars account for about 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Earlier this month, President Biden signed an executive order setting a goal tha

Covid Vaccines & Variants: What will it take to get out of this pandemic?

With the emergence of new variants of the coronavirus, including Delta, COVID-19​​ continues to spread rapidly across much of the world. In most U.S. states, a surge in c

The science of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena

Ever spotted a strange object in the sky? According to a recent report released by the U.S. government, nearly 150 aerial objects observed between 2004 and 2021 remain un

Using technology to cope with drought

As temperatures continue to rise this summer, the U.S. is experiencing increasingly worse drought conditions with more than 93% of land in seven Western states affected.

The science of exercise—and getting back in the game

Hey folks, it’s been a minute. But now we’re back and breaking down the science behind the headlines. This week, we’re stretching it out and exploring the science of exer

Welcome to NOVA Now season 2!

Welcome to NOVA Now season 2! Join host Dr. Alok Patel for new insights into the most pressing issues that are impacting our lives. From the PBS science series NOVA, this

The science of positive motivation for the New Year

2020 is finally over. After the coronavirus pandemic and everything else the year's thrown our way, it's time to dust ourselves off and get ready for 2021. To do that, we

How the future of satellites might affect life on Earth

In 2020, the world celebrated two decades of continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station (ISS). As an orbiting laboratory that has provided astronaut

Covid vaccines are coming: What’s inside, and how and when you’ll get one

Pending FDA approval, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines could reach the first wave of Americans in a matter of weeks. Manufacturers of leading vaccine candidates are r

The future of food

Chew on this: Thanksgiving is around the corner and November is Native American Heritage Month. In honor of celebrating nature’s bounty, Host Dr. Alok Patel considers the

The statistical science behind polling

With so much uncertainty on the eve of the U.S. presidential election, one place we look for clarity is in the numbers. Pollsters learned valuable lessons from the 2016 e

The science of fear

In a year that’s felt like a never-ending horror movie, some might actually find relief in watching thrillers on-screen this Halloween. But why is it that some people lov

Science in the courtroom

With confirmation hearings set to begin for Judge Amy Coney Barrett to join the Supreme Court, we ask the question that senators probably won’t: Do judges also need to be

Rising health risks from West Coast wildfires

It's wildfire season—and something about this year is especially sinister. West Coasters experienced days of hazy orange skies in early September as a result of the burni

COVID meets CRISPR

Many agree that we need a fast, accurate, and easy COVID-19 test—yet none of the commonly used diagnostic technologies have been able to meet that need. Enter CRISPR, a g