Particles of Thought

Scientists claimed in 2024 that they "de-extincted" the dire wolf… so what’s next, and what determines whether a species can be brought back? Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro explains some of the factors that go into deciding what to try and bring back. For more, check out the extended interview with Beth Shapiro. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Dinosaurs might not have been the roaring beasts many imagine. Neuroscientist Erich Jarvis explains why modern birds—living dinosaurs—offer clues about vocal learning and why dinosaurs could have been singers.For more, check out the extended interview with Erich Jarvis. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

If the universe is expanding, why aren’t galaxies stretching apart? Cosmologist Adam Riess breaks down the physics behind cosmic expansion, the forces that resist it, and why dark energy dominates the vast spaces between.For more, check out the extended interview with Adam Riess.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Why does thinking too hard ruin your rhythm? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin unpacks the science of flow states, explaining why mastery means trusting your brain’s hidden systems to do what they do best.For more, check out the extended interview with Heather Berlin.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Black holes can be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains how this is possible, and what that means about how black holes work. For more, check out the extended interview with Janna Levin.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

What’s the difference between a fact, a law, and a theory? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong unpack the hierarchy of scientific ideas and reveal how laws of nature elegantly unify the universe.For more, check out the extended interview with Robert Hazen and Michael Wong.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Sorry, Beyoncé, it turns out microbes rule the world. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains how to conceptualize just how many microbes are on Earth… and how understanding this helps us look for life on other worlds. For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Growth rings on trees can measure time, allowing scientists to date things from the deep past. But, paleobotantist Dr. Kirk Johnson explains why, in the tropics, some trees have no rings.For more, check out the extended interview with Kirk Johnson.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Nature has been solving problems for billions of years. Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals why scientists still turn to evolution’s inventions for life-saving breakthroughs, from GLP-1 drugs to statins.For more, check out the extended interview with Sean B. Carroll.Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

In 2024, scientists claimed they achieved the unthinkable: the birth of dire wolf pups, reviving a species that vanished thousands of years ago. Now, those pups are growing—and changing. Evolutionary biologist Beth Shapiro reveals what it’s like to watch these predators mature into modern beasts.For more, check out the extended interview with Beth Shapiro. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.