BEYOND THE ELEMENTS On NOVA

Encore Wednesdays, Dec. 14, 2022 and Jan. 11 and 25, 2023 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / On demand now with the PBS Video app

Picking up where he left off in NOVA’s popular special, “Hunting the Elements,” David Pogue sets out on a worldwide quest to find the key molecules and chemical reactions that have paved the way for human civilization, life, and even the universe as we know it. And along the way, he uncovers the simple principles that produce such a dizzying diversity of matter from elements on the periodic table in BEYOND THE ELEMENTS On NOVA.

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Indestructible” Encore Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / On demand now with the PBS Video app - Glass so strong you can jump on it like a trampoline, rubber so tough it protects a clay pot dropped from 50 feet, endless varieties of plastic. Scientists and engineers have managed to create virtually indestructible versions of common materials by manipulating the chains of interlocking atoms that give them strength—but have they made them too tough?

Host David Pogue explores the fantastic chemistry behind the everyday materials we depend on, and how the quest for durability can backfire. As the environmental impact of ingenuity catches up with us, scientists look for new ways to maintain utility while minimizing harm.

“Reactions” Encore Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / On demand now with the PBS Video app - From the food on our plates to the skyscrapers that tower over us, just about every solid, liquid or gas in the world as we know it begins with reactions between individual atoms and molecules.

Host David Pogue dives into the transformative world of chemical reactions, from the invention of a complex molecular formula that produces cement to the discovery of a single reaction that’s allowed farmers to feed a growing global population by the billions—a reaction that when reversed, unleashes the powerful chemistry of explosives.

But human discoveries pale in comparison to nature’s genius, like the lock-and-key molecules that put the heat in hot peppers and the potent venom in killer snails that may provide clues to lifesaving medicines.

“Life” Encore Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023 at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV / On demand now with the PBS Video app - Without photosynthesis, ozone, and a molecule called Rubisco, none of us would be here. There wouldn’t be any food to eat, and solar radiation would tear our DNA to smithereens anyway. So how did we get so lucky?

To find out, host David Pogue investigates the surprising molecules that allowed for the origination of life and for life not only to survive, but to thrive. Along the way, he finds out what we’re all made of—literally. Long chains of molecules that create everything from our muscles to bones—and of course, our DNA.

For billions of years DNA has been the powerhouse of evolution. Today, David discovers how an engineer turned Nobel Prize-winning chemist harnesses DNA and evolution to nudge nature to create sustainable new solutions to some of humanity’s most vexing problems. 

Watch On Your Schedule:

Episode are available for streaming simultaneously on all station-branded PBS platforms, including PBS.org and the PBS Video App, which is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast, for a limited time.

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Credits:

A NOVA production by Big House Productions for GBH Boston. Written, Produced, and Directed by Dan McCabe. Co-Producer is Cara Feinberg. Executive Producers for NOVA are Julia Cort and Chris Schmidt. NOVA is a production of GBH Boston.