On February 18, 2021, NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover makes its final descent to the Red Planet. This momentous accomplishment ties in perfectly with the stellar programming from NOVA coming to OETA this month.
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. The new, three-part series Beyond the Elements premieres Wednesday, February 3, at 8 pm.
Beyond the Elements
Part One: Reactions • Wednesday, February 3 at 8 pm
Just about every solid, liquid, or gas in the world as we know it begins with reactions between individual atoms and molecules. Dive into the transformative world of chemical reactions, from the complex formula that produces cement to the single reaction that’s allowed farmers to feed a global population by the billions—a reaction that when reversed, unleashes the powerful chemistry of high explosives.
Part Two: Indestructible • Wednesday, February 10 at 8 pm
Glass so strong you can jump on it, rubber so tough it protects a clay pot dropped from 50 feet, endless varieties of plastic. Scientists and engineers have created virtually indestructible versions of common materials by manipulating the chains of interlocking atoms that give them strength—but have they made them too tough? Explore the fantastic chemistry behind the everyday materials we depend on, and how the quest for durability can be balanced with products’ environmental impact.
Part Three: Life • Wednesday, February 17 at 8 pm
Without the chemistry of photosynthesis, ozone, and a molecule called Rubisco, none of us would be here. So how did we get so lucky? Investigate the surprising molecules that allowed life on Earth to begin, and ultimately thrive. Along the way, he finds out what we’re all made of—literally.
Looking for Life on Mars
One week after NASA launches its most ambitious search yet for traces of life on Mars, NOVA will be airing the special Looking for Life on Mars. From the spacecraft that will blaze into the Martian atmosphere at some 12,000 miles per hour and attempt to lower the Perseverance Rover into the rocky Jezero Crater, to a dried-up river delta scientists think could have harbored life, Looking for Life on Mars monitors as Perseverance combs the area for signs of life and collect samples for possible return to Earth.
Watch Looking for Life on Mars Wednesday, February 24 at 8 pm.
If you want to maximize your nerdness, check out NASA’s Landing Toolkit to watch the landing live on February 18, 2021. To Mars, and beyond!