
Back to Show
Watch Preview
NOVA
Great Human Odyssey
Season 43
Episode 12
Our ancient human ancestors once lived only in Africa in tiny bands of a few thousand hunter-gatherers. Then we moved out of our African cradle, spreading rapidly to every corner of the planet. How did we acquire the skills, technology and talent to thrive in every environment on earth? How did our prehistoric forebears cross the Sahara, survive frigid ice ages, and sail to remote Pacific islands?
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

53:40
Surprising clues indicate that space is very much something and not nothing.

1:43:15
We are on the verge of answering one of the greatest questions in history: Are we alone?

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:05
Big quakes are inevitable, but can we prevent their devastation?

Unlock with PBS Passport
52:52
Can markets be rational when humans aren't?

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:42:48
Seven doctors, 21 years... Saving lives is only part of the story.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:12
The "Car Talk" guys look for a new breed of clean, fuel-efficient vehicles.

1:52:42
The story of how African-American Percy Julian defied the odds to become a famous chemist.

Unlock with PBS Passport
52:31
What led to the devastating floods that Hurricane Katrina unleashed on New Orleans?

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:49:01
The story behind the world's most famous equation, e=mc2

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:31
Learn about the elements and their roles in the universe.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:31
Journey back to the beginning of everything: the universe, Earth, and life itself.

Unlock with PBS Passport
50:52
Journey back to the beginning of everything: the universe, Earth, and life itself.