Skip to main content
Great Human Odyssey

Up Next

Operation Lighthouse Rescue

Operation Lighthouse Rescue

Season 43 Episode 13
53:41
Bombing Hitler's Supergun

Bombing Hitler's Supergun

Season 43 Episode 14
53:49
School of the Future

School of the Future

Season 43 Episode 15
1:53:34
Ultimate Cruise Ship

Ultimate Cruise Ship

Season 44 Episode 4
53:09
Building Chernobyl's MegaTomb

Building Chernobyl's MegaTomb

Season 44 Episode 8
52:55
Killer Volcanoes

Killer Volcanoes

Season 44 Episode 16
54:10
Killer Hurricanes

Killer Hurricanes

Season 44 Episode 17
53:11
Killer Floods

Killer Floods

Season 44 Episode 18
54:10
Bird Brain

Bird Brain

Season 44 Episode 20
53:32
Black Hole Apocalypse

Black Hole Apocalypse

Season 45 Episode 1
53:26
Great Escape at Dunkirk

Great Escape at Dunkirk

Season 45 Episode 5
53:15
Decoding the Weather Machine

Decoding the Weather Machine

Season 45 Episode 7
1:53:20
Back to Show
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?

Watch Preview
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Season
Life and Death in the War Zone
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:50
An American combat hospital mobilized in Iraq faces a daily drama of wartime treatment.
The Elegant Universe: Part 3
53:06
Will experimental particle physics confirm the wild predictions of string theory?
The Elegant Universe: Part 2
52:56
Do miniscule vibrating strands of energy hold the key to a unified theory of physics?
The Elegant Universe: Part 1
52:55
Combining the laws of the universe in one theory that explains it all is the Holy Grail
Dying to Be Thin
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:40
Anorexia, bulimia, and other eating disorders are on the rise. What can be done?
B-29 Frozen in Time
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:54
In Greenland, a deserted B-29 bomber awaits rescue for more than fifty years.
Active loading indicator