Up Next
Back to Show
Watch Preview
NOVA
Why Ships Sink
Season 39
Episode 11
Twenty million passengers embark on cruises each year, vacationing in deluxe "floating cities" that offer everything from swimming pools to shopping malls to ice skating rinks. And the ships just keep getting bigger: The average cruise ship has doubled in size in just the last ten years. Some engineers fear that these towering behemoths are dangerously unstable.
Support Provided By
53:32
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
53:25
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
53:27
Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.
53:25
Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.
53:32
Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:27
Forensic science is put to the test after the first-ever staged multi-vehicle pileup.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:29
A first-of-its-kind experiment aims to stage a multi-vehicle pileup to gain new data on car safety.
1:36:42
After centuries of pseudoscience, researchers examine the causes of racial health disparities.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:41
Follow scientists in a quest to understand how complex forest ecosystems can help cool our planet.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:39
Explore key military technologies in the American colonies’ fight for freedom.
53:32
Follow the investigation into the deadly container ship collision that closed the Port of Baltimore.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:40
Archaeologists uncover new truths about Pompeii, a wealthy Roman playground with dark secrets.