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NOVA
This NASA Scientist Helps Prevent Mars from Contamination
The spacecraft has to be extremely clean. The entire spacecraft—that includes the rover, the heat shield, the descent stage, and back shell—must contain less than 500,000 bacterial endospores, or spores. Just to give you an idea, a teaspoon of seawater has ten times more bacteria.
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53:41
See how ingenuity and teamwork keep the crew alive and doing science 250 miles above Earth.
53:40
Astronauts and Mission Control relive terrifying moments during construction of the ISS.
53:28
Find out why deadly flash floods are on the rise and how we can protect ourselves from them.
53:21
Explore mysterious 9,000-year-old Stone Age megastructures found in the Arabian Desert.
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53:32
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
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53:25
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
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53:27
Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.
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53:25
Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.
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53:32
Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.
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53:27
Forensic science is put to the test after the first-ever staged multi-vehicle pileup.
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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.