Back to Show
NOVA
Plastics: Durable, Diverse, and Indestructible
Through a series of lab experiments, "Beyond the Elements" host David Pogue learns that there are tens of thousands of grades of plastics, each tailored for a specific purpose. What do we do with them when their job is finished?
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

53:31
Explore great ancient Maya cities and why their inhabitants abandoned them.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:28
Take a tasty look at insect foods that could benefit our health and our warming planet.

53:28
Join the hunt for the universe’s most common—yet most elusive and baffling—particle.

53:36
As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.

53:13
A revealing new investigation of one of history’s most iconic aviation disasters.

54:06
Scientists race to help corals adapt to warming oceans through assisted evolution.

53:46
NASA launches its most ambitious search yet for traces of ancient life on Mars.

53:32
Discover the fascinating chemistry that makes our world and everything in it—including us.

53:30
Discover the fascinating chemistry that makes our world and everything in it—including us.

53:31
Discover the fascinating chemistry that makes our world and everything in it—including us.

53:31
Scientists look to geoengineering and other methods to cool the planet.

Unlock with PBS Passport
1:33:41
We can now edit the human genome with a tool called CRISPR. But how far should we go?