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NOVA
Volcanic Rock Helps Predict Speed of Future Lava Flow
Silica is a key component of sand but also of lava. The less there is, the more fluid the lava, and the faster it flows. Nyiragongo has some of the lowest-silica-content-lava on the planet, but there’s another clue to the lava’s speed—and it’s not good news.
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What if violent asteroid impacts actually jump-started life on Earth? Explore a dramatic theory.
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See how ingenuity and teamwork keep the crew alive and doing science 250 miles above Earth.
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Astronauts and Mission Control relive terrifying moments during construction of the ISS.
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Explore mysterious 9,000-year-old Stone Age megastructures found in the Arabian Desert.
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Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
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Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.