Back to Show
Watch Preview
NOVA
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Season 51
Episode 4
For decades, scientists have tried to unlock the secrets of ancient DNA. Follow the dramatic quest to recover DNA millions of years old and reveal a lost world from before the last Ice Age.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:21
Follow the epic journey of dog domestication and see what science says about dogs’ love.

1:52:46
Paleontologist Kirk Johnson explores the dynamic history—and future—of ice at the poles.

53:31
Discover the science behind Leonardo da Vinci's masterpieces—and Mona Lisa's iconic smile.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:25
Can new engineering techniques help prevent deadly bridge collapses?

53:27
Amazing fossils reveal how mammals took over after an asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:32
Discover why scientists and entrepreneurs alike have their sights set on the Moon again.

53:22
In the shadow of Vesuvius and Pompeii, a lesser-known volcano puts Naples at risk.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:34
New technologies are promising a new renaissance in space travel.

53:23
New archeological evidence shows the stunning engineering of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

Unlock with PBS Passport
53:15
Journey to Kīlauea volcano to investigate the eruptions that shook Hawaiʻi in 2018.

53:51
Join scientists as they grab light from across the universe to prove quantum entanglement.