Skip to main content
Back to Show
NOVA

The Fabric of the Cosmos: The Illusion of Time Preview

Time. We waste it, save it, kill it, make it. The world runs on it. Yet ask physicists what time actually is, and the answer might shock you: They have no idea. Even more surprising, the deep sense we have of time passing from present to past may be nothing more than an illusion. How can our understanding of something so familiar be so wrong?

Support Provided By
Season
Arctic Sinkholes
53:30
In the Arctic, enormous releases of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, threaten the climate
Ancient Maya Metropolis
53:31
Explore great ancient Maya cities and why their inhabitants abandoned them.
Alaskan Dinosaurs
53:21
Intrepid paleontologists discover that dinosaurs thrived in the Arctic’s cold and dark.
Edible Insects
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:28
Take a tasty look at insect foods that could benefit our health and our warming planet.
Particles Unknown
53:28
Join the hunt for the universe’s most common—yet most elusive and baffling—particle.
The Cannabis Question
53:36
As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA explores its little-known risks and benefits.
Reef Rescue
54:06
Scientists race to help corals adapt to warming oceans through assisted evolution.
Looking for Life on Mars
53:46
NASA launches its most ambitious search yet for traces of ancient life on Mars.
NOVA Season 47
53:32
Discover the fascinating chemistry that makes our world and everything in it—including us.
Beyond the Elements: Indestructible
53:30
Discover the fascinating chemistry that makes our world and everything in it—including us.
Beyond the Elements: Reactions
53:31
Discover the fascinating chemistry that makes our world and everything in it—including us.
Can We Cool the Planet?
53:31
Scientists look to geoengineering and other methods to cool the planet.
Active loading indicator