HEAD EXAM on PNN

NOVA brings you short audio stories from the world of science -- anything from hurricanes to mummies to neutrinos. For more science programming online and on air, visit NOVA's Web site at pbs.org/nova, or watch NOVA broadcasts Tuesday nights on PBS.

Updated: 21 Nov 08:16

Chasing Down Dinner

06 Nov 23:00

Evolving an ability to run long distances might have been key to survival for early humans. In this podcast, we talked to Dan Lieberman, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University, to find out why. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Gaia Remerowski. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/becominghuman

How We Became Human

29 Oct 22:00

Today, humans are rapidly changing the world's climate-but some anthropologists think climate may have once changed us. In this podcast, Rick Potts, director of the Human Origins Program at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, explains why a rapidly shifting environment could have shaped early human behavior. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interview by Graham Townsley. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/becominghuman

Hands on Hubble

13 Oct 22:00

John Grunsfeld, an astronomer and astronaut, says that fixing the Hubble Space Telescope was be a delicate operation. In this podcast, he explains how astronauts had to literally let their fingers do the walking when working on satellite-and why the gloves of their space suits played a major role in the mission's success. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Rush DeNooyer. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, visit us online at pbs.org/nova/hubble

Capturing Darwin's Dilemma

02 Oct 22:00

In 1862, Charles Darwin faced his greatest dilemma-whether or not to go public with his incendiary theory of evolution. It was a turning point for him, and for science as a whole. Today, scriptwriter John Goldsmith, former head of the British Writer's Guild, has crafted the story into a two-hour special for NOVA. In this interview, he talked to NOVA's Susan Lewis about the challenges of making of the film, and his fascination with the Darwin family. Podcast produced by David Levin. Interview by Susan Lewis. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. To learn more, go to pbs.org/nova/darwin

Portland Science Pub

15 Sep 19:00

In this podcast, Neil deGrasse Tyson visits Portland, Oregon, to participate in a monthly event called the Science Pub. Sponsored by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Pub invites researchers to talk about their work, answer audience questions, and have a beer. It's a science conversation done Oregon style. The original event lasted over two hours, but we trimmed the Q&A down to about 30 minutes. Podcast edited by David Levin. NOVA is produced by WGBH in Boston. Funding for NOVA is provided by ExxonMobil, David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and public television viewers. Major funding for NOVA scienceNOW is provided by the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Additional funding is provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0229297. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. For more fun science stories, visit our website at pbs.org/nova/sciencenow

TIME.com: Top Science and Health Stories

Top Science and Health Stories on TIME.com

Updated: 21 Nov 08:17

Untitled

20 Nov 18:30

Two deaths in people receiving the H1N1 vaccine were reported in China, where an estimated 12 million have been inoculated so far

Untitled

20 Nov 06:25

If the brouhaha over new mammogram guidelines has proved anything, it's that even modern medicine does not rely on statistics, scientific facts and clinical outcomes alone

Untitled

20 Nov 06:25

An independent government panel this week abandoned its long-standing recommendation that healthy women over 40 get a breast-cancer screen once every year or two years

Untitled

20 Nov 06:25

A new study finds that the oceans' ability to absorb man-made carbon emissions may be dwindling at the same time the world's emissions rates show no sign of slowing

Untitled

20 Nov 06:25

Among the many reasons for the high preterm birth rate in the U.S.: lack of insurance, cigarette smoking and elective cesarean-section deliveries that are scheduled too early