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NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, ethnobotanist Ina Vandebroek explains why her job is like Star Trek. Listen in. Produced by David Levin and Rob Chapman. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. 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. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

When 33 Chilean miners were trapped in a cave-in this August, rescuers had to dig through more than 2000 feet of solid rock to free them. It was the deepest rescue ever attempted, and it would have to be done fast. but how? To find out, we talked to Greg Hall, owner of Drillers Supply International, a small Texas company that helped drill the rescue shaft in a record 33 days. Produced 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. To learn more about the Chilean mine rescue, go to pbs.org/nova/tech

In light of the amazing mine rescue in Chile last week, our partners at PRI's "The World" asked whether technology could be used to prevent mining accidents in the first place. In this podcast, The World's Lisa Mullins interviews Mark Yim, a mechanical engineer at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Interview produced by PRI's The World. 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 about the Chilean mine rescue, go to pbs.org/nova/tech

When designing Gothic cathedrals, some medieval builders drew on sacred measurements laid out in the pages of the Bible. In this podcast, we talked to art historian Stephen Murray from Columbia University to find out why. Podcast produced 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. To learn more about Gothic architecture, visit pbs.org/nova/ancient

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, game developer Eran Egozy from Harmonix--the video game company that created Rock Band and Guitar Hero--explains how he uses ones and zeros to bring music-making to everyone. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. 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. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, mechanical engineer Nate Ball explains why a spectacular failure helped him learn how to build a life-saving device. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. 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. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

In this podcast, art historian Jeff Hurwitt explains what made the Parthenon the greatest temple of Ancient Greece. Produced by Susan Lewis. Original interview by Gary Glassman. 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. Learn more about the history of the Parthenon at pbs.org/nova/parthenon

In this podcast, NOVA Online's editor-in-chief, Peter Tyson, interviews former astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Aldrin was the second man to set foot on the moon, and thinks that a human presence on Mars is inevitable in the future. Listen in to find out why. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Peter Tyson. 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. Learn more about the future of human spaceflight at pbs.org/nova/space

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, biologist Mark Siddall from the American Museum of Natural History tells us how he found a rare species of leech in the rectum of a hippo. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel and Tom Miller. 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. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, nanoscientist Rich Robinson from Cornell University explains what inspired him to become a professor. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Josh Seftel. 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. Exclusive funding for "The Secret Life of Scientists & Engineers" provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/secretlife

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, geneticist Cliff Tabin from Harvard Medical School explains how limbs form in an embryo. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by John Rubin. 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. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/evolution

In order to develop from an embryo, animals as different as fruit flies and humans call on a nearly identical set of genes. But how does this one common genetic toolkit create so many different species? It turns out that it's not the genes you have—it's how you use them. Podcast produced by David Levin. Original interviews by John Rubin. 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/evolution

We've come a long way toward understanding evolution since the "Origin of Species" was first published 150 years ago. So what would Darwin think if he could see his theory's impact today-both on a scientific and social level? In this podcast, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, historian Jim Moore, and cognitive scientist Steven Pinker offer their best guesses. Podcast produced by David Levin and Susan K. Lewis. Original interviews by Susan K. Lewis and David Espar. 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/evolution

In 1859, Charles Darwin published the "Origin of Species", a book that changed science forever. But why is it still important to understand his theories today? In this podcast, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, biologist Ken Miller, and the late paleontologist Steven Jay Gould offer their takes on the subject. Podcast produced by David Levin and Susan K. Lewis. Original interviews by Susan K. Lewis and David Espar. 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/evolution

NOVA Minutes are a regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, hear zoologist Jonathan Losos explain why small lizards outlasted the dinosaurs. Produced by David Levin. Original audio courtesy WCAI-FM, Woods Hole, MA. 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. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/evolution

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 David H. Koch, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers. Learn more about human evolution at pbs.org/nova/evolution

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

Slowly, inevitably, Alzehimer's disease robs a person of their memories. Not just everyday memories--like where to find keys or a wallet--but more profound ones, like the names and faces of loved ones. Right now, there's no cure. But one pair of researchers thinks music might help mitigate the effects of the disease. Podcast produced by Rebecca Cheung. 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 about memory and the brain, go to pbs.org/nova/body

In this podcast, engineer Bruce Carmichael from the National Center for Atmospheric Research describes how new weather forecasting technology could make flights over oceans safer. Podcast produced 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. To learn more about aviation safety, go to pbs.org/nova/space

NOVA Minutes are regular radio features that air three times per week on 89.7 WGBH-FM in Boston. In this episode, hear naturalist E.O. Wilson give his thoughts on the ways humans interact with the natural world. Produced by David Levin. Original interview by Gail Willumsen. 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. Learn more at pbs.org/nova/eowilson