logo
episode-header-image
Feb 4
1m 8s

How Many Microbes Live on Earth? | Peter...

NOVA
About this episode
Sorry, Beyoncé, it turns out microbes rule the world. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains how to conceptualize just how many microbes are on Earth… and how understanding this helps us look for life on other worlds.  For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Up next
Yesterday
What Exactly Is a Law of Nature? | Robert Hazen & Michael Wong
What’s the difference between a fact, a law, and a theory? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong unpack the hierarchy of scientific ideas and reveal how laws of nature elegantly unify the universe.For more, check out the extended interview with Robert Hazen an ... Show More
2m 33s
Feb 3
Hunt for the Oldest DNA
Scientists have discovered the oldest DNA ever found: tiny fragments hidden in the dirt. The idea that soil could hold genetic traces from creatures that vanished millions of years ago seemed impossible – until one researcher had the wild idea to go and look. But how did he find ... Show More
19m 48s
Jan 28
Why Tropical Trees Don’t Have Rings | Kirk Johnson
Growth rings on trees can measure time, allowing scientists to date things from the deep past. But, paleobotantist Dr. Kirk Johnson explains why, in the tropics, some trees have no rings.For more, check out the extended interview with Kirk Johnson.Learn more about NOVA and subscr ... Show More
1 m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
A Glimpse into the Past: 3 Billion Years After the Big Bang | Space Nuts 349
Get ready to explore a 10 billion year old mystery! A closely bound duo of energetic quasars, the hallmark of a pair of merging galaxies, have been discovered when the Universe was only 3 billion years old. What secrets do these quasars hold and why have they lasted so long? Join ... Show More
52m 38s
Apr 2019
Will we ever know what the universe is made of?
We are all made of particles – but what are particles made of? It’s a question that’s been perplexing scientists for centuries - for so long, in fact, that listener Doug in Canada wants to know if there’s a limit to how much they can ever discover. CrowdScience heads out to CERN, ... Show More
35m 25s
Aug 2023
Mapping the universe
A rocket launch, super-massive black holes and ghost particles! This past week’s scientific findings are testament to how hard-at-work cosmologists and physicists have been seeking out the fundamental building blocks of our universe and the rules that govern it. Professor of Cosm ... Show More
35m 18s
May 2024
#419: Blue Horizons & Fairy Floss Planets: Unveiling the Universe's Softest Secrets
Embark on a celestial journey with Andrew Dunkley and Professor Fred Watson in this episode of Space Nuts, where they explore a variety of space phenomena that are as intriguing as they are mysterious. Firstly, they discuss Blue Origin's return to the stars with NS-25, a mission ... Show More
30m 45s
Mar 2021
164. Neil deGrasse Tyson — Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
<p>In this thought-provoking conversation on life, the universe, and everything, Neil deGrasse Tyson tackles the world's most important philosophical questions about the universe with wit, wisdom, and cutting-edge science. For science geeks, space and physics nerds, and all who w ... Show More
1h 47m
Feb 2024
#390: Wormholes, Black Holes, and Blue Giants: Your Space Questions Answered
Are you ready to uncover the mind-bending secrets of our universe? Join us as we reveal the unexpected truth about the formation of habitable planets and the potential for multiple habitable worlds within a single solar system. You won't believe how many habitable planets could e ... Show More
53m 2s
Nov 2020
The end of everything
Everyone knows about the Big Bang being the beginning of the universe and time - but when and how is it going to end? ask brothers Raffie and Xe from Rome. For this series, with lockdown learning in mind, Drs Rutherford and Fry are investigating scientific mysteries for students ... Show More
27m 19s