Arts of the Monsoon, commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, takes viewers on a journey into a unique corner of the world, the lands bordering the Indian Ocean, as it explores the connections between Zanzibar and Oman through the eyes of musicians, artists, and cultural experts.
Native America explores the world created by America’s First Peoples. The four part series reaches back 15,000 years to reveal massive cities aligned to the stars, unique systems of science and spirituality, and 100 million people connected by social networks spanning two continents.
With the Galveston landing of U.S. Army Gen. Gordon Granger in 1865, slavery in Texas ended. African bondsmen became freedmen, and women and children likewise became African Americans. Many left the plantations to join freedom colonies; others sought out opportunities in cities and towns. Today, the consequences of gentrification and rising property values challenge new generations.
Can new emission-free electric planes replace our polluting airliners and revolutionize personal transportation in our cities? NOVA takes you for a ride in some impressive prototypes that are already in the air, from speedy single-seat planes that can take off like a helicopter but are half as noisy, to “self-flying” air taxis that are already taking passengers on test flights in Chinese cities.
Cameras in space tell stories of life on our planet from a brand new perspective. Our planet is constantly on the move; from individual animals to powerful weather systems. Follow an elephant family struggling through drought and marvel as thousands of Shaolin Kung-Fu students perform in perfect synchronicity.
From lobster claws and dog teeth to bee stings and snake fangs, every creature depends on a weapon. But some are armed to extremes that make no practical sense. NOVA investigates the riddle of outsize weaponry and uncovers a bold new theory about what triggers an animal arms race.
January, 1547. The King of England's fetid, 400-pound frame lies on his deathbed, his nation left as rotten and broken as his body. Once Europe's most promising and enlightened prince, he squandered Britain's riches on futile wars, tore apart the centuries-old religious certainties of his people, and threw off the shackles of papal authority.
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet tells the story of a man who changed the world 1,400 years ago and now lives in the United States through the lives of the millions of Americans who practice Islam and regard him as God's prophet. It travels in the footsteps of the founder of Islam's Prophet Muhammad to the Arabian Desert and the holy city of Mecca where Muhammad's story unfolded.
Asian Americans is a five-hour film series that chronicles the contributions, and challenges of Asian Americans, the fastest-growing ethnic group in America. Personal histories and new academic research will cast a fresh lens on U.S. history and the role Asian Americans have played in it.
Native American basketry has long been viewed as a community craft, yet the artistic quality and value of these baskets are on par with other fine art. Now Native peoples across the country are revitalizing basketry traditions and the country looks to California as a leader in basket weaving revitalization.