The BEST episodes of NOVA season 10

Every episode of NOVA season 10, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of NOVA season 10!

Helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines.

Last Updated: 11/23/2024Network: PBSStatus: Continuing
star
9.90
31 votes

#1 - The Miracle of Life

Season 10 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/15/1983

A documentary that shows the actual conception and development of a baby. It looks inside the male and female reproductive organs to show the formation of sperm and the passage of a fertilized egg through the fallopian tube. Uses a microscope to observe DNA, chromosomes, and other minute body details building up to the moment of birth.

Directors: Mikael Agaton
Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
star
8.50
2 votes

#2 - The Pleasure of Finding Things Out

Season 10 - Episode 3 - Aired 1/25/1983

NOVA captivates a remarkably candid portrait of Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman, a man of few pretensions and tremendous personal charm, who speaks with the same passion about a child's toy wagon and the frontiers of subatomic physics.

Watch Now:AmazonApple TV
star
8.33
3 votes

#3 - Hawaii: Crucible of Life

Season 10 - Episode 2 - Aired 1/18/1983

This land of fire and beauty is the most isolated island chain in the world. NOVA cameras uncover an extraordinary world far from the teeming tourist hotels, one filled with unique life forms, but also scarred by tragic extinction.

Watch Now:Amazon
star
8.00
2 votes

#4 - Fat Chance in a Thin World

Season 10 - Episode 8 - Aired 3/22/1983

"Why can't I lose weight?" It's a question many Americans ask themselves everyday. NOVA comes up with some surprising answers about weight and dieting that could have significant impact on our daily lives.

star
8.00
2 votes

#5 - Sixty Minutes to Meltdown

Season 10 - Episode 9 - Aired 3/29/1983

The accident at Three Mile Island made front page news all over the world and rocked the entire nuclear power industry. In this special 90-minute broadcast, NOVA presents a docudrama chronicling the minute-by-minute events leading up to the accident and examines the questions raised about safety confronting nuclear power industry today.

star
7.00
1 votes

#6 - Signs of the Apes, Songs of the Whales

Season 10 - Episode 10 - Aired 10/11/1983

Signs of the Apes, Songs of the Whales is an episode from the PBS science television series Nova in which a group of researchers discusses animal communication. Specifically at issue is whether animals use language. The episode features the trained gorillas Washoe and Koko as well as chimpanzees, orangutans and dolphins.

star
7.00
1 votes

#7 - The Artificial Heart

Season 10 - Episode 11 - Aired 10/18/1983

The Artificial Heart has become the center of debate ever since a procedure was performed, on a Seattle dentist, named Barney Clark. Barney became the first patient ever, to receive a completely artificial heart implant, that allowed him to live for about three months after surgery. The development of the Artificial Heart has become highly scrutized, regarding its safety and costly expense, as well stirred many moral and religous debates

star
7.00
1 votes

#8 - Talking Turtle

Season 10 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/25/1983

Talking Turtle from the show NOVA explores China's controversial one child policy and how it has affected families living in the country. While the government insists it is the best form of population control possible, the Chinese have historically had very large families, which has made the new policy unpopular with the working public.

star
7.00
1 votes

#9 - Papua New Guinea: Anthropology on Trial

Season 10 - Episode 13 - Aired 11/1/1983

Papua New Guinea: Anthropology on Trial is an episode from the eleventh season of the PBS series, NOVA. NOVA is a science-documentary series that has earned over 20 Emmy Awards over the past 25 years. In this episode, the series travels to Papua New Guinea where well-known ethnographers and anthropologists voice their concerns over traditional field-work techniques. A New Guinea native/student also talks about his experiences in California after spending time in America

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7.00
1 votes

#10 - To Live Until You Die: The Work of Elizabeth Kübler-Ross

Season 10 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/8/1983

To Live Until You Die: The Work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross from the show Nova premiered on November 8, 1983. The episode focuses on the life of Dr. Kubler-Ross and examines the groundbreaking work that she performed with the dying. Dr. Kubler-Ross, a psychiatrist, authored the book On Death and Dying and created the Kübler-Ross model, which details the five stages of grief.

star
7.00
1 votes

#11 - A Magic Way of Going: The Story of Thoroughbreds

Season 10 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/15/1983

Is it true that the thoroughbred horse runs faster than any other horse? Horse racing is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry. A magic formula to identify the perfect race horse is elusive. This episode explores the possible combinations of the will to win, stamina and speed needed for victory

star
7.00
1 votes

#12 - A Normal Face: The Wonders of Plastic Surgery

Season 10 - Episode 16 - Aired 11/22/1983

This episode explores a different side of plastic surgery, focusing on the necessary medical procedures it can help to accomplish. Originally aired in 1983, the documentary explores two stories of reconstructive surgery. A disfigured soldier may have a second lease on life, while a child who needs major plastic surgery gets a first shot at life.

star
7.00
1 votes

#13 - Captives of Care

Season 10 - Episode 17 - Aired 11/29/1983

In an Australian medical institution, the patients have severe disabilities. The custodians can be too harsh, ignoring their patients' needs. To the surprise of the people in charge, the patients decide to stand up for themselves and fight back against the unfair treatment. Despite their disabilities, they persevere in their pursuit of humane care.

star
7.00
1 votes

#14 - Twenty-Five Years in Space

Season 10 - Episode 18 - Aired 12/6/1983

To document the twenty-fifth anniversary of America's space program, NOVA takes a look at NASA's successes, failures and the exciting plans it has for the future. Relive accomplishments like the moon landing and disasters like the Apollo I. Highlights include media footage of interviews, newscasts and rare images from NASA's missions and scientific research.

star
7.00
1 votes

#15 - Nuclear Strategy for Beginners

Season 10 - Episode 19 - Aired 12/13/1983

With World War III looming as a very real possibility, NOVA takes a look at nuclear warfare. Myths are dispelled and the harsh realities of nuclear weaponry and the fallout that they cause are explained. With so many nations on edge and tensions running higher every day, can nuclear war be prevented or is it imminent?

star
7.00
1 votes

#16 - The Climate Crisis

Season 10 - Episode 20 - Aired 12/20/1983

The record-breaking temperatures of each consecutive summer may be the result of a general warming up of the Earth's atmosphere. In this episode, Nova examines the changes in global climate and considers the speculations of climate scientists for what may occur in the next century due to humanity's over-consumption of fossil fuels.

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7.00
2 votes

#17 - Eyes Over China

Season 10 - Episode 21 - Aired 12/27/1983

When an American plane lands in China, the local residents are not sure how to react. On the one hand, the plane carries a cutting edge operating theater that can perform delicate and complex eye surgery. On the other hand, Western medicine clashes with Chinese practices, causing controversy and challenges.

star
7.00
1 votes

#18 - The Making of a Natural History Film

Season 10 - Episode 1 - Aired 1/4/1983

To celebrate its 10th broadcast season, NOVA repeats the very first NOVA program every aired, a fascinating and delightful program about how wildlife films are made.

Watch Now:Apple TV
star
7.00
2 votes

#19 - City of Coral

Season 10 - Episode 7 - Aired 3/8/1983

NOVA takes a spellbinding voyage through one of the world's most fascinating and colorful ecosystems: a coral reef, where the line between plants and animals is blurred, "rocks" move, eat and fight, fish farm, and weak animals borrow the shields and weapons of stronger ones.

star
7.00
1 votes

#20 - Asbestos: A Lethal Legacy

Season 10 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/1/1983

Every 58 minutes between now and the end of the century, one American will die from asbestos exposure. NOVA turns its spotlight on the tragic consequences of asbestos use and on the current controversy over who is responsible.

star
7.00
1 votes

#21 - Lassa Fever

Season 10 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/8/1983

A gripping docudrama about a mysterious, highly lethal disease which struck a village in Nigeria in 1969, and the frustrating, seesaw battle against it. NOVA recounts how public health workers came perilously close to accidentally releasing a deadly virus in the US.

Watch Now:Apple TV