This Week On NOVA ----

“"Ghost in Your Genes"

And a little something extra for you NOVA FANS:
See below for Special DVD Offer -- Two NOVAs for the price of one

http://www.pbs.org/nova/genes

Tuesday, October 16 at 8 p.m.
Check your local listings as dates and times may vary.
(Broadcast in High Definition where available.)

Scientists have long puzzled over the different fates of identical
twins: both have the same genes, yet only one may develop a serious
disease like cancer or autism. What's going on? Does something else
besides genes determine who we are? The "something else" turns out to
be a network of chemical switches that sit on our DNA, turning genes
off and on. Called collectively the epigenome, the switches appear to
play a major role in everything from how our cells keep their
identity to whether we contract dread diseases. Epigenetic switches
may even help mold our personalities. NOVA explores these startling
possibilities in "Ghost in Your Genes."

Here's what you'll find on the companion Web site:

Epigenetic Therapy
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genes/issa.html
Dr. Jean-Pierre Issa examines the connection between epigenetics,
aging, and cancer.

Ask the Expert
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genes/expert.html
Geneticist Randy Jirtle answers questions about how our
lifestyles, via epigenetics, can impact the health of our
children, and more.

A Tale of Two Mice
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genes/mice.html
In this audio slide show, hear how the epigenome can make
identical-twin mice appear so different.

Gene Switches
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/genes/fate.html
Not all switches are epigenetic. As this slide show reveals, some
are genetic -- and amazingly powerful.

Also, a video preview of the program, Links & Books, the program
transcript, and a teacher's guide:

http://www.pbs.org/nova/genes

_____________________________________________________________________

SPECIAL DVD OFFER - Two NOVAs for the price of one

For a limited time, subscribers to the NOVA Bulletin can take
advantage of a special offer from the people who bring you NOVA. Buy
any NOVA DVD and get a second one for free. Buy as many NOVAs as you
wish. Visit:

http://shop.wgbh.org

before midnight November 4 (EST) and enter code NOVA12 during
checkout. Remember, your purchase supports NOVA and public
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colleague, or family member who may want to take advantage of this
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Note: This offer is valid through midnight (EST) November 4, and you
must enter code NOVA12 to receive the discount. The offer cannot be
combined with any other promotions, does not apply to shipping and
handling, and only applies to products in the NOVA category. The
"Free NOVA" promotion is automatically applied to the item of lesser
value.









                                  BOO!







”

“BOW-WOW!

><”

“Qu'est-ce que c'est?

                       (WTF)

 ”

“><,OOOOOO,>

Run Forest!!”

“Now that looks like a cross between a fish and a Dachshund....


Dogfish?   Wha-?”

“Uh huh, it'll bite your head off!”

“Just as long as it doesn't get in my genes ----”

“Next on NOVA: "NOVA scienceNOW"

Wednesday, June 25 at 9 p.m.
(Check your local listings as dates and times may vary.)

Host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson examines new findings on
dark matter, regaining lost memories, the art and science of digital
forensics, and how a crowd can prove "smarter" than each of its
individual members.

Dark Matter
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/01.html
Turns out most of the universe is held together by a mysterious,
invisible substance.

Of Mice and Memory
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/02.html
Mice placed in enriched environments can recover lost memories,
giving hope to those who study Alzheimer's.

Profile: Hany Farid
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/03.html
This self-proclaimed "accidental scientist" is a digital
detective inventing new ways to tell if photos have been faked.

Wisdom of the Crowds
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/04.html
Ask enough people to estimate something, and the average of their
guesses will get you surprisingly close to the right answer.

The journey continues on the NOVA scienceNOW Web site. Watch the
entire hour-long episode online starting June 26. E-mail scientists
from the broadcast with your questions. Explore a virtual world with
eight elements that may be critical for aging people to maintain
their mental health, try to tell real from digitally faked photos,
and watch video extras.

Also, Links & Books, the program transcript, and more:

http://www.pbs.org/nova/sciencenow”

“When are they going to have backpacking?”

“One of these days.”

“Maybe they'll have "Backpacking With The Stars".

or... "The Backpackerette".”

“
------------------ NEXT week ----------------------

It's a repeat, but it's a Real Cool One.




Next on NOVA: "Kings of Camouflage"

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/camo/

Tuesday, August 12 at 8 p.m.
(Check your local listings as dates and times may vary.)

Join NOVA on a voyage beneath the waves, where you'll discover a
bizarre, alien-like creature like no other. It's an animal with
eight sucker-covered arms growing out of its head, three hearts
pumping its blue-green blood, and a doughnut-shaped brain. It has
the ability to change its color and shape to blend in with seaweed
and rocks, and it has a knack for switching on electrifying light
shows that dazzle its prey. Perhaps most surprising of all, this
animal is quite intelligent, with a highly complex brain. In "Kings
of Camouflage," underwater cameras capture the extraordinary,
transformative powers of the cuttlefish.

Here's what you'll find on the companion Web site:

Quick Change Artists
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/camo/change.html
See how cuttlefish use their powers for much more than staying
hidden.

Anatomy of a Cuttlefish
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/camo/anatomy.html
Blue-green blood? Three hearts? Explore what sets cuttlefish
apart from other animals.

Spineless Smarts
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/camo/boal.html
Animal behaviorist Jean Boal ponders what cephalopods might
teach us about our own intellect.

Mating Trickery
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/camo/mating.html
Cuttlefish aren't the only wily suitors in the animal kingdom,
as this slide show reveals.

”

“And they have eyes like Species 8472.”

“Let me guess, that's the number of cuttlefish that've died in the war on terror.”

“Hmmm. I thought all they ever did was fund raising telethons and DNC panel shows.”

“just for you crash ;) (not that i'm telling you what to watch)



In this landmark two-hour special, NOVA takes viewers on a fascinating scientific journey that began 3,000 years ago and continues today. The film presents the latest archeological scholarship from the Holy Land to explore the beginnings of modern religion and the origins of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Old Testament.

This archeological detective story tackles some of the biggest questions in biblical studies: Where did the ancient Israelites come from? Who wrote the Bible, when, and why? How did the worship of one God—the foundation of modern Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—emerge?

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bible/”

“
Next on NOVA: "Extreme Ice"

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/

Tuesday, March 24 at 8 p.m.
(Check your local listings as dates and times may vary. Broadcast in
high definition where available.)

Remarkable time-lapse footage by James Balog, one of the world's
foremost nature photographers, reveals massive glaciers and ice
sheets splitting apart, collapsing, and disappearing at a rate that
has more and more scientists alarmed. This NOVA-National Geographic
Television special investigates the latest evidence of a radically
warming planet.

Here's what you'll find on the companion Web site:

Ask the Expert
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/ask.html
Arctic glacier expert James White answers viewer questions.

Mapping Sea-Level Rise
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/rise.html
See the impact on the world's coastlines if Greenland's ice sheet
melted.

Photographing the Big Melt
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/melt.html
James Balog describes his Extreme Ice Survey in this audio slide
show.

On Thin Ice in the Bering Sea
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/thinice.html
Watch a short video series on how the melting is affecting Yup'ik
Eskimos.

Also, Links & Books, the Teacher's Guide, the program transcript,
and more:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/”

“
NOVA PRESENTS
Ghosts of Machu Picchu
Tuesday, February 2 at 8pm ET/PT on NOVA

Perched atop a mountain crest, mysteriously abandoned more than four
centuries ago, Machu Picchu is the most famous archeological ruin in
the Western Hemisphere and an iconic symbol of the power and
engineering prowess of the Inca. In the years since Machu Picchu was
discovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, there have been countless
theories about this "Lost City of the Incas," yet it remains an
enigma. Why did the Incas build it on such an inaccessible site,
clinging to the steep face of a mountain? Who lived among its stone
buildings, farmed its emerald green terraces, and drank from its
sophisticated aqueduct system? NOVA joins a new generation of
archeologists as they probe areas of Machu Picchu that haven't been
touched since the time of the Incas and unearth burials of the
people who built the sacred site. "Ghosts of Machu Picchu" explores
the extraordinary trail of clues that began on that fateful day in
1911 and continues to the present.

Find out how the Inca Empire became as vast as the Roman in just
over a century, compare images of battle-ready Incas and
conquistadors, and more on the program's companion website.

Watch the program online beginning February 3.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/machupicchu/

_____________________________________________________________________

Secret Life of Scientists: Gavin Schmidt

Climatologist Gavin Schmidt describes the joys of juggling,
unicycling, and circus tricks of all sorts. Send in your questions
for Gavin now.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/secretlife/scientists/gavin-schmidt/show/ask-gavin-your-questions/

_____________________________________________________________________

NOVA HIGHLIGHTS

Check out "Making Stuff: Stronger, Smaller, Smarter, Cleaner" hosted
by David Pogue on Inside NOVA "Making Stuff", a NOVA-in-production,
hosted by New York Times personal technology columnist David Pogue
recently filmed at the annual fall meeting of the Materials Research
Society (MRS), our partner in creating "Making Stuff." Our host hit
the floor of the Hynes Convention Center in Boston ready to tackle
some tough questions. Read production assistant Daniel Parsons blog
on "Inside NOVA" for a behind the scenes look at this four-part
series.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/insidenova/author/daniel-parsons/

_____________________________________________________________________

Share your Pearl Harbor story

What are your memories of Pearl Harbor? We'd like to hear your
story. Were you or someone you know a witness to the Pearl Harbor
attack? Did you hear news of it from afar or from an older
generation? Read about other's Pearl Harbor experiences or share
your story through text, photos and/or video.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/killersubs/

_____________________________________________________________________

Remember, most NOVA episodes stream on our website the day after the
premiere, so if you missed any broadcast, you can catch it at:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/programs

”

“OOoohh. Looks awesome! Will have to watch on-line...”

“A tourist walked into a Chinese curio shop in San Francisco. While looking around at the exotic merchandise, he noticed a very lifelike, life-sized, bronze statue of a rat. It had no price tag, but was so incredibly striking the tourist decided he must have it. He took it to the old shop owner and asked, "How much for the bronze rat?" "Ahhh, you have chosen wisely! It is $12 for the rat, $100 for the story," said the wise old Chinaman.


The tourist quickly pulled out twelve dollars. "I'll just take the rat, you can keep the story".


As he walked down the street carrying his bronze rat, the tourist noticed that a few real rats had crawled out of the alleys and sewers and had begun following him down the street. This was a bit disconcerting so he began walking faster.


A couple of blocks later he looked behind him and saw to his horror the herd of rats behind him had grown to hundreds, and they began squealing.


Sweating now, the tourist began to trot toward the bay. Again, after a couple blocks, he looked around only to discover that the rats now numbered in the MILLIONS, and were squealing and coming toward him faster and faster. Terrified, he ran to the edge of the bay and threw the bronze rat as far as he could into the bay.


Amazingly, the millions of rats all jumped into the Bay after the bronze rat, and were all drowned.


The man walked back to the curio shop in Chinatown. "Ahhh," said the owner, "You have come back for story?"
"No sir," said the man, "I came back to see if you have a bronze Democrat."”

“
NOVA PRESENTS
Extreme Cave Diving
Tuesday, February 9 at 8pm ET/PT on NOVA

"Extreme Cave Diving" follows a fearless team of scientists as they
venture into blue holes--underwater caves that formed during the
last ice age, when sea level was nearly 400 feet below what it is
today. These caves, little-known treasures of the Bahamas, are one
of Earth's least explored and perhaps most dangerous frontiers. The
interdisciplinary team of biologists, climatologists, and
anthropologists, led by renowned cave explorer Kenny Broad, discover
intriguing evidence of the earliest human inhabitants of the
islands, find animals seen nowhere else on Earth, and recover a
remarkable record of the planet's climate. The stakes are high as
the scientists swim hundreds of feet through narrow, dark passages
that have trapped and killed divers in the past, but the scientific
payoff is considerable.

Find out what drives scientists to delve into flooded caves where
they face rock falls, nitrogen narcosis, and even drowning. See a
slideshow of "blue holes" animals seen nowhere else on the planet,
and more on the program's companion website.

Watch the program online beginning February 10.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/cavedive/

_____________________________________________________________________

Secret Life of Scientists: Erika Ebbel

Meet Erika Ebbel, a former beauty pageant queen and founder of the
WhizKids Foundation. Send in your questions for Erika now.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/secretlife/scientists/erika-ebbel/show/ask-erika-your-questions/

_____________________________________________________________________


NOVA HIGHLIGHTS

NOVA in Haiti
As soon as producer Kirk Wolfinger hit the ground in Haiti, all that
he planned in advance for this shoot flew out the window. His
filming in Haiti was a chaotic success and is the entry point for a
much bigger story that NOVA hopes to tell: can we ever forecast an
earthquake? Get a behind the scenes look at his shoot on Inside NOVA
and check out Wolfinger's field notes from Haiti on the science
behind predicting earthquakes.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/insidenova/2010/02/in-the-field-in-haiti.html

”