This is fact: Marilyn Sheppard was murdered in 1954. The rest of the crime is a haunting question mark. The Sheppard case led to the infamous trial–and re-trial–of her husband, Dr. Sam Sheppard, and launched the legal career of lawyer F. Lee Bailey. But who was the killer? Dr. Sheppard’s insistence that a mysterious stranger was the real murderer led to his eventual acquittal xx years after the murder and inspired the plot of The Fugitive. Now, nearly 50 years later, NOVA reopens America’s most intriguing unsolved murder case.
Producers: WGBH
-
Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine
The challenge of rebuilding the Wright Brothers’ Flying Machine. Discover how the Wright Brothers transformed themselves from bicycle mechanics to high-flying inventors who built a machine that changed the world during a mythical flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903, and see how they contrived to refine their incredible aircraft. Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to the NOVA Web site; closed captions; and video descriptions.
-
Hunt for the Supertwister
Little on this earth can withstand the violent fury of an F5 tornado. A churning vortex with winds over 300 miles an hour, these tornadoes create immense swaths of death and destruction in a matter of seconds. But today, experts are exploring the supertwister’s complex inner workings in bold new ways in the hopes of one day being able to accurately predict the occurrences of tornadoes. Armed with the latest high-tech mobile radar and computer technology as well as large amounts of courage, the world’s top scientists and meteorologists take part in some of the most dangerous fieldwork imaginable. Operating just miles from ferocious twisters, they gather data and create forecasting models that may someday save countless lives. Join these fearless stormchasers as they untwist mysteries and close in on a breakthrough that may solve the puzzle of how these killer storms spawn and where they are likely to strike. And venture into America’s “Tornado Alley” region from Texas to the Dakotas to witness some of the most shockingly intense tornado footage ever filmed.
-
Dying to Be Thin
Dying To Be Thin introduces you to students, ballet dancers, fashion models and other young women who are seeking recovery or have conquered their disease. Plus, you’ll discover how leading eating disorder specialists are making dramatic advances in the diagnosis and treatment of these two devastating diseases. Go behind the scenes with NOVA for a courageous and candid look at America’s body obsession.
-
Man, A Plan, A Canal, Panama
A 30-year dream. A 50-mile shortcut. A timeless achievement. A 50-mile shortcut to the Pacific lying just north of the equator is one of the most extraordinary human achievements ever. The building of the Panama Canal was a massive feat of engineering and ingenuity that cost millions of dollars and thousands of lives. NOVA offers a unique opportunity to explore the mind-boggling undertaking through historic film footage, rare archival photographs and insightful narration from author David McCullough.
-
Secrets of Lost Empires II: Medieval Siege
Discover how the fearsome, mechanized marvel known as the trebuchet catapulted warfare in different directions in Medieval Siege. Travel back to the Middle Ages and relive a fascinating turning point in warfare and medieval history.
-
Welcome to Mars – DVD
On January 3, 2004, a tiny rover named Spirit crash-landed on the dusty surface of Mars and sent its first message home. The elation of the assembled scientists, as well as the behind-the-scenes engineering story leading up to the landing were captured by NOVA in its hugely popular documentary MARS Dead or Alive. That elation is the starting point for the highly anticipated sequel, Welcome to Mars, which follows the adventures of Spirit and Opportunity on the red planet. Once again, NOVA’s producers enjoyed unprecedented access to the mission scientists at JPL as they wrestled with the technical crises that soon beset the rovers. Welcome to Mars presents a compelling inside story of triumph and technical ingenuity, full of scientfic and human drama, with stunning fresh images from an alien world.
-
A Science Odyssey
Join host Charles Osgood in this extraordinary chronicle of 20th-century scientific adventures. Viewers journey through 100 years of discovery, combining historical footage, interviews and animation. “Matters of Life and Death” includes the key topics of fighting disease, penicillin, insulin, surgery and organ transplants. (9:20 hrs. on 5 discs)
-
The Elegant Universe
It’s the holy grail of physics–the search for ultimate law and order in the universe. And in the last few years, excitement has grown among scientists as they’ve pursued a revolutionary new approach to unifying nature’s forces. It’s called string theory and, to the uninitiated, it’s totally mind-boggling. But physicist Brian Greene has a rare gift for conveying physics in vivid everyday images, a gift that has turned his recent book The Elegant Universe into a mighty bestseller, and now Greene brings his talent and vitality to this documentary. Special DVD features include: materials and activities for educators; a link to The Elegant Universe Web site; closed captions; and video descriptions. (3 hrs. on 2 discs)
-
Everest: The Death Zone
Get ready for a (literally) breathtaking trek up Mt. Everest, from Base Camp at 17,600 feet; through the chilling, corpse-strewn Death Zone; to the very pinnacle of the the Earth, five and a half miles above sea level. For those brave souls who survive the harrowing climb to the top of the world, it is a transformative experience. But can the excruciating ascent–through frigid cold, blasting wind, blinding sun, and severe lack of oxygen–cause permanent, damaging changes to the human brain and body? Special DVD features include: Access to the Everest: The Death Zone Web site; chapter search; English audiotrack; subtitles.