Nova scienceNow: Season 5 (2011)

Hosted by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, this program from PBS examines the prospect of sending humans on a trip to Mars that could last as long as two to three years. Though the dangers of this potential journey include bone and muscle deterioration, cosmic radiation, and the threat of meteoroids, new scientific innovations are being designed to circumvent such problems. The episode also features scientist Vandi Verma, who is part of the team responsible for directing Mars rovers over the planet's harsh terrain.

This series of programs from Nova ScienceNow explores the topic of longevity, with segments on such varied topics as a man who kept his 1966 Volvo running for over 2.7 million miles, scientists working on "growing" body parts from cell samples in the lab, the discovery of a gene that seems to help determine lifespan, and more.

This release from NOVA scienceNOW offers a collection of four documentaries exploring the fascinating inner workings of the brain, with programs examining how the way the visual interpretation of information is used in magic and sleight of hand, the efforts of scientists to replicate human logic in artificial intelligence, the role of magnetism in "mind control," and the research of neuroscientist David Eagleman.

This release from NOVA scienceNOW offers a series of short documentaries, all focusing on the intelligence of animals, detailing amazing advancements in scientific research, like the discovery that the dog brain is remarkably similar to a human's, observations revealing that dolphins are capable of advanced communication, and more.

This documentary from NOVA scienceNOW presents a number of short segments on the topic of origins, exploring questions like the conditions that first created life, and the precursors to DNA, the birth of our solar system as we know it, the role lice played in the story of human evolution, and more.