How the Universe Works

Exploring the inner workings of outer space.

A Robot's Guide to Mars

S11 E2

Mars is infested with robots, orbiting the planet and roaming the Martian surface on a mission to uncover its secrets; now, Perseverance joins this dedicated group of machines to uncover if there is, or was ever, life on the Red Planet.

Most Violent Event in the Universe

S11 E3

The collision of two supermassive black holes is the most violent event that can occur in the universe; experts explore where a black hole's energy originates and what really happens when the two most powerful objects in the cosmos clash.

Asteroid: Countdown to Catastrophe

S11 E4

In a fictional scenario set in 2029, an asteroid hurtling towards Earth at 40,000 mph will reduce New York to ashes; examining the hypothetical, experts weigh in to determine what could happen, and how it might be stopped.

Solar System Special

S11 E5

Exploring new discoveries that rewrite the history of the solar system, revealing a complex and violent story that begins with the birth of the sun from the debris of a massive galactic collision to its eventual fate as a lone zombie star.

Secrets of the Cosmic Web

S10 E1

New astronomical research is beginning to reveal an invisible scaffold of dark matter known as the Cosmic Web, an intergalactic network that transformed the universe from a chaotic Big Bang into the structured beauty of the present day cosmos.

Curse of the Cosmic Rays

S10 E2

Cosmic rays capable of destroying human DNA are hurtling through outer space like subatomic bullets, causing space crews radiation damage.

Hunt for Dark Matter

S10 E4

Dark Matter is thought to be the cosmic glue that holds the universe together, yet the search for it continues to eluded scientists today.

Dark History of Earth

S10 E6

Earth's history is marked by one cosmic disaster after another, forging the path of human evolution; now, experts explore how the Earth has teetered on the verge of destruction.

Journey to a Black Hole

S9 E1

The heart of the M87 supermassive black hole, the first and only black hole ever photographed; the mystery of how it grew so large, what lies inside, and how it controls the entire galaxy.

Mission to a Comet

S9 E2

The Rosetta mission is a groundbreaking expedition to land on a comet for the very first time; special access reveals what this cutting-edge journey discovers and how these mysterious objects help create life on Earth.

Aliens of the Microcosmos

S9 E4

The hidden kingdom of microscopic alien organisms shapes the universe as much as galaxies, stars, and planets; new discoveries reveal how bacteria, viruses and other micro-organisms built life on Earth and influence humanity's future in the cosmos.

Curse of the White Dwarf

S9 E5

White dwarfs are small, dead stars with a dangerous side, and they are capable of exploding into supernovas and destroying planets; new research suggests these mysterious phenomena may be the key to understanding the universe itself.

War of the Galaxies

S9 E6

Galaxies are locked in continual combat across the universe, and the Milky Way will face its biggest opponent ever, the Andromeda Galaxy, in a titanic and deadly struggle that could create a new and unrecognizable super galaxy.

The Next Supernova

S9 E7

The galaxy is full of stars ready to explode into supernovas, a stellar detonation powerful enough to destroy all life on Earth; it's an event that hasn't occurred in 400 years, and the search is on to locate which star may be next.

Secret Lives of Neutrinos

S9 E8

Neutrinos are the most mysterious particles in the universe, and they power some of the most explosive events in the cosmos; new discoveries reveal how these ghosts pass through objects undetected and why they could be the reason humans exist.

Birth of the Monster Black Holes

S9 E9

New discoveries reveal an astonishing supermassive black hole that was born during the earliest days of the cosmos, and finding out how this giant grew so large so quickly may help to explain the very formation of the universe itself.

Gravitational Waves Revealed

S9 E10

Gravitational waves are helping scientists explore the cosmos in revolutionary, new ways, and the discoveries they make are revealing the universe's greatest mysteries.

Mystery of Alien Worlds

S9 E11

An explosion in the discovery of exoplanets is challenging everything we know about our universe; experts use cutting-edge astronomy to investigate these mysterious alien worlds and how they defy the laws of physics.

Asteroid Apocalypse: The New Threat

S8 E1

If a massive asteroid collides with Earth, it could end life on the planet as one knows it; new discoveries reveal just how close civilization is to apocalypse and what it would take for the world's leading space agencies to stop it.

NASA's Journey to Mars

S8 E2

NASA plans to send humans to Mars within just 15 years, but to reach this next frontier of space exploration, experts must discover new technology and cutting-edge science that protects astronauts from the Red Planet's deadliest killers.

Hunt for Alien Evidence

S8 E3

The discovery of extraterrestrial life might face an impossible challenge: the physics of the universe itself; using cutting-edge tech, experts might be on the verge of a groundbreaking find, and the evidence could already be in hand.

Death of the Last Stars

S8 E4

The universe's stars are dying off faster than new ones are born; using the latest technology, experts investigate the secrets of the last stars of the cosmos and what this stellar apocalypse means for life on Earth.

Secrets of Time Travel

S8 E5

Time travel may be more possible now than ever imagined, and today, cutting-edge technology and the latest research into black holes and wormholes is helping experts get much closer to discovering how to travel through time.

When NASA Met Jupiter

S8 E6

NASA's Juno spacecraft is part of a cutting-edge mission to explore the mysteries of Jupiter; as this mighty probe is pummeled with deadly radiation, it gathers new data that could change everything we know about the solar system's biggest planet.

Monsters of the Milky Way

S8 E8

The center of the Milky Way is home to strange and deadly phenomena that is difficult to understand; with the help of science, experts reveal how the black hole, the galaxy's core, shapes life on Earth.

Earth's Death Orbit

S8 E9

Earth's journey through the universe is a perilous one; new discoveries reveal that the planet is heading toward a mysterious area of the cosmos.

Nightmares of Neutron Stars

S7 E1

Neutron stars are strange and violent phenomena that defy the laws of physics, and new discoveries reveal that these bizarre nightmares are far more deadly than previously believed, with the power to destroy planets and even other stars.

When Supernovas Strike

S7 E2

Supernovas are the violent death of giant stars, and new discoveries reveal that these cataclysmic events create the elements that are essential to all life in the universe.

The Interstellar Mysteries

S7 E3

Discoveries about interstellar space, the space between the universe's stars, reveal that it's not empty and unremarkable as previously thought, but filled with weird objects and strange phenomena that might hold the darkest secrets of the cosmos.

How Black Holes Made Us

S7 E4

Black holes are not the violent monsters people think they are, and new discoveries reveal that they might have been essential to creating stars, giving light, and building the universe itself.

Secret World of Nebulas

S7 E5

Nebulas are the strange structures of cosmic gas and dust where stars are born and die, and new discoveries reveal the secrets of these mysterious places.

Battle of the Dark Universe

S7 E7

Dark matter and dark energy are locked in an epic battle for control of the cosmos, and the winner will determine the fate of the universe; new discoveries might reveal which force will emerge victorious.

Hunt for Alien Life

S7 E8

The latest discoveries suggest life beyond this planet; scientists investigate if earth's life began elsewhere in the universe, and whether humans need to evolve to know for sure.

Finding the New Earth

S7 E9

New discoveries have revealed thousands of exoplanets beyond the solar system, and some resemble earth enough that one could be a new home for humanity; with cutting-edge technology, finding the perfect one is the scientific challenge of the age.

Cassini's Final Secrets

S7 E10

For twenty years, NASA's Cassini spacecraft revealed the strange secrets of Saturn until it vaporized in its atmosphere in a blaze of glory; but today its legacy lives on, as fresh data from the probe helps scientists make brand-new discoveries.

Are Black Holes Real?

S6 E1

Cosmologists say there are black holes throughout the Universe, but they've never seen one and it's almost impossible to study them directly.

Twin Suns: The Alien Mysteries

S6 E2

Star systems with binary stars, once relegated to science-fiction, may actually exist and serve as ideal places for alien life to thrive.

Dark History of the Solar System

S6 E3

The solar system hides a dark and violent past, and new discoveries reveal that Earth and the planets were formed from the destruction of strange alien worlds.

Death of the Milky Way

S6 E4

Experts utilize the latest science and discoveries to investigate the cause of the Milky Way galaxy's gradual death.

Uranus & Neptune: Rise of the Ice Giants

S6 E5

Uranus and Neptune are mysterious, icy worlds at the edge of the solar system; new discoveries reveal that these strange planets may have helped start life on Earth.

The Quasar Engima

S6 E7

Quasars are the brightest and most powerful objects in the universe, and though they have shaped the cosmos, they might ultimately destroy everything that exists.

Strange Lives of Dwarf Planets

S6 E8

Our solar system is home to hundreds of strange, tiny worlds called dwarf planets, and new discoveries reveal the secrets of these mysterious places.

War on Asteroids

S6 E9

Scientists use cutting-edge technology to stop an asteroid apocalypse; mankind comes closer to keeping Earth safe from killer space rocks.

Mystery of Spacetime

S6 E10

Spacetime is the secret structure that controls our universe, and this strange four-dimensional substance controls time, light, and energy; it will also determine how our universe will end.

Mystery of Planet 9

S5 E2

Scientists have discovered a mysterious ninth planet ten times the size of Earth on the very edge of the solar system; this strange world could have moons with extraterrestrial life.

Black Holes: The Secret Origin

S5 E3

Recent evidence could explain how supermassive black holes grow so big; neither dark matter nor cannibalism can fully explain these beasts, but the latest science may finally provide an answer.

Secret History of Pluto

S5 E4

The first close-up images of Pluto reveal secrets; scientists investigate if Pluto is home to a warm ocean of liquid water beneath its surface and whether this underground ocean could harbor life.

Stars That Kill

S5 E5

Exploring the real-life death stars in the cosmos that could snuff out Earth without much effort; the science of the destructive power behind six of the deadliest stars; vampire stars, supernovas and rogue stars.

The Universe's Deadliest

S5 E6

The universe is a dangerous place; exploring the deadliest spots in the cosmos; between earth and the edge of the universe, there are a million ways to die; a crash test dummy is on a mission.

Life & Death on the Red Planet

S5 E7

The evolution of life on Mars before a series of cataclysmic events transformed the planet from a watery world to a hostile one; scientists believe life will find a way to continue despite the setbacks.

Strangest Alien Worlds

S5 E9

Discoveries of new planets have revealed countless worlds much stranger than Earth; some of these strange worlds don't have stars and others are made out of diamonds.

Venus: Earth's Evil Twin

S4 E2

There is a planet in the solar system covered in thick, dense clouds and roasted by colossal temperatures, and is a vision of Earth's future; taking a look at Venus to understand how Earth will be destroyed.

Edge of the Solar System

S4 E4

Huge magnetic bubbles millions of miles wide; strange invisible matter, and a death star tearing through bands of icy comets, flinging them into violent orbits.