As state-legalized cannabis spreads, NOVA investigates the latest scientific evidence for its potential benefits and risks, and how criminalization has disproportionately harmed communities of color.

Trace the improbable journey of Robert Shaw's life and career, from his childhood as a preacher's son in rural California through his meteoric rise as a star of popular music during the Great Depression. An early champion of civil rights, his chorales were among the first to break the color barrier in the American South.

In summer 2017, three monster hurricanes swept in from the Atlantic one after another, shattering storm records and killing hundreds of people. Dive into the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. How can scientists better predict these storms, and what does the 2017 season tell us about the likelihood of similar storms in the future?

Journey to the seemingly idyllic world of Native Hawaiians, where communities are surrounded by experimental test sites and pesticides sprayed upwind of their neighborhoods. The film details the ongoing struggle to advance bold new legislation governing the fate of their island home.

Do we control our fat, or does it control us? Scientists are coming to understand fat as a fascinating and dynamic organ, one whose size has more to do with biological processes than personal choices. Through real-life stories of hunter-gatherers, sumo wrestlers, and supermodels, explore the complex functions of fat and the role it plays in controlling hunger, hormones, and even reproduction.

"... [A] look inside the controversial religion from Academy Award-winner Alex Gibney. The film profiles eight former members of the Church of Scientology, exploring the psychological impact of blind faith, how the church attracts new followers and keeps hold of its A-list celebrity devotees."--Container.

"Africa's Great Civilizations In his six-hour series, Africa's Great Civilizations, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. takes a new look at the history of Africa, from the birth of humankind to the dawn of the 20th century. This is a breathtaking and personal journey through two hundred thousand years of history, from the origins, on the African continent, of art, writing, and civilization itself, through the millennia in which Africa and Africans shaped not only...

An unvarnished look at the unlikely author whose autobiographical fiction helped shape American ideas of the frontier and self-reliance. A Midwestern farm woman who published her first novel at age 65, Laura Ingalls Wilder transformed her frontier childhood into the best-selling Little House series.

A comprehensive investigation of how Donald Trump defied expectations to win the presidency. Through revealing interviews with campaign insiders and key players, this documentary tells the inside story of how, despite historically high unfavorability ratings, Trump successfully tapped into the frustration and calls for change in order to win the election. The film examines how Trump rallied millions of supporters and defeated his adversaries -- and...

What goes on behind-the-scenes to get the manners of 1900s Britain exactly right on Downton Abbey? Discover the secrets of how the aristocratic set dined and dressed, how they married and made money, how they interacted with the servants, and above all why they behaved as they did. Includes revealing interviews with leading cast members.