Why does thinking too hard ruin your rhythm? Neuroscientist Heather Berlin unpacks the science of flow states, explaining why mastery means trusting your brain’s hidden systems to do what they do best.

For more, check out the extended interview with Heather Berlin.

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Black holes can be bigger on the inside than they are on the outside. Astrophysicist Janna Levin explains how this is possible, and what that means about how black holes work.

For more, check out the extended interview with Janna Levin.

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Are we really in control of our own minds? Research suggests our sense of control may be far more fragile – and far stranger – than we imagine. From moments when the body seems to act without us, to the eerie ways our brains can warp what we think we’ve heard, scientists are uncovering a picture of the mind that’s anything but straightforward. And beneath it all lies a surprising discovery: the brain is less an observer of reality than a prediction engine, forever guessing what comes next.

To watch the full film, visit https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/series/your-brain/

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What’s the difference between a fact, a law, and a theory? Mineralogist Robert Hazen and astrobiologist Michael Wong unpack the hierarchy of scientific ideas and reveal how laws of nature elegantly unify the universe.

For more, check out the extended interview with Robert Hazen and Michael Wong.

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Sorry, Beyoncé, it turns out microbes rule the world. Microbiologist Peter Girguis explains how to conceptualize just how many microbes are on Earth… and how understanding this helps us look for life on other worlds.

For more, check out the extended interview with Peter Girguis.

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Scientists have discovered the oldest DNA ever found: tiny fragments hidden in the dirt. The idea that soil could hold genetic traces from creatures that vanished millions of years ago seemed impossible – until one researcher had the wild idea to go and look. But how did he find DNA that most scientists thought could never survive? What forgotten worlds can this buried DNA reconstruct? And what might these revelations tell us about our own future on a rapidly changing planet?

To watch the full film, visit here.

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Growth rings on trees can measure time, allowing scientists to date things from the deep past. But, paleobotantist Dr. Kirk Johnson explains why, in the tropics, some trees have no rings.

For more, check out the extended interview with Kirk Johnson.

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Nature has been solving problems for billions of years. Evolutionary biologist Sean B. Carroll reveals why scientists still turn to evolution’s inventions for life-saving breakthroughs, from GLP-1 drugs to statins.

For more, check out the extended interview with Sean B. Carroll.

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