The Rise of Drones

The Rise of Drones

2013 · Documentary

Drones. These unmanned flying robots–some as large as jumbo jets, others as small as birds–do things straight out of science fiction. Much of what it takes to get these robotic airplanes to fly, sense, and kill has remained secret. But now, with rare access to drone engineers and those who fly them for the U.S. military, NOVA reveals the amazing technologies that make drones so powerful as we see how a remotely-piloted drone strike looks and feels from inside the command center. From cameras that can capture every detail of an entire city at a glance to swarming robots that can make decisions on their own to giant air frames that can stay aloft for days on end, drones are changing our relationship to war, surveillance, and each other. And it's just the beginning. Discover the cutting edge technologies that are propelling us toward a new chapter in aviation history as NOVA gets ready for "Rise of the Drones."

Directed by Peter Yost · Written by Peter Yost

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Nazi Town, USA

Nazi Town, USA · 2024

MovieDocumentary

In February 1939, more than 20,000 Americans filled Madison Square Garden for an event billed as a “Pro-American Rally.” Images of George Washington hung next to swastikas and speakers railed against the “Jewish controlled media” and called for a return to a racially “pure” America. The keynote speaker was Fritz Kuhn, head of the German American Bund. Nazi Town, USA tells the largely unknown story of the Bund, which had scores of chapters in suburbs and big cities across the country and represented what many believe was a real threat of fascist subversion in the United States. The Bund held joint rallies with the Ku Klux Klan and ran dozens of summer camps for children centered around Nazi ideology and imagery. Its melding of patriotic values with virulent anti-Semitism raised thorny issues that we continue to wrestle with today.

Inside North Korea: The Kim Dynasty

Inside North Korea: The Kim Dynasty · 2018

Inside North Korea: The Kim Dynasty

MovieDocumentary

A deep look inside the current regime of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea under Kim Jong-un, featuring stories from defectors, celebrities, photographers and journalists who have visited in recent years.

Area 51 Declassified

Area 51 Declassified · 2010

Area 51 Declassified

MovieDocumentary

It's the most famous military installation in the world, yet it doesn’t officially exist. Area 51, a site for covert Cold War operations, has long been a magnet for crackpots, conspiracy theorists, and the overly curious. While there may not be truth to the rumors that Area 51 is a haven for UFOs and extraterrestrials, it's clear that our government has been up to something in Area 51 for decades, and it turns out there is a kernel of truth to even some of the wildest speculation. Now, after years of silence, for the first time Area 51 insiders spill their secrets and reveal what has really been going on inside the most secretive place on earth.

Inside North Korea: Then and Now with Lisa Ling

Inside North Korea: Then and Now with Lisa Ling · 2017

Inside North Korea: Then and Now with Lisa Ling

MovieDocumentary

Correspondent Lisa Ling manages to penetrate its border by travelling undercover, pretending to work with a Nepalese eye surgeon on a humanitarian mission. Lisa’s time in North Korea offers a rare glimpse of everyday life in the country and some of the issues its people face.

NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword

NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword · 2012

NOVA: Secrets of the Viking Sword

MovieDocumentaryHistory

The Vikings were the most ferocious warriors of the Middle Ages. Especially fearsome were the select few who wielded a formidable weapon: a light, razor sharp, virtually indestructible sword with its maker's name, Ulfberht, inlaid along the blade.

NOVA

SeriesDocumentary

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.

Inside North Korea

Inside North Korea · 2006

Inside North Korea

MovieDocumentary

Join National Geographic's Lisa Ling as she captures a rare look inside North Korea - something few Americans have ever been able to do. Posing as an undercover medical coordinator and closely guarded throughout her trip, Lisa moves inside the most isolated nation in the world, encountering a society completely dominated by government and dictatorship. Glimpse life inside North Korea as you've never seen before with personal accounts and powerful footage. Witness first-hand efforts by humanitarians and the challenges they face from the rogue regime.

American Experience

American Experience · 1988

American Experience

SeriesDocumentary

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

Clearing the Air: The War on Smog

Clearing the Air: The War on Smog · 2025

Clearing the Air: The War on Smog

MovieDocumentary

In July 1943, dark, smoky clouds suddenly descended over Los Angeles, causing residents to complain of burning eyes, nausea, and difficulty breathing. People couldn’t see across the street and visibility was so bad that cars crashed. With World War II raging, many feared a chemical attack by the Japanese, but it soon became evident that no foreign enemy was to blame. The waves of pollution called “smog” — a combination of “smoke” and “fog” — continued and the cause remained a mystery. It was the beginning of an epic struggle for clean air involving years of scientific investigation and civic pressure, bringing together people across ideological divides in a remarkable example of bipartisanship. Their work would lead to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air Act, which have had an enduring effect on the quality of air Americans breathe.

National Geographic: Inside Sumo's Ultimate Clash

National Geographic: Inside Sumo's Ultimate Clash · 2008

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MovieDocumentary

We meet the highest ranked sumo wrestler, Mongolian Asashoryu. and delve into the hidden culture of this ancient sport. Sumo. More than a sport in Japan, it's a religion. Its history goes back 2000 years, with time-honored Shinto rituals and ceremonies originating from the ancient martial art called "Tegoi". Crashing into this tradition-bound world is Mongolian "outsider" Asashoryu. He's a rule-breaker. A rebel. And much to the chagrin of the sumo-crazy Japanese, he's their reigning champion. To add insult to injury, the Americans are even beefing up to join the sport. And now, for the first time in nearly 15 years, Japanese Grand Sumo is coming to ground zero of the outsider invasion. Hawaii - birthplace to Sumo's first foreign-born grand champion, Akebono. Asashoryu is not any Sumo wrestler. He's the "yokozuna" - or highest ranked. The Muhammad Ali of Sumo. With permission from...

The Two Million Year Old Boy

The Two Million Year Old Boy · 2011

The Two Million Year Old Boy

MovieDocumentary

A 9-year-old boy in South Africa discovers one of the greatest fossil finds of all time while taking a walk: a two-million-year-old clavicle bone belonging to a prehuman boy. Its an extraordinary find because it belongs to one of the most complete early hominid skeletons ever discovered.

Inside Area 51's Secrets

Inside Area 51's Secrets · 2010

Inside Area 51's Secrets

MovieDocumentary

It's the most famous military installation in the world, yet it doesn’t officially exist. Area 51, a site for covert Cold War operations, has long been a magnet for crackpots, conspiracy theorists, and the overly curious. While there may not be truth to the rumors that Area 51 is a haven for UFOs and extraterrestrials, it's clear that our government has been up to something in Area 51 for decades, and it turns out there is a kernel of truth to even some of the wildest speculation. Now, after years of silence, for the first time Area 51 insiders spill their secrets and reveal what has really been going on inside the most secretive place on earth.

Holky: The Steven Holcomb Story

Holky: The Steven Holcomb Story · 2022

Holky: The Steven Holcomb Story

MovieDocumentary

Steven Holcomb, known to his team and friends as "Holky", is a bobsled driver who emerges as an unlikely best hope to end Team USA's 62-year Olympic gold medal drought. But Steven has a dangerous secret: He is going blind - and he's the bobsled driver. In the last interview conducted before he passed away at the age of 37, Steven tells his own story of rising through the ranks as a bobsled driver, hiding his blindness from his team as he becomes one of the best sled drivers in the world, his struggle with depression, and how, with the help of an experimental surgery, he overcomes his obstacles and captures gold before his untimely death. At a time when society is finally beginning to discuss the mental health of athletes, the film makes an invaluable contribution to this important conversation.

Drop Dead City

Drop Dead City · 2024

MovieDocumentary

NYC, 1975 - the greatest, grittiest city in the world is minutes away from bankruptcy when an unlikely alliance of rookies, rivals, fixers and flexers finds common ground, and a way out.

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