(Talk1370.com) -- "We're in the business of awe."
Executive producers of the long-running PBS series "NOVA", Chris Schmidt and Julia Cort, joined host Brian Fitzgerald for this week’s Inside Austin, focusing on the enduring legacy and future of the series and detailing how the show continues to be on the cutting edge of advancements and discoveries in the science community.
Approaching its 54th season, the flagship documentary program produced by GBH, Boston’s PBS station, remains committed to revealing the human ingenuity and iterative processes behind scientific discovery.
The producers emphasized that science is a constantly evolving narrative rather than a static collection of facts. They noted that "NOVA," which premiered in 1974, frequently updates its historical coverage to reflect modern discoveries.
For example, recent cosmological findings have shifted the scientific consensus to show that the universe's expansion is accelerating due to dark energy—a stark contrast to the knowledge available during the show's early decades, forcing the producers to continually revisit and revise past topics.
As they look toward the upcoming season, Schmidt and Cort highlighted a slate of new programming designed to answer broad audience questions and explore cutting-edge research. In October, the network will premiere "Space Wars," a documentary exploring the increasing weaponization of low-Earth orbit.
The producers noted that modern society's heavy reliance on satellites—particularly for GPS and the time-stamps that regulate the global financial transaction system—makes the topic increasingly relevant, moving far beyond the scope of 1980s-era missile defense concepts.
The new season will also feature a deep dive into maritime history and conflict with "Empress's Lost Fleet," scheduled to air in January. The episode follows wartime archaeologists in Ukraine who are racing to preserve the sunken remains of Peter the Great’s 18th-century Russian warships.
Additionally, the network is co-producing a visually ambitious five-part series titled "Evolution" with the BBC, which will trace the development of animal life, intelligence, and movement over billions of years.
Reflecting on the role of public broadcasting, the producers acknowledged that the American public media system's survival relies entirely on audience trust and local financial support. They noted that their ability to foster public curiosity—whether explaining the Higgs boson, tracking gravitational waves with the LIGO detector, or showcasing the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile—stems from a commitment to portraying the scientific method as a collaborative, problem-solving endeavor.
NOVA airs Wednesdays at 8pm on Austin PBS.
A look at the long-running PBS science series on this week's Inside Austin
A look at the long-running PBS science series on this week's Inside Austin
