View the mobile version of this page

Donate

Upcoming Broadcasts:

First Air War (#4118H) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG-V

When World War I began in 1914, the air forces of the opposing nations consisted of handfuls of rickety biplanes from which pilots occasionally took pot shots at one another with rifles. By 1918, the fighter had become an efficient killing machine with a growing strategic impact on the outcome of the war. With the help of aviation buffs dedicated to bringing back classic WWI fighters, Nova joins the team as they uncover the secrets of some of aviation's most colorful and deadly early flying machines and explores how their impact played a key role in the nightmare slaughter of the Western Front.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Rise of the Hackers (#4115H) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG

Our lives are going digital. We shop, bank and even date online. Computers hold our treasured photographs, private emails and all of our personal information. This data is precious - and cybercriminals want it. Now, Nova goes behind the scenes of the fast-paced world of cryptography to meet the scientists battling to keep our data safe. They are experts in extreme physics, math, and a new field called "ultra-paranoid computing," all working to forge unbreakable codes and build ultra-fast computers. From the two men who uncovered the world's most advanced cyber weapon to the computer expert who worked out how to hack into cash machines and scientists who believe they can store a password in your unconscious brain, Nova investigates how a new global geek squad is harnessing cutting-edge science - all to stay one step ahead of the hackers.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Mind of a Rampage Killer (#4008H) Duration: 54:16 STEREO TVPG-V

What makes a person walk into a theater or a church or a classroom full of students and open fire? What combination of circumstances compels a human being to commit the most inhuman of crimes? Can science in any way help us understand these horrific events and provide clues as to how to prevent them in the future?
As the nation tries to understand the tragic events at Newtown, Miles O'Brien separates fact from fiction, investigating new theories that the most destructive rampage killers are driven most of all, not by the urge to kill, but the wish to die. Could suicide and the desire to go out in a media-fueled blaze of glory be the main motivation? How much can science tell us about a brain at risk for violence? Most importantly, can we recognize dangerous minds in time - and stop the next Newtown?

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Bigger Than T.rex (#4119) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG (Secondary audio: none)

Almost a century ago, paleontologists found the first tantalizing hints of a monster even bigger than Tyrannosaurus rex, perhaps the largest predator ever to roam the Earth: spectacular fossil bones from a dinosaur dubbed Spinosaurus. But the fossils were completely destroyed during a World War II Allied bombing raid, leaving only drawings, questions, and a mystery: What was Spinosaurus?
Now, the discovery of new bones in a Moroccan cliff face is reopening the investigation into this epic beast. What did it feed on and how? Why did it grow so big? We follow the paleontologists who are reconstructing this terrifying carnivore, revealing a 53-foot-long behemoth with a huge dorsal sail, enormous, scimitar-like claws, and massive jaws tapered toward the front like a crocodile. Bringing together experts in paleontology, geology, climatology and paleobotany, this Nova/National Geographic special brings to life the lost world over which Spinosaurus reigned more than 65 million years ago.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Building Pharaoh's Chariot (#4005H) Duration: 55:31 STEREO TVPG

Around 3,600 years ago, reliefs in Egyptian tombs and temples depicted pharaohs and warriors proudly riding into battle on horse-drawn chariots. Some historians claim that the chariot launched a technological and strategic revolution, and was the secret weapon behind Egypt's greatest era of conquest known as the New Kingdom. But was the Egyptian chariot really a revolutionary design? How decisive a role did it play in the bloody battles of the ancient world? In this film, a team of archaeologists, engineers, woodworkers and horse trainers join forces to build and test two highly accurate replicas of Egyptian royal chariots. They discover astonishingly advanced features, including spoked wheels, springs, shock absorbers, anti-roll bars and even a convex shaped rear mirror, leading one of them to compare the level of design to the engineering standards of 1930's-era Buicks! By driving our pair of replicas to their limits in the desert outside Cairo, NOVA's experts test the claim that the chariot marks a crucial turning point in ancient military history.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Emperor's Ghost Army (#4120) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG (Secondary audio: none)

In central China, a vast underground mausoleum conceals a life-size terracotta army of cavalry, infantry, horses, chariots, weapons, administrators, acrobats, and musicians, all built to serve China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, in the afterlife. Lost and forgotten for over 2200 years, this clay army, 8000 strong, stands poised to help the First Emperor rule again beyond the grave.
Now, a new archaeological campaign is probing the thousands of figures entombed in the mausoleum. With exclusive access to pioneering research, this program reveals how the Emperor directed the manufacture of the tens of thousands of bronze weapons carried by the clay soldiers. Nova tests the power of these weapons with high-action experiments and reports on revolutionary 3D computer modeling techniques that are revealing new insights into how the clay figures were made, revealing in the process the secrets of one of archaeology's greatest discoveries.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Killer Landslides (#4121) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG (Secondary audio: none)

Just before 11am on March 22, 2014, an ominous rumble startled the residents of the little town of Oso, Washington, about an hour's drive from Seattle. It was the terrifying sound of the United States' deadliest landslide in decades. In less than two minutes, a 250 acre field of debris 20 feet deep slammed into a neighborhood of 35 homes. In the wake of the tragedy, geomorphologists are tracing the geological history of Oso to explain why the site was so unstable. But Oso isn't alone. Globally, landslides and other ground failures cost more lives and money each year than all other natural disasters combined. The threat of bigger, more frequent landslides is growing as climate change increases intense precipitation events. As Nova follows scientists surveying landslide danger zones, discover how and why landslides happen and how new laser monitoring technologies may help predict landslides before disaster strikes.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Ultimate Mars Challenge (#3915H) Duration: 54:56 STEREO TVG

It could be NASA's last chance to set wheels down on Mars until the end of the decade: in August 2012, a rover named Curiosity touched down inside Mars' Gale Crater, carrying 10 new instruments that advanced the quest for signs that Mars might have once been suitable for life. But Curiosity's mission is risky. After parachuting through the Martian atmosphere at twice the speed of sound, Curiosity is gently lowered to the planet's surface by a "sky crane." This first-of-its-kind system has been tested on Earth, but will it work on Mars?
With inside access to the massive team of scientists and engineers responsible for Curiosity's on-the-ground experiments, Nova is there for the exhilarating moments after Curiosity's landing - and for the spectacular discoveries to come. But no rover does it alone: Curiosity is joining a team that includes the Mars Odyssey, Express and Reconnaissance orbiters, along with the tireless Opportunity rover. As we reveal the dynamic new picture of Mars that these explorers are painting, we discover the questions raised by 40 years of roving Mars: How do we define life? How does life begin and what does it need to survive? Are we alone in the universe?

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Forensics on Trial (#3912H) Duration: 53:56 STEREO TV14

There is a startling gap between the glamorous television world of "CSI" and the gritty reality of the forensic crime lab. With few established scientific standards, no central oversight and poor regulation of examiners, forensics in the US is in a state of crisis. Nova investigates how modern forensics, including the analysis of fingerprints, bite marks, ballistics, hair, and tool marks, can send innocent men and women to prison - and sometimes even to death row. Shockingly, of more than 250 inmates exonerated by DNA testing over the last decade, more than 50% of the wrongful convictions stemmed from invalid or improperly handled forensic science. With the help of vivid recreations of actual trials and cases, Nova investigated today's shaky state of crime science as well as cutting-edge solutions that could help investigators put the real criminals behind bars.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

First Man on the Moon (#4122B) Duration: 1:29:00 STEREO TVG

When Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon, he won instant fame. Yet this accomplished engineer and test pilot was so determined to stay out of the limelight that few know the personal story of how his rare combination of talent, luck and experience led to his successful command of Apollo 11. Nova presents an intimate portrait of an unassuming American hero through interviews with Armstrong's family and friends.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

3D Spies of WWII (#3903H) Duration: 56:16 STEREO TVPG (Secondary audio: DVI)

Hitler's scientists developed terrifying new weapons of mass destruction. Alarmed by rumors about advanced rockets and missiles, Allied intelligence recruited a team of brilliant minds from British universities and Hollywood studios to a country house near London. Here, they secretly pored over millions of air photos shot at great risk over German territory by specially converted, high-flying Spitfires. Peering at the photos through 3D stereoscopes, the team spotted telltale clues that revealed hidden Nazi rocket bases. The photos led to devastating Allied bombing raids that were crucial setbacks to the German rocket program and helped ensure the success of the D-Day landings. With 3D graphics that recreate exactly what the photo spies saw, NOVA tells the suspenseful, previously untold story of air photo intelligence that played a vital role in defeating Hitler.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Making Stuff Wilder (#4019H) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG

In this mini-series, New York Times' technology correspondent and best-selling author David Pogue takes a wild ride through the cutting-edge science that is powering a next wave of technological innovation. With his humor and zest for discovery, Pogue meets the scientists and engineers who are plunging to the bottom of the temperature scale, finding design inspiration in nature, and breaking every speed limit to make tomorrow's "stuff" colder, faster, wilder and safer.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Making Stuff Colder (#4020H) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVPG

In this mini-series, New York Times' technology correspondent and best-selling author David Pogue takes a wild ride through the cutting-edge science that is powering a next wave of technological innovation. With his humor and zest for discovery, Pogue meets the scientists and engineers who are plunging to the bottom of the temperature scale, finding design inspiration in nature, and breaking every speed limit to make tomorrow's "stuff" colder, faster, wilder and safer.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Building The Great Cathedrals (#3711#) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVG (Secondary audio: DVI)

Carved from 100 million pounds of stone, soaring effortlessly atop a spiderweb of masonry, Gothic cathedrals are marvels of human achievement and artistry. But how did medieval builders reach such spectacular heights? Consuming the labor of entire towns, sometimes taking 100 years to build, these architectural marvels were crafted from just hand tools and stone. Many now teeter on the brink of catastrophic collapse. To save them, an international team of engineers, architects, art historians and computer scientists searches the naves, bays, and bell towers for clues to how the dream of these heavenly temples on earth came true. NOVA's teams perform hands-on experiments to investigate and reveal the architectural secrets that the cathedral builders used to erect their soaring, glass-filled walls. This program reveals the hidden formulas, drawn from the pages of the Bible itself, that drove medieval builders ever upward.

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Great Cathedral Mystery (#4105H) Duration: 56:46 STEREO TVG

The Duomo in Florence is a towering masterpiece of Renaissance ingenuity and an enduring source of mystery. A team of US master bricklayers help build a unique experimental "mini-Duomo" using period tools and techniques. Will it stay intact during the final precarious stages of closing over the top of the dome?

Upcoming Broadcasts:

Become a KQED sponsor

TV Technical Issues

TV
    TV Technical Issues
    • Wed 10/15 morning: KQED Plus (KQEH) Over the Air signal down

      UPDATE: This problem has been resolved, and the OTA signal for the DT54 channels restored. (DT54.1 through 54.5) KQED Plus’ Over the Air transmission is currently off air via our KQEH transmitter on Monument Peak northeast of San Jose. Technicians are working on the problem. No current estimate regarding how long this will exist. We […]

    • KQET (DT25) Over the Air: Wed 8/27

      We are aware of the break-up issues for our DT25 Over the Air signal in the Monterey/Salinas area. This will also affect viewers of any cable or satellite signal provider using that transmitter as their source. Engineers are working on the problem.

    • Week of 8/25: Sutro Tower work (including KQED 9 Over the Air)

      (Affects several San Francisco TV & Radio stations, including KQED 9.1, 9.2 & 9.3) During the week of August 25, Monday through Friday, between 9am and 4pm, several TV and radio stations will be switching to their Auxiliary antennas. This is being done so that the tower crew can perform routine maintenance on the regular […]

To view previous issues and how they were resolved, go to our TV Technical Issues page.

KQED DTV Channels

KQED 9

KQED 9
Comcast 9 and 709
Digital 9.1, 54.2 or 25.1

All widescreen and HD programs

KQED Plus

Channel 54
Comcast 10 and 710
Digital 9.2, 54.1 or 25.2

KQED Plus, formerly KTEH

KQED Life

KQED Life
Comcast 189
Digital 54.3

Arts, food, how-to, gardening, travel

KQED World

KQED World
Comcast 190
Digital 9.3

History, world events, news, science, nature

v-me

V-Me
Comcast 191 & 621
Digital 54.5 or 25.3

24-hour national Spanish-language network

KQED Kids

KQED Kids
Comcast 192
Digital 54.4

Quality children's programming parents love too