''Nova ScienceNow'' (styled ''NOVĪ scienceNOW'') is a spinoff of the long-running and venerable
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of ed ...
science program ''
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
''. Premiering on January 25, 2005, the series was originally hosted by
Robert Krulwich, who described it as an experiment in coverage of "breaking
science
Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe.
Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
, science that's right out of the lab, science that sometimes bumps up against
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...
,
art,
culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these grou ...
". At the beginning of season two,
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia University. From 1991 to 1994, he was a p ...
replaced Krulwich as the show's host. Tyson announced he would leave the show and was replaced by
David Pogue
David Welch Pogue (born March 9, 1963) is an American technology and science writer and TV presenter. He is an Emmy-winning correspondent for '' CBS News Sunday Morning'' and author of the "Crowdwise" column in ''The New York Times'' Smarter Liv ...
in season 6.
The show was originally intended to return with more new episodes in 2015.
Production
Unlike the parent program ''Nova'', ''Nova ScienceNow'' has a whimsical production style. It is not unusual for the show