© 2024 SDPB Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Hagia Sophia: Istanbul's Ancient Mystery

Season 42 Episode 4 | 53m 36s

Follow engineers as they build a massive 8-ton model of the building's core structure, place it on a motorized shake table, and hit it with a series of simulated quakes, pushing it collapse—a fate that the team is determined to avoid with the real building.

Aired: 02/24/15
National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extras
It’s not all in your head - flights really are bumpier these days.
Follow the quest to recover DNA millions of years old for the very first time.
Mysterious bodies are found under one of the world’s most famous cathedrals.
From electric flight to artificial noses, engineers are finding new ways to preserve our planet.
Blending innovation and culture, engineers bring a robotic Double Dutch machine to life.
Humans are born to roam. See how engineers are inventing new ways to explore and extend our range.
The moon Phobos has a mysterious origin but a certain expiration date.
Some large meteorites survive their descent through our atmosphere and land on Earth.
The ocean beneath Europa’s icy shell might be an ideal environment for life.
Hydrothermal vents in Enceladus’ ocean may hold the promise of life.
Latest Episodes
All
  • All
  • NOVA Season 51
  • NOVA Season 50
  • NOVA Season 49
  • NOVA Season 48
  • NOVA Season 47
  • NOVA Season 46
  • NOVA Season 45
  • NOVA Season 44
  • NOVA Season 43
  • NOVA Season 42
  • NOVA Season 41
  • NOVA Season 40
  • NOVA Season 39
  • NOVA Season 38
  • NOVA Season 37
  • NOVA Season 36
  • NOVA Season 35
  • NOVA Season 34
  • NOVA Season 33
  • NOVA Season 32
  • NOVA Season 31
  • NOVA Season 30
  • NOVA Season 28
  • NOVA Season 27
  • NOVA Season 23
Mysterious bodies are found under one of the world’s most famous cathedrals.
From electric flight to artificial noses, engineers are finding new ways to preserve our planet.
Humans are born to roam. See how engineers are inventing new ways to explore and extend our range.
Is engineering humanity’s superpower? See how we can amplify our natural abilities in amazing ways.
Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.
Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.
Visit strange, frozen worlds to discover the bizarre ice that forms beyond Earth.
Discover the powerful volcanic eruptions that have shaped worlds across our solar system.
What are the weirdest worlds in our solar system, and how did they come to be?
Discover the dramatic forces creating spectacular weather on neighboring planets and moons.