© 2025 Michigan State University Board of Trustees
Public Media from Michigan State University
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Human: Neanderthal Encounters

Season 52 Episode 14 | 53m 27s

For 400,000 years, Neanderthals thrived across frigid, Ice Age Europe. What happened when Homo sapiens arrived, and how did these encounters change our species – including our DNA – in ways still with us today?

Aired: 09/30/25 | Expires: 11/14/25
National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies and Viking Cruises. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extras
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
Your brain does all kinds of strange things. Neuroscientist Heather Berlin explains how it works.
Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.
Follow Homo sapiens as they venture out of Africa and spread farther than any other human species.
NASA’s Perseverance rover may have found the clearest signs of ancient life on Mars yet.
Has science been missing a fundamental law of nature for centuries?
Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.
Black holes aren’t just cosmic monsters — they’re simply misunderstood.
Discover how deepfakes are detected and what the future holds for truth in the digital age.