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Mind of a Fossil Hunter

1hr 37m 18s

What do fossilized leaves, an asteroid, and Florida sinkholes have in common? Dr. Kirk Johnson is Sant Director at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, and has the answers. Kirk oversees one of the largest natural history collections on the planet – and he’s spent his career digging into the story of life on Earth across millions (and billions) of years.

Aired: 08/17/25
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
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
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.
Trace the remarkable origin story of Homo sapiens and the crucial moments that shaped our species.
Discover how deepfakes are detected and what the future holds for truth in the digital age.
A massive earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone could sink parts of the Pacific Northwest.
Fósiles gigantes en el Sahara revelan nuevos secretos sobre la evolución de las ballenas.
They paid only $27.50 for it from a London bookseller in 1946.
Go behind the scenes as NOVA visits the Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile.