NOVA · SEASON 53
Evolution: Brain Power
Episode 13 · 2026-10-14

- Documentary
Episode overview
Brains might be the most complex structures on our planet – so how did evolution build them? To find out, rewind the clock three billion years to trace the evolutionary story of the dolphin, one of the smartest animals alive today. Discover how the first light sensing cells led to eyes that helped wire bodies to think, how a fluke viral infection supercharged the speed of thought, and how the neocortex emerged as early mammals re-wired their brains to attune to the night.
54 minutes
Season 53 episodes
1. Asteroids: Spark of Life?2026-01-21
2. Angkor: Hidden Jungle Empire2026-01-28
3. Can Dogs Talk?2026-02-04
4. Mammal Origins2026-02-11
5. Stone Age Temple Mystery2026-02-25
6. Return to the Moon2026-04-15
7. Rain Bombs2026-04-22
8. Athens: Birth of Democracy2026-04-29
9. The Battle to Breathe2026-09-16
10. Knowledge Keepers2026-09-23
11. Stone Age Masterpiece2026-09-30
12. Space Wars2026-10-07
13. Evolution: Brain Power2026-10-14
14. Evolution: Need to Feed2026-10-21
15. Evolution: Body Builders2026-10-28
16. Evolution: The Mating Game2026-11-04
17. Evolution: On the Run2026-11-11
18. Universe in Motion2026-12-16