Original Airdate: October 3, 2006. NOVA scienceNOW is a fast-paced science series that provides viewers with the inside track on the powerful intersection between the universe of scientific innovation and the everyday world, revealing the spirit of intellectual adventure that drives breakthrough research and the science behind the headlines. Hosted by noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson of the Hayden Planetarium, this NOVA scienceNOW program covers:

The Sky Is Falling: The Apophis asteroid is bigger than the Rose Bowl, could carry an impact equal to one hundred nuclear bombs, and is hurtling through interplanetary space towards the Earth on what could be a collision course. Find out just what kind of threat Apophis poses to Earth, and what creative interventions might be used to prevent a colossal crash.

Fat Chance: As Americans grapple with their ever-increasing waistlines, science is looking at the biology behind the compulsion to eat. In this thought-provoking segment, correspondent David Ewing Duncan reports on the latest research involving human weight and the science behind the complex behavior of eating.

Science-Fiction: In addition to working with a team of MIT researchers who are designing robots for NASA, Karl Iagnemma is also a breakout fiction writer. NOVA scienceNOW profiles this dashing and wildly creative young man, illustrating how science and creativity are linked and how imagination is the key to innovation in any discipline.

Island of Instability: Correspondent Carla Wohl reports on the decades-long search by nuclear chemists to reach the shores of the magical “Island of Stability,” a theory pioneered by Nobel Laureate Glenn Seaborg on the creation of a new element for the Periodic Table. Ultimately, this is a story about exploring uncharted territory, and about the role of yearning and dreaming in science.