Original Airdate: January 9, 2007. 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:

Space Elevators: Go on a thrilling ride to meet the engineers, dreamers, and garage inventors all competing to design a vehicle that could one day transport people and payloads 22,000 miles into outer space.

Aging: See incredible new advances in the complex science of aging–including researchers trying to develop a pill that could someday extend the human lifespan. And meet an intriguing group of centenarians who share what they consider some of the secrets to their long lives.

Mayan Ruins: Examine how a space-age technology is revolutionizing archaeology, providing virtual road maps to Maya ruins buried for over 1,000 years in the rain forests of Guatemala.

The Bacteria Whisperer: Meet molecular biology professor Bonnie Bassler, a leading researcher in the study of quorum sensing, or bacterial communication. She has discovered a language that practically all bacteria use to communicate, and if she can just master that language, she hopes she can create new drugs that could prevent and stop the spread of bacterial disease.