Ship That Changed The World -
nova

Some five centuries ago, a major revolution overturned traditional ship designs. Since the Roman era, ship builders in Europe and the Mediterranean had been turning out the same tried and true designs and engineering techniques. And then, in the 15th century, within the span of a few shor t years, ships were transformed from small coastal-bound transports into massive ocean-going vessels capable of long-distance exploration. The great Native American civilizations were brought down by invading colonists and European diseases. And once regular trans-oceanic travel became feasible, everything changed. Powerful navies arose and fought for supremacy over the land and sea. The influential-if destructive-European empires spread around the globe. The modern world was born. But exactly how did a seemingly modest change in ship design produce such transformative global upheaval? Modern scholars and historians trying to study exactly what happened at this crucial moment have always faced a problem: There's a hole in our history. All of the ships dating back to this key period of transformation have long ago disappeared, leaving behind only rough drawings and incomplete records. Now the wreck of one of these crucial transitional ships may have been found off the coast of Sweden. Built around the same time as Columbus' trio of ships, it may finally unlock the engineering secrets of those famous ships and provide physical evidence of the engineering breakthroughs that helped create the modern world. Dive with NOVA as we search underwater to reveal the secrets of this amazing discovery.

Duration: 56 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 4809

No future air times were found for this episode.

About Nova:

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines.

Along the way, NOVA programs demystify science and technology and highlight the people involved in scientific pursuits.

Watch Nova - Clips, Episodes & Previews

Robotic Cars

Detecting Earthquakes

Change Blindness

Human Hibernation

Profile: Jason Leigh

Can We Slow Aging?

Future Broadcast times for "Nova": (show all)

Thu, May 29	1:00 A.M.	Decoding The Universe: Quantum NHPBS (11.1)
Fri, May 30	3:00 P.M.	Decoding The Universe: Quantum NHPBS (11.1)
Tue, Jun 3	7:00 P.M.	The Planets: Ice Worlds NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 4	12:00 A.M.	The Planets: Ice Worlds NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 4	8:00 A.M.	The Planets: Ice Worlds NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 4	2:00 P.M.	The Planets: Ice Worlds NH World (11.3)
Tue, Jun 10	7:00 P.M.	Decoding The Universe: Quantum NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 11	12:00 A.M.	Decoding The Universe: Quantum NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 11	8:00 A.M.	Decoding The Universe: Quantum NH World (11.3)
Wed, Jun 11	9:00 P.M.	Extreme Airport Engineering NHPBS (11.1)
Wed, Jun 11	10:00 P.M.	London Super Tunnel NHPBS (11.1)
Thu, Jun 12	1:00 A.M.	Extreme Airport Engineering NHPBS (11.1)
Thu, Jun 12	2:00 A.M.	London Super Tunnel NHPBS (11.1)
Fri, Jun 13	4:00 A.M.	Extreme Airport Engineering NHPBS (11.1)
Fri, Jun 13	3:00 P.M.	Extreme Airport Engineering NHPBS (11.1)
Fri, Jun 13	4:00 P.M.	London Super Tunnel NHPBS (11.1)