PBS North Carolina Launches Season 6 of 'Sci NC' on September 7
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PBS NORTH CAROLINA LAUNCHES SEASON 6 OF ‘SCI NC’ ON SEPTEMBER 7
From tech and medicine to nature and the environment, this weekly series explores the science that’s all around us.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, 8/31/2023 — PBS North Carolina announces season six of its original series Sci NC. Hosted by Emmy Award-winning reporter Frank Graff, Sci NC explores cutting-edge innovations, research from scientists across the state and the fascinating ways science touches our daily lives. The new season of Sci NC premieres Thursday, September 7, at 9:30 PM, on PBS NC as well as online and on the PBS App.
In the season opener, “Deadly Science,” learn about a beautiful but destructive planthopper, how mussels keep our rivers clean and why forensic scientists and law enforcement have teamed up to identify the dead.
“Sci NC covers science from a range of perspectives and across a variety of disciplines, all while explaining why science matters to all of us,” said series producer and host Frank Graff. “This season we’ll visit Pilot Mountain to see its astonishing recovery from fire, explore how tech is revolutionizing the world of theater and look at the amazing way creatures like spoonworms, German cockroaches and crayfish have adapted to their environments.”
“We’re especially excited to highlight the work being done by faculty and students in NC State’s College of Engineering as it celebrates a century of service to the state,” said Graff. “Not many people know that there is a nuclear reactor right on NC State’s campus. I guarantee viewers will say ‘wow’ when they watch this story and others this season.”
On Tuesday, September 12, at 7 PM, enjoy a free virtual screening of some of the stories featured in the new season. Following the screening, all four of the show’s producers—Frank Graff, Evan Howell, Rossie Izlar and Michelle Lotker—will participate in a lively discussion and Q&A open to all. For more info and to register for this free virtual event, visit eventbrite.com.
Funding for Sci NC is provided by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. NC Year of the Trail stories are supported by funding from the SECU Foundation. State of Change stories are supported by funding from the Pulitzer Center and are part of its nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative.
Broadcast Schedule
Sci NC airs Thursdays, 9:30 PM, on PBS NC. Visit pbsnc.org/schedule for the latest scheduling information.
Episode 1: Deadly Science
Premieres September 7, 9:30 PM
Learn why you should kill destructive spotted lanternflies, how freshwater mussels help keep our rivers clean and why forensic scientists and law enforcement have teamed up to identify the skeletal remains of the unknown dead. Also, get a closer look at the Lumber River, which looks dead but is teeming with life.
Episode 2: Animals Among Us
Premieres September 14, 9:30 PM
NC scientists discover how to track the invasive Burmese python while studying small mammals in the Everglades. Plus, new wildlife crossings come to western NC, a unique program protects red wolves from getting hit by cars and a look at Carolina Beach plant life.
Episode 3: Turtle Time
Premieres September 21, 9:30 PM
Discover why North America’s tiniest turtle is in trouble, how development is threatening NC’s state reptile and why the longleaf pine ecosystem is disappearing. Plus, meet the all-volunteer Turtle Rescue Team at NC State’s vet school.
Episode 4: Natural Climate Solutions
Premieres September 28, 9:30 PM
Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is changing our planet’s climate. See how natural solutions like no-till farming and planting grassland species are being used across North Carolina to help pull excess carbon out of the air and store it underground.
Stories featured in this episode are part of PBS North Carolina’s State of Change series. They were supported by the Pulitzer Center and are part of its nationwide Connected Coastlines reporting initiative.
Episode 5: Science in Flight
Premieres October 5, 9:30 PM
Explore the ancient sport of falconry, and watch tens of thousands of migratory birds that winter on the NC coast at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Plus, discover the beauty of insect flight captured at 6,000 frames per second and the science of fly-fishing.
Episode 6: Science in the Dirt
Premieres October 12, 9:30 PM
Learn how paleontologists recovered the fossil of an early dinosaur from the Triassic Period (200 million years ago) that lived in central NC. Also watch slo-mo footage of millipedes, which are vital to healthy soils; meet the smallest creature you’ve never heard of; and hike a trail filled with spring ephemerals, the first flowers of spring*.
*The spring ephemerals story is part of NC’s Year of the Trail initiative. PBS North Carolina’s Year of the Trail stories are supported by funding from the SECU Foundation.
Episode 7: Futuristic Science
Premieres October 19, 9:30 PM
Explore how self-driving vehicles work and the challenges researchers face to make them a reality. Plus, discover how nanotechnology can save soldiers and civilians, how virtual reality works and the effect of technology on evolution.
Episode 8: Cutting-Edge Science
Premieres October 26, 9:30 PM
New medical technology makes a groundbreaking heart transplant possible and helps save lives. Learn why a nuclear reactor is in the middle of NC State’s campus and how technology is revolutionizing stage design in theater. Plus, high-tech cameras show the common housefly in a new light.
Episode 9: Repairing Ecosystems
Premieres November 2, 9:30 PM
Learn why birders are helping to create a bird atlas for NC and how a test project to restore a damaged watershed will guide other projects. Plus, discover how nature’s smallest carnivore is in trouble and why scientists are using wasps to save ash trees from an invasive insect.
Episode 10: Science in the Forest
Premieres November 9, 9:30 PM
See how plants at Pilot Mountain have bounced back a year after a devastating fire*, and explore a longleaf pine forest and the red-cockaded woodpeckers that live there. Also, learn how crayfish survive in nasty waters and explore the science of ants.
*The Pilot Mountain story is part of NC’s Year of the Trail initiative. PBS North Carolina’s Year of the Trail stories are supported by funding from the SECU Foundation.
Episode 11: Watery Habitats
Premieres November 16, 9:30 PM
Learn why NC organizations have partnered to protect a tiny fish, the Cape Fear shiner*; how oyster farms impact estuarine habitats; and why scientists are trying to save fledgling oystercatchers from ghost crabs. Also, a UNC professor talks about his role in a NASA project measuring how much water is on Earth.
*The Cape Fear shiner story is part of NC’s Year of the Trail initiative. PBS North Carolina’s Year of the Trail stories are supported by funding from the SECU Foundation.
Episode 12: Science in the Sea
Premieres November 23, 9:30 PM
A type of mineral that captures carbon is tested on the NC coast, and engineers at NC State explore how to reduce phosphorous use on farms to prevent algae blooms. Also, scientists try to understand why farmed oysters are dying in large numbers every summer in NC, and hyperbaric medicine—which saves divers from the bends—goes mainstream.
Episode 13: A Grab Bag of Science
Premieres November 30, 9:30 PM
Explore a wide range of science stories, from a slo-mo look at moths and beetles and an up-close peek at an aquatic, spoonlike worm to a solar-powered car ride and overlooked woodland habitats.
For more Sci NC stories, visit pbsnc.org/blogs/science and Sci NC’s YouTube channel.
About the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina—its diverse arts and culture, rich history and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the North Carolina Symphony, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, visit dncr.nc.gov.
About the SECU Foundation
The SECU Foundation promotes local and community development by primarily funding high impact projects in the areas of housing, education, healthcare and human services. The State Employees’ Credit Union Board of Directors chartered the SECU Foundation to help identify and address community issues that are beyond the normal scope of State Employees’ Credit Union. While individual members may not have a large impact, collectively and cooperatively the Foundation can go a long way toward helping solve problems in our neighborhoods, schools and our community at large. Learn more at ncsecufoundation.org.
About PBS North Carolina
As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third largest public media market, PBS North Carolina educates, informs, entertains and inspires its audience on air, online and in person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS North Carolina serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state emergency services. To learn more about PBS North Carolina, visit pbsnc.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
-PBS NC-
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