Lonesome George and the Battle For The Galapagos at 7 pm
George, as he is affectionately known, is a national hero and an emblem of the ongoing struggle to preserve the unique nature of the Galapagos Islands. This special film tells George’s story against the backdrop of the bigger conservation issues faced by these beautiful islands. George’s loneliness is all part of a far bigger picture. The Pinta tortoise has been heavily hunted, and the islands have long been invaded by non-native species which push out the local wildlife. Even tourists, who come here partly to see the famous George, have added to the problems. There is an enormous struggle going on to restore the islands’ unique biodiversity, but not everyone loves George: local fishermen who want to protect their rights to fish in Galapagos’ protected waters have seized on him as a focus for their frustrations; meanwhile conservation efforts need to be balanced with an economy based on letting
NOVA “Mystery of Easter Island” at 8 pm
A remote, bleak speck of rock in the middle of the Pacific, Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, has mystified the world ever since the first Europeans arrived in 1722. How and why did the ancient islanders build and move nearly 900 giant statues or moai, weighing up to 86 tons? And how did they transform a presumed paradise into a treeless wasteland, bringing ruin upon their island and themselves? NOVA explores controversial recent claims that challenge decades of previous thinking about the islanders, who have been accused of everything from ecocide to cannibalism. Among the radical new theories is that the islanders used ropes to “walk” the statues upright, like moving a fridge. With the help of an accurate 15-ton replica statue, a NOVA team sets out to test this high-risk, seemingly unlikely theory.
NOVA ScienceNow “What Are Animals Thinking?” at 9 pm
Have you ever wondered what’s going on inside an animal’s head? How do they see the world — and us? Is your dog really feeling guilty when it gives you that famous “guilty look?” Do pigeon brains possess “superpowers” that allow them to find their way home across hundreds of unfamiliar miles? David Pogue meets — and competes — with a menagerie of smart critters that challenge preconceived notions about what makes “us” different from “them” expanding our understanding of how animals really think.