NOVA Season 40 Episode 3 Synopsis

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 - serving up plenty of action and surprises in this fresh investigation of one of the ancient world's most intriguing enigmas.

NOVA Season 40 Episodes...

• s40e01 - Secrets of the Viking Sword
• s40e02 - Forensics on Trial
• s40e03 - Mystery of Easter Island
• s40e04 - Ultimate Mars Challenge
• s40e05 - Inside the Megastorm
• s40e06 - Doomsday Volcanoes
• s40e07 - Decoding Neanderthals
• s40e08 - Rise of the Drones
• s40e09 - Who Killed Lindbergh's Baby?
• s40e10 - Building Pharaoh's Chariot
• s40e11 - Earth From Space
• s40e12 - Mind of a Rampage Killer
• s40e13 - Meteor Strike
• s40e14 - Ancient Computer
• s40e15 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Awakening
• s40e16 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Life Explodes
• s40e17 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Monsters
• s40e18 - Australia's First 4 Billion Years - Strange Creatures
• s40e19 - Manhunt - Boston Bombers
• s40e20 - Oklahoma's Deadliest Tornadoes

NOVA Show Summary

Seen in more than 100 countries, NOVA is the most watched science based television series in the world and the most watched documentary series on PBS. It is also one of television's most acclaimed series, having won many major television awards, most of them many times over.