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Will Earth Run Out of Oxygen

Season 13 Episode 4 | 16m 53s

Plants eat sunlight and air to make life. But the key enzyme behind it all, called RuBisCO, isn’t actually all that great at its job. Let’s talk about how photosynthesis really works, why oxygen isn’t coming from where you think, and whether we can fix the biggest flaw in one of Earth’s most essential processes.

Aired: 04/23/25
Extras
Step behind the scenes of Ken Burns’s new film to see how The American Revolution came to life.
Historian Stephen Conway. The American Revolution premieres November 16.
Historian Christopher Brown. The American Revolution premieres November 16.
Historian Jane Kamensky. The American Revolution premieres November 16.
Historian Stephen Conway on the psychological impact of Saratoga on the British.
The filmmakers on how understanding the people of the Revolution can help us understand who we are.
Filmmakers discuss how they used stories of both well-known and lesser known figures.
The filmmakers discuss how the story of The American Revolution came together.
The filmmakers discuss how they crafted imagery to help tell the story of the American Revolution.
Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt on the challenges of telling America's origin story.
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