Synopsis: First detected in 1967, intense outer-space gamma ray bursts stumped astronomers for nearly three decades before an international alliance finally unlocked their secrets. Join <i>NOVA</i> and venture into deep space to explore some of the most energetic events ever glimpsed. See how these celestial phenomena can teach us about the dawn of the universe. And hear a controversial theory of how a gamma ray burst somewhere in our own galaxy could destroy life on Earth.