They were fading fast ...

Tuesday night, WPT presents Nova's "Saving the National Treasures" at 7. This is a film that has run before, but its subject matter is still fascinating. Throughout the hour-long program, viewers are led behind the scenes of some of the highest-tech restoration work being done today.

While the U.S. Supreme Court has the duty to maintain the integrity of the U.S. Constitution's words, this program introduces the scientists and restorative experts who are responsible for maintaining the physical integrity of the already well-faded document along with its counterparts -- the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.

The restoration efforts have led to a new possibility for visitors to Washington, D.C. to view the charters of freedom in the rotunda of the National Archives. But, if a trip to D.C. isn't in your immediate future, the Archives has a terrific Web site where you can learn more about the charters, download and view high-resolution images of the documents, meet the founding fathers and even add your own signature to a copy of the Declaration of Independence, which can then be printed and displayed so others can see how important you really are. Nova also has another of their terrific sites, where you can take what you learned in this episode further through interactive demonstrations, photos and in-depth interviews.