NOVA: Making Stuff: Stronger

Airs Wednesday, March 23, 2011 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV

David Pogue, host of NOVA "Making Stuff," on an aircraft carrier. Pogue travels from the deck of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier to a demolition derby to the country's top research labs to check in with experts who are re-engineering what nature has given us to create the next generation of strong stuff.

Credit: Courtesy of Powderhouse Productions

Above: David Pogue, host of NOVA "Making Stuff," on an aircraft carrier. Pogue travels from the deck of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier to a demolition derby to the country's top research labs to check in with experts who are re-engineering what nature has given us to create the next generation of strong stuff.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

David Pogue tries to stab through Kevlar as Tucker Norton watches.

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Credit: Courtesy of Powderhouse Productions

Above: David Pogue tries to stab through Kevlar as Tucker Norton watches.

David Pogue on the flight deck of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier

Enlarge this image

Credit: Courtesy of Powderhouse Productions

Above: David Pogue on the flight deck of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier

David Pogue with the NOVA car at a demolition derby

Enlarge this image

Credit: Courtesy of Powderhouse Productions

Above: David Pogue with the NOVA car at a demolition derby

Invisibility cloaks. Spider silk that is stronger than steel. Plastics made of sugar that dissolve in landfills. Self-healing military vehicles. Smart pills and micro-robots that zap diseases. Clothes that monitor your mood. What will the future bring, and what will it be made of?

In NOVA's four-hour series, "Making Stuff," popular New York Times technology reporter David Pogue takes viewers on a fun-filled tour of the material world we live in, and the one that may lie ahead. Get a behind-the-scenes look at scientific innovations ushering in a new generation of materials that are stronger, smaller, cleaner, and smarter than anything we've ever seen.

"Making Stuff Stronger" - What is the strongest material in the world? Is it steel, Kevlar, carbon nanotubes, or something entirely new? NOVA kicks off the four-part series "Making Stuff" with a quest for the world's strongest substances. Host David Pogue takes a look at what defines strength, examining everything from steel cables to mollusks to a toucan's beak.

Pogue travels from the deck of a U.S. naval aircraft carrier to a demolition derby to the country's top research labs to check in with experts who are re-engineering what nature has given us to create the next generation of strong stuff.

The other three episodes include "Making Stuff Smarter," "Making Stuff Cleaner" and "Making Stuff Smaller."

NOVA is on Facebook, and you can follow @novapbs on Twitter.

Video

NOVA: Making Stuff Stronger

Your browser does not support this object. Content can be viewed at actual source page: http://video.kpbs.org/video/1701025927

Watch Making Stuff: Stronger on PBS. See more from NOVA.

Above: In "Making Stuff Stronger," David Pogue tests his mettle against the world’s strongest stuff, from steel and Kevlar to bioengineered silk.

Video

NOVA: Making Stuff Smaller

Your browser does not support this object. Content can be viewed at actual source page: http://video.kpbs.org/video/1754649512

Watch Making Stuff: Smaller on PBS. See more from NOVA.

Above: In "Making Stuff Smaller," future technologies will depend on tiny stuff—from silicon chips to micro-robots that probe the human body.

Video

NOVA: Making Stuff Cleaner

Your browser does not support this object. Content can be viewed at actual source page: http://video.kpbs.org/video/1768954299

Watch Making Stuff: Cleaner on PBS. See more from NOVA.

Above: Can innovative materials help solve the energy crisis and lead to a sustainable future? David Pogue investigates in NOVA "Making Stuff: Cleaner."

Video

NOVA: Making Stuff Smarter

Your browser does not support this object. Content can be viewed at actual source page: http://video.kpbs.org/video/1786635771

Watch Making Stuff: Smarter on PBS. See more from NOVA.

Above: In "Making Stuff Smarter," explore a new generation of ingenious materials, from clothes that monitor your mood to real-life invisibility cloaks.

Video

NOVA: Making Stuff: Interview with host David Pogue

Above: Invisibility cloaks. Spider silk that is stronger than steel. Plastics made of sugar that dissolve in landfills. Self-healing military vehicles. Smart pills and micro-robots that zap diseases. Clothes that monitor your mood. What will the future bring, and what will it be made of? In NOVA's fascinating new four-hour series, "Making Stuff," popular New York Times technology reporter David Pogue takes viewers on a thrilling tour of the material world we live in, and the one that may lie ahead—offering viewers a behind-the-scenes look at scientific innovations that are ushering in a new generation of materials that are stronger, smaller, smarter, and cleaner than anything we've ever seen.

Comments

Avatar image for user 'BtCoyle'

BtCoyle | January 19, 2011 at 10:02 p.m. ― 2 years, 4 months ago

I love the idea of this series but David Pogue is a horrible host. His fans might love his brand of humor but I find it silly and insipid. Horrible choice for a host, Nova!

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