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Making Stuff 2: Wilder, Colder, Faster, Safer 4x60

Drawing on the huge success of Making Stuff, NOVA takes viewers on a new ride through the cutting-edge science that is powering the next wave of technological innovation.

Making Stuff Wilder
What happens when engineers open up Nature’s toolbox? Making Stuff Wilder explores bold new innovations inspired by the Earth’s greatest inventor, life itself. From underwater wi-fi modeled on dolphin communication to robotic “mules” and “cheetahs” for the military, and swarms of robotic bees, NOVA journeys the world seeing the wildest ideas put into action in new inventions and technologies. Will the stuff of the future take on a life of its own?

Making Stuff Faster
Humans have always had the basic urge to go faster. But are there physical limits to how fast we can go? In Making Stuff Faster, NOVA investigates everything from electric muscle cars and ultrafast cameras to quantum teleportation, finding that speed is more than just getting us from place to place; it is also about getting things done in less time. NOVA’s quest for speed goes from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to the UPS headquarters, and inside a packed 737.

Making Stuff Colder
Cold has always been the enemy of life, but it may hold the key to a new generation of science and technology that will actually improve our lives. NOVA explores the frontiers of cold science in saving the lives of severe trauma patients, cooling a warming planet, and in ultracold physics—where bizarre new properties of matter are the norm, forming the basis of new technologies like levitating trains and quantum computers. In this brave new world, cold is the new hot.

Making Stuff Safer
Is it possible to engineer an absolutely safe world for ourselves? Making Stuff Safer examines the extent to which science and technology can protect us from monumental forces of nature like earthquakes and epidemics. NOVA challenges researchers to save us from dangers of our own making. Safer also delves into cyber security, where computer experts work to shield us from attacks from hackers and terrorists.