Making Stuff 2

Watch Making Stuff 2

  • 2013
  • 1 Season

Making Stuff 2 is a television series produced by PBS that explores the latest innovations and technologies in the field of materials science. The show is hosted by popular science journalist, David Pogue, who travels around the world to meet with scientists, engineers, and inventors who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible with new materials.

In each episode, Pogue presents a different theme, such as making things stronger, invisible, survivable, or programmable. He begins each episode by introducing the topic at hand and providing an overview of the challenges that researchers are facing in their quest to create new and better materials.

Pogue then visits research labs and factories to meet with scientists who are working on cutting-edge technologies. He highlights the processes they use to create new materials, such as using 3D printing to create complex shapes or nano-engineering to create materials with unique properties.

The researchers that Pogue meets with come from a wide range of disciplines, including materials science, physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. They are all united by a common desire to create new materials that can solve some of the world's biggest challenges.

One of the themes of Making Stuff 2 is making materials stronger, and Pogue investigates various approaches to improving the strength of materials. He visits a factory that produces Kevlar, a strong and lightweight fiber used in bulletproof vests, and meets with researchers who are developing new methods for making stronger metals and alloys.

Another theme of the show is making things invisible, and Pogue looks at the technologies that are being developed to make objects disappear. He visits a lab where researchers are using metamaterials to bend light in such a way that objects become invisible. Pogue also looks at the potential applications for invisibility technology, such as stealth aircraft or invisibility cloaks.

Making materials survivable is another theme of the show, and Pogue looks at the new methods being developed to create materials that can withstand extreme heat or pressure. He visits a lab where researchers are developing a new type of ceramic that can withstand temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. He also looks at new materials that can withstand the intense pressure of being deep underwater or in outer space.

Finally, Pogue explores the world of programmable materials, looking at how researchers are creating materials that can change their properties in response to different stimuli. For example, he visits a lab where researchers are creating materials that can change color in response to light or pressure.

Throughout the series, Pogue takes a hands-on approach to learning about materials science. He performs experiments and demonstrations to help explain the science behind each new material. He also engages with viewers through social media, inviting them to share their own experiences with materials science or ask questions about the technology being explored in each episode.

Overall, Making Stuff 2 is a fascinating look at the cutting edge of materials science. Pogue's enthusiastic and curious approach to the topic makes the show accessible to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The show provides a glimpse into the exciting technologies that may one day transform the world around us.

Filter by Source
No sources available
Seasons
Making Stuff Safer
4. Making Stuff Safer
November 6, 2013
From PBS and NOVA: Is it possible to engineer an absolutely safe world for ourselves? Host David Pogue explores the extent to which science and technology can protect us from monumental forces of nature such as earthquakes and epidemics. He challenges researchers to save us from dangers of our own making, such as traffic accidents and contact sports. Our increasing reliance on the internet makes us vulnerable to new risks: Pogue delves into cyber security, where computer experts work to shield us from attacks from hackers and terrorists. Risk is all around us-but we can be smart about it.
Making Stuff Colder
3. Making Stuff Colder
October 30, 2013
From PBS and NOVA: Cold. For centuries we've fought it, shunned it and huddled against it. Cold has always been the enemy of life, but now it may hold the key to a new generation of science and technology that will improve our lives. David Pogue explores the frontiers of cold science, from saving the lives of severe trauma patients and cooling a warming planet to ultracold physics, where bizarre new properties of matter are the norm and the basis of new technologies like levitating trains and quantum computers. In this brave new world, cold isn't to be avoided. Cold is the new hot.
Making Stuff Wilder
2. Making Stuff Wilder
October 23, 2013
From PBS and NOVA: What happens when engineers open up nature's toolbox? David Pogue explores bold innovations inspired by the Earth's greatest inventor, life itself. From underwater wi-fi based on dolphin communication, to robotic "mules" and "cheetahs" for the military, to swarms of robotic bees, Pogue travels the world seeing the "wildest" ideas put into action in new inventions and technologies. It is a journey that sees today's bacteria turned into tomorrow's metallurgists, viruses building batteries, and even DNA, the Code of Life, put to work in "living" computers. Will the stuff of the future take on a life of its own?
Making Stuff Faster
1. Making Stuff Faster
October 17, 2013
From PBS and NOVA: Are there physical limits to how fast humans can go? David Pogue wants to find out how much we can tweak physiology and engineering to move humans and machines even faster. He investigates everything from lightning-fast electric muscle cars to ultra-sleek sailboats to ultra-fast cameras and quantum teleportation. But faster is also about efficiency and the science of optimization: getting things done in less time. From the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to UPS headquarters and inside a packed 737, Pogue's quest for ultimate speed limits takes him to unexpected places where he comes face-to-face with the final frontiers of speed. NOVA also explores important questions: Is it possible to go too fast? Have we hit a point where innovation outpaces our ability to keep up?
Description
  • Premiere Date
    October 17, 2013