Xploration Nature Knows Best Season 1 Episode 3 The Science of Safety
- Not Rated
- September 24, 2016
- 22 min
In season 1 episode 3 of Xploration Nature Knows Best, host Danni Washington explores the science of safety, looking at how nature can inspire innovative solutions to make our everyday lives safer.
The episode kicks off with a segment on firefighting, where Danni visits the Orange County Fire Authority's Wildland Firefighting Training Center. Here, she learns about the tactics and equipment used to fight wildfires, and how technology is being used to increase the safety of firefighters. She meets with firefighters who share stories of their experiences battling wildfires, and explains how the science of fire behavior is used to predict and control fires.
Next up, Danni examines how animals inspire technology that can keep us safe while driving. She visits a car crash test facility to learn about the different types of crashes that can occur and how engineers use this data to design safer cars. She then meets with scientists who are studying the behavior of animals like chameleons and geckos, whose unique physical traits are being used to develop safer adhesives and coatings that can keep drivers from being thrown from their vehicles in the event of a crash.
Moving on to water safety, Danni finds out how scientists are using the natural buoyancy of kelp to develop new life jackets that are more effective than traditional foam ones. She visits a lab where different life jacket designs are tested using a crash test dummy, and learns why some designs are more effective than others. She also meets with kayakers who discuss the importance of wearing a life jacket and share stories of how life jackets have saved their lives in dangerous rapids.
In the final segment of the episode, Danni explores how technology inspired by nature can make our homes safer. She visits a lab where scientists are studying how termite mounds are built to keep the insects cool, and explains how this knowledge is being used to develop passive cooling systems that can keep homes safe and comfortable during heat waves. She also meets with researchers who are studying the behavior of dolphins to develop sonar systems that can detect gas leaks in homes.
Throughout the episode, Danni emphasizes the importance of using science and technology to make our lives safer, and how nature can inspire innovative solutions to the problems we face. With engaging segments and fascinating examples of how nature can be used to improve our safety, The Science of Safety is a must-watch for anyone interested in science, technology, and the natural world.