Making Stuff: Stronger
David Pogue tests his mettle against the world’s strongest stuff, from steel and Kevlar to bioengineered silk. Aired January 19, 2011 on PBS
- Posted 01.19.11
- NOVA
Program Description
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 mollusk shells 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 programs in the "Making Stuff" series are "Smaller," "Cleaner," and "Smarter."
"Making Stuff" is produced in cooperation with the Materials Research Society (MRS), an international organization of nearly 16,000 materials researchers from academia, industry, and government, and a recognized leader in promoting the advancement of interdisciplinary materials research to improve the quality of life.
Broadcast Credits
Making Stuff: Stronger
- Host
- David Pogue
- Written, Produced and Directed by
- Chris Schmidt
- Executive Producers
- for Powderhouse Productions
- Joel Olicker
Tug Yourgrau - Co-Producer
- Alexandra McHale
- Field Producer
- Doug Gordon
- Edited by
- Brian Cassin
- Additional Editing
- Justin Vaida
Daniel McCabe
Kristine Gaffney - Director of Photography
- Gary Henoch
- Additional Photography
- Joe Livolsi
Jason Longo
Mike Marshall
Joe Friedman
Tom Kaufman - Sound Recordists
- Glen Ackers
Mark Arees
Lyle Bibler
Jeff Boedeker
Mike Boyle
Kabe Cornell
Gregg Hinnen
Mike Italiano
Dave Manahan
Bill Wander
Warren Wolfe - Grips and Gaffers
- Ken Perham
Greg Price
Grady Smith
Darrell Tawney
Josh Weinhaus - Production Assistant
- Daniel V. Parsons
- Music
- Lunch Special Music
- Animation
- Edgeworx, LLC
- Additional Animation
- Wlan Waldo
Jenny Olson - Production Manager
- Diane Knox
- Post Production Supervisor
- Kevin Young
Michael Fallon - Assistant Editors
- Eric P. Gulliver
Peter Hyzak
Bryce Patingre - Assistant Online Editor
- Erin Gallagher
- Online Editor / Colorist
- Julie Kahn
- Audio Mix
- Heart Punch Studio, Inc
- Research
- Sonia Weinhaus
- For Powderhouse Productions
- Post Production Manager
- Melissa Walter Richards
- Senior Production Coordinator
- Carlin Corrigan
- VP of Production
- Daniel Miller
- Senior VP of Production and Post
- Robert Kirwan
- Archival Material
- AP Archive
Getty Images
Footage courtesy of Discovery FootageSource
Footage Courtesy MIT Museum
Footage Provided by Thought Equity Motion
iStockphoto
Palmpress, Inc. - Special Thanks
- Producers gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of the Materials Research Society.
- Richard A. Souza
Amy Moll
Kristin Bennett
Jerry Floro
Megan Frary
Kevin Jones
Tommie Kelley
Alex King
Aditi Risbud
Stephen Streiffer
Rick Vinci
Sandra DeVincent Wolf - Special Thanks
- American Museum of Natural History in New York City
United States Navy
Otis Elevator Company
Professor Stephen Sass, Cornell University - NOVA Series Graphics
- yU + co.
- NOVA Theme Music
- Walter Werzowa
John Luker
Musikvergnuegen, Inc. - Additional NOVA Theme Music
- Ray Loring
Rob Morsberger - Post Production Online Editor
- Michael H. Amundson
- Closed Captioning
- The Caption Center
- Publicity
- Eileen Campion
Victoria Louie
Karen Laverty - Marketing
- Steve Sears
- Researcher
- Kate Becker
- NOVA Administrator
- Kristen Sommerhalter
- Production Coordinator
- Linda Callahan
- Paralegal
- Sarah Erlandson
- Talent Relations
- Scott Kardel, Esq.
Janice Flood - Legal Counsel
- Susan Rosen
- Post Production Assistant
- Darcy Forlenza
- Associate Producer Post Production
- Patrick Carey
- Post Production Supervisor
- Regina O'Toole
- Post Production Editor
- Rebecca Nieto
- Post Production Manager
- Nathan Gunner
- Compliance Manager
- Linzy Emery
- Development Producer
- Pamela Rosenstein
- Supervising Producer
- Stephen Sweigart
- Business and Production Manager
- Jonathan Loewald
- Senior Producer and Project Director, Margret & Hans Rey / Curious George Producer
- Lisa Mirowitz
- Coordinating Producer
- Laurie Cahalane
- Senior Science Editor
- Evan Hadingham
- Senior Series Producer
- Melanie Wallace
- Executive Producer
- Howard Swartz
- Managing Director
- Alan Ritsko
- Senior Executive Producer
- Paula S. Apsell
Produced by Powderhouse Productions
A NOVA Production by Powderhouse Productions for WGBH
© 2011 WGBH Educational Foundation
All rights reserved
Participants
- C Lewis Azad
- NanoTech Institute, UTD
- Jim Bales
- Edgerton Center, MIT
- Ray Baughman
- The University of Texas at Dallas www.nanotech.utdallas.edu/personnel/staff/baughman.html
- Mark Eberhart
- Author, Why Things Break
- Joan Embery
- Embery Wildlife Conservation
- Nicholas Godley
- Fashion Designer
- Randy Lewis
- Molecular Biologist, UW
- Marcio Dias Lima
- NanoTech Institute, UTD
- Mark Meyers
- Materials Scientist, UCSD
- Tucker Norton
- Ballistics Scientist
- John Paules
- GM, Ellwood Technologies
- Scot Vannorman
- United States Navy
- Danny Womack
- Owner, Outlaw Motor Speedway
Education and Outreach Resources
Editors' Picks
-
What's This Stuff?
Think you know your stuff? Identify 10 mystery materials from a set of clues.
-
Making Stuff: Series Overview
Technology reporter David Pogue hosts a four-part special series exploring the materials that will shape our future.
-
The World's Strongest Stuff
From diamonds to spider silk, see some of the hardest, strongest, and toughest materials on Earth.
-
Taking the Heat
David Pogue visits DuPont to get a closer look at fireproof clothing.
-
Nature’s Super-Materials
See some of Nature's stickiest, toughest, and cleanest materials, and learn how they are inspiring new products.
