← Focal Point

Season 2

15 episodes · 2021

  1. 1How Smog Almost Killed NYC

    14 Nov 2021 · 6 min

    Pollution levels around the world today seem astronomical, but in New York City, they used to be deadly. How did this happen and when did it change?

  2. 2Chernobyl's Radiation Shield

    14 Nov 2021 · 6 min

    The damaged Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant still holds 200 tons of nuclear fuel, and if it were to leak into the atmosphere, the consequences would be catastrophic. So the world came together to find a way to seal the radiation.

  3. 3Engineering the Perfect Apple

    14 Nov 2021 · 4 min

    It took over 30 years to create the perfect apple. Find out how scientists designed the Honeycrisp to be the best.

  4. 4Closer to Colonizing Space

    14 Nov 2021 · 7 min

    After years of trial and error, NASA figured out how to successfully grow salad in space. So, what does this breakthrough mean? Are we one step closer to colonizing other planets?

  5. 5Revolutionizing Heart Surgery

    14 Nov 2021 · 5 min

    Virtual reality technology is now being applied to medical training. Doctors can teleport inside the human heart and practice surgery over and over again, and this training could revolutionize the future of health care.

  6. 6Declassified Nuclear Films

    14 Nov 2021 · 5 min

    The US detonated over 200 nuclear weapons to gather scientific data about their potential. That data was gospel for years, until a weapons physicist decades later found out the figures were off by huge margins.

  7. 7Hyperloop Pod

    14 Nov 2021 · 8 min

    College students built a hyperloop pod that could revolutionize the way we travel. And while some people think the concept is mostly just hype, others think it's genius.

  8. 8US Nuclear Missiles

    14 Nov 2021 · 4 min

    Forget the big red button, this is how we would actually conduct nuclear war. Missiles are still controlled by floppy disks.

  9. 9Einstein's Brain Was Stolen

    14 Nov 2021 · 3 min

    Over 60 years ago, Albert Einstein's brain was stolen, dissected and sent in pieces all around the world. Who was behind this theft for science?

  10. 10NASA Mission & Cold War Planes

    14 Nov 2021 · 4 min

    Greenland loses close to 100 million Olympic-size swimming pools of water per year. We know that statistic thanks to this critical NASA mission.

  11. 11Scientists, Waves & Surfers

    14 Nov 2021 · 4 min

    Can you catch a wave and collect data at the same time? Find out how these scientists are transforming ocean research and surfers are using Smartfins to help scientists gather data.

  12. 12Live on One of These Moons

    14 Nov 2021 · 5 min

    Looking for a new home beyond Earth? Icy moons could be a hot contender.

  13. 13AI Is Monitoring You Right Now

    14 Nov 2021 · 5 min

    There's wisdom in crowds, and scientists are applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to better predict global crises and outbreaks.

  14. 14How NASA Visualizes Galaxies

    14 Nov 2021 · 7 min

    We go inside NASA's art department, where galaxies, star systems and black holes are visualized.

  15. 15NASA Engineers Use Origami

    14 Nov 2021 · 4 min

    NASA is using origami to build a giant star blocker, in hopes of imaging distant worlds.