Hosted by professional engineer and former NASA researcher Dr. Nehemiah Mabry (“Dr. Nee”), this three-part series follows some of the most creative engineering experts as they build stuff that helps extend our range, amplify our abilities, and alter our environment for the better.
NOVA “Building Stuff: Boost It” airs Wednesdays, November 13-27 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.
The series invites audiences to experience the ups and downs with engineers as they design, build, and test their way through challenges, inspiring the inner “maker” in all of us. The three episodes are:
● “Building Stuff: Boost It” (premieres Wednesday, Nov. 13) Around the world, engineers are finding ingenious ways to amplify our abilities and senses – allowing us to access and shape the world way beyond our natural abilities. From helping a blind man see without the use of his eyes to building a sling so powerful it can propel rockets into space, see why engineering just might be the closest thing to a superpower we humans have. This episode is presented as part of Move to IncludeTM, a WXXI and Golisano Foundation initiative designed to promote inclusion.
● “Building Stuff: Reach It!” (premieres Wednesday, Nov. 20)
From the time our species first evolved, we’ve been on the move. Not content to stay in one place, we’ve schemed and invented and built our way from one place to the next. From affordable deep sea subs to flying taxis to next-gen space habitats, see how today’s engineers are designing and building creative new ways for us to get all around — and even off — our planet.
● “Building Stuff: Change It!” (premieres Wednesday, Nov. 27)
For as long as humans have been around, we’ve been altering the spaces around us to better suit our needs. From accessing ancient wisdom to build a better water filter to designing a robot that uses acoustics to monitor coral reef health, see how today’s engineers are applying their craft to reshape the natural world and create new human-made environments to enhance our lives in amazing ways.
Photo: NASA researcher Dr. Nehemiah Mabry/ Credit© WGBH Educational Foundation