Communiqué

Around the world, engineers are finding ingenious ways to amplify our abilities and senses on “Boost It!” on NOVA: BUILDING STUFF – Nov. 13 at 9


Posted on:

< < Back to

NOVA LAUNCHES MULTI-PLATFORM INITIATIVE, “BUILDING STUFF,” HIGHLIGHTING ENGINEERING IN THE WORLD AROUND US  

– Series Launches its First-Ever Twitch Channel, “BUILDING STUFF WITH NOVA,” Ahead of Three-Part Special Premiering November 13 through 27 on PBS 

 New special will also be available for streaming at pbs.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and the PBS App

 

The award-winning PBS science series, NOVA has launched a multi-platform initiative, BUILDING STUFF, as part of its continued 50th anniversary celebration. The project will highlight the essential role engineering plays in the world around us in a three-part documentary series premiering on PBS.

Hosted by professional engineer and former NASA researcher Dr. Nehemiah Mabry (“Dr. Nee”), “BUILDING STUFF WITH NOVA” invites audiences to explore the world of engineering.

Dr. Nehemiah Mabry
Dr. Nehemiah Mabry

”As part of NOVA’s 50th anniversary year, we’re thrilled to showcase the power of engineering and celebrate the human ingenuity that exists all around us,” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Julia Cort. “And we’re excited to continue bringing NOVA to new audiences on more platforms, including Twitch, where people can engage directly with the NOVA team and experts to solve engineering challenges together in a new and unique way..”

NOVA will premiere the three-part documentary series “BUILDING STUFF,” Wednesdays, Nov. 13 through 27 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS. In three one-hour episodes, the 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. The series, which will also be available for streaming at pbs.org/nova, NOVA on YouTube, and the PBS App, 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 on PBS)

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.

 

  • “BUILDING STUFF: REACH IT!” (premieres Wednesday, Nov. 20 on PBS)

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 on PBS) 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.

 

“Making things to solve problems, what we call engineering, is a fundamental human activity. It’s something we all do – and as a species, have always done. But how does it work?” said NOVA Co-Executive Producer Chris Schmidt. “In BUILDING STUFF, we dive into an exciting mix of engineering stories that highlight the problem-solving process that underlies innovation, while revealing the deep historical roots that underpin every aspect of our modern world.”