Whether you believe Pluto to be a planet or not, the pictures that NASA has been releasing since Wednesday are a stunning reminder that even a dwarf planet can be beautiful and awe-inspiring.  Also awe-inspiring: the work it took to get the New Horizons probe, which took the pictures, to the far reaches of our solar system—3.5 billion miles from home.  On this episode of the How Your World Works podcast, we explain how the New Horizons mission worked.  Hint: It started way before the blastoff nine years ago.
 
Plus, Paul Rudd becomes the first smaller than life superhero in Marvel’s newest vehicle, Ant-Man. With Rudd measuring only half an inch tall for much of the movie, a lot of visual effects and computer imaging was needed to create the film. We spoke with Ant-Man’s Visual Effects Supervisor, Jake Morrison, to learn the secrets of the Ant-Man. 
 
Plus, are they all pipes? 
 
This episode was sponsored by Casper.  For $50 toward any mattress purchase, visit www.casper.com/WORLD and use the promo code WORLD.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Pluto and the Probe

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On today's show, Kevin Dupzyk and James Lynch talk to Fox NFL Director Rich Russo and Producer Richie Zyontz. The pair have been producing sporting events together for years, and on February 5 they'll be the men behind the curtain for Super Bowl LI. We ask them about what it takes to make a modern-day NFL broadcast come together, and hear which legendary NFL coach laid the foundation for what we now expect from watching a football game on TV. And then, because we initially interviewed them before the Super Bowl matchup was set, we give them a call to check back in and find out what they'll be watching for when the Patriots and Falcons take the field in Houston.
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Episode 42: How to Make the Super Bowl

On today's show, we talk to our good friend Rachel Rothman, Chief Technologist at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Working on a specialized floor a few levels up from Popular Mechanics, she and a team of engineers test stoves, clothes, food, cars--pretty much everything you encounter in day-to-day life. She explains how she got into such an exacting line of work, how it's heightened her neuroses (and given her new ones), and why it's ultimately so rewarding. 
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Episode 41: How to Test Everything

On today's show, Steve Abraham, a long time air traffic controller at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, tells us about his job--everything from how he get into it (and how that's changed), to the time he had two airplanes flying one on top of the other, to the fact that, yes, dangerous situations like that are very rare, even if delays aren't.
Musical thanks this episode to minusbaby for "Flying."
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Episode 40: How to Avoid Flight Delays

BioLite is an interesting company. Their signature product is a camp stove that burns wood and uses some of the heat to charge a battery, which can, in turn, charge small electronic devices. It's great for camping. But it's also great for people who don't have easy access to electricity or clean-burning fires (which turns out to be a lot of people). On today's show, CEO Jonathan Cedar explains how his company went from simply trying to improve combustion to having offices in India and Africa.
Special musical thanks this episode to Jahzzar for "Fire Ahead."
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Episode 39: How to Make a Camp Stove (For Good)

On today's episode, guest host and Popular Mechanics Contributing Editor Dan Dubno takes us inside the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to learn about new technology that can allow a man to climb anywhere. Until he falls, which may or may not have happened to Dan Dubno.
Musical thanks for this episode goes to The Crypts! for their song Marie Curie.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Pluto and the Probe

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