Science Nation

Using complex fluid engineering techniques, professor Bob Tilton of Carnegie Mellon University is working on removing pollutants, such as trichloroethylene, from groundwater. These toxic solvents could be found at military and former industrial sites.

One of the major challenges being addressed by precision agriculture is over-fertilization. About 30 percent of nitrate fertilizer applied to U.S. crops simply washes away. This wastes the fertilizer and the energy used to make it, in addition to posing possible harm to the environment. Support from the National Science Foundation has led to the development by start-up SupraSensor Technologies of a novel sensor to detect nitrate fertilizer in soil. The SupraSensor device is designed to give farmers a highly accurate, virtually constant stream of data on nitrate levels. The device is an excellent example of highly applied science with roots in basic research -- in this case supramolecular chemistry at the University of Oregon.

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at what the people who make Science Nation consider some of their most memorable moments, so far

Plastics are a miracle of modern science and are now fundamental to our everyday lives. Of course, they are also a constant reminder of our throw-away society. With support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), chemist Marc Hillmyer, of the University of Minnesota, and a team at the Center for Sustainable Polymers (CSP) are dedicating their research to transforming the way plastics, or “polymers,” are made and unmade. The Center’s vision is to design, demonstrate and develop economically competitive and environmentally friendly polymers that may even outperform their traditional counterparts. To accomplish their goal, these chemists are working on new strategies using renewable feedstock chemicals, such as sugars, plant oils, and other naturally sourced starting materials. The CSP is one of the NSF-funded Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI), which are focused on major, long-term fundamental chemical research challenges. CCIs are producing transformative research that is leading to innovation and attracting broad scientific and public interest.

In episode 46, Jordan and Charlie talk about a new type of foldable material that is versatile, tunable and self actuated. It's a 4x4x4 cube --inspired by an origami technique called snapology-- that could have a variety of uses, from surgical stents to pop-up domes for disaster relief.

Leaves have an intricate web of veins that transport nutrients and water and provide structural support. But what determines the pattern of venation? Physicists Marcelo Magnasco and Eleni Katifori, of The Rockefeller University, investigated this question using sophisticated algorithms and a little glow-in-the-dark dye.

Chemical engineers at the University of Texas in Austin are researching new "spray-on" applications for photovoltaic panels. With support from the National Science Foundation, Brian Korgel and his team are testing out nanoparticle "inks" that are designed to be painted on rooftops or the sides of buildings. The technology is not yet at the same levels of efficiency as standard, commercial photovoltaic panels, but Korgel expects some commercial uses for his research within three to five years. And, because they are semi-transparent the new cells could allow windows to double as solar collection cells. Video debuted on The Weather Channel in April 2013.

In recent years, the number and scale of wildfires in the U.S. has risen, threatening cities and forests, and forcing large-scale evacuations. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is supporting the WIFIRE initiative, led jointly by the University of California (UC), San Diego, and the University of Maryland, to better monitor, predict and mitigate wildfires in the future.

WIFIRE merges observations, such as satellite imagery and real-time data from sensors in the field, with computational techniques like signal processing, visualization, modeling and data assimilation, to monitor environmental conditions and predict where and how fast a wildfire will spread. The project is part of the NSF Hazards SEES program, which enhances sustainability through the use of advanced technologies and new methods.

Participants in WIFIRE include researchers from the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology's (Calit2) Qualcomm Institute, and the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department at UC San Diego's Jacobs School of Engineering. Also participating in the project is the University of Maryland's Department of Fire Protection Engineering.

The research in this episode was supported by NSF award #1331615, Hazards SEES Type 2: WIFIRE: A Scalable Data-Driven Monitoring, Dynamic Prediction and Resilience Cyberinfrastructure for Wildfires.

Grant #/URL: http://nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1331615&HistoricalAwards=false

Miles O'Brien, Science Nation Correspondent

Ann Kellan, Science Nation Producer

With support from the National Science Foundation, this University of Michigan team has built a new laser-based instrument called a quantum entanglement microscope. They’re using entangled photons in microscopy, research that was virtually impossible only a decade ago. The microscope generates high resolution images with low intensity beams, enabling the team to image delicate samples, such as living cells, without damaging them. Quantum entangled microscopy is an example of how quantum research is opening the door to advances in all the sciences. The research in this episode was supported by these NSF grants: #1607949 “Entangled Photon Imaging and Microscopy for Chemical and Biological Investigations” and #1836374 “QLC: EAGER: Collaborative Research: Developing Experiment and Theory for Entangled Photon Spectroscopy.”