TCA Press Tour: PBS searches for the ‘ultimate stuff’ of the future
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Since eras of time are named after stuff (Iron Age, Stone Age, Bronze Age … you get the picture), it only makes sense to try to find the “ultimate stuff” of the future.
In “Making Stuff Stronger, Smaller, Smarter, Cleaner,” a four-part PBS prime-time series from the producers of NOVA, David Pogue serves as our scientific tour guide as he explores the most remarkable advances in material science: from bacteria that can produce gasoline out of thin air and seat cushions made out of soy bean oil to germ-repelling ‘shark skin’ that could be coming to a hospital near you.
The latter is Pogue’s favorite part in the series, he revealed during the TCA press tour. The New York Times columnist checked out a man-made material that mimics shark skin, which has “teeny-weeny” (his scientific term, not ours) little walls that are too small for bacteria cells to wedge into. He predicts it will revolutionize the healthcare industry.
“If you can invest in it, you should,” he joked.
“Making Stuff” will air later this year.
-- Yvonne Villarreal
