Back to Show
NOVA
Beyond the Elements: Indestructible Preview
Glass so strong you can jump on it, rubber so tough it protects a clay pot dropped from 50 feet, endless varieties of plastic. Scientists and engineers have created virtually indestructible versions of common materials by manipulating the chains of interlocking atoms that give them strength—but have they made them too tough? Host David Pogue explores the fantastic chemistry behind the everyday.
Support Provided By
1:52:42
The story of how African-American Percy Julian defied the odds to become a famous chemist.
Unlock with PBS Passport
52:31
What led to the devastating floods that Hurricane Katrina unleashed on New Orleans?
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:31
Journey back to the beginning of everything: the universe, Earth, and life itself.
Unlock with PBS Passport
50:52
Journey back to the beginning of everything: the universe, Earth, and life itself.
Unlock with PBS Passport
51:52
Journey back to the beginning of everything: the universe, Earth, and life itself.
Unlock with PBS Passport
53:50
An American combat hospital mobilized in Iraq faces a daily drama of wartime treatment.
53:06
Will experimental particle physics confirm the wild predictions of string theory?
52:56
Do miniscule vibrating strands of energy hold the key to a unified theory of physics?
52:55
Combining the laws of the universe in one theory that explains it all is the Holy Grail