Join “Catalyst” host Vanessa Ruiz as she explores research at Arizona State University that includes an artificial tree that can reduce carbon dioxide as well as advances in swarm intelligence in robots, which impacts technology such as driverless vehicles. The premiere episode also looks at how viruses can be used to combat diseases and how teams work under pressure using technology.
This week, Catalyst travels the world highlighting the fieldwork being done for The Human Generosity Project. The project uses multiple methodologies to explore the nature of generosity in people and cultures around the globe.
Catalyst takes a closer look at things we normally don’t want to touch to find clues for making our lives healthier. Whether it’s in the fibers of a spider web, a city’s sewage system or single drop of blood, we explore biological clues to a better future.
On the next Catalyst, scientists explore how to best care for mothers, how to vaccinate bees, and why it’s important to research a planet humans may never visit.
This week on Catalyst, learn how fruit flies may hold the answer to tissue regeneration, how nurses may suffer from compassion fatigue and how one science librarian is saving and sharing seeds.
This week on Catalyst, researchers explore new ways to power satellites through space, experiment with swine vaccinations, build robotic fish and imagine a cell phone microscope.
This week on Catalyst, researchers explore the relationship between capsaicin and metabolic rate, new ways to study structural biology with CryoEM, and a more efficient way to empty trash cans.
This week, Catalyst goes into the labs of the leading research scientists in the Valley as they work to better understand what causes Alzheimer’s Disease and as they continue to search for a cure.
Catalyst takes a closer look at wildlife living the city life and what researchers are learning about animal behavior. How does urban life affect birds? Scientists have nicknamed the research project the “Sex and the City” study. Nutritionists look into the gluten-free fad and discover some surprising results.
This week's Catalyst examines two major issues affecting the health of the world’s oceans: plastics and fertilizer. Learn what Arizona State University researchers are doing to solve the problem. Also in this episode, the story of a former high school athlete and current ASU graduate student who is working to create a product that would help athletes beat performance anxiety.
This week on Catalyst, the show examines how a new device could help save the lives of chronically ill patients. Catalyst also talks to experts about Valley infrastructure. Can it withstand the growing desert population? How can engineers create building materials that are more sustainable?
Catalyst follows a team of scientists who while sequencing the Saguaro cactus made a surprising discovery. Catalyst also joins a Saguaro fruit harvest in the Saguaro National Forest.
The season finale of "Catalyst" shows you how and why researchers dig for answers to difficult problems. In this episode, we meet the man with the vision that brought Catalyst to life. You’ll also see six stories that together create a picture of the people and purpose the show captures.
This week's "Catalyst" examines gadgets that can improve our safety and strength.
Men with autism confront challenges of aging with a neurological condition that impairs communication skills, like facial expressions and vocal tone. To understand the risks of aging with autism, neuroscientist Blair Braden, Ph.D. tracks their brain activity in a multi-year study.
Biologists install digital cameras and microphones around wild habitats to observe where endangered animals migrate. By mapping wildlife movements conservationists can advise governments how to build infrastructure that protects biodiversity.
Evolution programmed incredible abilities into the genetic codes of Earth’s unique animals. Biologists look at animal genes, behavior, and cell structure to see how they’ve overcome health problems still faced by humans.
From ancient Mexico to modern recess, civilians want city spaces where they can prosper. Archeologists uncover cultural treasures in Teotihuacan, a biometeorologist measures children adapting to extreme playground heat, and the LEED program helps architects construct energy-efficient “green” buildings. Also, a glassblower shapes custom goblets and tools for science laboratories.
Helmet designers smash prototypes to see how collisions impact players’ heads. By adding absorbent materials and custom-fit layers, the helmet industry hopes to prevent concussions and salvage football’s violent reputation. Psychologists show teams how to better recognize concussion symptoms and why early reporting is a winning strategy. A neurologist warns of the long-term emotional risks of CTE.
Automotive engineering students from Sun Devil Motorsports build a Formula race car from scratch for a national design competition; NASCAR mechanics create engine parts in a 3D printer; Climatologists track the rapid rise of car interior temperatures during summertime.
Biochemists test a cancer prevention vaccine for dogs; A computational biologist explains how elephants have genes that destroy cancer before it spreads; A computer scientist uses social media data to help victims of natural disasters communicate with rescuers.
NASA's DAWN orbiter uses an ion engine to survey dwarf planet Ceres and asteroid Vesta; Astrophysicists launch a balloon carrying a 5,000-pound telescope into the stratosphere over Antarctica; NASA tests its Orion parachute system over an Army bombing range; A geologist examines rock samples and oxygen molecules to study planet Earth's "Great Oxidation Event" 2.5 billion years ago.
Versatile devices that fly, flex, float in space to improve our health and safety.
The latest generation of NASA satellites captures new visions of Earth and fascinating objects in our solar system. The shoebox-sized Phoenix cubesat satellite is small but mighty and helps calculate the intensity of urban heat islands; Cracks on the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa suggest an ocean swirls underneath.
We can recycle tires, now can we also recycle the roads we drive on? A microbiologist who loves to go fast has to slow down to make her science work in space. More than feelings, you can actually measure why it hurts when someone is excluded by others because of their identity.
A mission to learn more about the asteroid Bennu, and an effort to help teachers teach.
Look back at some of our favorite stories of season 2 and get a sneak peek at season 3.
Preview: Season 3 - Coming in 2020
When the next rover lands on Mars, most of the pictures it sends back will be taken by cameras designed at Arizona State University. For the first time, a rover will give us a 3-D view of features on the red planet, thanks to cameras that let us see in stereo.
Planets orbit faraway stars - could some of those planets have the right recipe for supporting life? Plus, we'll look for water on the moon: what is the mission to find that water, and why it matters for getting us to Mars and beyond.
A little less than half of those who die trying to cross the southern U.S. border die in Arizona. Those sobering numbers present a scientific challenge: identifying the person who died so that loved ones can know what happened. An ASU researcher is using technology to meet this challenge. It’s an effort funded in part by a grant from the U.S. justice department.
Science keeps finding new connections between our bodies and our minds. Food, exercise, what we eat and what we think all intersect in some way. Meet a highly competitive distance runner who is also transitioning from one gender to another - and allowing scientists to track the ongoing changes as her body changes. Then, discover how life in space changes our genes.
Explore our relationship with "man's best friend" through three stories about canine-related research, including a cancer therapy that might work for dogs and humans, and research into the design of dog shelters. Plus, we'll look at how treating digestive problems is reducing symptoms of autism and the anti-microbial possibilities of clay.
Catalyst explores the research at Arizona State University and its impact on the world.
