Aquarium Makers

Specializing in saltwater aquariums, Nic Tiemens and Joe Pineda love the challenge of recreating a slice of the ocean indoors. Day in and day out, they use volume calculations, temperature, measurement and science to create these beautiful habitats.

Communications Satellites

It takes a sophisticated network of hundreds of communication satellites orbiting the earth to connect the dots of the global economy. It’s a field that relies on everything from variables to patterns and measurement to space science. Running time 02:43 minutes

Creating Cars

Your students like to ride in them, plan drive and hope to own one. Could they also have a job designing cars? Inspire them by taking them inside Ford Motor Company to see how designers and engineers use math to steer the direction of their concept cars.

First One in the Ballpark

Determining who is the best athlete on the field is hardly a matter of opinion. Sports reporters stay ahead of the competition by arriving early and keeping a close watch on statistics.

Gems and Jewelry

Lines, curves, polygons and planes--gemstones and jewelry are rich in geometry. A jewelry appraiser, a jewelry historian and a Brazilian gem cutter give your students an inside look at the many facets of this dazzling subject.

Geometry and Structural Engineering

Building a 72-story skyscraper like Trump Tower in New York City is no easy feat. That’s where structural engineers like Ysrael Seinuk come in. This movie explains how shapes are at the foundation of structural engineering.

Inventing with Polygons

Chuck Hoberman’s inventions are more than just technological marvels; they’re works of art. See how basic principles of geometry help him create extraordinarily strong, expandable structures.

Life Under the Ocean

A marine biologist studies the jellyfish-like animals living at 3,000 feet below the surface, where it is cold, dark and quiet. Featured: George Matsumoto, marine biologist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

Lightning

There are over twenty-five million cloud-to-ground lightning flashes strike in the U.S. every year. Meteorologists use a combination of math and science to track when and where they will strike.

Music for Movies

Whether he’s trying to make the chase scenes exciting or the scary scenes scary, Oscar-nominated film composer James Newton Howard explains that he relies on patterns to write the musical scores for movies.

Revisiting the Moon

Evidence suggests there may be deposits of ice within craters at the poles of the moon. If this proves to be the case, Planetary Scientist Dr. Paul Spudis says it could possibly be “the most valuable piece of real estate in the solar system.” Find out why

Space Architecture

Building places to live and work in extreme environments takes architects that understand how to play by a different set of rules. Take your students to meet architects that are tackling the challenges. This is all about problem solving in outer space.

The Starshade

Is there life on planets in other star systems? It's a very old question. But finding the answer may get simpler with a new invention by astrophysicist, professor and inventor Webster Cash.

The Surface of Mars

Currently the worldwide collection of Mars rocks totals exactly 37. They've come to us over the eons as meteorites. Molly McCanta’s job is to better understand the geological history of the red planet with only 37 samples to work from.

The Wind Business

It can take years to plan and engineer these state-of-the-art wind farms. It’s a problem-solving process that draws on an understanding of algebra, geometry, kinetic energy, etc. to turn one of our most abundant resources into a viable business.

Windsails

Sailing the ocean no longer requires triple-masted schooners-in fact you can do it on a vessel no larger than a surfboard. What's the secret to designing a windsail that can skim the surface of the sea at 20 miles an hour, yet respond instantly to a sail?