Episode 1: Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is our ability to engineer specific attributes of materials and machines by controlling their features at an amazingly small scale -- one billionth of a meter. At UVM, a scientist gives a glimpse of how nanotechnology may increase the efficacy of cancer drugs.

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Nanotechnology’s Role in Fighting Cancer
One of the predominant features of nano-materials is an extremely high surface area. In this episode, Chris Landry, professor of chemistry at the University of Vermont describes how nanotechnology applications are improving the efficacy of cancer drugs by delivering more medicine to patients.

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Land Development and Water Quality
In this episode, Beverly Wemple, associate professor at the University of Vermont’s Department of Geography explores changes that are affecting our water quality. How does changing weather affect our water? What happens when we remove trees and the soil becomes more susceptible to erosion? How can we manage and develop the forested landscape while reducing the potential of forest management to degrade our water resources?

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Remote Sensing of Mechanical Stress
The science and technology of remote wireless sensing consists of many disciplines. In this episode, Steve Arms, president of MicroStrain, Inc., describes one example of remote wireless sensing. Piezoelectric materials create a voltage when they are stressed. Combining this with remote sensing technology, MicroStrain has helped the U.S. Navy save hundreds of thousands of dollars in helicopter maintenance costs.

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UV Radiation and Greenhouse Gases
In this episode, Vermont state climatologist Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux explains one of the major planetary components of climate change: greenhouse gas. The ozone layer protects us from UV radiation, but with increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the "greenhouse effect" is increased, warming and deflecting more solar radiation back to the earth.

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Water Systems – A Complex Model
How do "water systems" work? In this episode, Mary Watzin, director of the Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory introduces us to complex systems. With years of accumulated data, the current charge is to quantify local water systems and predict the trajectory of our ecosystem.

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Remote Sensing of Environmental Conditions
Accurately measuring environmental conditions is critical for natural resource planning, estimation of agricultural conditions, weather forecasting and a number of essential scenarios affecting our everyday life. In this episode, Christian Skalka, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Vermont, explains how scientific advances in gathering and transmitting environmental data are giving us a better understanding of the water quality in Vermont’s winter snow pack.

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Accurately Predicting the Weather
Mark Breen, chief meteorologist at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, Vt., introduces us to the evolution of weather forecasting - from old weather sayings to modern complex models. He discusses such topics as human impact and anticipating minute climate changes and their potential effect.

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Nanotechnology and the Hydrogen Economy
At the nanoscale, the physics and chemistry of materials change. Walter Varhue, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Vermont, proposes to use materials at the nanoscale, in the presence of water and sunlight, to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This process could lead to the creation of cheap, clean energy, a promising component of the hydrogen economy.

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