>> ON THIS EDITION OF "SCITECH

NOW," REDESIGNING ONE OF THE

MOST FAMOUS SPORTS STADIUMS IN

THE COUNTRY SO IT LOOKS MORE

LIKE A TREE.

SEE HOW ARCHITECTURE CAN HELP

FEED THE HUNGRY.

LEARN HOW FISH TOOK THE

EVOLUTIONARY LEAP FROM WATER TO

LAND, AND SEE WHAT ROLES STARS

PLAYED IN EARLY SPACE

EXPLORATION ALL COMING UP NEXT

ON "SCITECH NOW."

♪7

>> SIMON: HELLO.

I'M SIMON PEREZ.

WELCOME TO "SCITECH NOW," OUR

WEEKLY PROGRAM BRINGING YOU THE

LATEST BREAKTHROUGHS IN SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION HERE

IN CENTRAL NEW YORK AND ACROSS

THE COUNTRY.

BEFORE THE CARRIER DOME THERE

WAS THE HOUSTON ASTRODOME ONE OF

THE MOST FAMOUS STADIUMS IN

AMERICA BUT HAS GONE UNUSED FOR

THE PAST DECADE.

A LOCAL ARCHITECT WANTS TO HELP

THE BUILDING TURN OVER A NEW

LEAF.

TREES HAVE INSPIRED HIM.

>> THE NEW $31 MILLION HOME OF

THE HOUSTON ASTROS.

>> BEEN AROUND SINCE 1965.

>> A DOME STADIUM THAT HOLDS

NEARLY 50,000 FOR A BASEBALL

GAME.

>> PEOPLE GREW UP GOING TO BALL

GAMES THERE.

ALL KINDS OF EVENTS HAPPENED

THERE.

>> PLASTIC CEILING MAKES IT AN

ALL WEATHER STADIUM.

>> WHEN IT WAS BUILT, THERE WAS

NOTHING LIKE IT.

THERE WAS NOTHING EVEN CLOSE TO

THE 643-FOOT, IT WAS NEVER DONE

BEFORE.

>> WHAT I THINK IS REALLY

IMPORTANT ABOUT THE DOME IS THAT

IT HAS INDIVIDUAL MEANINGS FOR

DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

IT HAS TO DO WITH WHAT WENT ON

INSIDE, WHAT EVENT YOU SAW, WHO

YOU WERE WITH?

>> AS THE ASTRODOME GETS READY

TO SHUT ITS DOORS AFTER 35 YEARS

OF HOSTING MAJOR LEAGUE

BASEBALL...

>> THIS BUILDING IS VERY

IMPORTANT TO HOUSTON.

I STARTED THINKING ABOUT IT AS

AN ARCHITECT.

THE MORE I LOOKED AT IT, THE

BIGGEST INNOVATION IN THE DOME

IS THE ENGINEERING.

LET'S REMOVE THE EXTERIOR

ENVELOPE AND CELEBRATE THE

STRUCTURE.

YOU HAVE THE PROBLEM, WHAT DO

YOU DO WITH THAT?

I WORKED FOR A LOT OF ARCHITECTS

ALL OVER THE WORLD AND THE ONES

I ENJOYED WORKING FOR ARE THE

ONES THAT LOOK AT EVERY PROBLEM

DIFFERENTLY AND COME UP WITH

DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE AN UNEXPOSED

STRUCTURE AND THEN ON TOP OF

THAT IT HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE

THAT LIVES ON IT WHICH IS

INCREDIBLE.

FERNS AND BIRDS AND SQUIRT

NESTS.

AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO WALK

UNDER THE TREES ACTS AS AN

EXPERIENCE THE SHADE.

IT IS NOT ENCLOSED AND NOT QUITE

UNCLOSED.

THAT'S WHAT THE DOME WOULD

BECOME JUST AN ENORMOUS SCALE.

>> I HAVE A PARTNER IN THIS.

ARCHITECTS WANT TO MAKE THE

WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

THIS IS THE CONCEPT.

I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS WHAT IS

MOVING FORWARD.

THE DOME IS CURRENTLY SURROUNDED

BY PARKING.

THERE ARE 26,000 PARKING SPACES.

WHAT HAPPENS IS THE SUNSHINES ON

THE BLACK ASPHALT AND THE HEAT

RADIATES OFF THE ASPHALT,

ATTEMPTS TO RISE.

A TERM FOR IT CALLED HEAT

ISLAND.

SO WE SURROUND THE DOME WITH A

PARK, ALMOST 40 ACRES SO THAT

PARK SPACE WOULD BE SHADED,

COOLED SPACE WITH WATER

ABSORBING GRASS SURFACE AROUND

IT.

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHT FEATURES OF

IT WOULD BE A RAMP THAT GOES ALL

THE WAY TO THE TOP OF THE DOME

SO YOU CAN IMAGINE RUNNING UP

THERE IN THE MORNING, IT WOULD

BE ALMOST A TWO-MILE RUN TO THE

TOP OF THE DOME.

YOU CAN IMAGINE WALKING OR

RUNNING UP THERE AND SEEING THE

SUN RISE OVER THE GULF.

AND THEN THE CENTER OF THE DOME

WE CALL THIS OTHER PIECE OF

INFRASTRUCTURE THE GREAT FLOOR.

AND THE GREAT FLOOR WOULD BE A

PLACE WHERE ANY KIND OF EVENT

CAN HAPPEN.

ROCK CONCERT, RODEO, ANYTHING

YOU COULD IMAGINE.

TO HAVE THE DOME UNENCLOSED AND

TO HAVE THIS INFRASTRUCTURE IF

IT WOULD BE REALLY AN INCREDIBLY

UNIQUE FEATURE FOR THE CITY.

IT WOULD BE LIKE THE EIFFEL

TOWER OF MUSIC.

WE HAVE HAD A TREMENDOUS

RESPONSE TO THIS PROJECT.

PEOPLE HAVE SAID IT WOULD BE AN

ATTRACTIVE THING TO DO WITH THE

ASTRODOME.

IT'S NOT A BASEBALL STADIUM ANY

OR MORE FOOTBALL STADIUM.

SO WHAT IS IT?

THAT'S THE QUESTION, RIGHT?

♪7

♪7

>> THE ASTRO ASTRODOME SHELTERED

THOUSANDS OF HURRICANE HARVEY

VICTIMS IN AUGUST.

ARCHITECTURE CAN MAKE US FEEL

MANY THINGS.

SCARED, ALONE, COMFORTABLE,

HAPPY.

THE COOPER HOMELAND SECURITY

NATIONAL DESIGN MUSEUM HAS A NEW

EXHIBIT ON HOW DESIGN CAN

ADDRESS HUNGER AND HOMELESSNESS.

"SCITECH NOW" CONTRIBUTOR HARI

SREENIVASAN SPOKE WITH THE

CURATOR OF THE EXHIBIT.

>> WHAT MAKES GOOD DESIGN?

>> I THINK SIGHTS A COMBINATION

OF INNOVATION ADDRESSING,

ESPECIALLY IN THESE PARTICULAR

DESIGNS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN

THE EXHIBITION, ADDRESS REAL

WORLD PROBLEMS, SOLVE ISSUES AND

REALLY ADDRESS COMPLEX AND

SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT ARE

CONFRONTING THE UNITED STATES

TODAY.

>> IT SEEMS LESS ABOUT THE

DESIGNER AND MORE ABOUT THE

POPULATION OR COMMUNITY THAT IS

GOING TO INTERACT WITH IT OR BE

SERVED WITH IT, TOO.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

MOST OF THE DESIGNS IN THE

EXHIBITION WERE CREATED IN

COLLABORATION WITH COMMUNITIES.

YOU END UP WITH MUCH MORE

RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE AND

SOMETHING THAT REALLY REFLECTS

THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY

DIRECTLY.

>> WHAT IS INTERESTING ABOUT THE

EXHIBIT, THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT

ARCHITECTURE.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE SPACES

CREATED BUT IT'S REALLY, I MEAN,

YOU HAVE ONE THAT'S, THE MOBILE

MARKET ON WHEELS IN CHICAGO AND

THEN DIFFERENT TYPE OF WHEELS

ALMOST LOOKS LIKE AN ERECTOR SET

BUT A PEDAL POWER CULTIVATOR.

WHAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND THE

DIFFERENT OBJECTS AND WHAT DO

THEY HAVE IN COMMON?

>> I THINK ACROSS THE BOARD THE

DESIGNERS ARE THINKING OF WAYS

TO SHARE RESOURCES MORE BROADLY,

TO CREATE MORE JUST AND

EQUITABLE COMMUNITIES.

>> SO HOW DOES THIS ADDRESS THAT

QUESTION THAT YOU HAVE IS HOW

CAN DESIGN ADDRESS THE WORLD'S

MOST CRITICAL ISSUES WITH

FUNCTIONABLE AFFORDABLE

SOLUTIONS?

>> IT TAKES A RANGE OF

APPROACHES AND STRATEGIES.

YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THE FARM

HACK CYCLE WHERE A GROUP OF

YOUNG FARMERS DECIDED THAT THEY

WANTED TO IMPROVE AGRICULTURE IN

THE UNITED STATES.

AGRICULTURE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE,

EXTENDED GROWING SEASONS, LARGE

INDUSTRIAL FARMS, AND SO THEY

CAME TOGETHER AND SAID WE COULD

SHARE KNOWLEDGE FURTHER SO THEY

CREATED AN ONLINE DATABASE WHERE

THEY HAVE COLLECTED AND

DISSEMINATE OVER 150 MACHINE

TOOLS.

THE ONE THAT WE HAVE DISPLAY IN

THE EXHIBITION IS THE CULTIVATOR

WHICH ACTUALLY THEY CALL IT THE

CULTICYCLE.

IT IS A TRACTOR THAT CAN BE

ADAPTED VERY EASILY.

OFF LINE THEY COME TOGETHER IN

THESE FARM HACK EVENTS WHERE

YOUNG FARMERS, HACKERS, MAKERS,

ENGINEERS, DESIGNERS GET

TOGETHER AND BUILD THEM AND ADD

HIGH TECHNOLOGY TO THIS VERY LOW

TECH MACHINE SO IT'S PEDAL

POWERED.

ANYBODY CAN USE IT.

THEY ADD A TABLET TO IT, A

DIGITAL TABLET WHERE THEY CAN

MAP THE TERRAIN, TEST THE SOIL

AND SO IT'S COMBINING BOTH HIGH

TECH AND LOW TECH TECHNOLOGY

WITH SCIENCE TO TRANSFORM

AGRICULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES

SO IT'S MORE RESILIENT AND

ADAPTIVE.

>> IN A WAY IT'S KIND OF THE

FUNDAMENTALS OF WHAT THE COUNTRY

WAS BUILT ON, REALLY WHAT ANY

SOCIETY IS BUILT ON.

THEY HAVE A PROBLEM.

THEY FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE IT.

THEY COME TOGETHER AND THEY

SHARE THE WEALTH AND THE RESULT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK YOU POINTED OUT ANOTHER

ONE, THE ONE IN CHICAGO, THIS

WAS A GROUP OF YOUNG ARCHITECTS

THAT PARTNERED WITH A COMMUNITY

ADVOCATES TO TAKE OLD CITY BUSES

AND TRANSFORM THEM INTO ONE

AISLE PRODUCE MARKETS THAT THEY

TOOK INTO FOOD DESERTS.

FOOD DESERTS FOR PEOPLE WHO

DON'T KNOW, ARE PLACES WHERE

BRICK AND MORTAR STORES DON'T

EXIST SO PEOPLE HAVE TO BUY AT A

LOCAL MARKET.

AND SO THEY WENT IN AND BROUGHT

THESE OLD CITY BUSES OUTFITTED

WITH FRESH PRODUCE, BRINGING

HEALTH MESSAGES.

THE MAYOR, THE CURRENT MAYOR

RIGHT NOW IS HOPING TO ERADICATE

THE FOOD DESERTS THROUGHOUT

CHICAGO.

>> FULL TIME STORES WOULD BE

GREAT BUT THIS IS A GREAT STOP

GAP IN BETWEEN AND THE IDEA CAN

SCALE.

A LOT OF THESE IDEAS ARE NOT

LIMITED TO THE SPACES THAT YOU

FOUND THEM IN.

>> TRUE.

WITH THE MOBILE MARKETS, THE

PRODUCE MARKETS, THEY FOUND THAT

THERE WAS DEMAND THERE SO BRICK

AND MORTAR STORES ACTUALLY BEGAN

TO MOVE IN SO THERE WAS REAL

IMPACT USING THIS INNOVATIVE

DESIGN.

I WOULD SAY ALSO ONE OF THE

OTHER DESIGNS INCLUDED IN THE

EXHIBITION IS TEXT FOR BABY

WHICH HAS BECOME VERY POPULAR.

AND IT WENT... IT SCALED UP

VERY, VERY QUICKLY.

>> FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW

WHAT IT IS.

THIS IS FOR EXPECTING MOTHERS TO

GET INFORMATION IN JUST THE

RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME AS THEY'RE

PROGRESSING IN THE PREGNANCY.

>> TIMED TO WHATEVER MONTH THEY

ARE.

>> MAKE SURE YOU ARE CHECKING IN

WITH THIS DOCTOR OR HAVING THESE

VITAMINS, RIGHT?

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT

IT WAS INTERESTING AND INCLUDED

IT IN THE EXHIBITION IS THE IDEA

CAME OUT OF AFRICAN SOUTH

AMERICA THAT THE DESIGNER WAS

WORKING IN THESE PLACES AND

DELIVERING HEALTH MESSAGES.

IT WASN'T HAPPENING HERE IN THE

U.S. SO HE BROUGHT THIS IDEA

BACK TO THE U.S., PARTNERED WITH

THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL

SO WE HAVE SCIENTIFIC MESSAGES.

THE WIRELESS FOUNDATION AND

MOBILE CARRIERS SO THEY'RE

DELIVERED FREE.

THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SO THEY

CAME UP WITH A BROAD STRATEGY,

AND OVER A MILLION MOTHERS ARE

RECEIVING THEM NOW AND THEY'RE

VERY EFFECTIVE.

THEY... A RECENT STUDY FOUND

THAT MOTHERS WHO WERE SCHEDULED

TO HAVE VACCINATIONS, THEY

RECEIVED THE MESSAGE THEY WERE

TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE

THE VACCINATION.

SO IT'S EFFECTIVE.

>> AND GREAT DESIGN.

CYNTHIA SMITH FROM THE COOPER

HEWITT THANK YOU.

>> THE DEVELOPMENT OF LIMBS

ALLOWED WATER DWELLING CREATURES

TO MOVE ON TO LAND.

THERE IS A NEW THEORY.

WHAT IF IT WAS THE DEVELOPMENT

OF EYES.

>> ALMOST 400 MILLION YEARS AGO

SOME ADVENTURE ADVENTUROUS FISH

MADE A HUGE LEAP THAT EVENTUALLY

MADE TO THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN

KIND.

THEY DECIDED TO COME UP ON LAND.

WE HUMANS PROBABLY WOULD NEVER

HAVE EVOLVED THE INTELLIGENCE WE

HAVE TODAY IF NOT FOR THAT MOVE

ON TO LAND.

WHY?

BECAUSE IT VASTLY IMPROVED OUR

EYE SIGHT.

ACCORDING TO NEUROSCIENTIST

MALCOLM MacIVER, THE WAY WE

THINK ABOUT THE WORLD IS CLOSELY

TIED TO WHAT WE CAN SEE AND FISH

CAN'T SEE A WHOLE HECK OF A LOT.

MAINLY BECAUSE LIGHT DOESN'T

TRAVEL VERY FAR IN WATER.

OUR ANCIENT FISH ANCESTORS LIVED

THEIR LIVES IN A CONSTANT FOG SO

THEIR BRAINS EVOLVED TO REACT

QUICKLY TO WHATEVER APPEARED ON

THE HORIZON.

MacIVER HAD THE THEORY THAT

THE MOVE TO LAND EXPANDED OUR

AQUATIC VISION AND IN TURN OUR

BRAINS.

TO TEST HIS THEORY.

THEY SPENT A YEAR RUNNING

SIMULATIONS WITH FOSSIL DATA.

THEIR RESEARCH REVEALED NEW

CLUES ABOUT WHY FISH CAME ON TO

LAND IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IT ALL SEEMS TO HAVE STARTED

WHEN THE FIRST FISH PEEKED ABOVE

THE WATER SURFACE.

SUDDENLY IT WAS ABLE TO SEE 70

TIMES FURTHER AND BEHOLD A

SMORGASBORD OF TASTY LAND

DWELLERS.

TO CAPITALIZE ON THIS, THE FISH

WOULD HAVE TO EVOLVE.

ITS EYES SOON MOVED TO THE TOP

OF ITS HEAD AND TRIPLED IN SIZE

AND THE FINS BEGAN EVOLVING INTO

LIMBS SO IT COULD STALK ITS PREY

LIKE A CROCODILE.

HUNTING ON LAND WAS AN EARLY

GAME CHANGER.

THEIR SENSORY VOLUME INCREASED A

MILLION FOLD GIVING THEM A MUCH

BIGGER WINDOW INTO THE FUTURE.

THE FIRST ANIMAL THAT FIGURED

OUT HOW TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY

INSTEAD OF JUST REACTING WOULD

HAVE HAD A HUGE EVOLUTIONARY

ADVANTAGE.

IT IS THAT KIND OF NATURAL

SELECTION A MILLION TIMES AND

EVENTUALLY WE HAVE SOMETHING

CALLED PERSPECTIVE COGNITION.

THAT'S OUR ABILITY TO WEIGH

DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

AND CHOOSE STRATEGICALLY.

TO THIS DAY, FISH HAVE NOT

EVOLVED THOSE KINDS OF COMPLEX

PLANNING SKILLS BUT MANY LAND

ANIMALS HAVE.

UNDERSTANDING THE EVOLUTIONARY

ROOTS OF INTELLIGENCE HELPS

EXPLAIN HOW HUMANS GOT SO SMART

BUT ALSO WHY WE ARE SO DUMB.

WE HAVE EVOLVED TO DEAL WITH THE

THINGS WE CAN SEE IN THE HERE

AND NOW.

WE STILL DON'T PLAN WELL FOR

THINGS THAT ARE TOO FAR AWAY IN

TIME OR SPACE.

WE'LL... WILL THAT VISION EVER

EVOLVE SO WE CAN SEE THE

CONSEQUENCES OF OUR ACTIONS MORE

CLEARLY?

EVOLUTION WON'T MAKE THAT HAPPEN

ANY TIME SOON.

BUT UNDERSTANDING THE

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VISION AND

PLANNING MAY HELP US ENGINEER

SOLUTIONS BY USING TECHNOLOGY TO

BRING FAR AWAY THINGS CLOSER.

THAT JUST MIGHT GIVE US THE

EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE WE NEED

TO SURVIVE THE NEXT 400 MILLION

YEARS.

>> HERE WITH US TO DISCUSS HIS

RESEARCH IS MALCOLM MacIVER

PROFESSOR OF BIOENGINEERING AND.

AT NORTH WESTERN UNIVERSITY.

WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE FOSSIL

DATA, THIS IS SOMETHING WE

THOUGHT ABOUT FOREVER AND EVER

THAT FISH GREW LIMBS.

WHAT IS THE VISION CONNECTION?

>> THE VISION CONNECTION IS

THAT, WELL, 10 YEARS AGO I

PREDICTED THAT AN ANIMALS COMING

UP ON AIR GIVEN AT AIR IS MUCH

MORE TRANSPARENT THAT WOULD

FAVOR BIGGER EYES BECAUSE AIR

ALLOWS VISION TO WORK MUCH

BETTER.

SO MYSELF AND LASER SCHMIDT AND

SOME COLLABORATORS CHECKED THE

FOSSIL RECORD AND WHAT WE FOUND

WAS ACTUALLY MUCH MORE

INTERESTING WHICH IS THAT THERE

WAS A TRIPLING OF THE SOCKETS

THAT HOLD EYES JUST BEFORE WE

CAME UP ON THE LAND.

>> SO THE IDEA IS THAT THIS

MIGHT HAVE ACTUALLY HAD

SOMETHING TO DO WITH COMING UP

ON TO LAND.

>> HOW DO I KNOW WHICH CAME

FIRST?

THE EYE SOCKETS OR THE LENS?

>> ONE THING IS THAT IT IS CLEAR

IS THAT THIS TRIPLING OCCURRED

BEFORE LIMBS BECAME DIGITTED.

BEFORE FINGERS AND TOES EMERGED.

UP ON THAT TIME YOU CAN IMAGINE

A PECTORAL FIN OF A FISH KIND OF

STUBBY LIMB-LIKE THING AND THEY

PRESUMABLY PADDLED UP ON TO LAND

TO GET WHAT THEY WERE INTERESTED

IN THERE USING THOSE LIMBS.

SO THERE IS A TRANSITIONAL

PERIOD WHERE YOU GO FROM A THIN

LIKE THING TO A LIMB LIKE THING.

THE EYES TRIPLE IN SIZE AND THEN

WE SEE COMPLETE LIMBS IN THE

RECORD.

>> AND THERE IS ALSO A

CORRELATION BETWEEN OUR ABILITY

TO SEE AND HOW OUR BRAINS

DEVELOP.

>> YEAH WELL SO THIS IS SORT OF

THE ORIGIN OF THE IDEA WAS THIS

IDEA THAT ANIMALS IN WATER,

BECAUSE THEY CAN ONLY SEE ABOUT

A BODY LENGTH IN FRONT OF THEM,

HAVE TO REACT TO SENSORY INPUT

REFLEXIVELY LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY

TAPS YOUR KNEE.

THEY HAVE TO INPUT THE SENSORY

DATA AND IMMEDIATELY REACT.

THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE TO

STRATEGIC THINKING IN THAT KIND

OF VICE MAYOR.

ONCE YOU ARE ON LAND YOU CAN SEE

100 TIMES FURTHER OUT SO NOW YOU

COULD STILL REACT REFLEXIVELY TO

WHAT YOU SEE BUT THE FIRST

ANIMAL THAT CAN ACQUIRE THE SET

OF MUTATIONS THAT LETS YOU

DISCONNECT AND THINK OF POSSIBLE

FUTURES AND THEN PICK THE BEST

ONE, THAT ANIMAL WILL HAVE A

MASSIVE EVOLUTIONARY ADVANTAGE.

>> WHAT IS THIS IDEA OF THIS

CONNECTION BETWEEN HOW WE THINK

OUR VICE MAYOR... WHAT DOES THAT

MEAN FOR HUMANS GOING FORWARD?

>> SO THIS IS A REALLY GOOD

QUESTION AND WHAT WE THINK

STUDYING THIS PROCESS OR

STUDYING THIS POSSIBLE

EVOLUTIONARY TRAJECTORY WHEREBY

WE BECAME ANALYZERS OF STRATEGIC

FUTURES MAY HELP US SEE WHY WE

HAVE CERTAIN HOLES IN OUR

ABILITY TO THINK STRATEGICALLY.

IN PARTICULAR A LOT OF PEOPLE

HAVE NOTED THAT WE HAVE A VERY

HARD TIME THINKING ON GEOLOGICAL

TIME SCALES EVEN THREE OR FOUR

GENERATIONS FORWARD IS VERY

TOUGH FOR PEOPLE AND ONE OF THE

IDEAS WE SUGGESTED IN OUR WORK

IS THAT THIS MIGHT TRACE BACK TO

WHY IT IS WE BECAME COGNIZANT OF

MULTIPLE THINGS IN THE FIRST

PLACE WAS TO ACT STRATEGICALLY.

WE CAN BOOTSTRAP THAT WITH

LANGUAGE AND PLANS OVER FIVE TO

10 YEARS BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT WE

ARE POINTING TO IS IT MIGHT BE A

DIFFICULT FIT AND WE MIGHT NEED

TO THINK VERY CAREFUL CAREFULLY

ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT AUGMENT OUR

ABILITY TO THINK STRATEGICALLY

TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS LIKE

CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER THINGS

THAT HAPPEN OVER VAST TIME

SCALES.

>> HOW WOULD WE AUGMENT THAT?

>> WELL ONE OF THE THINGS THAT

IS... ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN

DO IS TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE

MAKE THE DISTANT CONSEQUENCES OF

OUR ACTIONS, OR TEMPORALLY, FAR

AWAY INTO THE FUTURE.

HOW DO WE PUT THOSE INTO OUR

SENSORY BUBBLE.

YOU THINK OF SOMETHING LIKE A

NEST OR THE INDICATORS SHOWING

WHAT YOU ARE DOING, WHAT ARE THE

ENVIRONMENTAL OR ENERGETIC

CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT YOU ARE

DOING RIGHT NOW?

IF WE CAN TAKE LONG RANGE

CONSEQUENCES OF OUR BEHAVIORS

OUR POLICIES AND PUT THOSE IN

AND SORT OF DRAW BACK THE

CONCLUSIONS OF THAT INTO OUR

CURRENT SPACE, THAT MAY HELP US

THINK MORE STRATEGICALLY AT THE

CURRENT TIME.

>> MALCOLM MacIVER OF

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> IN THE EARLY DAYS OF SPACE

EXPLORATION, MANY OF AMERICA'S

ASTRONAUTS STUDIED AT THE

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA

CHAPEL HILL.

THEIR FOCUS?

HOW TO USE STARS TO FIGURE OUT

WHERE TO GO?

THIS STORY FOLLOWS ASTRONAUT

JIM LOVELL TO NORTH CAROLINA

50 YEARS AFTER LIFTOFF.

>> NASA SENT OWL OF ITS

ASTRONAUTS TO MOREHEAD

PLANETARIUM IN THE EARLY DAYS OF

THE SPACE PROGRAM.

AGENCY SPACE PIONEERS MAY HAVE

BEEN FLYING TO THE HEAVENS BUT

THEY NEEDED TO KNOW HOW TO

MANUALLY NAVIGATE USING THE

STARS IN THE EVENT OF MECHANICAL

FAILURE.

>> YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT, IF YOU

WASN'T TO SEE PART OF THE SKY

YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE STARS TO

FIGURE OUT IF YOU HAVE A STAR

NOT IN YOUR VIEW, YOU HAVE TO

KNOW WHICH WAY TO GO LOOKING AT

THE SKY YOU CAN SEE.

>> JIM LOVELL MADE EIGHT TRIPS

TO CHAPEL HILL TO LEARN STAR

NAVIGATION, PROVIDING AN

ASTRONAUT WITH AN UNCOMPLICATED

WAY TO SEE HIS LOCATION IN THE

SKY AND IN RELATION TO EARTH

WITHOUT INSTRUMENTS.

>> WE LEARNED ABOUT THE STARS

THEMSELVES.

I MEAN LOOKING AT THE DOME, AND

THEN LOOKING AT THE

CONSTELLATIONS FIRST OF ALL WE

LOOK TO THE CONSTELLATION

BECAUSE THEY WERE THE GUIDE FOR

US TO LOOK AT THE STARS.

>> THE PLANETARIUM'S 13-FOOT

PROJECTOR DISPLAYED THE STARS IN

THE BUILDING'S DOME ABOVE THEM.

THEY WOULD SIT IN A USEABLE

CHAIR MODELED AFTER THE SPACE

CRAFT.

>> ONE OF THE WINDOWS LOOKING

OUT YOU SAW A TRIANGULAR SHAPE

OF THE SKY AND SO THE STARS THAT

YOU WANTED TO NAVIGATE PERHAPS

WERE NOT THERE.

WE ONLY HAD 37 STARS IN OUR

COMPUTER OF WHICH TO USE.

>> JIM LOVELL IS THE ONLY NASA

ASTRONAUTS TO MAKE TWO TRIPS TO

THE MOON BUT NEVER LAND THERE.

HE USED THOSE NAVIGATION SKILLS

LEARNED AT MOREHEAD ON HIS

SECOND TRIP TO THE MOON ON

APOLLO 13 WHEN AN OXYGEN TANK

EXPLOSION TURNED A LUNAR MISSION

INTO A GET BACK TO EARTH SAFELY

MISSION.

>> I SAW THE QUANTITY GAUGES ON

OUR OXYGEN TANKS WITH ONE OF

THEM ZERO AND I COULD SEE THE

NEEDLE GO DOWN ON THE OTHER ONE

AND CONSEQUENTLY I KNEW WE WERE

IN DEEP TROUBLE.

I LOOKED OUT THE SIDE WINDOW AND

I COULD SEE THE GAS ESCAPING AT

VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED, WHICH

TOLD ME THAT SHORTLY WE WOULD BE

OUT OF OXYGEN BECAUSE WE USED

OXYGEN TO USE THE ELECTRICITY.

WE WOULD BE OUT OF ELECTRICITY

AND BECAUSE WE USE ELECTRICITY

TO CONTROL OUR VEHICLE, WE WOULD

LOSE OUR PROPULSION SYSTEM.

SO IT WAS THE LOW POINT PROBABLY

OF THE FLIGHT BECAUSE WE KNEW WE

WERE IN DEEP TROUBLE, BUT WE HAD

NO WAY AT THAT TIME TO THINK

ABOUT HOW TO GET OUT OF IT.

>> JIM LOVELL'S GREATEST MEMORY

CAME ON HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE

MOON IN 1968 WHEN APOLLO 8

BECAME THE FIRST SPACE CRAFT TO

ORBIT EARTH'S NEIGHBOR AND

WITNESS THE FIRST EARTH RISE.

>> BEHIND MY THUMB WAS THE EARTH

AND I KNEW THAT 240,000 MILES

AWAY THERE WAS A BODY THAT HAD

APPROXIMATELY FIVE OR 6 BILLION

PEOPLE ON IT ALL STRIVING FOR

THE SAME THINGS IN LIFE.

AND I REALLY THOUGHT THAT FOR A

WHILE.

HERE IS THIS BODY AND ALL AROUND

IS SPACE.

I COULD SEE THE MOON RIGHT THERE

AND THE SUN WAS BEHIND IT.

EVERYTHING THAT I HAD EVER KNOWN

WAS BACK THERE AND I THOUGHT TO

MYSELF IN REALITY, AND OF COURSE

REINFORCES ITSELF OVER THE YEARS

THAT REALLY THAT GOD HAS GIVEN

US A STAGE.

GOD HAS GIVEN US A STAGE IN

WHICH TO PERFORM.

AND HOW THAT PLAY TURNS OUT IS

REALLY UP TO US.

>> JIM LOVELL IS 89 YEARS OLD

MORE THAN 50 YEARS REMOVED FROM

SPACE FLIGHT BUT HE IS

OPTIMISTIC ABOUT SPACE

EXPLORATION.

HOWEVER HE ADD ADMITS HE IS NOT

SURE WHETHER IT WILL BE DONE BY

THE GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE

ENTERPRISE OR BOTH.

>> I HOPE THAT WE FIRST STARTED

GOING TO THE MOON BECAUSE WE

HAVE BARELY EXAMINED THE MOON

AND THEN USE THAT ARCHITECTURE,

THE INFRASTRUCTURE ON MAKING

MOON FLIGHTS RATHER COMMON, SEE

THAT WE CAN EXPAND THAT INTO

EVENTUALLY TO A MISSION ON MARS.

>> THAT'S IT FOR THIS EDITION OF

"SCITECH NOW."

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM,

JOIN THE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR

QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND THOUGHTS

ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

I'M SIMON PEREZ.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT WEEK ON

"SCITECH NOW."

ON THE NEXT "SCITECH NOW," SEE

HOW THE STATE OF OREGON IS

TRYING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT YOU

MIGHT CALL NON-SEXY WILDLIFE.

THE ANIMALS THAT DON'T ATTRACT

HUNTERS.

THE BACK PACK SOLUTION FOR

PEOPLE WHOSE LUNGS DON'T WORK.

DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE

AN ASTRONAUT AND SCIENTISTS

STUDY THE SULTRY SOUND OF

SIBERIAN SINGERS ON THE NEXT

"SCITECH NOW."