>> ON THIS EDITION OF

"SCITECH NOW," WE SHOW YOU WHAT

IT TAKES TO TRAIN AN ELEPHANT TO

PARTICIPATE IN ITS OWN

HEALTHCARE.

EXPLORE THE ORIGIN OF GUITARS IN

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

SEE HOW 3D PRINTING IS CHANGING

THE FACE AND HEART OF MACHINE

AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MOVIE

TOY STORY HAS TO DO WITH SCIENCE

CLASSES.

ALL COMING UP NEXT ON THE SEASON

FINALE OF "SCITECH NOW."

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.

DOG OWNERS KNOW IT CAN TAKE A

WHILE TO TEACH FIDO TO SHAKE BUT

FOLKS AT THE ROSAMOND ZOO TAKE

TRAINING TO THE HIGHEST LEVEL

TEACHING ELEPHANTS HOW TO HELP

THEMSELVES.

THE ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO IS AN

AMAZING RESOURCE FOR OUR

COMMUNITY.

IT'S GOT A HIGH LEVEL OF ANIMAL

CARE BEING ONE OF 231 ACCREDITED

ZOOS AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THAT MEANS ANY VISITOR THAT

COMES THROUGH THE DOOR IS GOING

TO SEE ANIMALS THAT ARE HOUSED

AND ARE BEING CARED FOR TO THE

HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL.

>> SO ZOOS AROUND THE COUNTRY

ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME TO

HELP BETTER THEMSELVES.

THIS YARD IS YARD IS FOUR ACRES

AND IT HELPS US TO BE ABLE TO

DISPLAY OUR WHOLE HERD AND MIMIC

A WILD SETTING FOR THEM AND IT

HAS HELPED US IN THAT MANNER TO

GET A GOOD SOCIAL STRUCTURE WITH

OUR HERD.

>> THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS

THAT THEY'RE WILD ANIMALS,

SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS BUT WE

WANT THEM TO BE AS COMFORTABLE

AS POSSIBLE.

WE CAN'T UNDERMINE THE VALUE OF

WHAT PEOPLE GET TO EXPERIENCE

WHEN THEY'RE HERE.

WE WANT TO EXPLAIN IT IN A WAY

THAT'S POSITIVE FOR THE ANIMAL,

POSITIVE FOR THE VISITOR AND

OVERALL, THE PRIORITY IS TO

SUSTAIN THE POPULATION AND THE

INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS AS LOW KEY

AND AS STRESSLESS AS POSSIBLE.

>> COME HERE.

GOOD GIRL.

MY NAME IS ASHLEY SHEPPARD, I'M

A SENIOR KEEPER IN THE ELEPHANT

DEPARTMENT AT THE ROSAMOND

GIFFORD ZOO.

THE TRAINING HERE SEA ZOO IS

BASED ON CONDITIONING, FOR EVERY

ACTION THERE IS A CONSEQUENCE

AND WE USE A HEAVY BASE ON HEAVY

REINFORCEMENT.

ESSENTIALLY WITH THE ELEPHANTS,

A LOT OF THE TRAINING INITIALLY

IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING

AND MAKING SURE THE ANIMAL

TRUSTS YOU.

AND FROM THERE ON OUT WE GO

THROUGH AND HABITUATE THE ANIMAL

TO A SPECIFIC SITUATION WHETHER

IT'S FOOT CARE OR BLOOD DRAWS OR

FOOT WASHES.

BABY STEPS TO GET TO THE FINISH

LINE WHICH IS VERY REWARDING

ONCE WE CAN DRAW BLOOD WITH NO

ISSUES.

>> GOOD.

GOOD GIRL.

>> TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF

TRAINING THEM TO BE ABLE TO DRAW

BLOOD AND THE T.B. TESTS AND ALL

THAT.

HOW DOES IT HELP YOU KEEP

RECORDS AND PERPETUATE THE

SPECIES?

>> VERY EARLY ON EVEN IN THE

QUARANTINE PERIOD, EVERY AN PAL

GOES THROUGH A QUARANTINE PERIOD

FOR 30 DAYS.

WE FORMULATE A PLAN, WHAT ITS

FAVORITE FOODS ARE, WHAT IT

LIKES AND DOESN'T LIKE.

WHAT ARE OUR GOALS GOING TO BE?

THE FIRST GOAL IS TO GET IT TO

GO INTO A CRATE SO IT'S NOT

STRESSED WHEN WE MOVE IT FROM

THE QUARANTINE AREA TO ITS

EXHIBIT HOME.

THAT WILL BE THE FIRST THING.

AND IT COULD BE A FIVE OR 25

STEP THING, DEPENDING ON THE

ANIMAL.

IT STARTS TO BUILD THE BOND OF

TRUST BETWEEN ANIMAL AND KEEPER.

>> A LONG, LONG TIME AGO IF WE

HAD TO SEA DATE AN ANIMAL

SPECIFICALLY IN AN ELEPHANT

PROGRAM, WE WOULD BRING THEM TO

A RESTRICTED AREA AND GIVE THEM

A DRUG TO RESTRICT THEM.

NOW WE TRAIN THEM TO DO THE

MEDICAL PROCEDURES WITH NO

STRESS.

STEADY.

GOOD.

>> SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY OR IT

MIGHT SEEM A LITTLE

COUNTERINTUITIVE IF WE WANT THE

ANIMALS TO FEEL AT HOME, WE

SHOULD GET THE HUMANS AS FAR

AWAY AS POSSIBLE.

WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GETTING HUMANS

CLOSER TO THEM AND IT HELPS

THEM.

>> HISTORICALLY AT ZOOS IT

WASN'T REALLY AN ISSUE OF DAILY

TRAINING.

THAT WASN'T REALLY PART OF

EVERYONE'S DAILY ROUTINE FOR

KEEPERS AND THEIR ANIMALS.

IT WAS WHEN THERE WAS AN ANIMAL

INFIRM SOMEHOW OR NEEDED TO GO

TO ANOTHER ZOO OR CONCERN YOU

HAD TO MOVE IT TO ANOTHER

EXHIBIT, IT WAS A STRESSFUL TIME

FOR THE ANIMAL AND THE STAFF.

YOU WOULD EITHER HAVE TO DART IT

IN THE CASE OF A LARGER ANIMAL

WITH A DART GUN AND TRANQUILIZER

AND TRANSPORT IT THAT WAY AND

FOR SMALLER ANIMALS, IT WAS

NETTING THEM MAYBE OR CATCHING

THEM IN A SMALLER CONTAINER OR

SOMETHING.

THOSE DAYS ARE LONG GONE

FORTUNATELY FOR BOTH ANIMAL AND

KEEPER AND THE VETERINARY STAFF.

>> WHAT GOES ON IN THIS ROOM?

>> THIS IS OUR VET VETERINARY

HOSPITAL TREATMENT ROOM.

A LOT OF OUR SMALLER PATIENTS

COME HERE FOR REGULAR

CHECKPOINTS ALL THE WAY UP

CHECKUPS OR DIAGNOSTIC

PROCEDURES OR SURGICAL

PROCEDURES.

THIS IS MUPPET, AN ADULT FEMALE

NORTH AMERICAN PORCUPINE HERE

FOR A REGULAR CHECKUP HER ANIMAL

KEEPER IS GIVING HER A TREAT AND

I'M WATCHING HER TO SEE HOW SHE

IS CHEWING, HOW SHE LOOKS, USING

HER CLAWS AND PAWS AND HER EYES

ARE CLEAR, NOSE IS CLEAR.

I CAN DO THINGS LIKE LISTEN TO

HER HEART.

>> WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN BEING A VET FOR MUPPET

HERE AND BEING A VET FOR FIDO AT

HOME?

>> THERE ARE A LOT OF

DIFFERENCES.

THERE ARE MANY, MANY DIFFERENT

SPECIES THAT WE SEE HERE AND

EACH SPECIES HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE

ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY AND

PROBLEMS THEY DEVELOP WHICH

COULD BE DIFFERENT FROM A

DOMESTIC ANIMAL.

WE TRY TO APPLY DOMESTIC ANIMAL

MEDICINE AND UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT

EXOTIC ANIMALS TO OUR EVERYDAY

JOB.

>> WE STORE THE INFORMATION OF

EVERY SINGLE ANIMAL EVERY SINGLE

DAY OF ITS LIFE SO TO SPEAK.

SO ANY EVENT IN THE ANIMAL'S

LIFE IS LOGGED INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO SIMPLE THINGS FOR INSTANCE

THE WEIGHT OF THE ANIMAL WILL BE

LOGGED INTO THE SYSTEM THE DAY

IT WAS BORN WILL BE LOGGED INTO

THE SYSTEM.

SO BEFORE WE HAD TO TYPE OF

RECORD KEEPING, IT WAS WORD OF

MOUTH SO TO SPEAK AND TRYING TO

FIND OUT WHERE ANIMALS COME FROM

AND SOME WE WOULDN'T KNOW THE

GENETICS OF THE ANIMALS.

WE WOULDN'T KNOW WHERE THEY

ORIGINATED, THAT WOULD MAKE IT

DIFFICULT TO THE BREEDING

PROGRAM BUT IT IS STORED EVERY

SINGLE DAY.

>> YOU GO FISHING?

GOOD.

>> PENGUINS ARE TYPICALLY VERY

SKITTISH TYPE SPECIES.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED

TO ESPECIALLY SURE ONCE WE

STARTED A COLONY HERE WAS TO GET

THEM AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE

AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE INITIALLY

STARTED WITH THE COLONY WAS THE

SCALE TRAINING.

BASICALLY GETTING THEM

CONDITIONED TO COME IN AN AREA

THAT IS NOT AS FAMILIAR TO THEM,

MAKING IT A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE

FOR THEM AND REALIZING NOTHING

BAD HAPPENS OUT HERE, THAT WE

HAVE OUR ENTIRE COLONY THAT WE

GET ON VOLUNTARY EACH AND EVERY

MONTH WITHOUT HAVING THE STRESS

OF PICKING THEM UP AND HAVING TO

TRANSPORT THEM SOMEWHERE FOR

THOSE PROCEDURES.

>> SOUNDS LIKE A BALANCING ACT.

ON THE ONE HAND WE ARE SORT OF

TRAINING WILD ANIMALS WHICH

MAKES THEM LESS WILD BUT ON THE

OTHER HAND IT MAKES THEM MORE

LESS STRESSED OUT.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT

THEY'RE WILD ANIMALS, SPECIES OF

WILD ANIMALS.

WE WANT THEM TO BE AS

COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE WHEN

THEY'RE IN PROXIMITY OF PEOPLE.

YOU CAN'T UNDERLINE MINE THE

VALUE OF WHAT PEOPLE GET TO

EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY'RE HERE BUT

WE WANT TO EXPLAIN IT IN A WAY

THAT IS POSITIVE FOR THE ANIMAL,

POSITIVE FOR THE VISITOR AND

OVERALL, THE PRIORITY IS TO

SUSTAIN THE POPULATION AND THE

INDIVIDUAL ANIMALS AS LOW KEY

AND AS STRESSLESS AS POSSIBLE.

>> FOR HUMBOLDTS IN PARTICULAR,

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN

REALLY GREAT FOR US IS THE FACT

THAT WHEN WE OPEN THIS EXHIBIT

IN 2005, WE WERE TOLD AMONGST

MANY, MANY VERY CREDIBLE

FACILITIES, DON'T EXPECT TO SEE

ANY BREEDING WITH YOUR COLONY

UNTIL THEY BECOME SETTLED AND IT

MAY TAKE ANYWHERE FROM THREE,

FOUR, FIVE YEARS.

AND SO WE STARTED THE

CONDITIONING WITH THEIR TRAINING

RIGHT AWAY, GETTING THEM AS

COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE,

CONDITIONING COMING IN AND OUT

AND TRYING TO MAKE IT SO

COMFORTABLE FOR THEM THAT WITHIN

THE FIRST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO

SUCCESSFULLY HAVE A REPRODUCTIVE

BREEDING COLONY AND HAD CHICKS

IN THE FIRST YEAR OF US OPENING.

THAT WAS RARE, AND WE WERE

ECSTATIC ABOUT THAT.

WE MIGHT MOVE IT AROUND, IT MAY

HAVE COME OREGON FROM ANOTHER

ZOO.

WHILE IT'S HERE, WE WANT TO MAKE

ITS LIFE AS ENRICHED AS

POSSIBLE.

>> WE ARE HERE TO DISPLAY THE

ANIMALS AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE SEE

THEM AND MAKE A CONNECTION BUT

WE ARE ALSO HERE TO CONTRIBUTE

TO THE SURVIVAL OF THE WILD

POPULATION.

>> IN ANOTHER SIGN THAT FOLKS AT

THE ROSAMOND GIFFORD ZOO THAT,

THEY WELCOMED A MONKEY BORN AT

THE ZOO IN SEPTEMBER.

MOST OF US KNOW THE END RESULT,

AWESOME MUSIC BY THE LIKES OF

STEVIE RAY VAUGHN OR BB KING BUT

THE START OF GREAT GUITAR SOUNDS

HAPPENS LONG BEFORE THE ARTIST

WALKS ON STAGE.

IN FACT FOR THOUSANDS OF

GUITARS, IT BEGINS IN THE

PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

>> WHEN STEVE MCMINN LOOKS AT

TREES, HE TRIES TO SEE THEIR

FUTURE.

IT'S DIFFICULT TO PREDICT, YOU

THINK MAN, I COULD CUT A 12 OUT

OF THE BUTT HERE.

THIS PIECE WOULD SLICE NICELY.

>> FOR DECADES MCMINN HAS

SUPPLIED THE GUITAR INDUSTRY

WITH TREES GROWN FROM ALASKA TO

OREGON.

HIS CUSTOMERS INCLUDE AMERICA'S

BIGGEST GUITAR MAKERS.

AT HIS SHOP, IT SPLITS THEM AND

LISTENS TO THE RESULTS.

>> I FIGURED SOMEBODY COULD DO A

BETTER JOB PROVIDING WOOD FOR

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS THAN HAVE

BEEN DONE.

>> IN THE COURSE OF A YEAR,

WE'LL CUT ENOUGH WOOD FOR THREE

TO 400,000 GUITARS.

>> LATELY MCMINN HAS BEEN

LOOKING FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE,

TRYING TO HELP MAKE THE GUITAR

INDUSTRY MORE SUSTAINABLE.

GUITARS USE SOME OF THE RAREST

WOODS ON EARTH.

THEY COMMAND A HIGH PRICE MAKING

THEM TARGETS FOR POACHERS IN

PARTS OF THE WORLD ALREADY HIT

HARD BY DEFORESTATION.

>> ITS INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO

LEGALLY ETHICALLY SOURCE WOOD

FROM THE TROPICS.

>> SO GUITAR MAKERS ARE

INCREASINGLY ENTRUSTED IN

GETTING OUT OF THE TROPICS FOR

THEIR WOOD SUPPLIES.

>> ONE PLACE IS MCMINN'S

BACKYARD.

THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS HOME TO

THE FAST GROWING BIG LEAF MAPLE

TREE.

>> MAPLE IS A CLEAN GREEN LEGAL

LOCAL WOOD.

WE ARE INTERESTED IN SEEING

WHETHER WE CAN PROVIDE THEM WITH

A SECURE SUPPLY FOR THE

LONG-TERM.

>> TO FIND OUT, HE PARTNERED

WITH JIM MATTSSON.

MATTSSON STUDIES TREES IN

VANCOUVER BRITISH COLUMBIA.

BIG LEAF MAPLES LIKE THESE ARE

COMMON IN THE REGION BUT VERY

FEW OF THEM WILL DEVELOP THE

BEAUTIFUL APPEARANCE GUITAR

PLAYERS WANT.

>> WHEN WE THINK OF WOOD, WE

MOSTLY THINK OF WOOD THAT LOOKS

LIKE THIS, WITH A STRAIGHT

GRAIN.

BUT IT'S ALSO DULL IN ITS

APPEARANCE SO MANY PEOPLE LIKE

TREES THAT HAVE DEFECTS.

>> DEFECTIVE OR FIGURED GRAIN IS

POPULAR FOR DECORATIVE ITEMS BUT

NOBODY HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO

GROW MAPLE TREES TO LOOK LIKE

THIS.

>> YOU FIND IT'S VERY RARELY IN

NATURE.

SO WHAT CAUSES THE DEFECT?

>> MATTSSON HAD A HUNCH.

IN OTHER KINDS OF TREES, THE

WAVY GRAIN IS GENETIC.

SO MATTSSON BEGAN TAKING SAMPLES

OF THE MAPLE TREES AND CLONING

THEM IN HIS LAB.

WHEN THE TREES GET BIG ENOUGH,

MATTSSON WILL BRING THEM HERE

AND TURN 50-ACRES OF OLD

FARMLAND INTO A FIGURED MAPLE

PLANTATION.

IT COULD TAKE 10 YEARS BEFORE

MCMINN KNOWS WHETHER HIS

EXPERIMENTS ARE WORKING.

HE'S WILLING TO WAIT.

>> LEFT TO MY OWN, I WOULD

RATHER JUST HAVE TREES.

PERIOD.

>> IF MCMINN DOESN'T SEE

GUITARS IN THEIR FUTURE, AT

LEAST HE'LL HAVE TREES TO LOOK

AT.

>> 3D PRINTING IS OPENING

FASCINATING POSSIBILITIES FOR

THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE.

GOT A PROBLEM WITH AN ORGAN?

JUST PRINT A NEW ONE.

>> THIS LAB AT LAKE FOREST

UNIVERSITY'S INSTITUTE FOR

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE LOOKS

PRETTY MUCH LIKE ANY OTHER LAB.

LAB COATS, MICROSCOPES, THERE IS

A DEVICE TO WARM AND PREPARE

SAMPLES, LOTS OF SAMPLES IN A

TRAY.

AND IN THE BACK OF THE LAB,

THERE'S A MACHINE THAT LOOKS

PRETTY MUCH LIKE THE STANDARD 3D

PRINTER.

LOTS OF INK RESERVOIRS AND

NOZZLES, A COMPUTER TO PRINT AND

A PRINTER THAT BUILDS A MODEL

LAYER UPON LAYER.

HOWEVER THIS DEVICE IS ANYTHING

BUT YOUR STANDARD 3D PRINTER.

>> YOU KNOW THE STRATEGY IS THAT

THE WE TAKE A VERY SMALL PIECE

OF TISSUE FROM OUR PATIENT, LESS

THAN HALF THE SIZE OF A POSTAGE

STAMP.

WE THEN PLACE THESE CELLS ON

CARTRIDGES LIKE YOUR INK JET

CARTRIDGE.

INSTEAD OF USING INK, WE USE

CELLS.

WE PRINT THE STRUCTURES ONE

LAYER AT A TIME AND AS WE PRINT

THE CELLS, WE ARE ALSO PRINTING

THE STRUCTURE THAT HOLDS IT.

THE GLUE, IF YOU WILL.

SO WE CREATE THE STRUCTURE

TOGETHER.

>> THIS IS THE INTEGRATED TISSUE

AND ORGAN PRINTING SYSTEM.

WHAT IT PRINTS IS ALIVE.

THERE ARE TENS OF MILLIONS OF

LIVING CELLS SUSPENDED IN A GEL.

THERE IS ALSO A PRECISE LAT IS

WORK OF MICROCHANNELS,

200-MICRONS WIDE IMPRINTED INTO

THE SYSTEM.

THE VESSELS ALLOW BLOOD, THE

NUTRIENTS TO FLOW THROUGH THE

TISSUE.

THE PRINTED ORGAN MADE FROM THE

PATIENT'S OWN CELLS IS DESIGNED

TO BE SURGICALLY IMPLANTED BACK

INTO THE PATIENT.

>> YOU KNOW THE INTERESTING

THING IS THAT YOU ARE USING THE

PATIENT'S OWN CELLS TO CREATE

THESE TISSUES AND ORGANS SO

BASICALLY A BODY RECOGNIZES THEM

AND ADAPTS THEM AS THEIR OWN.

BLOOD VESSELS AND NERVES WILL

GROW INTO THE TISSUES AND

THEY'LL BECOME FUNCTIONAL INSIDE

THE BODY.

>> THE FRAMEWORK IS A 3D MODEL

CREATED FROM AN X-RAY OF THE

PATIENT'S ACTUAL ORGAN AND

BECAUSE EACH ORGAN HAS

SPECIALIZED CELLS, THE TISSUE

SAMPLE IS TAKEN FROM THE

SPECIFIC ORGAN TO BE PRINTED AND

A PROTOCOL IS DESIGNED TO EXPAND

THE CELLS.

>> WITH THIS TECHNOLOGY, YOU ARE

TAKING THE PATIENT'S OWN CELLS

AND WE ARE USING A GLUE-LIKE

SUBSTANCE BUT WHEN THIS GETS

IMPLANTED INTO THE PATIENT, THE

CELLS REMAIN BUT THE GLUE GOES

AWAY AND IT GETS REPLACED BY THE

PATIENT'S OWN GLUE.

SO SIX MONTHS LATER YOU ARE LEFT

ONLY WITH A PATIENT'S OWN TISSUE

AND ORGAN.

>> SO FAR, THE RESEARCH TEAM HAS

IMPLANTED INTO HUMANS FLAT

STRUCTURES SUCH AS SKIN, HOLLOW

TUBULAR STRUCTURES SUCH AS BLOOD

VESSELS AND WINDPIPES AND HOLLOW

NON-TUBULAR ORGANS SUCH AS A

BLADDER AND A STOMACH.

BUT THOSE TISSUES AND ORGANS

WERE HANDMADE IN THE LAB AND THE

CUSTOMIZED SCAFFOLDS WERE COATED

BY HAND WITH THE PATIENT'S

CELLS.

WHAT YOU ARE WATCHING IS

RESEARCH INTO THE FUTURE OF

REGENERATIVE MEDICINE.

3D PRINTERS THAT CAN SCALE UP

THE PROCESS SO TISSUES AND

ORGANS DON'T HAVE TO BE TAILOR

MADE.

>> HOW CAN WE ACTUALLY

ACCELERATE THE PRODUCTION OF

SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE

ARE WORKING ON.

FOR EXAMPLE TISSUES AND ORGANS.

>> AND THE FUTURE IS PROMISING.

THE NEW PRINTING SYSTEM WITH ITS

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY OF

MICROCHANNELS HAS CREATED 3D

PRINTED MUSCLE AND BONE THAT HAS

BEEN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLANTED IN

ANIMALS.

THOSE MICROCHANNEL IS ALLOWED

BLOOD VESSELS AND NERVES TO

GENERATE AFTER IMPLEMENTATION.

>> FOR US, OF COURSE, IT'S ALL

THE CHALLENGES EVERY DAY, YOU

KNOW, HOW DO YOU SOLVE THIS

PROBLEM.

HOW DO YOU SOLVE THIS OTHER

PROBLEM?

SO THERE ARE ALWAYS CHALLENGES

THAT HAVE YOU TO FACE AND THAT

HAVE YOU TO TRY AND SOLVE.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE IS JUST

ONE BIG EUREKA MOMENT.

IT'S A LOT OF HARD WORK THAT

GOES BEHIND MAKING SURE THESE

TECHNOLOGIES DO AT THE END WORK.

>> TO INFINITY AND BEYOND.

NO, NOT THE NEXT TOY STORY

MOVIE.

IT'S A SCHOOL IN FLORIDA

TEACHING STUDENTS SCIENCE CAN BE

FUN.

CENTENNIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL IN DADE

CITY FLORIDA IS A STEM MAGNET

SCHOOL.

KICK OFF THE SCHOOL YEAR,

THEY'RE HOLDING A CYBER CHASE

STEM FAIR.

>> WE ARE TRYING TO GET THE

STUDENTS TO REALIZE THAT THE

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING

AND MATH, NOT ONLY ARE THEY

GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO THEM

IN THE LONG RUN AS FAR AS

CAREERS AND JOBS THAT HAVEN'T

BEEN INVENTED YET THAT THEY

MIGHT BE COMPETITIVE FOR, BUT

ALSO JUST TO REALIZE THAT

LEARNING AND CRITICAL THINKING

REALLY CAN BE FUN.

>> TEACHER BOBBY STARLING IS IN

CHARGE OF THE STEM FAIR WHICH

GOES ON ALL DAY FOR THESE SIXTH

GRADERS COMPRISED OF SIX

INTERACTIVE STATIONS.

>> THERE IS ONE THAT IS TO

INFINITY AND BEYOND WHERE THEY

ARE TESTING TO SEE IF THE SHAPE

AND SIZE OF FINS AND NOSE CONES

AFFECT THE AIR DYNAMICS OF WATER

ROCKETS THAT ARE LAUNCHED.

IN ANOTHER STATION THEY'RE USING

SOME VIRTUAL REALITY WITH GOOGLE

CARDBOARDS AND EXPLORING UNDER

WATER REEFS AND LOOKING FOR

SIGNS OF HEALTHY AND UNHEALTHY

REEFS.

ANOTHER STATION THE SPEAR-O WILL

PAINT FOR THEM.

THEY'RE MAKING BLACK LIGHT

PAINTING AND ANOTHER STATION IS

CATAPULT LAUNCHING SO THEIR

STUDENTS ARE BUILDING CATAPULTS

AND THEY'RE TESTING TO SEE HOW

ANGLE AND FORCE AND SPEED AFFECT

THE TRAJECTORY OF THE

MARSHMALLOWS.

ANOTHER STATION THEY'RE USING

SUMO JUMPING DRONES AND THAT WAS

A MATH FOCUS THERE.

AND THEY'RE USING A 21ST

CENTURY INVENTION KIT TESTING

CIRCUITS AND CONDUCTIVITY AND

CREATING DIFFERENT CIRCUITS THAT

ARE MUSICAL.

THEY MAKE GAME CONTROLLERS OUT

OF PLAY-DOH, GUMMY WORM PIANOS.

>> YOU JUST HAVE TO HOLD THE

GROUND AND TOUCH IT AND IT ALSO

IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THE

STUDENTS COLLABORATING WITH EACH

OTHER AND YOU CAN SEE THE

CRITICAL THINKING THAT WAS GOING

ON IN THE MAKEY MAKEY STATION

THERE THE CYBER CHASE PROGRAM.

>> ALL OF THE LESSONS THAT THE

WE ARE DOING TODAY ON STEM DAY

ACTUALLY CAME FROM PBS LEARNING

MEDIA RESOURCES.

A LOT OF THOSE WERE CYBER CHASE

RESOURCES SO THE STUDENTS

ACTUALLY HAD SOME LEARNING

BEFORE WE WENT OUT THERE.

WE USED THAT LEARNING TO KIND TO

FOCUS ON OUR STEM DAY TO HAVE

THEM TEST THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND

HYPOTHESIZE AND EXAMPLES.

WHEN THEY DID THE VIRTUAL

REALITY EXPLORATION, USING THE

GOOGLE CARDBOARD GOGGLES TO

INTERACT WITH SOMETHING THAT HAD

THEM AND THEY WERE SUPER

ENGAGED.

>> THE INTERACTIVE ROCKET LAUNCH

PROGRAM HELPED STUDENTS PREPARE

FOR LAUNCH DAY.

>> THE INTERACTIVE THUNDER

ROCKET LAUNCH IS SOMETHING THE

KIDS LOVE BECAUSE ANY TIME THAT

THEY ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE AND

INTERACT WITH THINGS, I THINK

THE LEARNING STICKS AND THEY'RE

REMEMBERING WHICH ROCKET DESIGN

THEY PICKED THAT WENT THE

FARTHEST AND THEN THEY ARE ABLE

TO APPLY WHAT THEY DID THERE

DIGITALLY TO THE ROCKETS THEY

LAUNCHED TODAY.

>> ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR

SESSIONS WAS AT THE CYCLONE

MAKER'S ROOM.

>> THE DESIGN SQUAD INTRODUCED

THE STUDENTS TO MAKEY MAKEY, THE

INVENTION KIT SO THEY WERE ABLE

TO RELATE TO HER AND SHE HAS FUN

AND MAKES CONTROLLERS OUT OF

GUMMY WORMS TO PLAY A FETCH PBS

KIDS GAME.

>> MYKA WILKS IS IN SIXTH GRADE

ENJOYS BEING CREATIVE WITH HER

MAKEY MAKEY KIT.

>> THE LESSON IS ABOUT CIRCUITS

AND MAKING GAME BOARDS, SEE IS

WHAT IS CONDUCTIVE AND NOT

CONDUCTIVE AND WHAT IS AN

INSULATOR.

YOU CAN CONNECT CIRCUITS AND

MAKE COOL THINGS.

A MAKEY MAKEY PIANO OR MAKEY

MAKEY GAME BOARD.

>> SOME STUDENTS USE BY PLAY-DOH

AND GUMMY WORMS.

THEY CREATED A GAME CONTROLLER

USING PLAY-DOH.

>> THE GAME CONTROLLER WAS ON A

WEBSITE YOU CAN GO ON AND FIND

ALL KINDS OF PROGRAMS AND WHAT

WE WERE DOING WAS THE MARIO

BROTHERS SO IT TAKES WHAT YOU

CAN DO ON THE COMPUTER AND MAKES

IT BIGGER CONTROLLERS SO IT'S

EASIER TO ACCESS THAN HAVING

YOUR FINGERS CRAMMED UP ON THE

KEYBOARD.

>> THE LESSON IS ABOUT

CONDUCTIVITY AND WHY SOME

MATERIALS WORK BETTER THAN

OTHERS TO CREATE A CIRCUIT.

>> WATER IS VERY CONDUCTIVE AND

YOU CAN SEE A LOT OF THEM UP

THERE HAVE MOISTURE IN THEM.

LIKE GUMMY BEARS HAVE MOISTURE

AND SO DO BANANAS AND THE

PLAY-DOH DOES HAVE THE MOISTURE

TO KEEP IT MALLEABLE.

>> IN THE READY SET LAUNCH ROOM,

STUDENTS ARE LEARNING THE

SCIENCE BEHIND AN ANCIENT

DEVICE.

>> WE MIX SCIENCE WITH HISTORY.

THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE A CATAPULT,

ANCIENT TOOL AND LOOK AT THE

KINETIC ENERGY.

THE KIDS BUILT THEIR OWN

CATAPULT AND LAUNCHED

MARSHMALLOWS.

>> AS A HISTORY TEACHER AT

CENTENNIAL MIDDLE, CLAY LOVES

COMBINING HISTORY AND SCIENCE

AND WATCHING HOW THE STUDENTS

RESPOND.

>> THEY GOT VERY COMPETITIVE.

THEY ALL WANTED TO HAVE THE

LONGEST SHOT.

STARTED OUT THE FIRST CLASS SHOT

15, THE FINAL CLASS SHOT 22 AND

A HALF FEET WITH A MINIATURE

MARSHMALLOW.

AMAZING.

>> PRINCIPAL RICK SAYLOR

EXPLAINS WHY THEY WANTED TO

BRING A CYBER CHASE STEM FAIR TO

THIS NEW MAGNET SCHOOL.

>> WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT WAY

TO JUMP START THE YEAR AS A STEM

MAGNET SCHOOL TO GET THE KIDS

EXCITED ABOUT LEARNING AND USING

DIFFERENT TOOLS AND STRATEGY

THAT THEY CAN USE TODAY AND

CARRY THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE

YEAR IN THEIR LEARNING AS THEY

ACHIEVE THE NORMAL STANDARDS WE

WOULD TEACH DURING A NORMAL

SCHOOL YEAR.

TODAY WHAT I SAW WAS I ALWAYS

CALL IT AS A TEACHER, A LIGHT

BULB EFFECT.

THIS WAS NOT JUST A LIGHT BULB

BUT A SUN GOING OFF IN THE KIDS

BRAINS AS YOU WATCH THEM ENGAGE

IN THE LEARNING.

WHETHER IT'S A MAKEY MAKEY

STATION OR THE ROCKET, USING THE

DRONES, THE VIRTUAL REALITY,

WHEREVER THEY WERE, YOU COULD

SEE THE EXCITEMENT AND LEARNING.

>> FOR BOBBY STARLING, IT'S ALL

ABOUT PREPARING FUTURE

SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS.

>> THE EXCITEMENT THAT THEY HAVE

FROM THIS DAY IS GOING TO CARRY

THEM FORWARD AND GET THEM

INTERESTED IN SOME OF THOSE STEM

CAREERS AND THERE ARE KIDS

TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO BE

ENGINEERS AND THERE ARE KIDS

THAT WANT TO DESIGN ROCKETS.

SO THIS GIVES THEM A SPARK OR

IDEA WHAT MAYBE THEY COULD LOOK

FOR IN A CAREER WISE AND BET

THEM EXCITED TO MOVE FORWARD.

>> THAT'S IT FOR THIS SEASON OF

"SCITECH NOW."

WE HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED OUR

EFFORT TO BRING YOU ALL THE COOL

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY STORIES

THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN

OUR CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAM,

JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON

FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

WE'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS

AND THOUGHTS.

I'M SIMON PEREZ.

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT SEASON

ON "SCITECH NOW."

ON THE NEXT "SCITECH NOW," WE

LOOK BACK AT THE PAST SEASON AND

HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE VERY BEST

IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND

INNOVATION THROUGHOUT CENTRAL

NEW YORK.

FROM THE CUTTING EDGE ANIMAL

CARE AT THE ZOO TO THE SCIENCE

BEHIND YOUR FAVORITE.

EXPLORE ONCE MORE HOW THE GREAT

MINDS OF OUR REGION ARE USHERING

THE WORLD OF TOMORROW TODAY ON

THE NEXT "SCITECH NOW."

NOTE7

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