[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Bounce Back.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

BOUNCE BACK:
Using Radar, the Answer Is in the Echo

RADAR -- which stands for radio detection and ranging -- is a technique that's used all around us in everyday life. It can determine the presence and the velocity of an object such as an airplane or even a person.

Radar works via a transmitter that shoots a pulse of electromagnetic energy. The pulse travels to a target, bounces off, and then the radar listens for the echo off that target.

Engineers at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Mass., build the most advanced radar systems in the world. With the help of a special testing chamber, these scientists can test their radar antennas indoors -- before taking them out into the real world.

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/on my wavelength.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

ON MY WAVELENGTH:
Air Force Engineers Are Sending the Right Signals

Antennas are the eyes and ears of everything we do, transmitting radio waves to link our cell phones, TVs, and other electronics. These radio waves carry energy through the air between antennas -- sending information like images and voices.

Every system operates on its own specific wavelength, so it needs an antenna designed to receive that wave. Engineers at an Air Force research lab in Dayton, Ohio, are designing, building, and testing antennas in many shapes and sizes -- to go on airplanes, inside radios, and even on huge towers.

"This work is a great example of engineering, says Rey Febo: "Putting math and science into something that we will be able to use in our life."

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/spinning NanoFibers.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

SPINNING NANOFIBERS:
Army Chemists Create Tiny Fibers with Huge Potential

Fabric is made by weaving fibers into cloth - which is then sewn into the shirts and pants that you wear every day. Now, at the Army research lab in Natick, Mass., research chemist Kris Senecal is investigating ways to use the tiniest of fibers - called nanofibers - to help people stay healthy.

Each nanofiber is 50 times finer than a strand of spider silk. Scientists can combine these nanofiber webs, or mats, with antibodies that will capture germs and bacteria that could make people sick.

But that's not all these scientists are dreaming about, Kris says. "I would like to see textiles that you could actually have fun with" - maybe using them with electronics so people can plug their MP3 players into their shirts, for example. "It's just thinking out of the box."

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Dont Sweat it.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

DON'T SWEAT IT:
Scientists Are Protecting Soldiers at Any Temperature

Our troops go into all types of environments -- some very cold or hot -- to perform their missions.

Scientists at an Army research lab in Natick, Mass., are studying the effects of extreme temperatures on volunteer subjects so they can figure out the best way to help soldiers endure challenging climates.

In a hot environment, for example, the body absorbs heat and its core temperature increases -- and sweating is the way the body cools itself. But what happens if a soldier is wearing an insect repellent containing DEET? Does it interfere with sweating and restrict the body's ability to get rid of heat?

"All science really is, is a way of asking questions," says research physiologist Robert Kenefick. "Sometimes you might be finding things out that nobody has ever seen before."

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/sink and swim.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

SINK & SWIM:
Students Build Sea Perches to Learn Laws of Buoyancy

Underwater ROVs, or remotely operated vehicles, are used in research missions such as the Titanic recovery. At a Maryland high school, students are constructing their own ROVs -- called Sea Perches -- with help from Navy engineers from NAVSEA Carderock, who teach kids about ship design, the basics of electronics, and buoyancy.

Each student builds a Sea Perch, starting by assembling the frame and installing the electronics and motors. They complete their water robots by adjusting the weight to make the machines "neutrally buoyant." The students find the process challenging -- and fun.

"It overwhelmed us in the beginning but when we got all the steps, we put it together and it's pretty easy," says one student. "I can't wait to see it in the water," says another. "We just hope it works. That's the biggest goal!"

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/ModelCareer.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

MODEL CAREER:
Building Mini-Ships Is No Game

Imagine building models for a living! The engineers at NAVSEA Carderock in Bethesda, MD., spend their days creating and testing models that often become the prototypes for ships in the Navy's fleet.

They start with 3-D computer drawings that contain information about the size and shape of a desired ship. Using wood, foam, and fiberglass, the engineers construct ships to scale, meaning the samples are built in miniature with all their features in proportion. During testing, computers, sensors, and cameras measure the way the models hold up to different forces -- even real ocean conditions.

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/ShipShape.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

SHIP SHAPE:
Nautical Engineers Design Safe, Smart, and Sound Vessels

Wind and water -- two essential elements ship designers think about when creating the blueprint for a new vessel.

Mechanical engineer Susan Brewton considers these factors -- and others -- every day at NAVSEA Carderock in Bethesda, MD., as she helps design ships for the U.S. Navy. Using sophisticated computer programs, Brewton analyzes the physics of how fluids interact with the surfaces of a potential new cruiser, aircraft carrier, or submarine; always seeking the best performance and highest efficiency.

Brewton finds this responsibility challenging -- and fun. "In high school and middle school I was always very interested in science," she says. She eventually decided upon the field that would make her happy 24 hours a day -- "and it's the science."

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Lego Champs.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

LEGO CHAMPS:
Robots Connect Students to an Engineering Future

The Air Force recently experienced a robot invasion -- Lego robots, that is -- as hosts of the FIRST LEGO League US Open Championship. This year's competition in Dayton, Ohio, assembled 60 of the best teams of kids ages 9 to 14, who designed, built, and programmed their robots to tackle a real-world problem.

Combining science and math know-how with a little hard work and a lot of creativity, these students came from all over the United States to showcase their robots. Although they're focused on winning, FIRST LEGO also emphasizes teamwork and respect for others. It's a cool approach to training for a future as scientists and engineers and a way to give students a head-start in tackling global issues.

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Biothreats.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

BIOTHREATS:
Patrolling for Enemy Bugs to Keep Americans Safe

Anthrax, E. coli, salmonella -- all dangerous organisms that can cause illness. Many are contracted naturally -- through food or soil -- but in the wrong hands, such pathogens could be used to harm people.

Biologists at the Air Force research lab in San Antonio are on the lookout for these biothreats. Using a powerful process called PCR -- polymerase chain reaction -- they can copy strands of DNA and identify pathogens anywhere in the world. A process that used to take 48 hours has been reduced to just two. And, with a device called the JBAIDS -- a portable lab-in-a-suitcase -- technicians can use PCR to test samples out in the field as well. Finding a problem swiftly could be key to saving thousands of lives, and that's why these scientists keep perfecting these tools.

[flv image="http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Beam_me_up.jpg"]http://stemresources.wm.edu/videos/Tracking the Flu.flv[/flv]

About This Webisode

TRACKING THE FLU:
Lifesaving Research Works on Killer Virus

Influenza is a formidable enemy. A leading cause of death in the United States, the disease kills more than 36,000 people each year. It's also tricky -- though the flu virus itself is a simple organism, it is able to fool our cells into making new viruses -- which make us sick.

But Air Force Research Lab scientists in San Antonio are battling back. Every day they take in thousands of samples from all over the world and analyze the specimens for influenza, unraveling the genetic code to compare it to the strains used to create the current vaccine. As these fingerprints keep changing, so must the vaccines so we can all stay healthy. These scientists recently helped identify a new strain of influenza A -- called H1N1, or swine flu, and this major achievement helped lead to a new vaccine that will save thousands of lives this fall.