HEY EVERYONE, MY NAME IS CHRIS ANDERSON AND TODAY IN SCIENCE AROUND CINCY WE ARE GOING TO LEARN ABOUT THE AMAZING WORLD OF ATOMS.

♪ ♪ Dr. ALVAREZ AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING ON USING NANOTUBES, TINY TUBES MADE OF CARBON ATOMS TO CREATE ELECTRIC IMPLANTS THAT CAN CONTROL YOUR BODY.

WILD?

YES.

BUT IT'S ALSO SCIENCE.

LET'S TAKE A TRIP OVER TO HIS LAB AND LEARN MORE.

HEY.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANKS FOR INVITING ME TO YOUR LAB.

>> MY PLEASURE.

>> SO WHAT ARE NANOTUBES?

>> LIKE I COULD SPEND DAYS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT NANOTUBES.

THAT'S WHAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT.

>> THAT'S WHAT YOU LOVE, MAN.

>> EXACTLY.

NANOTUBES BASICALLY HAVE BEEN CALLED THE PERFECT STRUCTURE MADE BY HUMANS.

>> PERFECT STRUCTURE MADE BY HUMANS.

>> LITTLE SPHERES THAT IN THE PROCESS OF SYNTHESIS, WE ACCOMMODATED IN THIS STRUCTURE AND WHEN YOU HAVE THEM ALL BONDED TOGETHER AND THIS KEEPS GOING ON AND THE WHOLE IS MADE OF RINGS SO IT BLOCKSES HERE WILL BE A CARBON ATOM AND THEY ARE ALL BONDED TOGETHER AND THAT'S MADE OUT OF NANOTUBES SO THIS HAS NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT CARBON ATOMS.

>> SO IT'S JUST CARBON ATOMS AND THEY'RE ALL IN THESE HEXAGON KIND OF ORIENTATIONS, ALL BONDED TOGETHER.

>> THEY'RE ALL JOINED TOGETHER.

>> AND THEN IT KEEPS GOING ON AND ON AND ON.

>> AND THIS CAN GROW AS LONG AS IF THIS IS THE REAL TUBE, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IF YOU CAN TAKE THE RATIO OF THE NANOTUBE WE MAKE IN THE LAB TO THIS DIMENSION, THIS WILL BE PROBABLY AS LONG AS FROM HERE TO DAYTON.

THAT'S HOW LONG THEY ARE.

THEY'RE EXTREMELY THIN BUT THEY'RE ALSO VERY LONG.

>> SO WHY CARBON FOR THESE NANOTUBES?

WHY CAN'T WE MAKE NANOTUBES OUT OF, SAY, OXYGEN OR NITROGEN OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT?

>> ACARBON BOND IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST BOND YOU CAN HAVE IN NATURE.

THAT'S WHY DIAMOND EXIST.

DIAMOND IS ALL CARBON.

JUST CARBON BUT IT'S SB-3 CARBON AND NANOTUBES ARE SB-2 CARBON.

THE WAY THEY'RE ARRANGED IS DIFFERENT IN BOTH CASES BUT ALSO BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL MADE OF CARBON, WE SEE THE POTENTIAL OF APPLICATIONS IN BIOIMPLANTS, BIOMEDICAL IMPLANTS, INTERACTIONS WITH NEURONS.

>> CAN YOU SHOW ME A LITTLE OF THE WORK YOU HAVE BEEN DOING WITH THE BIOIMPLANTS?

>> OF COURSE.

FOLLOW ME.

>> LET'S CHECK IT OUT.

WE ARE GOING TO SEE HOW YOU ARE GOING TO CONTROL MUSCLE MOVEMENT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> ALL RIGHT.

SO TELL ME A LITTLE BIT HOW THIS WORKS BEFORE YOU START CONTROLLING MY MUSCLES.

>> OKAY.

SO TODAY WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WE ARE GOING TO HUMAN-HUMAN INTERFACE DEVICE.

WE ARE GOING TO MAKE CONTACT WITH YOUR BODY USING THESE METAL ELECTRODES.

SO THEY'RE CAPABLE OF CAPTURING ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN YOUR BODY, LIKE WHEN YOU MAKE A FIST.

>> ELECTRONATURAL GAS, YOUR NERVES-- ELECTROENERGY.

>> AND WE WILL GET TO IT THIS DEVICE AND CONNECT IT TO ANOTHER PERSON WHERE THIS ELECTRICAL ENERGY IS PASSED THROUGH, AND LET THE OTHER PERSON FEEL THAT ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND MAKE A MOVEMENT.

>> SO IT WILL MAKE A MOVEMENT BASED ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S MOVEMENT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> IT'S DOING IT THROUGH THE NANOTUBES.

>> YES, WE ARE GOING TO USE CARBON NANOTUBES.

WE CAN USE WITH METAL ELECTRODES AND CARBON NANOTUBES.

YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

>> LET'S DO IT.

MAKE A FIST.

>> OH MY GOD!

>> THIS IS NOT-- HE IS MOVING HIS HAND.

WHAT HAPPENED HERE IS HIS ELECTRICAL ENERGY PRODUCED BY HIM IS GOING TO GO THROUGH THIS DEVICE AND THEN THEY ELECTRODE GIVES THE ENERGY TO THE NERVE UNDER NEEDS AND THAT CONTROLS HIS HAND.

>> THAT'S CRAZY.

>> NOW I'M GOING TO LET HIM BE THE CONTROLLER.

OH.

[LAUGHTER] NAT THAT WAS CRAZY!

THAT WAS COOL.

MY ARM IS STILL ACHING FROM BEING CONTROLLED.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN FACING IN, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST CREATING THE NANOTUBES THEMSELVES BUT SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING ON.

>> FOR US, AT THIS POINT, THE MOST CHALLENGING PART IS BEING ABLE TO CONTROL THE TUBES.

WHEN WE MADE THE TUBES, WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO ALL BE ALIKE AND IF THEY'RE ALL METALLIC, WE WANT THEM ALL TO BE ALIKE BECAUSE THAT WAY WE CAN REALLY MAKE A DEVICE THAT WE CAN REALLY SEE THE PERFORMANCE.

AND THAT IS SOME KIND OF THE MAIN CHALLENGE THAT'S HOLDING NANOTUBES.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN WE DO THIS APPLICATION, WE ALSO SEE CHALLENGES FOR INSTANCE, WHEN IT COMES TO OBLIGATIONS.

WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NANOTUBES DO THE JOB WITHOUT HURTING, WITHOUT CAUSING ANY SIDE REACTIONS.

THOSE ARE, THEY MAY LOOK VERY SIMPLE BUT IN REALITY, STUDYING THOSE AND BEING ABLE TO QUANTIFY THOSE, IT'S A CHALLENGE.

>> I'M SURE MAKING SURE THOSE NANOTUBES ARE THE SAME WITH THEIR CONDUCTIVITY AND DIAMETER AND POTENTIAL LENGTH, THAT'S GOT TO BE A BIG CHALLENGE BUT THE REWARD COULD BE REALLY GOOD BECAUSE IF THEY'RE ALL THE SAME, I'M SURE THAT MAKES SCALING UP AND DOING THESE ALL THESE CO-APPLICATIONS A LOT EASIER.

>> YES.

WHEN I STARTED NANOTUBES, JUST TO TELL YOU THE STORY, WHEN I WENT TO GRADUATE SCHOOL, PEOPLE, THEY HAVE A HARD TIME TO MAKE ONE GRAM OF NANOTUBE.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 15 YEARS.

SO BY NOW, ESPECIALLY NOT ONLY IN THE U.S., CHINA AND OTHER ASIAN COUNTRIES, THEY CAN MAKE TONS OF NANOTUBES BY NOW.

YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE THAT NANOTUBES ARE ALREADY IN THE MARKET IN PRODUCTS LIKE COATINGS.

THEY'RE AVAILABLE.

THEY'RE ALSO BATTERIES AND ENERGY STORAGE THEY USE NANOTUBES INSIDE EVEN THOUGH THE NANOTUBES THEY USE IS VERY POOR QUALITY OF TUBES.

BUT THEY DO BETTER JOB THAN THE OTHER MATERIALS.

>> THIS IS REALLY EXCITING.

CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT OTHER COOL STUFF YOU GUYS COME UP WITH IN YOUR LABS.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME DOWN HERE AND SHOWING ME ALL THIS COOL STUFF AND TURNING ME INTO A GUINEA PIG FOR A LITTLE BIT.

IT WAS FUN.

>> MY PLEASURE.

LOVE TO HAVE YOU AGAIN.

WE WILL KEEP WORKING AND I'M SURE WE'LL HAVE UPDATES AND YOU GUYS ARE WELCOME ALWAYS.

WHAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU THINK OF THE CATALYST.

YOU MOBILE PROBABLY IMAGINE SOMEBODY IN THE LAB MIXING LIQUIDS TO MAKE A CHEMICAL REACTION.

WHAT I IF I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A WHOLE BRANCH OF CHEMISTRY WHERE YOU DIDN'T NEED LIQUID SOLUTIONS AND IT WAS EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT AND IT WAS BETTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?

Dr. JAMES MACK IS A CHEMIST HERE AT UC AND PIONEERED A BRAND NEW METHOD FOR SOLUTION CHEMISTRY.

HEY, JAMES.

>> HEY, CHRIS.

>> HOW'S IT GOING.

>> GREAT.

SINCE YOU ARE IN THE LAB, LET ME GIVE YOU SOME SAFETY GLASSES.

WE HAVE TO PROTECT OURSELVES.

>> SAFETY FIRST.

>> SAFETY FIRST.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

HOW DO I LOOK?

>> YOU LOOK GREAT.

>> AND SAFE.

AND SO WHAT IS MECHANO CHEMISTRY?

WHAT IS THAT?

>> WELL IT'S SORT OF WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.

USING MECHANICAL ENERGY TO DO CHEMISTRY.

SO-- >> ENERGY MOVING THINGS AROUND.

>> ENERGY MOVING THINGS AROUND.

SO YOU ARE USING MECHANICAL ENERGY TO MIX THE CHEM CHEMICALS AROUND THAT'S WHAT MECHANO CHEMISTRY IS.

>> YOU HAVE BEEN USING MECHANO CHEMISTRY IN A BRAND NEW WAY.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

>> SO NORMALLY WHEN YOU DO CHEMISTRY, YOU TYPICALLY THINK OF DOING BIG FLASKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT WITH A LOT OF LIQUIDS.

THE MECHANO CHEMISTRY, WHAT YOU DO IS ELIMINATE THE LIQUID.

THERE IS NO LIQUID AROUND.

JUST THE MATERIALS THAT YOU WANT TO USE MIX TOGETHER TO DO CHEMISTRY.

>> SO YOU ARE NOT POURING THINGS IN DIFFERENT FLASKS OR ANYTHING.

YOU ARE JUST USING JUST THE ACTUAL, I GUESS, CHEMICALS WITHOUT ALL THE LIQUID?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO BASICALLY IF YOU CAN DO THAT, THEN MAYBE YOU CAN CHANGE THE WAY CHEMISTRY IS DONE AND MAKE BETTER CHEMISTRY OR DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHEMISTRY THAN WE TYPICALLY DO.

>> THUNKS YOU ARE USING CHEMISTRY THAT COULD BE BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

>> BENZINE OR CHLOROFORM, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS OR VOCs, SOMETIMES IF YOU GO TO THE HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE YOU WILL SEE PAINT THAT SAYS LOW V.O.C.

V.O.C.

GOES IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND BECOME OZONE DEPLETER, SOME OF THEM CAUSE CANCER.

IT'S HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT.

WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO IS HOW CAN WE KEEP THE THINGS THAT ARE GOOD TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES WITHOUT INTRODUCING SOME.

HARMFUL V.O.C.s INTO THE ENVIRONMENT.

>> CAN YOU SHOW ME A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

ABOUT TO DO AN EXPERIMENT RIGHT NOW.

>> AWESOME.

LET'S GO DO IT.

>> GOOD.

SO WE ARE GOING TO DO AN EXPERIMENT, A MECHANO CHEMISTRY EXPERIMENT.

TWO COMPOUNDS, YOU ARE GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF OUR VANILLA AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT YOU NEED FOR VANILLA.

USING A FLASK, INSTEAD, WE ARE GOING TO USE A VIAL AND POUR THE MATERIAL INTO THE VIAL.

WE ARE GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER, TEAR OUR FLASK AGAIN AND TAKE OUR OTHER COMPOUND HERE AND HERE IS OUR OTHER WHITE POWDER THAT WE ARE GOING TO USE.

MEASURE THAT OUT.

WE ARE GOING TO POUR THAT IN AND THEN WE HAVE-- >> THIS LITTLE GUY HERE.

>> A BALL BEARING AND PUT THAT IN.

AND THEN WE JUST PUT THE TOP ON.

>> THAT'S IT?

>> THAT'S IT.

WE ARE GOING TO WALK OVER TO OUR MILLING MACHINE AND WE ARE GOING TO SET THIS IN IT.

AND SLAP IT DOWN.

>> IT LOOKS LIKE A CLAMP.

>> YEP.

>> ATTACHED TO A MOTOR.

>> A CLAMP ATTACHED TO A MOTOR.

>> AND IT IS GOING TO SHAKE IT ALL AROUND.

>> AND THEN BASICALLY THE MOTOR IS GOING TO MOVE THINGS AROUND, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE THAT BALL BEARING AND KIND OF MOVE IT ALL AROUND.

THAT'S GOING TO MIX THE CHEMICALS TOGETHER AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO LOCK IT UP AND THEY ARE THEN WE ARE GOING TO ROLL AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK IN FIVE MINUTES OR SO AND THEN WE WILL SEE WHERE WE ARE.

I THINK WE ARE READY TO STOP.

>> IT'S BEEN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES.

>> WE ARE READY TO STOP.

WE ARE GOING TO ESPECIALLY IT UP.

AND THEN UNSCREW OUR VIAL TO GET IT OUT SO NOW WE HAVE IT OUT AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO POP THE TOP AND OPEN IT UP AND WE HAVE THIS NICE YELLOWISH COMPOUND.

>> SO WHAT IS THIS THEN?

SO WE HAD MANILLA AT N AND BAR ABOUT IT WATT ACID AND IT WENT THROUGH A CHEMICAL CHANGE.

>> IT'S AN OFF SHOOT.

SO THE TWO CHEMICALS JOIN TOGETHER SO THEY USED TO BE SEPARATE COMPOUNDS AND NOW THEY'RE JOINED TOGETHER.

>> A SYNTHESIS REACTION.

AND WE CAN DO MORE THINGS.

IF WE WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING TO IT WE COULD AND STICK IT BACK IN.

SO THE COOL THING ABOUT THIS AND THE SEPARATION FROM TRADITIONAL, NORMALLY WE DO IN SOLUTION, WE WOULD HAVE ALL THIS LIQUID AND GET RID OF THE LIQUID TO GET OUR COMPOUND.

>> IT'S ALL RIGHT HERE IT ALMOST SMELLS LIKE THE CHERRY, LIKE THE FAKE CHERRY SOAP.

>> YEAH WHICH IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I SMELLED LIKE BEFORE.

>> I I LOVE THAT SMELL.

IT'S A VERY SWEET SMELL.

WE NEED TO SCRAPE OUR MATERIAL OUT AND THEN WE ARE DONE.

AND SO THIS IS ALL WE NEED TO DO.

>> THAT'S AMAZING.

>> I MEAN YOU CAN TELL IT'S LIKE A WHOLE-- THIS IS A DIFFERENT COLOR, DIFFERENT SMELL.

AND IT WAS PRETTY EASY TO DO.

>> SO EASY.

PUT IT INSIDE THE MIXING MILL.

SOMETIMES IT TAKES FIVE OURS AND IT CAN GO THAT LONG THE TIME IT TAKES TO MICROWAVE POPCORN, WE'VE MADE A COMPLETELY NEW COMPOUND WITHOUT ANY SOLUTIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S PRETTY AWESOME.

>> NO V.O.C.s THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS ONE OF THE MAJOR IMPACTS IS HOW MUCH WASTE WE CAN LIMIT.

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF CHEMISTRY AND CHEMICAL PRODUCTS THAT EVERYONE HAS IN THEIR HOMES, THINK ABOUT MULTIPLYING THAT BY 22 AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT'S GENERATED WHEN YOU MAKE A PRODUCT.

YOU THINK ABOUT A LARGE AMOUNT YOU THINK OF THE SOLVENTS THE IDEA IS IF YOU CAN REDUCE THAT NUMBER, YOU CAN SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF WASTE THAT GENERATES.

YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ORDER OF 10 BILLION POUNDS OF CHEMICAL WASTE THAT'S GENERATED OF WHICH 80% OF THAT IS EVOLVED FROM ORGANIC COMPOUNDS.

>> YOU CAN SHRINK THAT DOWN BY MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF TONS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING ME TO YOUR LAB.

I THINK WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS REALLY SHOWING OFF THE CREATIVE SIDE OF SCIENCE AND THINKING OF THIS NEW METHOD OF DOING SOLUTION CHEMISTRY.

>> YOU AREY WITH YOU ARE WELCOME ANY TIME.

>> AND I HOPE IT INSPIRES WAYS TO DO BETTER WAYS OF SCIENCE.

>> I HOPE SO.

THAT'S WHAT WE NEED IF WE ARE GOING TO SOLVE SOME OF THE COMPLEX PROBLEMS WE HAVE IN OUR SOCIETY.

>> I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE.

>> HEY EVERYONE.

MY NAME IS CHRIS ANDERSON AND I'M HERE TODAY AT 80-ACRE FARMS.

THE BUILDING BEHIND ME LOOKS MORE LIKE A WAREHOUSE THAN A FARM BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO GROW OVER ONE 100 TIMES MORE FOOD THAN A CONVENTIONAL FOOD USING 100% RENEWABLE ENERGY AND 97% LESS WATER.

OH AND DID I MENTION THEY USE ROBOTS TO HARVEST THEIR PRODUCE?

THE WHOLE SYSTEM COULD POTENTIALLY CHANGE THE WAY WE GROW FOOD.

I CAN'T WAIT TO CHECK IN WITH THE TEAM AND SEE HOW THEY HAVE BEEN USING SCIENCE TO GROW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

HEY, LIZ.

>> HOW ARE YOU DOING, CHRIS.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> THANKS FOR INVITING ME OUT HERE.

>> OF COURSE.

>> TELL ME HOW YOU GUYS GROW FOOD INDOORS?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO ALL THE PLANTS THAT GROW IN HERE, ACTUALLY BUILT TO THE PERFECT ENVIRONMENT.

SO WE ARE ABLE TO CONTROL THE Co2 LEVEL, THE AMOUNT OF NUTRIENTS IN THE WATER AND WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO CONTROL THE HUMIDITY AS WELL.

>> SO WHERE ARE THE PLANTS GROWN THEN?

>> WE HAVE ALL OF THESE CONTAINERS HERE AND WE HAVE THEM, AN AMOUNT OF ABOUT A THOUSAND TRAYS SO REALLY AMAZING PROCESS.

WE HAVE OUR TRUSTEE ROBOT NAMED SAM WHO DOES ALL THE HEAVY LIFTING FOR US.

SHE HELPS US WITH THE TRANSPLANTING PROCESS.

WE'LL ACTUALLY USE THE SOIL SUBSTITUTES CALLED HYDRO CUBES AND WHAT WE DO IS IT IS MAIDZ OF COCONUT CORN AND PETE PEAT MOSS.

AND WE SPRINKLE IN THE SEEDS AND PUT THAT IN GERMINATION FOR TWO DAYS AND AFTER TWO DAYS, WE PUT IT IN PROVE PROPAGATION, THAT LASTS FOR ABOUT A WEEK.

AFTER THAT WE PUT OUR BABY PLANTS ON THE CONVEYOR BELT THAT WILL MOVE TOWARD SAM AND WHAT SAM IS GOING TO DO, SHE IS GOING TO PICK UP THE TRAYS AND PUT IT IN ITS DESIGNATED GROW ZONE BY CONTROLLING THIS COMPUTER HERE AND TYPING IN THE DIFFERENT COORDINATES SO SAM KNOWS WHERE TO GO.

AND THEN IN ABOUT FOUR TO FIVE WEEKS, WE WILL HAVE LETTUCE READY TO BE HARVESTED.

SAM WILL TAKE THAT OUT, WE'LL GRAB THE TRAYS AND RUN IT THROUGH THE HARVESTER AND WITHIN A DAY OF HARVEST, WITH EEL DELIVER THAT TO LOCAL RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS.

>> THAT'S AWESOME.

YOU GUYS PLANT THE SEEDS IN THE HYDRO CUBES AND THEN YOU LET THEM GROW FOR A LITTLE BIT.

AND MOVE THEM INTO BIGGER CONTAINERS AND THEN THEY GO INTO HERE WHERE THEIR VICE MAYOR IS COMPLETELY CURATE-- THEIR ENVIRONMENT IS COMPLETELY CURATED FOR THEM.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW YOU DO THAT.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> YOU LEAD THE WAY.

>> SO WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GROWING HERE?

>> SO WE ARE GROWING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF LETTUCES.

SIX DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE VERY SMALL PLANTS.

THEY'RE NOWHERE NEAR FULL AGE.

YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE DIFFERENT VARIETIES AND HOW THEY LOOK DIFFERENT EVEN AT THIS STAGE OF GROWTH.

SO THIS IS LIKE A GREEN FRILL VARIETY.

THIS IS A GREEN ROMAIN VARIETY.

DOWN OVER HERE ON THIS SIDE WE HAVE OTHERS AND UP HERE WE HAVE A GOOD MIX.

>> SO WHAT ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT PLANTS, WE SAID PLANTS NEED CARBON DIOXIDE, THEY NEED FOOD.

THEY NEED WATER AND LIGHT.

HAVE SOME TEMPERATURE THAT IS OPERATE PAL FOR THEM.

OPTIMAL.

HOW DO YOU CURATE ALL THOSE THINGS.

HOW DO YOU CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT.

THERE ARE THINGS LIKE HUMIDITY WE LOOK AT AND AIR TEMPERATURE.

WATER TEMPERATURE.

NUTRIENT MIX, P.H., DISSOLVED OXYGEN AND OTHER THINGS.

DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE LOOK TO REGULATE IT AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE UNIFORMITY OF THE TEMPERATURE THROUGHOUT THE GROW ZONE AND THINGS LIKE WATER AND WATER, HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER SO NOT TOO MUCH AND NOT TOO LITTLE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE GOOD GROWTH AND THEY NEED THE RIGHT NUTRIENT MIX AT THE RIGHT P.H.

NOW WE HAVE WATER STACKS DOIN STAIRS THAT HANDLE OWL THAT BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS REALLY COOL IS IN CONTROLLING THAT ENTIRE PROCESS, WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO USE 97% LESS WATER THAN REGULAR FARMING.

>> SO WHAT ELSE DO YOU GUYS GROW OTHER THAN LETTUCE?

I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF LETTUCE HERE TODAY.

>> WHAT ELSE DO YOU GROY?

>> WE GROW LETTUCE, BASIL.

ARUGULAS, KALE, WE ARE GROWING THINGS LIKE TOMATOES, CUCUMBERS.

>> AWESOME.

>> SPINACHES AND SOME OTHER INTERESTING THINGS WE ARE WORKING ON.

CONCEPTIONUALLY, WE CAN GROW ANYTHING IN HERE.

IT IS TINY FUNNING THE RIGHT SETUPS.

>> WHATEVER THAT PARTICULAR PLANT NEEDS.

>> EXACTLY.

SO HOW DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHEN THE PLANTS ARE READY TO HARVEST?

>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, PLANTS ARE LIKE PUMPS, THEIR GROWTH IS DETERMINED BY THEIR LOOKS.

LIKE TREES, THE TREE EXTENDS AS FAR BENEATH AS ABOVE.

PLANTS THE SAME WAY.

SO FOR US, WE HAVE SPACE IN OUR CONTAINERS AND OUR TABLES FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ROOT MASS.

AND WHEN THE PLANT STARTS TO GET CLOSE AND NEAR THAT THRESHOLD WHERE WE HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ROOT THAT SUPPORTS THE PLANT, WE WANT TO HARVEST IT SO IT IS NOT TRYING TO GROW BEYOND-- >> USING RESOURCES THAT CAN GO TO OTHER PLANTS, TOO.

YOU GUYS CAN GROW THIS IN 20 DAYS OPPOSED TO 60 DAYS OUTSIDE.

>> YES.

>> THAT WILL GIVE YOU MORE TURNOVER AND ALLOW MORE FOR PLANTS TO BE PRODUCED AND HARVESTED AND GET TO PEOPLE'S TABLES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

>> IT'S MORE PLANTS AND THE COOLEST PART ABOUT IT TO ME IS THE FACT THAT WE CAN LEARN SO MUCH FASTER BECAUSE OF IT.

>> FARMING IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT, RIGHT AND IF YOU FARM YOUR WHOLE LIFE, YOU FARM FOR 50 YEARS, YOU GOT 50 CYCLES.

>> BUT YOU GUYS CAN GET 50 CYCLES IN ONE YEAR CHANGE.

REQUEST TEST THINGS AND KEEP LEARNING.

IS SO MUCH FASTER.

LIKE YOU SAID, IT GOES THROUGH CYCLES OF LIFETIME AND SO EVERY YEAR IT'S LIKE I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR NOT VERY LONG.

I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MANY TERMS THAT EVERY MONTH FEELS LIKE A A YEAR.

>> A LITTLE MIX OF GREEN FRILL AND BABY ROMAIN AND CHERRY TOMATOES AND THEY'RE THE SWEETEST THINGS.

I'M BIASED BUT THEY'RE FANTASTIC.

>> TIME TO LOAD.

>> AS FRESH AS ANYTHING YOU WOULD GROW IN YOUR BACKYARD.

>> WONDERFUL SWEETNESS.

>> IT IS KIND OF SWEET, ISN'T IT.

>> YEAH, AND THEN THIS GUY IS AMAZING.

SUPER SWEET.

>> YEAH, I WILL GO ON RECORD ON CAMERA THAT IN SEASON TOMATOES ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS IN THE WORLD.

HOLY CRAP!

I MEAN I'M NOT LIKE-- THAT'S REALLY, REALLY GOOD.

>> YEAH I HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO FINISH AN ENTIRE PACK WITHIN FIVE MINUTES.

>> IT'S LIKE CANDY.

>> IT'S AWESOME.

>> SO HOW DOES FARMING LIKE THIS, HOW IS THAT GOING TO CHANGE HOW WE GET OUR FOOD?

>> I THINK WITH INDOOR FARMING THERE IS GOING TO BE A GREAT WAY THAT WE CAN GET A HIGH YIELD, FAST GROWTH, GET FOOD TO PEOPLE THAT HAVE GONE MORE TOWARDS THE CITY AND THEN WITH THIS TYPE OF FARMING, TOO, ALL OF THIS WILL BE DELIVERED WITHIN A DAY.

SO YOUR FOOD IS NOT GOING TO TRAVEL OVER 2,000 MILES.

IT'S NOT GOING TO LIVE ITS LIFE IN TRANSPORTATION.

IT IS NOT GOING TO BE-- IT PREVENTS FOOD WASTE WHICH IS FANTASTIC.

SO, YEAH, I REALLY DO THINK IT'S THE FUTURE OF FARMING.

I THINK TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL AND INDOOR FARMING WILL LIVE SIDE BY SIDE IN A HAPPY MARRIAGE.

>> THAT'S AWESOME.

>> LIZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR INVITING ME OUT HERE.

IT'S REALLY GREAT TO TOUR THE FACILITY AND EAT YOUR DELICIOUS FOOD.

IT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT.

>> TAKE THESE.

>> I WILL.

THAT'S OUR SHOW.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WATCHING.

I HOPE YOU LEARNED A LITTLE MORE HOW CHEMISTRY IMPACTS OUR EVERYDAY LIVES.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON SCIENCE AROUND CINCY.

ARE YOU GUYS READY?

>> IT SMELLS VERY MUCH LIKE VANILLA.

>> IT SMELLS LIKE VANILLA WAFERS.

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