Superscience Season 6, Episode 5: Countdown To Impact

Incinerator Earth

Super Diamonds

The hardest known substance on Earth is known for its value and beauty. Scientists believe diamonds could also hold incredible possibilities for the future. Their incredible durability and their unique properties could revolutionize everything from computer chips to space explorations. All diamonds, however, contain minor flaws. What science must do is create a perfect "super diamond".

Monster Black Holes

Astronomers continue to study black holes to understand what role they play in the universe. Scientists understand that their incredible pull can swallow nearby stars and entire galaxies and that they warp time and space. Investigators use the equations of Einstein and theories of Hawking to figure out what the inside of a black hole looks like and what time, place, or dimension lies on the other side. AKA Monster of the Milky Way AKA Cosmic Monsters

60 min

Vesuvius Time Bomb

Dirty Bombs

This episode examines the effects of a hypothetical radiological attack from a car bomb on a major U.S. city. The purpose is to give useful information in the event that such an event should occur. The stories of several characters are told to dramatize the effects on various types of people: those responding in the "hot zone", a person near to the blast whose symptoms develop over time, a pregnant woman who must evacuate, and investigators who comb through debris to determine who set the blast.

45 min