1 00:00:00,449 --> 00:00:03,366 (thoughtful music) 2 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,490 The oceans are the epitome of beauty, 3 00:00:13,490 --> 00:00:17,063 but don't be fooled, because this is a very dangerous 4 00:00:17,063 --> 00:00:19,020 environment to live in. 5 00:00:19,020 --> 00:00:21,130 It's a world filled with apex predators, 6 00:00:21,130 --> 00:00:24,200 poisonous prey, and powerful currents. 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,130 Yet life has existed here longer 8 00:00:26,130 --> 00:00:28,330 than it has anywhere else on the planet. 9 00:00:28,330 --> 00:00:30,830 And so it's had no choice 10 00:00:30,830 --> 00:00:33,713 but to master the art of protection. 11 00:00:41,313 --> 00:00:44,313 (suspenseful music) 12 00:00:53,705 --> 00:00:58,372 You'll find that we're finding all this life down here. 13 00:01:00,700 --> 00:01:03,530 It might be a dog-eat-dog world topside, 14 00:01:03,530 --> 00:01:07,253 but down here, it's big fish eats little fish. 15 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,400 Anything that's not at the top of the food chain 16 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:14,553 must adapt to stay alive. 17 00:01:17,340 --> 00:01:19,693 Take one of the shark's favorite meals, 18 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,080 a creature hunted by these prehistoric apex predators is 19 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,033 perhaps, understandably, hard to find. 20 00:01:29,603 --> 00:01:31,170 I still can't see the octopus. 21 00:01:31,170 --> 00:01:32,170 Where is it? 22 00:01:34,730 --> 00:01:37,470 Oh yeah, I can see it, I can see it. 23 00:01:37,470 --> 00:01:39,053 Look at that color. 24 00:01:40,417 --> 00:01:43,790 Exceptional masters of camouflage. 25 00:01:43,790 --> 00:01:45,288 You really wouldn't be able to see it 26 00:01:45,288 --> 00:01:47,871 unless you were looking for it. 27 00:01:50,985 --> 00:01:53,735 (dramatic music) 28 00:01:56,250 --> 00:01:57,083 I think she's gone. 29 00:01:57,083 --> 00:01:58,583 She's gone, she's. 30 00:02:02,056 --> 00:02:04,567 Yes! (laughing) 31 00:02:04,567 --> 00:02:05,734 We've got her. 32 00:02:08,991 --> 00:02:11,079 There's ink everywhere. 33 00:02:11,079 --> 00:02:14,770 Not only is the octopus a master of camouflage, 34 00:02:14,770 --> 00:02:17,620 it's clearly a master of evasion. 35 00:02:17,620 --> 00:02:19,340 As a last line of defense, 36 00:02:19,340 --> 00:02:22,393 an octopus will use ink to confuse a predator's senses. 37 00:02:23,957 --> 00:02:25,333 What an incredible animal! 38 00:02:26,420 --> 00:02:27,400 Such a privilege to be down here 39 00:02:27,400 --> 00:02:30,391 with this fascinating creature. 40 00:02:30,391 --> 00:02:31,290 So stunning. 41 00:02:31,290 --> 00:02:33,970 These are exactly the kinds of defense mechanisms 42 00:02:33,970 --> 00:02:35,473 that I'm here to investigate. 43 00:02:43,119 --> 00:02:45,895 (exciting music) 44 00:02:45,895 --> 00:02:50,895 Whether prey or predator, in a world as dangerous as this, 45 00:02:51,220 --> 00:02:54,270 you need all the protection you can get, 46 00:02:54,270 --> 00:02:59,023 spines, armor, and chemical weapons. 47 00:03:00,180 --> 00:03:02,540 Over 3.8 billion years, 48 00:03:02,540 --> 00:03:05,150 evolution has served up a spectacular array 49 00:03:05,150 --> 00:03:06,623 of defensive tactics. 50 00:03:08,910 --> 00:03:12,170 This journey is the culmination of years of experience 51 00:03:13,010 --> 00:03:15,950 investigating how nature can teach us 52 00:03:15,950 --> 00:03:20,143 how to better defend ourselves in this ever-changing world. 53 00:03:21,870 --> 00:03:23,020 Oh my God. 54 00:03:23,020 --> 00:03:27,290 Could be animal kingdom help us detect deadly new threats? 55 00:03:27,290 --> 00:03:29,340 Oh, whoa! (laughing) 56 00:03:29,340 --> 00:03:31,493 Or help us protect our most vulnerable? 57 00:03:32,380 --> 00:03:33,340 This is really cool. 58 00:03:33,340 --> 00:03:34,930 I love that. 59 00:03:34,930 --> 00:03:38,713 And perhaps even make ourselves impervious to danger. 60 00:03:43,278 --> 00:03:46,528 (light carefree music) 61 00:03:50,270 --> 00:03:52,790 My journey begins with the team who are trying 62 00:03:52,790 --> 00:03:55,983 to crack evolution's very own cloaking device. 63 00:03:57,050 --> 00:03:59,260 Yeah, and it got away from us for a second there, 64 00:03:59,260 --> 00:04:01,490 but that was great. 65 00:04:01,490 --> 00:04:02,323 Yeah. 66 00:04:02,323 --> 00:04:04,330 Great job wrangling. 67 00:04:04,330 --> 00:04:05,163 Really, really well done. 68 00:04:05,163 --> 00:04:05,996 Yeah. 69 00:04:05,996 --> 00:04:08,400 In the bag is an animal that's been honing 70 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:12,470 its defensive strategies for 500 million years. 71 00:04:12,470 --> 00:04:13,320 That was awesome. 72 00:04:14,230 --> 00:04:16,760 Over that time, it's evolved a whole suite 73 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:18,333 of impressive abilities, 74 00:04:19,590 --> 00:04:21,970 but it's their ability to all but shape shift 75 00:04:21,970 --> 00:04:24,663 that has scientists like Heather really interested. 76 00:04:26,850 --> 00:04:28,813 And so should we just pop him in? 77 00:04:28,813 --> 00:04:29,788 Or her in. Let's. 78 00:04:29,788 --> 00:04:30,916 Yeah, let's. 79 00:04:30,916 --> 00:04:31,749 Well, we can actually do that first 80 00:04:31,749 --> 00:04:33,930 if we want to see if it's a male or a female. 81 00:04:33,930 --> 00:04:35,500 Looks like a female to me, actually. 82 00:04:35,500 --> 00:04:36,910 So what are you looking for? 83 00:04:36,910 --> 00:04:40,400 So on the bottom here, you're looking for some large, 84 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,680 large suckers, and we're only seeing regular size, 85 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:45,070 kind of going all the way down. 86 00:04:45,070 --> 00:04:47,200 So it looks like probably female. 87 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,310 It's amazing just the feeling of the suckers on my hand. 88 00:04:50,310 --> 00:04:53,403 It's just, I don't know how to describe it. 89 00:04:54,842 --> 00:04:56,420 (airy music) 90 00:04:56,420 --> 00:05:00,063 Life is pretty short if you're an octopus like this one. 91 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:03,463 She'll only live a couple of years at best, 92 00:05:04,330 --> 00:05:06,710 but without her evolutionary tricks, 93 00:05:06,710 --> 00:05:09,113 she wouldn't survive a fraction of that time. 94 00:05:11,010 --> 00:05:13,393 She's descended from ancient snails. 95 00:05:14,620 --> 00:05:17,170 At some point, her kind abandoned their hard, 96 00:05:17,170 --> 00:05:20,220 protective shells and had to develop new ways 97 00:05:20,220 --> 00:05:21,513 to defend themselves. 98 00:05:23,919 --> 00:05:26,880 Her soft, squishy body makes her an easy meal. 99 00:05:28,714 --> 00:05:30,200 (light jaunty music) 100 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:32,760 As a result, evolution has armed her 101 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:34,403 with some impressive tools, 102 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:38,030 eight legs to move quickly around the reef 103 00:05:39,340 --> 00:05:43,193 and exceptional problem-solving skills to outwit predators. 104 00:05:47,610 --> 00:05:50,970 That complex nervous system is key to performing 105 00:05:50,970 --> 00:05:54,453 one of the most fascinating disappearing acts in nature. 106 00:05:59,870 --> 00:06:02,760 Generations of scientists have been obsessed 107 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,303 with unlocking the secrets of the octopuses' camouflage, 108 00:06:08,220 --> 00:06:11,860 a supernatural skill that Heather wants to demonstrate 109 00:06:11,860 --> 00:06:13,433 with a simple research demo. 110 00:06:19,180 --> 00:06:20,260 Well, let's get her in the water. 111 00:06:20,260 --> 00:06:23,150 We've had her out of the water for a little while. 112 00:06:23,150 --> 00:06:25,950 Wow, look, so right away she got really dark 113 00:06:25,950 --> 00:06:27,750 as soon as we got her in that water. 114 00:06:27,750 --> 00:06:28,834 Yeah, definitely. 115 00:06:28,834 --> 00:06:29,667 (intriguing music) 116 00:06:29,667 --> 00:06:33,170 The secret to the octopuses' color-shifting abilities 117 00:06:33,170 --> 00:06:36,013 are these, chromatophores. 118 00:06:37,090 --> 00:06:40,000 They're essentially sacks of different colored pigment 119 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,453 that sit just below the surface of the skin. 120 00:06:44,060 --> 00:06:46,960 Chromatophores swell and shrink, controlling 121 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:48,563 which colors are displayed, 122 00:06:49,590 --> 00:06:53,420 but this colorful palette needs an artist. 123 00:06:53,420 --> 00:06:56,320 And that is where the octopuses' beautifully bizarre 124 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:57,353 brain comes in. 125 00:06:58,890 --> 00:07:01,740 When she wants to mimic something in her surroundings, 126 00:07:01,740 --> 00:07:04,150 her brain sends electrical signals to control 127 00:07:04,150 --> 00:07:06,300 the colors displayed by the chromatophores. 128 00:07:11,530 --> 00:07:13,290 Like a balloon filled with dye. 129 00:07:13,290 --> 00:07:14,123 Exactly. 130 00:07:14,123 --> 00:07:17,540 So if you push that dye closer to the surface, 131 00:07:17,540 --> 00:07:19,180 it's creating that tension. 132 00:07:19,180 --> 00:07:20,720 You can see that color more brightly. 133 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:22,100 Exactly. Then once you release it, 134 00:07:22,100 --> 00:07:23,980 you can see, well, you can't see the dye so much, 135 00:07:23,980 --> 00:07:25,200 maybe it's just the color of the balloon. 136 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:26,980 And I guess that's what's happening 137 00:07:26,980 --> 00:07:29,100 beneath the skin of this octopus. 138 00:07:29,100 --> 00:07:30,630 That nice dark color, 139 00:07:30,630 --> 00:07:33,450 sometimes they'll do that to make themselves look 140 00:07:33,450 --> 00:07:34,420 a little bit bigger. 141 00:07:34,420 --> 00:07:36,740 It's kind of a response to predators. 142 00:07:36,740 --> 00:07:38,520 Mm hmm, puffing herself up by that. 143 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:39,353 Exactly. 144 00:07:39,353 --> 00:07:41,350 Making herself look a little bit bigger 145 00:07:41,350 --> 00:07:43,013 and scarier that dark color. 146 00:07:43,857 --> 00:07:46,607 (wondrous music) 147 00:07:50,704 --> 00:07:54,430 The octopus' brain uses inputs from her eyes, 148 00:07:54,430 --> 00:07:56,410 touch from our arms, 149 00:07:56,410 --> 00:07:59,320 and even light-sensitive proteins in her skin 150 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:01,503 to accurately mimic her surroundings. 151 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,950 Heather's placed some curl in this tank 152 00:08:05,950 --> 00:08:09,083 to reveal just how far they can push their abilities. 153 00:08:11,810 --> 00:08:14,030 Beyond their kaleidoscope of colors, 154 00:08:14,030 --> 00:08:17,383 octopuses can even morph the texture of their skin. 155 00:08:18,410 --> 00:08:22,120 regions called papillae use muscles to create bumps, 156 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,553 spikes, and even branches. 157 00:08:26,790 --> 00:08:28,560 So you want to try moving it to the next one? 158 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:30,020 I'll give it a go. 159 00:08:30,020 --> 00:08:32,050 How do you hold an octopus? 160 00:08:32,050 --> 00:08:35,150 Well, you kinda want to get under her arms 161 00:08:35,150 --> 00:08:37,900 and support her, but you don't want to get your fingers 162 00:08:37,900 --> 00:08:38,790 close to that beak, 163 00:08:38,790 --> 00:08:40,455 'cause you don't want to get bitten. 164 00:08:40,455 --> 00:08:41,481 Okay, so. 165 00:08:41,481 --> 00:08:44,314 (tentative music) 166 00:08:51,070 --> 00:08:51,903 You got it. 167 00:08:51,903 --> 00:08:52,790 You got it. 168 00:08:52,790 --> 00:08:55,560 You're supporting the mantle, which is good. 169 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:59,010 But if you don't have the arm, she's gonna fight you. 170 00:08:59,010 --> 00:09:00,600 You kind of want to get. 171 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:01,553 Okay, perfect. 172 00:09:03,870 --> 00:09:06,060 Now she's getting that dark color again. 173 00:09:06,060 --> 00:09:08,490 Probably responding to those stones. 174 00:09:08,490 --> 00:09:12,810 No more papillae, starting to see those smoother rocks. 175 00:09:12,810 --> 00:09:15,973 I reckon if we were to find life on another planet, 176 00:09:17,380 --> 00:09:18,600 it would look like that. 177 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,180 I hope so. 178 00:09:20,180 --> 00:09:22,760 Honestly, sometimes I think if octopuses lived longer, 179 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:24,750 they would just take over the world 180 00:09:24,750 --> 00:09:28,640 because they're so smart and adaptable. 181 00:09:28,640 --> 00:09:29,544 Hello. 182 00:09:29,544 --> 00:09:30,377 What's going on, mate? 183 00:09:30,377 --> 00:09:31,210 I'm just in awe. 184 00:09:31,210 --> 00:09:32,043 I just like watching it. 185 00:09:32,043 --> 00:09:33,386 Yeah. 186 00:09:33,386 --> 00:09:35,490 (gentle music) 187 00:09:35,490 --> 00:09:38,500 The only thing left to do is return our octopus 188 00:09:38,500 --> 00:09:39,913 to her rocky outcrop. 189 00:09:42,340 --> 00:09:44,420 And in a hushed goodbye, 190 00:09:44,420 --> 00:09:48,970 she gives us one last display of her defensive skills 191 00:09:48,970 --> 00:09:51,143 and simply disappears. 192 00:09:53,660 --> 00:09:56,500 Leaving the octopus' playground behind, 193 00:09:56,500 --> 00:09:58,200 it's clear that our own attempts 194 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,700 at camouflage are pretty primitive compared 195 00:10:00,700 --> 00:10:02,373 to what evolution has cooked up. 196 00:10:03,670 --> 00:10:07,840 Cephalopods like octopus, squid, cuttlefish, 197 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,470 they are really incredible at camouflage 198 00:10:10,470 --> 00:10:13,800 and blending into their surroundings. 199 00:10:13,800 --> 00:10:18,020 But for us, we don't even come close to that level of skill. 200 00:10:18,020 --> 00:10:20,670 What we do have is something called digital camouflage, 201 00:10:20,670 --> 00:10:24,170 and the design has been generated by a computer algorithm. 202 00:10:24,170 --> 00:10:26,690 It basically breaks up different shapes and patterns 203 00:10:26,690 --> 00:10:29,200 so it's not as easily recognizable, 204 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,169 but it's not that great really, is it, 205 00:10:32,169 --> 00:10:33,002 when we think about it. 206 00:10:33,002 --> 00:10:36,340 And if we're able to generate, 207 00:10:36,340 --> 00:10:39,867 a way of better camouflaging people, buildings, 208 00:10:39,867 --> 00:10:44,210 and maybe even wildlife, now that'd be pretty awesome. 209 00:10:44,210 --> 00:10:46,270 Now, Heather's put me on to a scientist 210 00:10:46,270 --> 00:10:49,613 who's working on some tech just like this in Boston. 211 00:10:50,450 --> 00:10:52,690 So I think I better get myself onto a plane 212 00:10:52,690 --> 00:10:54,419 and leave it to her. 213 00:10:54,419 --> 00:10:56,836 (rock music) 214 00:11:05,620 --> 00:11:07,700 I'm meeting Leila Deravi. 215 00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:11,720 She is a professor here at Northeastern University, Boston. 216 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:14,270 She's been studying cephalopod skin. 217 00:11:14,270 --> 00:11:17,150 So I reckon if anybody knows where this technology's going, 218 00:11:17,150 --> 00:11:18,420 it's gonna be her. 219 00:11:18,420 --> 00:11:19,388 Pleasure to meet you. 220 00:11:19,388 --> 00:11:20,221 Nice to meet you! 221 00:11:20,221 --> 00:11:21,260 Yeah, thank you for the invite. 222 00:11:21,260 --> 00:11:22,240 Thanks for coming. 223 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,641 You're a biomaterial scientist. 224 00:11:24,641 --> 00:11:25,474 Mm hmm. 225 00:11:25,474 --> 00:11:27,560 So for the average person, what does that mean? 226 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:30,250 So as a lab, we became really early on 227 00:11:30,250 --> 00:11:32,120 super-obsessed with the chromatophores. 228 00:11:32,120 --> 00:11:35,470 So we're trying to figure out from the biology side, 229 00:11:35,470 --> 00:11:36,920 how do these compounds work? 230 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,070 And essentially we found a core group 231 00:11:40,070 --> 00:11:42,090 of compounds called xanthommatin 232 00:11:42,090 --> 00:11:43,590 and decarboxylated xanthommatin. 233 00:11:43,590 --> 00:11:45,117 Say those two names again. 234 00:11:45,117 --> 00:11:46,299 Xanthommatin. 235 00:11:46,299 --> 00:11:47,132 Xanthommatin. 236 00:11:47,132 --> 00:11:48,405 And decarboxylated xanthommatin. 237 00:11:48,405 --> 00:11:50,208 Decarboxyly, what? 238 00:11:50,208 --> 00:11:51,275 You can just say xanthommatin. 239 00:11:51,275 --> 00:11:52,617 No, I want to know, I want to know what they are. 240 00:11:52,617 --> 00:11:53,783 (laughing) I want to know it. 241 00:11:53,783 --> 00:11:54,616 Yeah. 242 00:11:54,616 --> 00:11:55,818 Decarboxylated. 243 00:11:55,818 --> 00:11:56,873 Decarboxylated. 244 00:11:56,873 --> 00:11:57,721 Xanthommatin. 245 00:11:57,721 --> 00:11:58,592 Xanthom. 246 00:11:58,592 --> 00:12:00,277 Xanthommatin. 247 00:12:00,277 --> 00:12:01,636 You can see where this is going now. 248 00:12:01,636 --> 00:12:03,000 Xanthommatin. 249 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:03,833 Okay. But essentially, 250 00:12:03,833 --> 00:12:06,990 it's so crazy 'cause this one core group of compounds 251 00:12:06,990 --> 00:12:09,040 can contribute to a bunch of different colors. 252 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:10,873 And we'll show all that to you in the lab. 253 00:12:10,873 --> 00:12:13,320 It would be great to check out some of your experiments. 254 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:15,090 Let's go, yes, come on! Awesome, yeah. 255 00:12:15,090 --> 00:12:15,971 Which way are we headed? 256 00:12:15,971 --> 00:12:18,483 We're goin' this way. Yeah, cool. 257 00:12:18,483 --> 00:12:20,530 Something kind of cool about being in a lab coat. 258 00:12:20,530 --> 00:12:21,940 Takes me back to my uni days. 259 00:12:21,940 --> 00:12:23,900 Leila and her team have gone way beyond 260 00:12:23,900 --> 00:12:26,030 just mimicking the octopuses' expanding 261 00:12:26,030 --> 00:12:28,160 and shrinking chromatophores. 262 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:31,660 They found an isolated evolution secret ingredient 263 00:12:31,660 --> 00:12:34,100 for color-changing, a compound that's 264 00:12:34,100 --> 00:12:36,863 more than 500 million years in the making. 265 00:12:38,230 --> 00:12:41,490 So here in this little stage is xanthommatin 266 00:12:41,490 --> 00:12:43,690 in different solvents and solvent systems. 267 00:12:43,690 --> 00:12:47,710 And so we're able to achieve a vast array of color. 268 00:12:47,710 --> 00:12:51,350 The octopus chromatophores don't themselves change color. 269 00:12:51,350 --> 00:12:54,690 They simply reveal more or less of a specific color, 270 00:12:54,690 --> 00:12:57,710 combining the action for an overall effect. 271 00:12:57,710 --> 00:13:00,850 Xanthommatin is the key ingredient responsible 272 00:13:00,850 --> 00:13:03,053 for giving each chromatophore its color. 273 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:05,820 Leila, Erica, are you telling me 274 00:13:05,820 --> 00:13:08,680 that you essentially cracked the code 275 00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:11,970 to the secrets of cephalopods' skin? 276 00:13:11,970 --> 00:13:14,410 It's just only one piece of the very large puzzle 277 00:13:14,410 --> 00:13:16,400 for how these animals camouflage. 278 00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:19,150 What we're really excited about is taking those compounds 279 00:13:19,150 --> 00:13:21,550 and actually putting them into materials and films 280 00:13:21,550 --> 00:13:25,060 that we can use to sort of simulate the cephalopod skin. 281 00:13:25,060 --> 00:13:27,700 Leila's team have effectively distilled camouflage 282 00:13:27,700 --> 00:13:29,210 into a bottle, 283 00:13:29,210 --> 00:13:30,350 but how are they going to get it 284 00:13:30,350 --> 00:13:32,523 to work like real octopus skin? 285 00:13:33,370 --> 00:13:34,950 To me, and to anybody at home, 286 00:13:34,950 --> 00:13:38,530 that kind of looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. 287 00:13:38,530 --> 00:13:41,860 Pretty quickly we can go between the red and yellow states 288 00:13:41,860 --> 00:13:43,823 that xanthommatin offers. 289 00:13:43,823 --> 00:13:44,656 (gentle music) 290 00:13:44,656 --> 00:13:46,840 The team have connected a pair of electrodes 291 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,817 to this film of xanthommatin. 292 00:13:49,730 --> 00:13:52,460 Like the nerve impulses from an octopus' brain, 293 00:13:52,460 --> 00:13:54,773 the electrodes trigger the color change. 294 00:13:55,830 --> 00:13:59,690 The electricity isn't changing the amount of color we see, 295 00:13:59,690 --> 00:14:03,220 it's causing a chemical reaction that changes the color 296 00:14:03,220 --> 00:14:04,683 from red to yellow. 297 00:14:06,070 --> 00:14:07,610 As we move forward, 298 00:14:07,610 --> 00:14:10,450 we can continue to iteratively improve 299 00:14:10,450 --> 00:14:12,260 on these devices to create devices 300 00:14:12,260 --> 00:14:15,410 that provide more dramatic color change. 301 00:14:15,410 --> 00:14:16,930 These are the first steps 302 00:14:16,930 --> 00:14:20,610 to mimicking the octopuses' adaptive camouflage. 303 00:14:20,610 --> 00:14:22,680 With the first part of the puzzle cracked, 304 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,680 I'm curious, how could we use this technology 305 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:27,093 for our own defense? 306 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,113 Well, the hope lies right here. 307 00:14:31,030 --> 00:14:33,750 One day soon, these panels could be woven together 308 00:14:33,750 --> 00:14:35,603 into multipurpose displays, 309 00:14:36,580 --> 00:14:37,940 mimicking their surroundings 310 00:14:37,940 --> 00:14:40,233 by using the visual inputs of cameras. 311 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:42,770 It just seems so incredible 312 00:14:42,770 --> 00:14:46,940 because the potential applications are far and wide. 313 00:14:46,940 --> 00:14:50,240 The obvious application would be militaristic. 314 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,483 So where do you see this technology going? 315 00:14:52,483 --> 00:14:56,590 What would you hope the future applications might be? 316 00:14:56,590 --> 00:14:58,520 We're thinking about all these types of things 317 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:00,510 and ways that we can build devices 318 00:15:00,510 --> 00:15:02,950 and materials that can communicate nonverbally 319 00:15:02,950 --> 00:15:04,690 to their surroundings. 320 00:15:04,690 --> 00:15:08,020 Beyond the obvious use of this tech in war zones, 321 00:15:08,020 --> 00:15:09,920 I want to know what else it can offer. 322 00:15:11,150 --> 00:15:14,763 Perhaps this adaptive camouflage could help defend nature. 323 00:15:15,890 --> 00:15:19,390 Could it be all we ever needed was a bit of octopus magic 324 00:15:19,390 --> 00:15:22,030 to protect our endangered wildlife? 325 00:15:22,030 --> 00:15:25,240 When it comes to observing animal behavior, 326 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,380 we're really just at the tip of the iceberg. 327 00:15:27,380 --> 00:15:32,380 And that in itself is limited by getting researchers 328 00:15:33,430 --> 00:15:35,460 and filmmakers into places 329 00:15:35,460 --> 00:15:37,410 where they can see natural behavior 330 00:15:37,410 --> 00:15:40,653 without altering them or scaring the animals away. 331 00:15:42,100 --> 00:15:47,080 But could camouflage help us get closer to animals? 332 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:49,520 If we could get closer to the natural world, 333 00:15:49,520 --> 00:15:52,000 we could better understand its secrets, 334 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:54,940 unlocking new science and potentially new doors 335 00:15:54,940 --> 00:15:55,993 for biomimicry. 336 00:15:57,622 --> 00:16:00,455 (energetic music) 337 00:16:03,630 --> 00:16:06,010 The human body is pretty impressive. 338 00:16:06,010 --> 00:16:07,460 And when push comes to shove, 339 00:16:08,530 --> 00:16:11,483 it can withstand some seriously extreme forces. 340 00:16:12,770 --> 00:16:14,400 In our everyday lives, 341 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,230 to protect our bodies from sudden impacts, 342 00:16:17,230 --> 00:16:19,860 we have to limit the amount of force 343 00:16:19,860 --> 00:16:20,900 that our bodies experience. 344 00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:23,430 And we do that through things like knee pads, 345 00:16:23,430 --> 00:16:26,653 helmets, safety belts, and airbags. 346 00:16:28,020 --> 00:16:30,530 Human beings are always going to push the limits 347 00:16:30,530 --> 00:16:33,533 to go harder, faster, and further. 348 00:16:35,350 --> 00:16:36,630 But as we do that, 349 00:16:36,630 --> 00:16:39,833 the risk of injury to our delicate bodies increases. 350 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:43,240 Evolution has provided some protection, 351 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,653 like a reinforced skull for our brain. 352 00:16:47,020 --> 00:16:48,830 But what happens in the future 353 00:16:48,830 --> 00:16:51,853 when what we're born with isn't enough? 354 00:16:53,286 --> 00:16:56,036 (wondrous music) 355 00:17:03,110 --> 00:17:05,860 The answer could be hiding in the holes 356 00:17:05,860 --> 00:17:08,433 of trees like this in California. 357 00:17:12,533 --> 00:17:15,430 Holes that were made by one of the hardiest heads 358 00:17:15,430 --> 00:17:16,713 in the natural world. 359 00:17:17,736 --> 00:17:19,250 (airy music) 360 00:17:19,250 --> 00:17:22,730 It's autumn, and this acorn woodpecker is 361 00:17:22,730 --> 00:17:24,273 in full winter prep. 362 00:17:25,570 --> 00:17:30,480 At the heart of it all is this, the granary tree. 363 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:32,813 He spends every day tending to it. 364 00:17:33,986 --> 00:17:36,823 A tree can hold up to 50,000 acorns. 365 00:17:40,090 --> 00:17:43,713 And he vigorously defends it against any would-be thieves. 366 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,360 But the best tactic for protecting his stash 367 00:17:48,360 --> 00:17:49,933 is locking it away. 368 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:55,530 He's evolved a means for smashing acorns deep into the wood, 369 00:17:55,530 --> 00:17:57,913 putting them out of reach of the competition. 370 00:18:00,470 --> 00:18:03,090 Although he might look like a delicate bird, 371 00:18:03,090 --> 00:18:06,713 his head is essentially both a hammer and a chisel. 372 00:18:10,180 --> 00:18:12,560 With each sledgehammer blow, 373 00:18:12,560 --> 00:18:14,920 the woodpeckers head decelerates 374 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:19,333 at a force 20 times greater than a lethal head-on car crash. 375 00:18:20,930 --> 00:18:24,220 For you or I, a single blow like this would be enough 376 00:18:24,220 --> 00:18:26,430 to kill us instantly. 377 00:18:26,430 --> 00:18:28,673 So how does he survive? 378 00:18:31,476 --> 00:18:34,226 (curious music) 379 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,803 The answer is tucked away inside the woodpecker's head. 380 00:18:43,730 --> 00:18:46,163 His skull isn't exceptionally thick, 381 00:18:47,110 --> 00:18:49,680 but what he does have is a tweaked version 382 00:18:49,680 --> 00:18:52,333 of what most vertebrates already possess, 383 00:18:53,390 --> 00:18:57,030 a hyoid bone, a small U-shaped structure 384 00:18:57,030 --> 00:18:58,453 that supports the tongue. 385 00:18:59,510 --> 00:19:02,500 In most birds, this runs from the bottom of the mouth 386 00:19:02,500 --> 00:19:04,220 to the back of the head, 387 00:19:04,220 --> 00:19:07,020 but his extends backwards all the way 388 00:19:07,020 --> 00:19:09,430 over the top of the skull. 389 00:19:09,430 --> 00:19:12,650 It effectively becomes a seatbelt for the brain, 390 00:19:12,650 --> 00:19:14,370 preventing it from rattling around 391 00:19:14,370 --> 00:19:15,993 under the force of impacts. 392 00:19:16,930 --> 00:19:20,470 His spongy skull also acts like a shock absorber, 393 00:19:20,470 --> 00:19:24,200 which is better equipped for these repeated blows. 394 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,510 Finally, his beak diverts the force of the blow 395 00:19:27,510 --> 00:19:29,580 to the lower part of the skull, 396 00:19:29,580 --> 00:19:31,963 safely dispersing it across his body. 397 00:19:35,293 --> 00:19:38,626 (light energetic music) 398 00:19:40,370 --> 00:19:43,650 Scientists and designers are creating safety equipment 399 00:19:43,650 --> 00:19:45,620 based on the woodpecker. 400 00:19:45,620 --> 00:19:46,820 And they've been doing it using 401 00:19:46,820 --> 00:19:49,070 some rather unexpected materials. 402 00:19:49,070 --> 00:19:53,390 In fact, one U.S. designer has decided to use cardboard 403 00:19:53,390 --> 00:19:55,850 to replicate the spongy layer of skull. 404 00:19:55,850 --> 00:19:57,930 Animals that endure high forces 405 00:19:57,930 --> 00:20:00,840 could transform everyday life. 406 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,310 In the natural world, 407 00:20:02,310 --> 00:20:05,003 you never quite know when the next threat will arise, 408 00:20:07,810 --> 00:20:12,810 which is why detection could be the best form of defense. 409 00:20:13,502 --> 00:20:16,252 (dramatic music) 410 00:20:24,660 --> 00:20:27,170 Maybe if I can find a good hiding place 411 00:20:29,161 --> 00:20:31,744 (dogs barking) 412 00:20:34,922 --> 00:20:36,723 then I'll lose them. 413 00:20:36,723 --> 00:20:38,390 I'll just hide here. 414 00:20:39,782 --> 00:20:42,615 (Patrick panting) 415 00:20:44,009 --> 00:20:46,926 (dangerous music) 416 00:20:57,737 --> 00:20:59,990 Let me introduce you to one of nature's 417 00:20:59,990 --> 00:21:02,000 finest detection systems. 418 00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:03,273 Doesn't want to let go. 419 00:21:03,273 --> 00:21:06,250 (speaking in foreign language) 420 00:21:06,250 --> 00:21:07,750 Yeah. 421 00:21:07,750 --> 00:21:08,583 Ugh! 422 00:21:08,583 --> 00:21:09,597 Well done. Thank you. 423 00:21:09,597 --> 00:21:11,267 I'm so impressed. 424 00:21:11,267 --> 00:21:12,650 You in your suit. I tried to run. 425 00:21:12,650 --> 00:21:14,338 Yeah. I tried my best. 426 00:21:14,338 --> 00:21:15,171 (light music) 427 00:21:15,171 --> 00:21:16,730 The greatest threat out here 428 00:21:16,730 --> 00:21:19,140 isn't actually to any of us humans, 429 00:21:19,140 --> 00:21:21,188 it's to the endangered wildlife. 430 00:21:21,188 --> 00:21:22,500 (rhino groaning) 431 00:21:22,500 --> 00:21:24,730 And if I've learned anything on this journey, 432 00:21:24,730 --> 00:21:27,530 it's that every single species has the potential 433 00:21:27,530 --> 00:21:29,063 to improve our future. 434 00:21:30,330 --> 00:21:33,610 It's vital we give them a fighting chance, 435 00:21:33,610 --> 00:21:35,000 and round these parts, 436 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,373 that job falls to Marlice and her anti-poaching team. 437 00:21:39,606 --> 00:21:41,923 (laughing) You can't even get up. 438 00:21:43,651 --> 00:21:44,878 Well done. 439 00:21:44,878 --> 00:21:45,711 I want to know, 440 00:21:45,711 --> 00:21:46,950 how did the dogs track me down so quickly? 441 00:21:46,950 --> 00:21:49,620 You have something in there that she was taught on 442 00:21:49,620 --> 00:21:52,320 and that is a rhino horn, or a pangolin, or drugs. 443 00:21:52,320 --> 00:21:54,660 So one of the three is in your bag, sir. 444 00:21:54,660 --> 00:21:56,150 I hope it's not drugs. 445 00:21:56,150 --> 00:21:59,580 'Cause then we might get to arrest you. (laughing) 446 00:21:59,580 --> 00:22:00,930 So let's see what in there. 447 00:22:00,930 --> 00:22:02,122 All right, cool. 448 00:22:02,122 --> 00:22:03,560 You're a naughty poacher, 449 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:05,504 a sumo poacher. 450 00:22:05,504 --> 00:22:06,337 (both laugh) 451 00:22:06,337 --> 00:22:08,660 Okay, so this is my bag. 452 00:22:08,660 --> 00:22:10,040 Aha. Aha. 453 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:10,873 Boom. 454 00:22:10,873 --> 00:22:11,706 This is what it is. 455 00:22:11,706 --> 00:22:12,539 Can I hold that? 456 00:22:12,539 --> 00:22:13,372 Yeah. 457 00:22:13,372 --> 00:22:14,660 This is what it all comes down to. 458 00:22:16,750 --> 00:22:19,423 That to me and to everybody at home, 459 00:22:20,980 --> 00:22:22,860 that looks like a piece of rhino horn. 460 00:22:22,860 --> 00:22:23,693 Yep. 461 00:22:23,693 --> 00:22:24,910 That's a piece of rhino horn. 462 00:22:24,910 --> 00:22:27,580 How much would that fetch on the black market? 463 00:22:27,580 --> 00:22:30,799 So it's almost a hundred thousand U.S. 464 00:22:30,799 --> 00:22:31,632 That's a lot of money. 465 00:22:31,632 --> 00:22:33,660 How big a problem is poaching? 466 00:22:33,660 --> 00:22:35,380 In Namibia, only in Namibia, 467 00:22:35,380 --> 00:22:39,740 30 rhinos has been poached in 2020 that we know of, 468 00:22:39,740 --> 00:22:41,100 that was reported. 469 00:22:41,100 --> 00:22:42,520 The battle will continue, 470 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:43,820 and we have to fight it 471 00:22:43,820 --> 00:22:46,080 and make sure that these animals are protected. 472 00:22:46,080 --> 00:22:48,350 Do you think that having these dogs working 473 00:22:48,350 --> 00:22:51,590 alongside the team, has it made any difference? 474 00:22:51,590 --> 00:22:54,590 In three years, we've not had one incident 475 00:22:54,590 --> 00:22:56,457 of people trying to get into the reserve 476 00:22:56,457 --> 00:22:57,923 'cause we are proactive. 477 00:22:58,909 --> 00:23:01,140 (tense music) 478 00:23:01,140 --> 00:23:03,900 Marlice's dogs are highly trained. 479 00:23:03,900 --> 00:23:07,653 They have to protect nearly 20,000 acres of land. 480 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:12,250 But out here, there's no telling what you might find 481 00:23:13,150 --> 00:23:14,653 around the next bush. 482 00:23:17,120 --> 00:23:20,260 And they're trying to shoo this rhino away. 483 00:23:20,260 --> 00:23:22,010 And they're doing that by clapping. 484 00:23:23,178 --> 00:23:26,261 (slow patient music) 485 00:23:27,130 --> 00:23:29,840 I think we might be here for a little while. 486 00:23:29,840 --> 00:23:31,950 Has anybody got any popcorn? 487 00:23:31,950 --> 00:23:32,903 No, snacks? 488 00:23:34,030 --> 00:23:35,327 No? 489 00:23:35,327 --> 00:23:36,201 (package rattling) 490 00:23:36,201 --> 00:23:37,360 Ooh. 491 00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:38,193 Thank you. 492 00:23:39,163 --> 00:23:41,469 Oh (indistinct). 493 00:23:41,469 --> 00:23:43,510 (light music) 494 00:23:43,510 --> 00:23:46,250 A real poacher would be much harder to detect 495 00:23:46,250 --> 00:23:47,400 than me in a sumo suit. 496 00:23:49,210 --> 00:23:52,190 Marlice puts her dogs through training scenarios 497 00:23:52,190 --> 00:23:54,800 to get them ready for the real thing. 498 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:59,800 Today's test, tracking a scent across a miles of dense bush. 499 00:23:59,930 --> 00:24:02,030 So what's the plan right now, Marlice? 500 00:24:02,030 --> 00:24:05,490 The plan is we've got a spoor dog and one attack dog. 501 00:24:05,490 --> 00:24:10,490 We have a guy out that's left a trail for us. 502 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:15,640 So we gonna spoor and find the trail with Nala 503 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:17,720 to find the guy. 504 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:18,890 You mentioned the spoor. 505 00:24:18,890 --> 00:24:20,090 What's a spoor? 506 00:24:20,090 --> 00:24:21,770 So the spoor is footprints. 507 00:24:21,770 --> 00:24:25,160 So it's really difficult to find any footprints in this. 508 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,270 Yeah, I wouldn't be able to find anything. 509 00:24:27,270 --> 00:24:30,670 How long could a dog like Nala remember a scent for? 510 00:24:30,670 --> 00:24:31,600 So Nala's still young. 511 00:24:31,600 --> 00:24:32,980 She's nine months old, 512 00:24:32,980 --> 00:24:35,197 and she's just getting the hang of it. 513 00:24:35,197 --> 00:24:39,233 So I've seen that she can go up to four or five hours. 514 00:24:39,233 --> 00:24:40,066 Oh wow. 515 00:24:40,066 --> 00:24:41,520 (gentle energetic music) 516 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:43,690 If we could see these scents, 517 00:24:43,690 --> 00:24:47,240 it would reveal the dog's incredible view of the world. 518 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,847 Trace scents, like our rhino horn, 519 00:24:49,847 --> 00:24:52,630 are like a needle in a haystack. 520 00:24:52,630 --> 00:24:55,220 But Nala can increase her sensitivity 521 00:24:55,220 --> 00:24:57,720 by separating her sniffing air 522 00:24:57,720 --> 00:24:59,523 from the air she's using to breathe. 523 00:25:00,830 --> 00:25:02,980 To identify any target odors, 524 00:25:02,980 --> 00:25:06,610 she has around 300 million scent receptors, 525 00:25:06,610 --> 00:25:09,213 while you and I only have around 6 million. 526 00:25:10,170 --> 00:25:13,543 Each sniff lights up her receptors like a Christmas tree, 527 00:25:14,670 --> 00:25:17,513 sending signals to the olfactory part of her brain. 528 00:25:19,030 --> 00:25:22,173 Out here, real poachers won't be easy to track down, 529 00:25:23,020 --> 00:25:25,260 so it's a good thing her sense of smell is 530 00:25:25,260 --> 00:25:28,173 up to a hundred thousand times more powerful than ours. 531 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,290 (Nala yipping) 532 00:25:32,290 --> 00:25:33,950 So what's she looking for right now? 533 00:25:33,950 --> 00:25:36,480 She's now looking for a scent. 534 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,850 Nala. (whistles) 535 00:25:38,850 --> 00:25:40,246 Nala. Does smell gadget. 536 00:25:40,246 --> 00:25:41,890 (dramatic music) 537 00:25:41,890 --> 00:25:45,240 That right there, this area, this is a spoor. 538 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:47,720 Personally, I can't see anything. 539 00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:51,461 So Nala's trying to pick up the scent. 540 00:25:51,461 --> 00:25:52,860 I think she's- We're on the trail. 541 00:25:52,860 --> 00:25:53,693 Yep. 542 00:25:55,460 --> 00:25:57,450 Nala's got the scent, which is good. 543 00:25:57,450 --> 00:26:01,380 This is a prime example of how a dog's sense 544 00:26:01,380 --> 00:26:03,150 of smell is way better than ours. 545 00:26:03,150 --> 00:26:04,320 So I'm gonna give her to you. 546 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:05,260 So one arm through here? 547 00:26:05,260 --> 00:26:07,200 Yeah, and you keep her on your. 548 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:08,903 On my left? Left. 549 00:26:08,903 --> 00:26:11,196 Okay. Okay, here we go. 550 00:26:11,196 --> 00:26:13,271 (Nala yapping) 551 00:26:13,271 --> 00:26:15,196 (pursuit music) 552 00:26:15,196 --> 00:26:17,214 Oh, she's definitely on it. (laughing) 553 00:26:17,214 --> 00:26:18,511 Oh, boy. 554 00:26:18,511 --> 00:26:20,440 (speaking in foreign language) 555 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:21,273 Yeah, good girl. 556 00:26:22,159 --> 00:26:26,076 (speaking in foreign language) 557 00:26:31,378 --> 00:26:32,211 Ooh. 558 00:26:32,211 --> 00:26:35,060 Marlice, that was a, that was a proper exercise. 559 00:26:35,060 --> 00:26:36,670 And I was out of breath. 560 00:26:36,670 --> 00:26:39,170 But that command you gave me to give Nala, 561 00:26:39,170 --> 00:26:41,240 suk, suk, look, look for that smell. 562 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:42,073 Look for that scent. 563 00:26:42,073 --> 00:26:43,210 Look for that odor. 564 00:26:43,210 --> 00:26:44,043 She was on it. 565 00:26:44,043 --> 00:26:46,060 And you can see how she reacts. 566 00:26:46,060 --> 00:26:47,010 She changes. 567 00:26:47,010 --> 00:26:48,450 She started lifting her head 568 00:26:48,450 --> 00:26:50,200 'cause there was a lot of other smells, 569 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:51,240 but she's tuned in. 570 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,920 Oh, she was bouncing, jumping up over the grass, 571 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:56,780 using her eyes as well to try and see 572 00:26:56,780 --> 00:26:59,577 if she can spot our mock poacher. 573 00:26:59,577 --> 00:27:00,490 But that was brilliant. 574 00:27:00,490 --> 00:27:03,510 That was amazing, that keen sense of smell. 575 00:27:03,510 --> 00:27:05,690 But I also think maybe the key to their 576 00:27:05,690 --> 00:27:08,220 incredible sense of smell lies in the physical 577 00:27:08,220 --> 00:27:10,482 structure of the nose as well. 578 00:27:10,482 --> 00:27:11,315 Yeah. 579 00:27:11,315 --> 00:27:12,502 Good girl, Nala. 580 00:27:12,502 --> 00:27:13,850 (light music) 581 00:27:13,850 --> 00:27:17,600 Nala's nose has been evolving for 40 million years. 582 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:19,770 It's a key adaptation carried over 583 00:27:19,770 --> 00:27:22,506 from her ancestor the wolf. 584 00:27:22,506 --> 00:27:25,020 (wolf howling) 585 00:27:25,020 --> 00:27:26,790 Out here on the tundra, 586 00:27:26,790 --> 00:27:29,420 that nose is what helps keep this mother 587 00:27:29,420 --> 00:27:30,913 and her pups alive. 588 00:27:33,740 --> 00:27:37,433 Their pack survives by working together to hunt their prey. 589 00:27:38,290 --> 00:27:41,023 In places like this, food is scarce. 590 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:43,930 Territorial battles with other packs 591 00:27:43,930 --> 00:27:46,523 over hunting grounds can be deadly. 592 00:27:47,630 --> 00:27:50,580 Scent isn't just useful for finding prey. 593 00:27:50,580 --> 00:27:52,430 She uses it for communication 594 00:27:52,430 --> 00:27:54,803 and, crucially, for detecting danger. 595 00:27:56,490 --> 00:28:00,070 Pups are an easy target for hungry rivals. 596 00:28:00,070 --> 00:28:02,850 So mom does all she can to defend them. 597 00:28:02,850 --> 00:28:04,800 Her ability to mark territory 598 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,163 and detect other wolves is a matter of life and death. 599 00:28:10,650 --> 00:28:13,420 Dogs have allowed us to harness their sense of smell 600 00:28:13,420 --> 00:28:18,200 to protect everything from wildlife to well, us, 601 00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:22,500 something that becomes clear as I hop onto my next flight. 602 00:28:22,500 --> 00:28:25,550 Tracking down things like contraband, weapons, 603 00:28:25,550 --> 00:28:30,390 harmful substances, is something that postal services, 604 00:28:30,390 --> 00:28:34,200 border patrol, and airports, that's one 605 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:35,980 of the challenges that they face. 606 00:28:35,980 --> 00:28:40,950 In fact, one test showed that 95 percent of bombs 607 00:28:41,810 --> 00:28:44,490 and harmful substances that went through security 608 00:28:44,490 --> 00:28:47,270 did so undetected, which, considering the lines 609 00:28:47,270 --> 00:28:48,480 that we're going through, 610 00:28:48,480 --> 00:28:50,840 I'm not too sure I'm too pleased with. 611 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:54,610 But that is why dogs are so important. 612 00:28:54,610 --> 00:28:55,920 They have an incredible sense of smell, 613 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:59,000 and they can track down this contraband really easily. 614 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:02,653 The only problem is that they are really expensive to train, 615 00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:05,860 and also they can only work for so long 616 00:29:05,860 --> 00:29:08,730 before their scent receptors start to become fatigued. 617 00:29:08,730 --> 00:29:12,400 And so what we really need is a technology that can work 618 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:16,840 24/7, 365 days a year. 619 00:29:18,291 --> 00:29:21,291 (inquisitive music) 620 00:29:24,500 --> 00:29:25,333 Here we are. 621 00:29:25,333 --> 00:29:26,166 Welcome to nest NIST, 622 00:29:26,166 --> 00:29:28,833 National Institute of Standards and Technology. 623 00:29:28,833 --> 00:29:31,543 This is my chance to meet up with Matt Staymates. 624 00:29:32,450 --> 00:29:33,760 Matt's team have been working 625 00:29:33,760 --> 00:29:37,270 to harness the detection prowess of the dog's nose, 626 00:29:37,270 --> 00:29:39,160 only without the limitations that come 627 00:29:39,160 --> 00:29:41,030 with using a real dog. 628 00:29:41,030 --> 00:29:44,920 And his research might help to keep us safe in the future. 629 00:29:44,920 --> 00:29:46,420 Walk us way, and let's check out the lab. 630 00:29:46,420 --> 00:29:47,633 Awesome. 631 00:29:47,633 --> 00:29:48,630 (curious music) 632 00:29:48,630 --> 00:29:49,730 What am I looking at? 633 00:29:49,730 --> 00:29:51,230 This looks really cool. 634 00:29:51,230 --> 00:29:54,490 We wanted to understand what the dog is doing 635 00:29:54,490 --> 00:29:55,323 with its environment. 636 00:29:55,323 --> 00:29:57,900 What is it actually doing when it's sniffing on the ground? 637 00:29:57,900 --> 00:30:00,530 So we ended up 3D printing 638 00:30:00,530 --> 00:30:02,870 an anatomically correct dog's nose. 639 00:30:02,870 --> 00:30:06,280 So this is a snout of a female Labrador retriever. 640 00:30:06,280 --> 00:30:10,270 And we built a special system that makes the lab sniff, 641 00:30:10,270 --> 00:30:11,260 like a real dog sniff. 642 00:30:11,260 --> 00:30:14,990 So this is a Schlieren optical system. 643 00:30:14,990 --> 00:30:17,930 It is a very unique imaging system that allows us 644 00:30:17,930 --> 00:30:20,350 to see things we can't normally see. 645 00:30:20,350 --> 00:30:21,803 Oh, wow. 646 00:30:23,240 --> 00:30:24,870 So what what's going on there? 647 00:30:24,870 --> 00:30:27,960 So what we're looking at here is the heat rising 648 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:29,620 off of my hand. 649 00:30:29,620 --> 00:30:30,453 That's awesome. 650 00:30:30,453 --> 00:30:31,545 Try this. 651 00:30:31,545 --> 00:30:32,799 This is just a lighter. 652 00:30:32,799 --> 00:30:33,632 Whoa. 653 00:30:33,632 --> 00:30:34,470 Oh, wow, look. 654 00:30:34,470 --> 00:30:36,935 That is the warm plume of air. 655 00:30:36,935 --> 00:30:40,490 Many substances emit their very own unique chemical 656 00:30:40,490 --> 00:30:43,440 signature in the form of a scent. 657 00:30:43,440 --> 00:30:44,960 Even though you can't see them, 658 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:47,050 your brain can still identify them 659 00:30:47,050 --> 00:30:49,103 using the body's olfactory system. 660 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:53,030 But the trace scents of explosives and contraband 661 00:30:53,030 --> 00:30:56,593 are barely detectable by most off-the-shelf vapor detectors. 662 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:00,750 So Matt, this is just the tool. 663 00:31:00,750 --> 00:31:02,096 How does it translate 664 00:31:02,096 --> 00:31:04,410 when we think of like a real dog's nose 665 00:31:04,410 --> 00:31:06,540 and an electronic dog's nose? 666 00:31:06,540 --> 00:31:10,000 We're gonna watch right now what happens. 667 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:11,400 When you replicate that. 668 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:12,435 Yeah. 669 00:31:12,435 --> 00:31:13,268 First thing you can do is kind of squirt 670 00:31:13,268 --> 00:31:14,140 that with some acetone. 671 00:31:14,140 --> 00:31:14,973 Okay. 672 00:31:14,973 --> 00:31:16,610 And then whenever you're ready, 673 00:31:16,610 --> 00:31:18,710 we're gonna see what a dog does in action. 674 00:31:20,020 --> 00:31:21,050 That's amazing. 675 00:31:21,050 --> 00:31:22,500 That's so cool. 676 00:31:22,500 --> 00:31:23,810 And look at how far of a distance, 677 00:31:23,810 --> 00:31:27,180 like we're pretty close here, but look at this. 678 00:31:27,180 --> 00:31:28,610 It's still quite effective. 679 00:31:28,610 --> 00:31:29,443 Look at that. 680 00:31:29,443 --> 00:31:30,276 That's brilliant. 681 00:31:30,276 --> 00:31:31,670 So here's what's happening. 682 00:31:31,670 --> 00:31:34,100 the dog, as it exhales, 683 00:31:34,100 --> 00:31:37,090 there is a turbulent air jet that comes out of each nostril 684 00:31:37,090 --> 00:31:39,310 and is vectored down in this direction. 685 00:31:39,310 --> 00:31:40,990 So it's exhaling in this direction, 686 00:31:40,990 --> 00:31:42,830 and then it reverses flow, 687 00:31:42,830 --> 00:31:44,190 and it inhales. 688 00:31:44,190 --> 00:31:47,290 And it sucks up what it just pulled towards itself, 689 00:31:47,290 --> 00:31:49,860 spits out the old, pulls in the new. 690 00:31:49,860 --> 00:31:51,550 So the dog is reaching out, 691 00:31:51,550 --> 00:31:54,735 pulling in odor, and from an extended distance, 692 00:31:54,735 --> 00:31:57,310 inhaling it, and analyzing it 693 00:31:57,310 --> 00:31:59,850 with this amazing chemical detector, right, 694 00:31:59,850 --> 00:32:01,060 the olfactory system, 695 00:32:01,060 --> 00:32:04,030 and repeating this five times a second. 696 00:32:04,030 --> 00:32:07,390 So this is the reason that the dog is a smart sampler. 697 00:32:07,390 --> 00:32:09,460 Detection, fine, we can do that, 698 00:32:09,460 --> 00:32:13,310 and we can analyze different volatile compounds, 699 00:32:13,310 --> 00:32:15,670 but getting them, sampling them, 700 00:32:15,670 --> 00:32:19,627 bringing them in from a distance is what we need to work on. 701 00:32:19,627 --> 00:32:23,893 And it seems that dogs, canines, wolves have mastered that. 702 00:32:23,893 --> 00:32:25,670 That is part of their world. 703 00:32:25,670 --> 00:32:27,220 So we took a whole bunch 704 00:32:27,220 --> 00:32:30,330 of commercially available vapor detectors, 705 00:32:30,330 --> 00:32:34,270 and we designed and 3D-printed these custom, 706 00:32:34,270 --> 00:32:36,650 you want to call them nostrils in a way. 707 00:32:36,650 --> 00:32:37,960 We made these systems sniff like a dog. 708 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:42,080 And what we found was that when we use biomimicry 709 00:32:43,090 --> 00:32:45,530 on these instruments, we saw an improvement 710 00:32:45,530 --> 00:32:47,520 by about a factor of 18. 711 00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:48,670 Wow. In its ability 712 00:32:48,670 --> 00:32:51,440 to detect vapors from a given distance. 713 00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:54,050 There and then those two holes is 714 00:32:54,050 --> 00:32:56,360 where the air is gonna be coming in 715 00:32:56,360 --> 00:32:58,480 and then being exhaled as well. 716 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:02,320 So it's a very simple way of improving the sampling. 717 00:33:02,320 --> 00:33:04,040 Mm hmm, that's right. 718 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,800 Now that that little system is able to reach out 719 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,700 and pull vapors that it otherwise would have never 720 00:33:09,700 --> 00:33:11,589 had a fighting chance to see. 721 00:33:11,589 --> 00:33:12,700 (light curious music) 722 00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:14,780 Matt's team has me thinking. 723 00:33:14,780 --> 00:33:18,293 How far could we take snout-inspired tech in the future? 724 00:33:23,050 --> 00:33:24,650 I've heard that airports screen 725 00:33:24,650 --> 00:33:27,693 up to 4.3 billion passenger bags a year, 726 00:33:29,450 --> 00:33:32,240 and with the need to detect threats in law enforcement, 727 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:35,923 on battlefields, and in the freight industry, 728 00:33:37,513 --> 00:33:40,633 and that's just way too much for dogs to do it alone. 729 00:33:41,980 --> 00:33:44,880 Dog nose-inspired sniffers could give us enhanced 730 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:49,420 detection systems that don't need food, water, sleep, 731 00:33:49,420 --> 00:33:50,793 or even much training. 732 00:33:51,760 --> 00:33:54,803 But I know this tech can go even further. 733 00:33:56,180 --> 00:33:58,720 Dogs can already detect human diseases 734 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:00,583 before we even know we're sick. 735 00:34:02,150 --> 00:34:05,610 What if these detectors could help us sniff out people 736 00:34:05,610 --> 00:34:07,533 who are unaware their contagious? 737 00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:13,013 We could potentially stop pandemics before they even start. 738 00:34:17,513 --> 00:34:19,820 (light music) 739 00:34:19,820 --> 00:34:22,930 I've been constantly on the go throughout this journey. 740 00:34:22,930 --> 00:34:24,810 And I've been sending all my data back 741 00:34:24,810 --> 00:34:27,403 to the production team, thousands of miles away. 742 00:34:29,110 --> 00:34:31,680 But as modern threats continue evolving, 743 00:34:31,680 --> 00:34:34,430 all that data is at risk. 744 00:34:34,430 --> 00:34:38,283 Our own information can now be turned against us. 745 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,970 Take this device, for example, my smartphone. 746 00:34:41,970 --> 00:34:44,940 It contains information pretty much on every aspect 747 00:34:44,940 --> 00:34:47,380 of my life, from my password, pictures, 748 00:34:47,380 --> 00:34:50,560 my location, my bank details. 749 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:54,300 But the danger isn't in the fact that it's on this device, 750 00:34:54,300 --> 00:34:56,930 the danger lies in the fact that this phone is connected 751 00:34:56,930 --> 00:34:59,520 to a virtual network, the World Wide Web. 752 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:03,363 So anybody with know-how could potentially access it. 753 00:35:08,220 --> 00:35:10,410 But surprisingly, the key to protecting us 754 00:35:10,410 --> 00:35:12,930 in the digital age could lie with a creature 755 00:35:12,930 --> 00:35:15,499 that invented the original web, 756 00:35:15,499 --> 00:35:17,910 (dramatic music) 757 00:35:17,910 --> 00:35:18,743 the spider. 758 00:35:20,170 --> 00:35:22,740 Unlike its phobia-inducing cousins, 759 00:35:22,740 --> 00:35:25,983 this dancing spider will leave you spellbound. 760 00:35:27,660 --> 00:35:29,980 And it's important that we all try learning 761 00:35:29,980 --> 00:35:34,623 to love spiders because they may one day become our saviors. 762 00:35:36,700 --> 00:35:37,910 Over the millennia, 763 00:35:37,910 --> 00:35:40,030 spiders have evolved an incredible array 764 00:35:40,030 --> 00:35:44,193 of shapes, colors, sizes, and skills. 765 00:35:46,110 --> 00:35:48,900 But perhaps the most remarkable aspect remains 766 00:35:48,900 --> 00:35:51,110 their elaborate webs, 767 00:35:51,110 --> 00:35:54,003 evolution's answer for catching their prey. 768 00:35:55,570 --> 00:35:59,483 These intricate webs are usually built by just one spider. 769 00:36:01,210 --> 00:36:04,190 Most spiders are highly antisocial. 770 00:36:04,190 --> 00:36:06,860 Some females are so anti-social, 771 00:36:06,860 --> 00:36:09,163 they'll even try to eat their mates. 772 00:36:11,470 --> 00:36:14,410 But amongst the 40,000 different species, 773 00:36:14,410 --> 00:36:16,670 there are a few spiders that have learned 774 00:36:16,670 --> 00:36:21,077 to put their differences aside and live as a colony. 775 00:36:21,077 --> 00:36:22,330 (wondrous music) 776 00:36:22,330 --> 00:36:25,223 These are the rare social spiders. 777 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,950 By working together, they can punch way beyond their weight 778 00:36:29,950 --> 00:36:34,253 to take down predator or prey much larger than themselves. 779 00:36:36,030 --> 00:36:39,973 Any web is complex and requires constant patrolling. 780 00:36:41,230 --> 00:36:43,410 But when you're part of a collective, 781 00:36:43,410 --> 00:36:45,963 you can easily cover a lot more ground, 782 00:36:47,220 --> 00:36:50,450 knowing that any intruder will be spotted quickly 783 00:36:50,450 --> 00:36:51,963 and dealt with as a group. 784 00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:56,953 Every strand can be defended by an individual spider, 785 00:36:58,550 --> 00:37:01,090 and once danger is located, 786 00:37:01,090 --> 00:37:03,090 they can call in reinforcements 787 00:37:03,090 --> 00:37:05,093 to protect the web from the invader. 788 00:37:08,140 --> 00:37:10,950 You can imagine cyberspace as a virtual web. 789 00:37:10,950 --> 00:37:12,800 When an irregularity is noticed, 790 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:14,710 it sends out a signal, 791 00:37:14,710 --> 00:37:18,350 just like a real insect would send out real vibrations 792 00:37:18,350 --> 00:37:20,230 on a real web. 793 00:37:20,230 --> 00:37:23,400 Monitoring devices act as social spiders, 794 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:25,930 working together to detect intruders 795 00:37:25,930 --> 00:37:27,780 on a virtual network. 796 00:37:27,780 --> 00:37:29,010 Just like social spiders, 797 00:37:29,010 --> 00:37:31,220 more monitoring devices on the network, 798 00:37:31,220 --> 00:37:33,920 the quicker they can find the intruder. 799 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,200 And this means expending less energy 800 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:39,023 and shutting down the threat more efficiently. 801 00:37:40,303 --> 00:37:41,530 (energetic music) 802 00:37:41,530 --> 00:37:44,803 Hacking and cyber warfare are frontlines of the future, 803 00:37:45,740 --> 00:37:48,220 where billions of dollars can be stolen 804 00:37:48,220 --> 00:37:51,223 and our livelihoods endangered with the click of a button. 805 00:37:53,410 --> 00:37:55,750 With each internet-connected device, 806 00:37:55,750 --> 00:37:58,650 computers, phones, Wi-Fi routers, 807 00:37:58,650 --> 00:38:00,573 our digital web grows. 808 00:38:02,060 --> 00:38:06,007 And each device is another back door for would-be attackers. 809 00:38:07,830 --> 00:38:11,550 Once inside the network, the damage can spread quickly. 810 00:38:11,550 --> 00:38:14,210 So the key lies in detecting these intruders 811 00:38:14,210 --> 00:38:16,683 and neutralizing them as fast as possible. 812 00:38:18,530 --> 00:38:21,210 Hoping to combat digital threats, 813 00:38:21,210 --> 00:38:24,100 researchers in Nigeria have carefully studied 814 00:38:24,100 --> 00:38:26,800 the behavior of social spiders. 815 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:29,205 They used special monitoring devices 816 00:38:29,205 --> 00:38:32,850 and spider-inspired algorithms to detect intruders 817 00:38:32,850 --> 00:38:34,203 on a digital network. 818 00:38:35,330 --> 00:38:37,920 Compared to similar cyber security systems, 819 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,950 they claim to find and eliminate threats faster 820 00:38:40,950 --> 00:38:41,983 and more accurately. 821 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,410 It seems in the world of monitoring complex webs, 822 00:38:46,410 --> 00:38:49,200 evolution has done the hard work for us. 823 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:52,083 We just have to dust off the cobwebs to find it. 824 00:38:53,578 --> 00:38:57,078 (gentle orchestral music) 825 00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:08,710 Now, having spent some time looking 826 00:39:08,710 --> 00:39:11,420 at some of the most successful creatures on this planet, 827 00:39:11,420 --> 00:39:14,380 there is one that I just couldn't possibly ignore. 828 00:39:14,380 --> 00:39:17,720 It's known the world over for being super-resilient, 829 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:21,160 so resilient, in fact, that it can survive sometime, 830 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:23,523 sometime, without it's head. 831 00:39:24,526 --> 00:39:25,960 (curious music) 832 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:27,550 In the grand scheme of things, 833 00:39:27,550 --> 00:39:29,690 the ultimate form of protection 834 00:39:29,690 --> 00:39:31,653 would be total invincibility. 835 00:39:32,550 --> 00:39:35,660 Now this creature can't quite boast that, 836 00:39:35,660 --> 00:39:38,203 but it's pretty indestructible nonetheless. 837 00:39:39,390 --> 00:39:42,180 They say cockroaches will be the first creatures 838 00:39:42,180 --> 00:39:45,150 to emerge after a nuclear apocalypse. 839 00:39:45,150 --> 00:39:47,373 So what better animal to learn from? 840 00:39:49,780 --> 00:39:52,413 We just need to muster up the courage to film them. 841 00:39:53,950 --> 00:39:57,693 Not our favorite animals these. (chuckles) 842 00:40:01,091 --> 00:40:01,924 I think you're covered. 843 00:40:01,924 --> 00:40:03,210 No, no, no, no, no. 844 00:40:03,210 --> 00:40:06,273 I don't want cockroaches in my, in my shoes. 845 00:40:08,857 --> 00:40:10,630 Like a young Padawan, 846 00:40:11,690 --> 00:40:16,530 Luke Skywalker as he goes to face his mortal enemy, 847 00:40:16,530 --> 00:40:17,623 the Darth Roach. 848 00:40:21,297 --> 00:40:22,991 There, let's do it. Let's go find some roaches. 849 00:40:22,991 --> 00:40:24,740 Okay. 850 00:40:24,740 --> 00:40:26,036 Here we go. 851 00:40:26,036 --> 00:40:26,869 ♪ Off to see the wizard ♪ 852 00:40:26,869 --> 00:40:28,520 ♪ The wonderful Wizard of Oz. ♪ 853 00:40:28,520 --> 00:40:29,660 It's actually not Wizard of Oz. 854 00:40:29,660 --> 00:40:31,249 It's Mike Masterson. 855 00:40:31,249 --> 00:40:33,020 And look, there he is. 856 00:40:33,020 --> 00:40:33,853 Mike. 857 00:40:34,763 --> 00:40:35,822 Hey, Patrick. How's it going? 858 00:40:35,822 --> 00:40:36,655 How ya doing? 859 00:40:36,655 --> 00:40:37,488 Yeah, not too bad. 860 00:40:37,488 --> 00:40:38,360 Trying to find dinner? 861 00:40:38,360 --> 00:40:39,570 Absolutely. 862 00:40:39,570 --> 00:40:43,370 Mike is the retired CEO of a pest-control company 863 00:40:43,370 --> 00:40:46,690 but these days has changed sides somewhat. 864 00:40:46,690 --> 00:40:48,580 Choosing to spend his days researching 865 00:40:48,580 --> 00:40:50,910 the very cockroaches and other critters 866 00:40:50,910 --> 00:40:53,530 many of us would rather avoid. 867 00:40:53,530 --> 00:40:55,690 Look, I've come prepared. 868 00:40:55,690 --> 00:40:57,890 Yeah, you definitely Lovely, wonderful gloves. 869 00:40:57,890 --> 00:40:58,884 Look at this. 870 00:40:58,884 --> 00:40:59,717 (Mike chuckles) 871 00:40:59,717 --> 00:41:00,660 Spared no expense. 872 00:41:00,660 --> 00:41:02,780 I think you're ready for this. 873 00:41:02,780 --> 00:41:05,370 Hopefully, it's just roaches we're gonna find today 874 00:41:05,370 --> 00:41:06,203 and nothing else. 875 00:41:06,203 --> 00:41:07,588 Fingers crossed. 876 00:41:07,588 --> 00:41:10,410 (gentle music) 877 00:41:10,410 --> 00:41:12,000 What is it about cockroaches that you think 878 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:15,170 just sends a shiver down people's spine? 879 00:41:15,170 --> 00:41:18,450 One of the main things is just to see how dirty that is. 880 00:41:18,450 --> 00:41:20,520 Everybody thinks roaches are dirty. 881 00:41:20,520 --> 00:41:21,540 And they're actually not. 882 00:41:21,540 --> 00:41:23,070 They're very clean insects. 883 00:41:23,070 --> 00:41:25,510 They continue to groom their legs. 884 00:41:25,510 --> 00:41:28,186 And that's one of the way they stay very clean. 885 00:41:28,186 --> 00:41:29,430 (energetic orchestral music) 886 00:41:29,430 --> 00:41:31,810 In the world of creepy crawlies, 887 00:41:31,810 --> 00:41:33,973 roaches are the number one boogeyman. 888 00:41:35,660 --> 00:41:38,070 But if we put aside our repulsion, 889 00:41:38,070 --> 00:41:41,333 even I have to admit they're remarkable creatures. 890 00:41:44,630 --> 00:41:47,200 Evolution armed them with long antennae 891 00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:50,630 to detect food and danger from afar 892 00:41:50,630 --> 00:41:52,853 and wings to help them escape predators. 893 00:41:54,210 --> 00:41:55,600 They have a mouth that can chomp 894 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:58,050 through 50 times their own body weight, 895 00:41:58,050 --> 00:42:00,383 which is why very little can stop them. 896 00:42:01,552 --> 00:42:03,090 They're also omnivores, 897 00:42:03,090 --> 00:42:05,613 eating anything from bread to leather. 898 00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:10,303 So one man's trash really is a cockroaches treasure. 899 00:42:12,270 --> 00:42:14,280 You think of how we're going through this looking for 'em, 900 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:15,420 this is what they're doing trying 901 00:42:15,420 --> 00:42:16,330 to find food all day long. 902 00:42:16,330 --> 00:42:17,163 Yeah. 903 00:42:18,420 --> 00:42:19,520 (gentle music) 904 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:22,680 Cockroaches are actually related to termites. 905 00:42:22,680 --> 00:42:25,630 But instead of living in a sturdy mound, 906 00:42:25,630 --> 00:42:28,103 they evolved a different suite of defenses. 907 00:42:29,430 --> 00:42:32,750 Their legs have three knees to carry them at speeds 908 00:42:32,750 --> 00:42:35,090 of over five feet a second, 909 00:42:35,090 --> 00:42:37,450 which for you and me is like running 910 00:42:37,450 --> 00:42:39,693 at 200 miles per hour. 911 00:42:42,060 --> 00:42:45,170 So this now becomes a very interesting area 912 00:42:45,170 --> 00:42:46,020 for us to look. 913 00:42:46,020 --> 00:42:49,190 But again, I'm sure if we came out here at midnight, 914 00:42:49,190 --> 00:42:51,970 we would probably find said activity. 915 00:42:51,970 --> 00:42:53,390 But because it's in the daylight, 916 00:42:53,390 --> 00:42:55,510 and they tend to stay away from the light, 917 00:42:55,510 --> 00:42:56,920 we have to now start digging, okay, 918 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:58,010 where will they go? 919 00:42:58,010 --> 00:43:00,686 Well, they're gonna go down that sewer tube. 920 00:43:00,686 --> 00:43:02,550 (light music) 921 00:43:02,550 --> 00:43:06,230 With the ability to withstand extreme heat and cold, 922 00:43:06,230 --> 00:43:10,083 cockroaches adapted to our planet's most unsavory spaces. 923 00:43:11,600 --> 00:43:14,650 If they lose a limb, they can simply grow a new one 924 00:43:14,650 --> 00:43:17,570 the next time they molt their exoskeleton. 925 00:43:17,570 --> 00:43:20,940 Plus, its body is remarkably flexible, 926 00:43:20,940 --> 00:43:24,930 helping it to squeeze into tiny gaps and avoid threats, 927 00:43:24,930 --> 00:43:26,550 like me. 928 00:43:26,550 --> 00:43:28,313 Wherefore art thou cockroach? 929 00:43:31,020 --> 00:43:32,390 Are you picking up that odor? 930 00:43:32,390 --> 00:43:33,640 Do you smell? Yeah, it's something. 931 00:43:33,640 --> 00:43:35,170 I don't know what it is, but. 932 00:43:35,170 --> 00:43:36,688 I'll tell you what, 933 00:43:36,688 --> 00:43:39,410 let's look at this area right here. 934 00:43:39,410 --> 00:43:42,570 So again, here's dirty laundry coming out. 935 00:43:42,570 --> 00:43:44,163 Dirty laundry has what on it? 936 00:43:45,618 --> 00:43:46,451 (Patrick beeped) Food debris? 937 00:43:46,451 --> 00:43:47,850 (both laughing) 938 00:43:47,850 --> 00:43:49,520 Plainly said, exactly correct. 939 00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:51,920 This has a whole lot of (beep) on it. 940 00:43:51,920 --> 00:43:53,145 Looking at these towels, here we go. 941 00:43:53,145 --> 00:43:54,120 Yeah, I know. Look at that. 942 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:56,130 So we know this is a great food source. 943 00:43:56,130 --> 00:43:58,820 So the roaches. Dead skin. 944 00:43:58,820 --> 00:44:00,087 Right. 945 00:44:00,087 --> 00:44:02,710 Just all sorts just left out here. 946 00:44:02,710 --> 00:44:04,850 So we know that they're not gonna harbor 947 00:44:04,850 --> 00:44:06,940 in this area right now because of the daylight. 948 00:44:06,940 --> 00:44:07,773 They're nocturnal, 949 00:44:07,773 --> 00:44:11,287 so I think they might be in this little area here. 950 00:44:11,287 --> 00:44:12,690 (light music) 951 00:44:12,690 --> 00:44:13,839 Probably not. 952 00:44:13,839 --> 00:44:14,975 Ugh. 953 00:44:14,975 --> 00:44:15,870 Oh yeah, there's one in there. 954 00:44:15,870 --> 00:44:17,410 You got something? There's two. 955 00:44:17,410 --> 00:44:18,650 Oh no, there's loads of them. 956 00:44:18,650 --> 00:44:19,730 Ugh. 957 00:44:19,730 --> 00:44:20,730 Oh, wow, yeah. 958 00:44:20,730 --> 00:44:22,240 You got it. 959 00:44:22,240 --> 00:44:23,380 That's disgusting. 960 00:44:23,380 --> 00:44:24,548 Oh, my. 961 00:44:24,548 --> 00:44:25,590 So is this how they are during the daytime? 962 00:44:25,590 --> 00:44:27,200 They're kind of all resting. Exactly. 963 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:28,840 They don't look like they're moving that much. 964 00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:30,550 Well, right now basically you figure 965 00:44:30,550 --> 00:44:31,970 this is their nighttime. 966 00:44:31,970 --> 00:44:33,007 So they're sleeping. 967 00:44:33,007 --> 00:44:35,857 This is in the area of where they're resting. 968 00:44:35,857 --> 00:44:39,140 Oh gosh, don't you, doesn't this creep you out? 969 00:44:39,140 --> 00:44:42,380 Uh, no, actually, kind of looks like a little playground. 970 00:44:42,380 --> 00:44:45,084 I'm looking at the kids playing in the playground. 971 00:44:45,084 --> 00:44:45,917 Oh, man. 972 00:44:45,917 --> 00:44:46,750 There we go. 973 00:44:46,750 --> 00:44:47,583 They're waking up now. 974 00:44:47,583 --> 00:44:49,970 Oh yeah, they don't want any part of this. 975 00:44:49,970 --> 00:44:51,320 And then you have the adults. 976 00:44:51,320 --> 00:44:52,153 Don't wake them up too much. 977 00:44:52,153 --> 00:44:53,080 Coming right out- Especially not 978 00:44:53,080 --> 00:44:55,130 the flying ones. Look at this. 979 00:44:55,130 --> 00:44:56,690 Let's take one of these guys out 980 00:44:56,690 --> 00:44:58,890 and take a closer look at it. 981 00:44:58,890 --> 00:45:00,680 You gotta be careful, these things can fly also. 982 00:45:00,680 --> 00:45:02,101 Don't put that near my face. 983 00:45:02,101 --> 00:45:04,620 (both laughing) 984 00:45:04,620 --> 00:45:05,790 Okay. All right, let's take 985 00:45:05,790 --> 00:45:08,117 a look at this thing. Take him over here. 986 00:45:08,117 --> 00:45:09,517 Got a jar there. 987 00:45:10,580 --> 00:45:11,490 There we go. 988 00:45:11,490 --> 00:45:12,323 Perfect. 989 00:45:12,323 --> 00:45:15,400 Mike, I've heard that these critters that are really, 990 00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:17,740 really industrious, really hardy. 991 00:45:17,740 --> 00:45:20,600 And in fact, they can withstand a lot of pressure. 992 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:21,540 How much? 993 00:45:21,540 --> 00:45:25,330 Between 300 and 900 times their body weight. 994 00:45:25,330 --> 00:45:26,163 Wow. 995 00:45:26,163 --> 00:45:28,420 So right now I'm putting pressure on to kind 996 00:45:28,420 --> 00:45:32,180 of simulate them going underneath a door, 997 00:45:32,180 --> 00:45:35,240 through maybe let's say a crack in the wall. 998 00:45:35,240 --> 00:45:36,710 And as you can see, 999 00:45:36,710 --> 00:45:39,683 as the pressure goes out, it's expanding. 1000 00:45:42,710 --> 00:45:45,720 It can literally be like an accordion 1001 00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:48,690 and shrink down 40 to 60 percent of its size 1002 00:45:48,690 --> 00:45:50,650 and still move freely. 1003 00:45:50,650 --> 00:45:55,650 Where do you think that the cockroach could help us? 1004 00:45:56,090 --> 00:45:58,020 Well, I think number one is we have to look 1005 00:45:58,020 --> 00:46:00,810 at how long they've survived. 1006 00:46:00,810 --> 00:46:04,740 Their ancestors go back 280 million years. 1007 00:46:04,740 --> 00:46:09,730 So you're looking at here this American roach is literally 1008 00:46:09,730 --> 00:46:14,730 generations and generations of evolving into a survivor. 1009 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:18,090 If that's not enough to teach us 1010 00:46:18,090 --> 00:46:22,310 on what we need to do to take our biometrics 1011 00:46:22,310 --> 00:46:24,713 to the next level, I don't know what is. 1012 00:46:26,220 --> 00:46:29,000 I might not be a cockroach lover just yet, 1013 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:31,540 but I've been invited to a lab that wants to show me 1014 00:46:31,540 --> 00:46:35,545 the beauty in these virtually indestructible insects. 1015 00:46:35,545 --> 00:46:39,045 (light adventurous music) 1016 00:46:42,030 --> 00:46:44,900 Look at those epic mountains, blue sky, 1017 00:46:44,900 --> 00:46:48,510 a beautiful day here in Boulder, Colorado. 1018 00:46:48,510 --> 00:46:51,270 And I'm hot on the heels of one of the researchers 1019 00:46:51,270 --> 00:46:53,430 that Mike put me in touch with. 1020 00:46:53,430 --> 00:46:56,240 His name is Kaushik Jayaram. 1021 00:46:56,240 --> 00:46:59,570 His research combines biology with robotics 1022 00:46:59,570 --> 00:47:03,143 to uncover how animals maneuver around their environments. 1023 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:07,940 I'm looking inside this box (chuckling) 1024 00:47:07,940 --> 00:47:09,450 a nightmare for some. 1025 00:47:09,450 --> 00:47:12,380 So you've got a couple of different species 1026 00:47:12,380 --> 00:47:13,990 of cockroach here. Yeah. 1027 00:47:13,990 --> 00:47:15,321 Which ones are in here? 1028 00:47:15,321 --> 00:47:17,660 The ones we have here are 1029 00:47:17,660 --> 00:47:19,310 the Madagascar hissing roaches. 1030 00:47:19,310 --> 00:47:23,406 These are a bit bigger than American ones. 1031 00:47:23,406 --> 00:47:24,239 Can I pick them up? 1032 00:47:24,239 --> 00:47:26,040 Yeah, of course, go for it. 1033 00:47:26,040 --> 00:47:28,270 I'm not a big fan of the American cockroaches, 1034 00:47:28,270 --> 00:47:29,103 I got to say, 1035 00:47:29,103 --> 00:47:31,920 but these guys and gals are really cool. 1036 00:47:31,920 --> 00:47:33,540 They've got this really hard exoskeleton. 1037 00:47:33,540 --> 00:47:35,530 They're massive, really big, 1038 00:47:35,530 --> 00:47:38,400 but they can also use it to do this. 1039 00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:39,233 If you bring the mic in, 1040 00:47:39,233 --> 00:47:40,850 you guys can have a little listen. 1041 00:47:42,133 --> 00:47:44,633 (air hissing) 1042 00:47:46,550 --> 00:47:50,500 Expel air in that hissing sound 1043 00:47:50,500 --> 00:47:55,500 to try to warn predators or annoying TV hosts to go away. 1044 00:47:58,420 --> 00:47:59,850 That's cool, isn't it? 1045 00:47:59,850 --> 00:48:01,163 I like these cockroaches. 1046 00:48:02,010 --> 00:48:03,940 They're cool, armored giants 1047 00:48:06,130 --> 00:48:09,050 Time to see how Kaushik's pet roaches have fueled 1048 00:48:09,050 --> 00:48:10,053 his research. 1049 00:48:12,011 --> 00:48:14,594 (upbeat music) 1050 00:48:16,110 --> 00:48:19,570 Walking into his lab is like entering a treasure trove 1051 00:48:19,570 --> 00:48:21,913 of biomimicry-inspired wonders. 1052 00:48:23,400 --> 00:48:25,170 Many of the robots appear to be based 1053 00:48:25,170 --> 00:48:27,743 on different aspects of the cockroach's biology. 1054 00:48:28,870 --> 00:48:32,080 This one can even squeeze through small spaces, 1055 00:48:32,080 --> 00:48:34,033 just like it's real-life counterpart. 1056 00:48:36,681 --> 00:48:37,920 One of the cool things you can do 1057 00:48:37,920 --> 00:48:40,020 is you can actually run the robot off the table 1058 00:48:40,020 --> 00:48:41,963 and see really how robust these systems are. 1059 00:48:41,963 --> 00:48:43,380 Yeah? 1060 00:48:45,759 --> 00:48:47,421 Ooh! (laughing) 1061 00:48:47,421 --> 00:48:49,670 That's all right. 1062 00:48:49,670 --> 00:48:51,210 Yeah, I guess we should see if it still works, 1063 00:48:51,210 --> 00:48:53,129 which it does. 1064 00:48:53,129 --> 00:48:54,070 This is really cool. 1065 00:48:54,070 --> 00:48:54,903 I love that. 1066 00:48:55,890 --> 00:48:57,830 Well, if you think that's cool, 1067 00:48:57,830 --> 00:48:59,670 we have some robots which are even smaller. 1068 00:48:59,670 --> 00:49:01,410 So we're beginning to approach 1069 00:49:01,410 --> 00:49:03,710 and shrink these robots the size of insects, 1070 00:49:03,710 --> 00:49:05,960 and we're trying to make them even smaller. 1071 00:49:05,960 --> 00:49:08,976 Let's take a look at them. Yes, let's do it. 1072 00:49:08,976 --> 00:49:11,790 Ah, wow. Yeah, so this tiny thing, 1073 00:49:11,790 --> 00:49:14,140 so you can grab the tweezers and grab them 1074 00:49:14,140 --> 00:49:16,157 by the ear lobe Right here. 1075 00:49:16,157 --> 00:49:17,230 Pick them up, yeah. 1076 00:49:17,230 --> 00:49:18,712 Take a look at that. 1077 00:49:18,712 --> 00:49:19,545 Look at that. 1078 00:49:19,545 --> 00:49:21,160 I think this is probably the smallest robot 1079 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,060 that I've ever seen actually, 1080 00:49:23,060 --> 00:49:23,893 and it's really cool. 1081 00:49:23,893 --> 00:49:27,592 I love the intricacy of this machine. 1082 00:49:27,592 --> 00:49:29,700 Of course, those fine filament wires 1083 00:49:29,700 --> 00:49:33,100 clearly tells you how small this thing is. 1084 00:49:33,100 --> 00:49:37,360 And the arrangement, it's incredible. 1085 00:49:37,360 --> 00:49:41,870 Just for reference, that right there is a 1 cent penny. 1086 00:49:41,870 --> 00:49:42,830 That's awesome. 1087 00:49:42,830 --> 00:49:44,660 That is really awesome. 1088 00:49:44,660 --> 00:49:46,020 Actually, can I pick this up as well? 1089 00:49:46,020 --> 00:49:47,080 Yeah. So let's, 1090 00:49:47,080 --> 00:49:48,470 let's have a look at it 'cause that to me 1091 00:49:48,470 --> 00:49:50,890 looks like a little miniature wing. 1092 00:49:50,890 --> 00:49:52,330 So you also trying to figure out 1093 00:49:52,330 --> 00:49:55,540 how to make flying robotic insects as well? 1094 00:49:55,540 --> 00:49:58,520 Yeah, so hopefully we'll be able to take these wings 1095 00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:00,958 and integrate them with the robots. 1096 00:50:00,958 --> 00:50:04,230 And so these robots can be multifunctional. 1097 00:50:04,230 --> 00:50:05,550 So depending on the situation, 1098 00:50:05,550 --> 00:50:08,410 they can even the fly or they can choose to crawl on land 1099 00:50:08,410 --> 00:50:10,240 if that's more efficient. 1100 00:50:10,240 --> 00:50:11,700 That's really impressive. 1101 00:50:11,700 --> 00:50:12,850 I love that. 1102 00:50:12,850 --> 00:50:16,970 There's a lot of potential to do good with robots, 1103 00:50:16,970 --> 00:50:20,730 interacting with humans and some of the key directions 1104 00:50:20,730 --> 00:50:23,670 where we're thinking these robots can really be influential. 1105 00:50:23,670 --> 00:50:26,300 Obviously, things like search and rescue. 1106 00:50:26,300 --> 00:50:30,380 And the time nature of trying to find survivors 1107 00:50:30,380 --> 00:50:32,830 from the aftermath of an earthquake, for example. 1108 00:50:32,830 --> 00:50:35,670 Imagine having these, hundreds of these, 1109 00:50:35,670 --> 00:50:38,250 being able to just send them out into a potentially 1110 00:50:38,250 --> 00:50:41,200 really dangerous environment for those first responders 1111 00:50:41,200 --> 00:50:44,610 and be able to locate exactly where victims are. 1112 00:50:44,610 --> 00:50:46,248 That would be so cool. 1113 00:50:46,248 --> 00:50:47,450 (wondrous music) 1114 00:50:47,450 --> 00:50:49,150 Team cockroach or not, 1115 00:50:49,150 --> 00:50:52,223 we can't ignore the future these minibots could offer us. 1116 00:50:53,160 --> 00:50:56,870 We might not like the idea of being saved by a roach, 1117 00:50:56,870 --> 00:51:00,573 but just imagine teams of tiny protectors. 1118 00:51:01,420 --> 00:51:04,380 They'd be tough, flexible, and a game changer 1119 00:51:04,380 --> 00:51:05,993 in emergency situations. 1120 00:51:07,990 --> 00:51:11,340 All the cockroaches' evolutionary genius packed 1121 00:51:11,340 --> 00:51:15,140 into microbots, capable of deploying 1122 00:51:15,140 --> 00:51:17,863 into life-threatening scenarios like this. 1123 00:51:19,850 --> 00:51:23,060 Collapsed buildings are hazardous for human rescue teams, 1124 00:51:23,060 --> 00:51:25,743 and it's a race against time to find survivors. 1125 00:51:27,210 --> 00:51:29,180 Robo-roaches could squeeze themselves 1126 00:51:29,180 --> 00:51:30,970 into impossible places, 1127 00:51:30,970 --> 00:51:33,660 meaning less risk for rescuers 1128 00:51:33,660 --> 00:51:35,293 and better odds for survivors. 1129 00:51:36,680 --> 00:51:40,950 Some parts of the world see as many as 2,500 deaths a year 1130 00:51:40,950 --> 00:51:43,230 from collapsed structures. 1131 00:51:43,230 --> 00:51:46,743 So could robo-roaches be our saviors? 1132 00:51:49,850 --> 00:51:53,690 As this chapter of my biomimicry research concludes, 1133 00:51:53,690 --> 00:51:56,020 I can't help but reflect on the ways 1134 00:51:56,020 --> 00:52:00,083 that nature can help protect us and our loved ones. 1135 00:52:01,360 --> 00:52:03,380 We've tapped just a tiny fraction 1136 00:52:03,380 --> 00:52:06,363 of the potential found in the natural world. 1137 00:52:08,050 --> 00:52:11,123 There's around 8.7 million species out there, 1138 00:52:12,890 --> 00:52:15,736 each with their own defensive secrets. 1139 00:52:15,736 --> 00:52:17,030 (dramatic music) 1140 00:52:17,030 --> 00:52:20,230 So the best way to protect ourselves is 1141 00:52:20,230 --> 00:52:23,093 by protecting as many of them as we can. 1142 00:52:52,777 --> 00:52:56,812 (light cheerful music) 1143 00:52:56,812 --> 00:52:59,395 (dreamy music) 1144 00:52:59,395 --> 00:53:01,395 I�moovlmvhd