Gecko Feet/Nasturtium Leaves
Gecko Feet - Jennifer and Nooshin like rock climbing. They wonder how some lizards can climb rocks so easily. They visit the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley and compare the climbing ability of different lizards. They notice that the best climbers are geckos. They visit a lab at the University of California Berkeley to find out why, learning that special, nanoscale hairs on gecko feet are the secret to their amazing climbing abilities. Nasturtium Leaves - Jasmine and Melinda wonder why water beads up on some plants and not others. They head to San Francisco's Exploratorium, where they learn that surfaces at the nanoscale aren't always smooth, and that nano hairs on nasturtium leaves cause them to be water repellent. The girls collect other plants with hairy leaves and test their ability to repel water. They take some samples to Stanford University for up-closing imaging and compare the structure of nasturtium leaves to water-resistant fabric.

Canines
Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf? Not Zachary and Jerit, who explore pack behavior to determine the "top dog." Canine conundrum: Alexa, Miriah and Janaya investigate which sled dog should lead the pack to victory. And Dragonfly TV asks: How can you keep your pooch from being a "hot dog?"

Science at Play
Francheska, Marnika and Precious get roped into a Double Dutch investigation. Maddy and Martina use clowns, juggling and science to demonstrate how unreliable human perception can be. And Dragonfly TV asks: How can you clock a whizzing baseball's speed without a radar gun?

Phoenix & Tucson
Alexandra and Anna learn about construction techniques at the Arizona Science Center's "Many Hands Make a Home" exhibit, trying out what they learn on a house for their dog, Rupert. Home Prickly Home: Alex and Mark head to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to see which creatures make the Saguaro cactus home. And DFTV learns how Chase Field-the only sports facility in world that has a retractable roof, air conditioning, and natural turf-keeps its grass green and growing.

Self Assembly/Bone Regrowth
Self Assembly - Keely and Connor learn about self-assembly at the Children's Museum of Houston. The museum staff suggest they visit Rice University, where scientists use self-assembly to make things at the nanoscale. At Rice, a scientist helps the kids use self-assembly to make and "pop" microcapsules. The kids then try out a similar technique at home, encapsulating chocolate sauce, mint and other flavors in alginate beads to serve on ice cream. Bone Regrowth - Kobel, Nathan, and Adam go to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), where they learn that scientists are using nanotechnology to help regenerate nerves and bones. A scientist from Brown University explains that a solution of nanotubes and minerals is injected into the fracture and forms a scaffold to encourage bone regrowth. The kids want to know why both ingredients are needed to repair the bone. They try solutions with different amounts of each ingredient on sponges and test how much weight each treated sponge can support.

Earth Systems
Miniature golf makes for maximum fun as kids hit the links to explore erosion. Slap on the SPF45 and join some young desert scientists as they discover how plants survive the harsh conditions on the Guadalupe-Nipomo Sand Dunes. And Dragonfly TV asks: How can kids "make a stink" to reduce dangerous bus emissions?

San Francisco
Starting at Berkeley's Lawrence Hall of Science, Claire and Nisha walk the lines-the San Andreas and Hayward fault lines-to learn what causes earthquakes. Inspired by the "Light and Color" exhibit at the Exploratorium, a group of industrious middle schoolers create their own interactive art installation. And Dragonfly TV demystifies how antique cable cars continue to conquer the city's incredible hills.

Water Clean-Up/Nanosilver
Water Clean-Up - Taylor and Gabe go to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and learn that nano-iron is being used to neutralize toxins in ground water. They collect soil samples from a contaminated site, then take them to Penn State University to test the efficacy of nano-iron treatments. Nanosilver - Sarah and Mande visit the Sciencenter in Ithaca and learn that nanosilver is used in some socks to kill bacteria, keeping them odor-free. They wonder if the nanosilver in socks leaches out when you wash them, causing potential harm to beneficial bacteria and the environment. They buy two different brands of nanosocks and wash them. Then they take the socks and their wash water to Cornell University to test their effects on common bacteria.

At The Zoo
Tiger toys: Chelsea and Camille invent enrichment equipment for zoo animals. Julian and Sabrina "go to the dogs," creating sound spectrum snapshots of prairie dog barks to explore animal communication. And: How do you weigh a whale? do you weigh a whale?

Alaska
N'ice moves: Deborah and Brittani learn about changes in glaciers over time at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center before scaling the Mendenhall Glacier to track its movement. Starting at the Southeast Alaska Discovery Center in Ketchikan, Emma and Gracie investigate tree growth rates in three areas of Tongass National Forest. And Juneau turns out to be built on a Science Secret worth its weight in gold!

Investigate
A half-hour of the hottest investigations kicks off the season.

Chemistry
Beakers, charts and lipstick? Young chemists explore the science of make-up. Carolyn and Kaila turn into forensic scientists to solve a birthday mystery. And: an ice cream scientist who actually gets to eat his work!

New Mexico
Alex and Andrew head to Explora to investigate how much hot air is needed to make balloons fly before soaring to new heights at Albuquerque's International Balloon Fiesta. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science inspires Emily and Isabel to travel to Carlsbad Caverns and track cave swallows. The excitement heats up at Sandia National Labs, where a scorching-hot Science Secret is revealed.

Sports Science
Tess, Christina and Alison employ slapshot science to reach their " goal" of finding the most powerful hockey stick. Garrett, Carl and John grab their boots, poles and swimsuits for an afternoon of ski jumping. Crash test smarties: engineers Mike Lowe and Brian Sidwell design kids' bike helmets for optimum safety, durability and style.

Human Body
Divers Niki and Jaq make a scientific splash. Garrett, Karl and John grab their boots, poles and swimsuits (?!) for an afternoon of ski jumping. And: How can a musician hold a loooong note?

North Carolina
SciGirls Sarah, Valencia and Sophia tromp through diverse wetlands after a visit to the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science. SciWorks' barnyard gets Imran and Nabil thinking about what it takes to raise farm animals, prompting visits to local donkey and dairy farms. Winston-Salem holds a surprising connection to the Empire State Building that's unveiled in the Science Secret.

Wind
Go fly a kite: Danielle and Jasmine engineer a sleek two-stringer for fierce kite competition. And Nathaniel creates his own wind tunnel to test his race cars.