The world has always been a dangerous place, so how do we increase our odds of survival? In "Making Stuff: Safer," David Pogue explores the cutting-edge research of scientists and engineers who want to keep us out of harm’s way. Some are countering the threat of natural disasters with new firefighting materials and safer buildings. Others are at work on technologies to thwart terrorist attacks.

Gross Science: These flesh-eating plants usually prey on unsuspecting insects. But one species of ant calls this plant home. Watch the drama unfold...through watercolor animation! For media credits, visit: pbs.org/nova/nature/plants-killer-ants.html

Could tiny drones be the pollinators of the future? Credits Animated and Narrated by Anna Rothschild Cinematography by Steve McCarthy Original Footage ©WGBH Educational Foundation 2013 Additional Footage Courtesy Harvard's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering SLOW MOTION: Flying Hoverfly ©iStockphoto/Schroptschop

Engineers race to complete 1 World Trade Center as they grapple with the final challenges.

Losing one's nose was not completely uncommon in 16th century Europe. To replace their lost sniffers, some brave patients underwent an early form of rhinoplasty, which was performed without antibiotics or anesthesia.

To keep their technicians safe from potential bombs, police departments use remote controlled robots to investigate.

On May 20, 2013, a ferocious EF5 tornado over a mile wide tore through Moore, Oklahoma, inflicting 24 deaths and obliterating entire neighborhoods. It was the third time an exceptionally violent tornado had struck the city in 14 years. Yet predicting when and where these killer storms will hit still poses a huge challenge. Why was 2011—the worst ever recorded tornado season?

Host David Pogue explores the cutting-edge research behind a new wave of innovation.

See how the ancient Egyptians built their deadly composite bows.

Follow the manhunt, step-by-step, for the suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings.

Gross Science: How bed bugs reproduce is the stuff of nightmares.

An ancient Greek computer could predict eclipses with impressive accuracy.

A blinding flash of light streaked across the Russian sky, followed by a shuddering blast strong enough to damage buildings and send more than 1,000 people to the hospital. On the morning of February 15, 2013, a 7,000-ton asteroid crashed into the Earth's atmosphere. According to NASA, the Siberian meteor exploded with the power of 30 Hiroshima bombs.

After a massive extinction, diverse marsupials came to dominate this isolated continent.

Some 250 million years ago, some of the largest, most dangerous reptiles ruled this land.

Fossils reveal how life’s explosion in the ocean was recreated on dry land.

Australia’s ancient landscape holds clues to Earth's early history and the beginning of life.

We know more about the Earth now than ever before, but that knowledge is in jeopardy as many Earth-observing satellites are nearing the end of their lives.

What makes a person walk into a theater or a church or a classroom full of students and open fire? What combination of circumstances compels a human being to commit the most inhuman of crimes? Can science in any way help us understand these horrific events and provide any clues as to how to prevent them in the future?

Produced, edited, and animated by Anna Rothschild Production Assistant Allison Eck Special Thanks Stefanie Kaiser Original Footage © WGBH Educational Foundation 2013 ADDITIONAL MEDIA CREDITS (Ceratothoa sp in Blacktail) Host: Diplodus sargus sargus (common names: blacktail or white seabream) Locality: Tsitsikamma National Park, Eastern Cape, South Africa © Nico Smit