Latest Smart People Videos Learn from the best with SmartPlanet's videos on industry professionals, innovators and experts, detailing the people and places at the forefront of industry innovation.

• Busting hurricanes with ocean cooling pumps

  

  A climate scientist at Stanford University's Carnegie Institution is trying to cool the seas to weaken hurricanes and minimize the death and destruction they bring. In research funded by Bill Gates, Ken Caldeira is developing ocean cooling pumps to cool waters in areas where hurricanes occur. These powerful storms are fueled by warm water so cooling the surface of the ocean even by just a few degrees has the potential to radically diminish their power.

  Length: 00:02:50

• Yahoo makes Web surfing easier for the disabled

  

  Web surfing for the disabled can be a daunting experience, but Yahoo's Alan Brightman, an expert in assistive technologies, is trying to make it more accessible. In his technology lab, Brightman creates simulation exercises for Yahoo's engineers so they can better understand what it's like to be disabled, thus making their Web interface more user-friendly for people with physical and visual impairments.

  Length: 00:02:57

• Meet the 'Indiana Jones' of NASA

  

  NASA scientist Chris McKay takes his work to the far reaches of planet Earth, studying extreme conditions in order to find life on other planets. Through the collection and study of various Earth minerals and organic content, he hopes to understand how life can exist on other planets. He is also researching climate change and how we can better manage our own planet.

  Length: 00:02:26

• Radically rethinking agriculture with genetic engineering

  

  Many consider genetically engineered food controversial, but to Pamela Ronald a UC Davis professor, it could be the answer to feeding the world. Twenty five percent of the world's rice is grown in areas that are very prone to submergence, and after three days rice will die. Ronald's lab has genetically engineered rice to help the plant be tolerant to stress and disease. The varieties her team has developed can survive for two weeks underwater and are expected to improve the livelihood of millions of farmers in developing countries.

  Length: 00:02:18

• UC Davis researches intelligent light bulbs

  

  What types of smart lights will power our homes and offices in the next five to ten years? At the California Lighting Institute at UC Davis, Professor Michael Siminovitch shows us a giant integrated sphere that acts as an advanced light meter. He also discusses an array of LED and fluorescent lighting technologies including, down lighting systems for residential use, and exterior LED lighting for garages and parking lots.

  Length: 00:02:17

• Project FROG's plan to improve student performance with new hi-tech buildings

  

  Can student performance improve with the environment? Studies have shown that the educational environment can enable students to perform up to two grades better. Mark Miller, founder of Project FROG is constructing buildings that feature healthier educational environments; ones that better utilize natural daylight, manage glare and acoustics, and circulate fresh air. By being built with recycled materials, creating 80% less construction waste, and using a fraction of operating energy, they're also good for the environment.

  Length: 00:01:45

• Turning a cell phone into a microscope

  

  Cell phone + Microscope = CellScope. Graduate students in the bioengineering lab at UC Berkeley have discovered a way to turn an ordinary cellphone in a microscope. The Cellscope can capture, organize and transmit images of blood cells, lesions and infections taken anywhere in world - a great advance for the developing world and medical imaging.

  Length: 00:02:15

• Nanotechnology to end insulin injections for diabetics

  

  Insulin injections may soon be a thing of the past for diabetics thanks to nano-technology. At UCSF Professor of bioengineering, Tejal Desai, implants millions of pancreatic cells that secrete insulin into tiny capsules that can be implanted into the body in an effort to create an artificial pancreas. When blood sugar flows inside the capsule, it stimulates the cells to produce insulin to control sugar levels. The device has nano pores, pores so small that the body's antibodies cannot get in to attack the cells, but large enough that the insulin can flow out and into the body.

  Length: 00:02:52

• Clearing the path for hands-free, automated driving

  

  At UC Berkeley, PATH research engineer Wei-Bin Zhang describes his vision for an automated vehicle infrastructure. His team is developing technologies that allow cars, buses and trucks to connect with the roadway using sensors placed on vehicles and magnets drilled into the cement. Zhang believes the technology could prevent accidents and reduce pollution in the atmosphere with less human interaction in the driving process.

  Length: 00:02:27

• Interactive TV builds literacy skills among low-income kids

  

  Carlin Llorente, a researcher at SRI International discusses recent findings that shows low-income pre-school kids benefiting from a curriculum that includes public media content inside the classroom. The study confirms that kids are better able to learn letters and sounds when watching educational videos and actively participating with their teachers. SRI International partnered with the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and the Education Development Center on the study.

  Length: 00:02:11