Covanta Featured in New Science Channel Series

On Feb 10, 2017

Contrary to popular belief, if you’re into math or science, you need not spend the rest of your life hunched over a computer or microscope. That’s the premise of Science Works!, a new TV series debuting this month during Science Channel’s “Rise and SCI” block on weekday mornings. Science Works! is a “virtual field trip” for students and lifelong learners of all ages to see how Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) concepts are not just important in school, but can also lead to fun and fulfilling careers for a lifetime.

Featured among the first three episodes is Morristown-based Covanta, which runs trash-to-energy plants across the country. In the show, engineers explain how burning trash surprisingly results in clean smokestack emissions, how it reduces the landfill waste stream by 90 percent and cuts down on greenhouse gas.

“Science Works! takes viewers behind-the-scenes to places most people never see and places where you’re just not normally allowed to go,” adds director of photography Peter Koziell. “This has to be one of the most fun assignments of my career, and I believe that feeling will spill over to our audience, too.”

“A lot of people think being good at math and science means you’ll get good grades in school, but afterwards you’ll get stuck in some boring job,” says series director Al Ward. “It’s so exciting to see people using their STEM education for fun careers, in many ways that I never imagined.”

The first three episodes of the premiere season also explore surprising STEM-related careers from companies including:

• Boston Red Sox – Visit historic Fenway Park, and meet Red Sox chief statistician who earned three World Series rings utilizing his math degree.

• Carnival Cruise Lines – Have you ever wondered what it takes for a gigantic cruise ship to move and maneuver effortlessly across the ocean? Visit the captain on the bridge, learn about the powerful engines, and hear how meals are organized for thousands of people onboard a “floating city” in the middle of the ocean.

• National Weather Service – Would you believe fluffy clouds in the sky weigh on average one million pounds? Meteorologists explain why clouds don’t come crashing down on your head, and reveal how they spend hours every day doing math before stepping in front of a TV camera.

• US Department of Defense – How well would your shirt protect you in a fire? Watch military scientists put warfighters’ uniforms in front of flamethrowers to test heat resistance. See the latest innovation in maximizing safety and preparedness, including full 180-degree virtual reality domes and laser 3D body scanning.

• Florida Institute of Technology – See what it’s like to have a college class that takes place in the ocean. Meet the ocean engineering professor who asks students to collect data on hydrodynamic drag while surfing for science.

Science Works! airs on Science Channel Fridays at 8 a.m. EST on from February 10th through March 17th. The series is created and produced by Award Productions, a Boston-based TV production company focused on educational and promotional programming.

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