in the field in afghanistan. athletes, owners and celebrities can come up and interact with the troops. >> appreciate the time. >> thanks. >> good seeing you. best of luck. >> thank you. >> hello and welcome. i'm here to talk about the intersection of hardware and humanity and we're doing it in a unique way. this is a show about science by scientists. let's check out our team of hard core in other words. kyle hill is an engineer, tonight he's turning back time. hearts ravaged by age. suddenly rejuvenated. the protein discovered in a harvard lab. rachelle oldmixon is a neuroscientist. now, science fights back.

marita davidson, shows us why the tower of the san francisco bridge may be the safest place to ride out a major quake. and i'm phil torres. i'm an entomologist. that's our team. now let's do some science. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> welcome to "techknow." i'm phil torres and this week i'm here with kyle, rachelle and marita. kyle you went to harvard university to look at one of america's most deadly diseases. tell me about it. >> i went to harvard and spoke

with researchers that found a molecular needle in a haystack. let's take a look. the human heart is a miraculous fist size feat of engineering. beating more than 2.5 billion times in a lifetime. pumping five quarts of blood in a minute or about 2.5 million galoshes a day. the equivalent of filling up your suv whom time 100 times a . unfortunately, the heart isn't a machine that's built to last. [ flat line ] >> when you get these heart failure episodes what is it like? what does it feel like? >> it feels like you can't breathe and it feels like you're

going to pass out. >> dr. richard lee is antoinette owens heart failure. treating her for diastolic heart failure. >> her heart doesn't fill properly. >> he and his colleague joined forces in their labs to tackle this problem. what they found was astonishing. >> you found basically when you joined an old and a young mouse together, the sizes and the structure of the hearts changed. how dramatic was this change? >> it was amazing enough that even i could see it looking at the heart as a whole. and even more amazing when you started digging more deepg into the layers -- deeply into the cells, as a result of this exposure to young blood in the old animal. >> that something was growth

differentiation factor 11. gdf 11. >> science in action here. >> now, mice don't get a heart disease like humans do but they might give us clues how to fight it. here at harvard, researchers are trying to follow these clues, trying to fight a cardiac cries i, maybe young ones will heal old ones. >> the blood has access to all these different cells and tissues and may be able to communicate these aging signals. >> there may be thousands of factors that circulate in the blood. how did did yo did you isolate e protein you didn't know you were looking for? >> we collaborated with a company in colorado. >> specific marker in the blood to help identify the protein. >> it's kind of like having bar codes on thousands of post-it

notes. and that by using those different-colored post-it notes and finderring the right things -- finding the right things then they can picks out and find out what it was. >> it was incredible inc. do these approaches because it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. the way you discover something at least the way you two did, for that fleeting moment before you publish it you know something that no one else on the planet knows. that's got to feel fantastic. >> because we've been such good friends it made it awfully special. >> i think i jumped up and down. >> dr. winters, i know that you have kind of an odd way of celebrating when you have papers published? can you tell me a little bit about -- >> i don't think there's anything odd about it. >> dr. wager's celebrated the

gdf 11 discovery with another way, from 10,000 feet. >> i declined as i said jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. >> they still have their work cut out for them. >> i view this study as hopeful but cautiously hopeful. i for one have not seen any study to date that shows these dramatic changes in the thickening of the heart, and the appearance of heart muscle cells. >> in the meantime, diastolic heart failure still has no cure and continues to be one of the leading causes of hospital admission in the u.s. >> when we're young children, our heart is a very compliant structure. it behaves almost like a party balloon. as you put volume into it, the heart is compliant and can handle that volume. and by the time the human beings

enter their 70s and 80s, the heart will behave more like a leather purse. yes, i would say there's a pressing need to come up with therapies that can alter the progression of this disease process. >> what is the next step in looking at how this protein that you isolated affects the heart or even the rest of the body? >> we do know that this protein as well as in the blood of humans and we know that it likely has some relationship with disease. so the big thing in the heart is: how quickly can we make the story really supportive, that actually changing this in humans is a good idea? and that's going to require a lot of hard work that will -- we'll do as fast as we can. >> you know what's the end game for these guys? what about you know taking this to the next level? >> going forward they're looking

at other tissues in the body to see if that same protein, gdf 11 can change the muscle tissue or skeletal tissue in the same way and they're looking at applying this further. >> they're almost explorers of the human body in a way. i'm wondering what else can they find in us that could be cuing g us? >> what is floating around in your body regulating what you are doing to die? it's nonan attendanc nonnot an s thing. it could change human life as we know it. so really this kind of research could go anywhere. that's why it's so exciting. >> pretty small target, really great implications. great kyle. rachelle, you went to montana.

>> i did. we'll take a look at that. >> we wants to hear what you think about these stories. join the conversation by following us on twitter and aljazeera.com. >> we just can't get ahead... >> working longer hours, for less pay. >> people are struggling everywhere. >> school loans... morgages... inflation... taking it's toll... >> we live paycheck to paycheck... >> now in a continuing series, join ali velshi as we follow families, just like yours, as they try to get by... >> we're all struggling financially... >> america's middle class: rebuilding the dream only on al jazeera america!

real reporting that brings you the world. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> hi guys, welcome back to "techknow." rachelle, you went to one of the most beautiful places in america that might be in trouble.

>> glacier park, its glaciers are starting to melt sort of the main stain of the economy there and they're in trouble. why don't we take a look dive in and see what we found out. the scenery is breathtaking. ♪ ♪ >> rushing rivers. picturesque ferries. many parts of western montana look untouched by man. it's small town america. everyone knows your name. people come from around the world to fish the blackfoot river and other waters. ftc norman mclane made there

blackfoot famous in "a river runs through it." , are concerned about climbed change and other human influences, in this, wild country, it may be that science needs to save the day. global warming is putting the state fish, the west slope cutthroat trout, in danger. >> all right, we're going to need the fisher and all the pit-tagging equipment. >> clint mofelt monitors the rivers for the u.s. geological survey. they're looking for solutions. >> this area's actually warming at two to three times the global average. the worst cares scenario would be that the rivers, dry up, warm up too much to the point where trout can't inhabit these waters anymore. nothing like sampling trout in

montana. >> mosel and his teamwork the glacier nationality park. >> this is climate poster child of north america. as temperature starts warming, we actually see fish moving up the mountain sides. >> that means the trowt trout me to cooler waters. >> this should be a good day. we go into small streams and we use a back tack electrofisher. there's one right there, cutthroat. chaka kahn we're on. >> what are we doing? >> fishing some native cutthroat trout. >> what's the problem here?

>> warming temperatures are actually causing the fish to come off sooner. >> these fish like it cold. >> they like it cold. sooner or later, there's going to be nowhere else to go. yep, there's one, little cutthroat. >> how important is the fish in these streams to montana? >> these streams are actually the life blood to montana. they provide nursery areas for our native fish. >> after capturing numerous fish, the team sets up a triage on the side of the stream. >> we take critical measurements such as length and weight. its length is 92 millimeters. and its weight is just a mere timfive grams. >> how do you know it's a cutthroat trout? >> if it last a vibrant red or orange stripe under the brimming. we take a genetic tag, under

their body and that allows us to track individual movements. >> they strategically l tag. mofeld says there are solutions. >> stocking fish in the rivers, creating habitat, providing streams and lakes for them omove around in and also developing conservation plans that look out over longer periods. >> warmer temperatures are affecting everything across the region. the economy and the people. 71-year-old paul ruse has been fishing the blackfoot river for 65 years. >> i have a passion for this river that i think was earned honestly. >> can you tell me a fond memory of being out here with your father? >> i was with my father when i

caught my first fish. i was with him when he caught his last. >> when the river reached 73° for three conservativ consecutie state covers the area because it puts too much stress on the fish. >> with nobody coming to fish in july and august and september, you notice it. it is important to contribute to something that is going to last after i'm gone. pretend like you have a paintbrush in your hand, and then, as soon as the line straightens it's going to drop and you just drop the rod with it. >> bring it back? >> give it! >> rancher jim stone is also affected by changing temperatures. he's a second generation montana ramper. he's adapting his ranch for not

just the fisheries but the land owners too. >> what does it mean? >> it's the survival of our family. >> what happens if it doesn't rain here? >> if we don't have grass, we're not able to feed the cows. $1.60 a pound, that's taking directly out of our wallet. >> with help of groups like trout unlimited. >> we help the river by helping these tributaries. and at the same time, helping these people trying to make a living off the land. >> they've been able to help him and help the fisheries. >> it's a complete win-win for us and reconnected the fisheries. wurp of the -- one of the star programs here is all the outfitters trying to work together and trying to leave as much water in the river for the

fish. we can give water back and still be productive. >> do you think the cutthroat trout can be saved? >> i do. >> besides the fish, what else is being affected there by the climate change? >> everything. the water table itself is completely changing. so all of the ranchers, everyone who has cattle, who raises any kind of crops, they're all being affected by this. it's just the complete economy is being affected. >> and what really amazed me is that even though some people disagree with the politics of climate change, it seems like when it really starts affecting you and the way you live that everyone comes together no matter who you are to start solving these problems. >> it's amazing. climate change for any of us is really hard to acknowledge until you see it. and these people are all seeing it. >> now? marita, what have you got for us

next? >> break through technology in structural engineering that's going to make our residences and our structures a lot safer during earthquakes. >> we'll check that up coming up next. both my parents are journalists. my grandfathers are journalists. it's just something that's in the blood. there are so many stories out there that need to be told. we want to go in to the trenches, we want to go in the corners that are less looked at. everyone at al jazeera america is dedicated to tell the story the best way that it can be told. >> al jazeera america is a straight-forward news channel. >> its the most exciting thing to happen to american journalism in decades. >> we believe in digging deep. >> its unbiased, fact-based, in-depth journalism. >> you give them the facts, dispense with the fluff and get straight to the point. >> i'm on the ground every day finding stories that matter to you. >> in new orleans... >> seattle bureau... >> washington... >> detroit... >> chicago... >> nashville... >> los angeles... >> san francisco... >> al jazeera america, take a new look at news.

>> start with one issue education...

♪ ♪ >> hi guys welcome back to "techknow" i'm phil torres and i'm here with kyle, rachelle and marita. marita, we're going to go to

you, you went to san francisco to look at some earthquake technology. >> i did. san francisco worries about earthquakes all the time. there are engineers that are developing new technologies that are basically meant to take the impact of an earthquake while leaving the structures intact. let's check it out. >> rising from the depths of the san francisco bay is the new crown jewel of northern california. the new bay bridge, which connects san francisco and oakland, is now open for business. and what a sight it is to see. roughly 280,000 vehicles travel the east and westbound lanes every day. it's now widest bridge in the u.s. with five lanes in each direction. this is six years' worth of round the clock time lapse video of the new 2.2 mile east span.

they built it right next to the old bridge. the project cost $6.4 billion. this is earthquake country. the great san francisco quake of 1906 wiped out 80% of the city. the old bay bridge opened in 1936. and it sits in the worst possible spot. right between two major fault lines, the san andreas and the hayward faults. and the worst-case scenario happened, october 17th, 1989. you may remember this scene from the loma prieta quake. a 280 ton section of the old bridge collapsed. traffic came to a halt for more than a month. how big of a danger zone is this? >> it's a major concern. >> how close are we to one of these fault lines now? >> we are very close.

at the eastbound hills, the hayward fault runs right along the eastbound hills, near the bridge sits the san andreas fault. >> the bay bridge is a stunning feat for another reason. something that is not visible oat first glance. crumcrumple zone technological. the new bridge won't -- technology. the new bridge won't crum crump. >> where would you want to be if an earthquake hit? >> on the top of this bridge.

it would be one heck of a joy ride but, it would be a safe one. >> this is what nader is talking about. the engineering community considers the innovations, game-changers. inside the 585 foot tower. >> the sheer link beam is the heart and soul how we made the link work. everything is ealas tick. >> this animation allows the four legs of the tower to move independently. >> the stiffer the structure, the more rigid it is, the more forces the earthquake applies on it. the more flexible the structure is the less forces go into it. >> and just watch your step. watch your head. things are sticking out. >> we're now deep in the bridge's bowels, to see another

invocation firsthand. -- innovation firsthand. >> we are hundreds of feet above the bay but still under the traffic. >> wow. >> it's basically a big steel dowel. we want this to be damaged in order to protect the bridge deck itself. >> you are looking at one of 20 hinge type beams strategically placed inside the bridge. >> if you were in an earthquake this would move back and forth like an accordion. >> allowing the rest of the bridge to move. >> that's where the size i seisc activity will occur. workers can go up, inspect them, determine if there is damage, if there is damage, it can be cut out and replaced. >> below me are battle erd piles, eight and a half feet in diameter and 300 feet belong and

there are 360 of them buried beneath the bay. these are new for bridges but battered piles have belong been used on are oil rigs in the ocean. they stand at an angle rather than up and down. earthquake crumple zone technology is now being used across the bay area. so the future looks bright and safe in earthquake country. if they can build a safe bridge in the middle of two major faults, the thinking is, anything can be safe. >> do you see a day when all new buildings and structures would implement some of this new technology? >> we hope. we would like to think when cities when a large earthquake comes, it would be an inconvenience, rather than a disaster. and we think these rocking frames are one solution. >> that was fascinate being.

we have looked at tornado technology and what they tend to do is build very solid structures. this seems like it's totally opposite. >> totally opposite. what the engineer spoke about in the piece, the more movement, the more it's going to absorb. they are more flexible and more responsive in the case of a seismic event. >> sure and that's really more in tune with what's actually happening during an earthquake anyway. the way we study earthquakes is we look at them as waves traveling through the earth's surface. not just two plates moving and that's it. >> the technology behind the design of those modular pieces is obviously going to change and adjust and improve. but that's the only piece that you're going to be swapping out. >> brilliant. i love it. amazing stories today, guys. thanks for sharing them and we'll be back next week for more "techknow." >> dive deep behind these stories and behind the scenes,

at aljazeera.com/"techknow." join us on facebook, twitter, google plus and more. >> welcome to al jazeera america. i'm jonathan betz, live in new york. >> new demands from ukraine's protesters as the president decides to return to work after calling out sick. >> a warning to israel, secretary of state john kerry warns of peace talk boycotts if the talks fail. >> philip hoffmann found