When Discovery Channel wanted to better understand aluminum, one of the world’s most recyclable materials, for its new television series, “How Stuff Works,” they came to Alcoa.
The program, which is based on the website How Stuff Works, deconstructs everyday commodities such as corn, wheat, iron and aluminum. To produce the aluminum segment, the Discovery Channel visited Alcoa facilities in Western Australia, Tennessee, Iowa, Indiana and Pennsylvania. The producers interviewed employees from these locations to explain aluminum’s properties, how it’s made, and end products produced with the metal. The one-hour program shows that aluminum is a critical ingredient in everything from lasers to soda cans, airplanes to bulletproof glass, and that aluminum is still inspiring innovation after decades of use.
Dr. Mohammad Zaidi, Alcoa Executive Vice President Market Strategy, Technology, and Quality, who is among the Alcoa employees featured in the program, says, “Aluminum is everywhere. And there’s a reason for that. It’s a versatile material. Aluminum combines all the characteristics required to be more versatile for design. Aluminum is the metal of the future.”
The show is scheduled to air on February 14, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. Check local listings for time and date.
The Discovery Channel is part of Discovery Communications, the world’s number one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services includes HowStuffWorks.com