E1 - Corn

Aired: November 13, 2008

Let’s get right to the point: Corn is much more than a backyard barbecue side dish. In fact, there are more than 3,500 different uses for corn products: Chewing gum, peanut butter, vitamins, paint, antibiotics and ethanol fuel are just few examples.

E2 - Turkey

Aired: November 20, 2008

According to the University of Illinois Extension, 97 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving, and 87 percent of people in the U.K. eat turkey at Christmas. Roasting up a big bird is a treat -- it's probably fair to say that many of these noshers look forward to their meaty meals long before the holidays.

E3 - Timber

Aired: December 04, 2008

Log cabins may be a historical footnote and fossil fuels may reign supreme, but forests remain critical natural resources. What does the future hold for Paul Bunyan's favorite industry?

E4 - Water

Aired: December 11, 2008

You could call water a liquid paradox.

E5 - Beer

Aired: December 18, 2008

Barley, water, hops and yeast might not sound like a recipe for success, but to the beer connoisseur, the fine balance of those four ingredients is the stuff of legend.

E6 - Aluminum

Aired: January 08, 2009

If you need a handy metal, you can't get much better than aluminum.

E7 - Wheat

Aired: January 15, 2009

Nutritional and versatile, wheat isn't just for food anymore. Explore its surprising uses in everything from brewing beverages to building houses.

E8 - Coffee

Aired: January 22, 2009

From Columbia to coffeehouses we talk to farmers, baristas, and everyone in between about the incredible beverage that fuels the World.

E9 - Salt

Aired: January 29, 2009

We delve into the science of salt, the prehistoric, life-sustaining mineral that has 14,000 known uses from seasoning food to so much more.

E10 - Rubber

Aired: February 12, 2009

Durable, flexible, waterproof, and of course, bouncy, rubber is versatile enough for things as different as basketballs and Hollywood special effects.

E11 - Lead

Aired: February 19, 2009

Lead has gone from a dangerous to indispensable product that is evolving past its former stigma to become an integral part of our daily lives.

E12 - Steel

Aired: March 21, 2009

Examining steel from its influence in Industrial Age innovations to its role in building bridges and battleships.