i'm phil torrez. i'm here with marita and rachelle. you went to alabama. >> i did go to alabama, i got to see how the town is using bamboo to revitalize and pull itself up by its boot straps. >> let's check it out. >> deep in the heart of rural alabama. the once thriving town of greensboro is struggling for survival. a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line. work is scarce. the catfish capital is fighting to keep its head above water. >> what was the economy like when you got here? >> about 75% of all the shops in shut down. >> but there's one thing they have plenty of. >> we have a lot of bamboo. if you have a lot of bamboo you have got to have a product to make out of it. >> pam door a big city clothing designers chucked that to become a one woman stimulus plan for greensboro, running the hero foundation and she tapped into the town's unwanted resource to do it. bamboo bicycles aren't exactly a new idea. they've been around since the first one was introduced back in 1894. and now they're really gaining popularity in s

i'm phil torrez here to talk about innovations that can change lives. we're going to explore the intersection of hardware and humanity . lindsay moran is a former cia agent, kyle hill is an engineer, tonight he's got the dirtiest job and the science that can revolutionize indians's dairy farms. michelle nixon, and i'm phil tors. that' torrez and let's do some science. >> we are back for another exciting show and lindsay you can start us off. this is important to you as a mother. >> i did a story on ballistic backpacks and bulletproof backpacks. one being a former cia officer who thinks any layer of added security is good and one as a mom in do i really want to give my kids the idea that this kind of technology is going to keep them safe? let's have a look. >> as a former cia agent i learned how to shoot a variety of guns. so when techknow asked me to cover a story about the trend in bulletproof back to school supplies, it intrigued me. as a former operative and as a mom. back to school shopping it's always the most stressful time of year for parents lik

i'm phil torrez, here to talk about innovations that are going to change lives. we're testing the intersection of hardware and humanity. rax is a neuroscientist. she has the invocation of bamboo and carbon. mar inkta davidson is a biologist specializing in ecologist and evolution. and i'm phil torrez. i'm an entomologist. but i'm over america for a very bad ride. how bad is our air? that's our team.

weeknights 10 eastern on al jazeera america >> ♪ ♪ >> hey guys welcome back to techknow, i'm phil torrez. i'm with the guys. but i don't know if you agree with me but when you put that technology in the classroom they're putting up the shield. if somebody is in there with the gun they should get out of there. >> that's true. even in the cia we are trained to get off the x, get out of the dangerous situation. not necessarily to try to defend ourselves. this is kind of using a very old technology to address an issue that it's very pai paramount inr society, how do we protect our kids, how do we prevent another tragedy like at newtown. let's take a look. sadly, plas --mass shoot beings seem to be part of the american landscape. i set out to protect the most vulnerable, our children. back at hard wire, i asked for my personal training session of how to use a white board as a shield. >> it's designed to close the gap. good. >> can i give it a try? >> absolutely. >> i'm going to ask you not to come full speed, it's very hard. >> shut the door. position themselves so they can confront the attac

and i'm phil torrez. i'm an entomologist. but i'm over america for a very bad ride. how bad is our air? that's our team.

i'm phil torrez here to talk about innovations that can change lives. we're going to explore the intersection of hardware and humanity . lindsay moran is a former cia agent, kyle hill is an engineer, tonight he's got the dirtiest job and the science that can revolutionize indians's dairy farms. michelle nixon, and i'm phil tors.