According to Hollywood, evil robots are all around us, disguised as cars and trucks. But what the movies don't explain is what kind of mechanical power allows a Camero to stand up and move around like a human. Dr. Michio Kaku is on a quest to build a real life shapeshifting Transformer. On the way, he takes a ride in the amazing hydraulic cars of New York's 'Lunatic Low Riders' and explains the awesome power of a hydraulic smashing crane. At Pittsburgh Zoo, he gets an audience with Nature's greatest transformer — a color changing, shapeshifting, fifty pound hunk of muscle that can squeeze itself through a hole the size of a quarter. Over at Carnegie Mellon, researchers are more impressed with the abilities of the snake. Their robotic serpent can adapt itself to any terrain as it searches for the survivors of disasters. Its modular design impresses Michio as he puts the finishing touches to his very own version of Optimus Prime.

• Michio Kaku