America's cities are crumbling under poor infrastructure, and politicians aren't willing to spend the money needed to fix it. On the most recent infrastructure report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, America's infrastructure got a D+. Trillions of dollars will be needed to bring our roads, bridges, and dams out of the danger zone.

Ally Maque ("ASMRRequests" on YouTube) makes popular videos that contain whispering, hair-brushing, and other actions that can trigger a pleasurable tingly sensation in the brain, known as ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response). In some videos, Ally (who calls herself an "ASMRtist") plays the character of a makeup artist or hair stylist.

Live adult webcam modeling, also known as "camming," is estimated to be a billion-dollar industry, and it's drawing in both amateur and professional models with its promises of autonomy, flexible hours, and less potential for exploitation than the traditional porn industry.

Virtual reality has gotten a ton of hype over the years. But the reality of VR technology has been less than exciting, and some problems-like expensive hardware and a small number of available apps-has kept VR from achieving its potential as a tool for more than video games and movies.

From "Blade Runner" to "Ex Machina," robotic lovers have been a staple fantasy of sci-fi films for years. But one man-RealDoll CEO Matt McMullen-is trying to make AI-enhanced sex robots a reality. In his factory in San Marcos, California, McMullen is experimenting with adding artificial intelligence to his high-end, ultra-lifelike silicone "love dolls," which cost more than $5,000 apiece.

For decades, if you want to be a famous entertainer, you either had to go on TV, star in a movie, or get a record deal. But today, celebrity is made online. Social media platforms are allowing a new generation of social media stars to bypass the traditional gatekeepers and connect directly with their fans.

For the first time in more than a century, the Los Angeles City Council officially legalized urban beekeeping in single family homes in October 2015, catching up with cities like Santa Monica, New York, and Santa Barbara in permitting backyard beekeeping. Read more: http://bit.ly/1RXP2Xn

One of the most fascinating musical inventions in recent memory are "vocaloids," synthetic pop singers that are created by special music-writing software and animated with illustrated avatars. They're completely digital, and completely crowdsourced - no human singers required. Vocaloids are already huge in Japan, where vocaloid Hatsune Miku has become a national celebrity.

FabLab is goin' to the dogs. In this episode, the Fab Team investigates how science and tech are helping dogs or helping dogs help others.

Do illegal street drugs have a place in your doctor's office? TechKnow gains exclusive access to an experimental new study - Using illicit drugs to revolutionize the way we treat illness - is it a risk worth taking?

The great GMO debate - Meet the scientists pushing boundaries and the protesters fighting back. Is your food safe?

Watch and read more here about A New Face of Homelessness: http://bit.ly/1DNn6k0 "SoCal Connected" reveals a different form of homelessness; encampments along a riverbed in the affluent community of Santa Clarita. Unlike residents on L.A.'s Skid Row, people like Mike Crosby prefer to remain less visible.

Watch and read more here about Urban Farming: A Food Desert Oasis: http://bit.ly/1CbcELQ Can an urban farm make a difference in a community labeled a food desert? "SoCal Connected" goes to South El Monte where Earthworks, an urban farm, is changing the diets of families and children.

Watch and read more here about Crisis Training for Ventura Cops: Going Beyond the Call of Duty: http://bit.ly/1HN6mYe Reporter Cara Santa Maria looks at how police departments across Ventura County have implemented comprehensive crisis intervention training for all officers. Recent fatal cases of police confrontations with the mentally ill have highlighted the need for better officer training.

Watch and read more here about Zumba and Feminism-powered Fitness: http://bit.ly/1zX98dD Three nights a week in a neighborhood in El Monte, women do their hair and makeup as if they were going out on the town. Instead they are headed to an intensive exercise class.

Watch and read more here about How Safe is Your Child's Sports Field: http://bit.ly/1GaeDrY On athletic fields, grass is a thing of the past - artificial turf has largely taken over. Many of these fields are covered in fake dirt called crumb rubber.

Watch and read more here about Restoring Southern California's Kelp Forests: http://bit.ly/1vrljNr Over the last 100 years, the Palos Verdes Peninsula has lost 75 percent of its kelp forests. Kelp is a type of seaweed that can grow up to two feet a day in coastal waters.

Watch and read more here about Sexism and Comic Cons: http://bit.ly/1w9UeuY Every year, tens of thousands of comic book, sci-fi, and movie fans flock to crowded convention centers and large arenas to reenact and cosplay some of their favorite characters.

There's a revolution that's happening right behind the doors of Newlight Technologies, a company that is working to transform greenhouse gases into the products you buy everyday. "Reverse the flow of carbon. Change the world" is one of their trademarked phrases. Their hope is to reduce the amount of carbon in the air and help replace oil-based plastics.

Spurred by a bet, Natural History Museum curator Brian Brown went on a mission to uncover new species of bugs in the comfort of his colleague's own backyard. Brown defied the odds and identified a new bug to science. The discovery soon became the framework for a larger citywide initiative dedicated to biodiversity and the discovery of new species of insects.

After an arduous three months in rehabilitation, two young elephant seals are finally ready to be released back into the ocean by a team at the California Wildlife Center. Before their release, elephant seals Ellen and Violet were found in highly debilitating and malnourished conditions, weighing 63, and 55 pounds, respectively.

In 1938, Los Angeles experienced a devastating flood that prompted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to step in and build concrete banks to form and transform what is now known as the Los Angeles River. Last month, the federal government gave the green flag on a $1 billion plan to restore an 11-mile stretch.

There's something fishy about those seafood labels. California is notorious for having one of the highest mislabeling rates in the nation, according to Oceana, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the ocean. The nonprofit also found that nearly 52 percent of seafood from grocery stores and sushi restaurants throughout L.A.

Car giant Honda drives sustainability research with its innovative zero-net energy homes. Honda's smart house is an innovative eco-friendly, energy efficient lab, that is able to generate its own power as a solution to living off the grid.

Penn Vet Working Dog Center's amazing cancer detecting dogs and training program are showcased on Al Jazeera America's TechKnow program.

"TechKnow" is Al Jazeera America's weekly series about innovations that can change lives. It's a show about science-by scientists. Watch Saturdays at 7:30pm ET/4:30pm PT. Learn more at aljazeera.com/techknow.