Modern Marvels

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  • History
  • 22
  • Documentary History

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8
8x1
Home Tech
Episode overview
From the outhouse to the smart house, our lives have improved drastically in the last 150 years. Convenience and comfort have always been considerations in home design.
8x2
Proving Grounds
Episode overview
Where can you fire a missile without scaring the neighbors? Or lift millions of pounds in pursuit of a couple of ounces of gold? On a proving ground, of course, where performance is the only thing that matters.
8x3
Commercial Jets
Episode overview
Fasten your seatbelts as we take off on a flight through the history of commercial aviation--from the first jet passenger plane, the de Havilland Comet, to today's wide-body jets and the supersonic Concorde.
8x4
U-Boats
Episode overview
They prowled the chilly depths of the ocean. Like wolves they hunted in packs and picked off prey, and unleashed a special brand of mayhem on allied ships. They put a chock hold on England and nearly starved her into submission, twice in one century.
8x5
Apollo 13
Episode overview
When an oxygen tank exploded in the command module of Apollo 13, the prospects for the three astronauts aboard were exceedingly grim. But they defied the odds.
8x6
Survival Tech
Episode overview
In an historic survey of man's adaptation to killer environmental conditions, we travel to the desert, the Arctic, the sea, jungle, and space, charting the body's physiological responses .. show full overview
8x7
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel
Episode overview
Named one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern age, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel connects Virginia proper with its easternmost landmass. Stretching 17 miles across the .. show full overview
8x8
Garage Gadgets
Episode overview
From lawn care products to snow removal and outdoor cooking, the garage gadgets for do-it-yourselfers have evolved over the decades to meet the ever-changing challenges of maintaining a home.
8x9
Monster Trucks
Episode overview
Ride shotgun in our rollicking history of the Monster Truck, and meet the father of the mythic beast, Bob Chandler, whose Bigfoot gave birth to the sport in a cornfield years ago.
8x10
Lighthouses
Episode overview
From the earliest known lighthouses, such as the Pharos of Alexandria, to modern-day automated buoys and solar-powered lantern rooms, this history of lighthouses is rich with personal .. show full overview
8x11
The Pentagon
Episode overview
The Pentagon…The name alone conjures up an imposing image of American power and prestige. As the largest office building in the world, it serves as the headquarters of the nation’s armed forces.
8x12
Computers
Episode overview
The development of computers from Charles Babbage's mechanical computers first used in the 1890 U. S. Census, to the computers developed during WW2 to break the German Enigma code--from .. show full overview
8x13
Engineering Disasters 3
Episode overview
When design flaws fell projects, the cost is often exacted in lives. Why did the Tower of Pisa begin to lean by as much as 17 feet; what caused the first nuclear accident in 1961; what .. show full overview
8x14
Battleships: Then and Now
Episode overview
This episode has no summary.
8x15
Chemical and Biological Weapons
Episode overview
The history and technology of chemical and biological weapons going back at least 4,000 years.
8x16
International Airports 2
Episode overview
The developments and technology of international airports' construction and operation.
8x17
Codes
Episode overview
As the social life of a community increases in complexity, the demands for private communication between two or more people inevitably lead to cryptology. Explore the rich history of .. show full overview
8x18
The M-16
Episode overview
Built in the 1950's, the M-16 has become the primary service rifle for the U.S. military. Many of the improvements which have taken place were done during and after Vietnam, when the rifle was often pitted against the Russian-made AK-47.
8x19
The Colosseum
Episode overview
Nothing symbolizes the Roman Empire at its height or Rome in magnificent ruins more than the Colosseum. Built in 70 AD, it seated 80,000 people, boasted a retractable roof, underground .. show full overview
8x20
Power Plants
Episode overview
Mankind controls the environment in a variety of ways--whether by capturing the force of a river, harnessing the power in coal or oil, controlling a nuclear reaction, or transforming the .. show full overview
8x21
Battle Gear
Episode overview
From battle armor to bubble gum, you might be surprised by what soldiers have carried into battle--and what they'll carry in future wars.
8x22
Hadrian's Wall
Episode overview
74-miles long and 2,000 years old, Hadrian's Wall winds over the hills and valleys of Northern England, marking the northernmost extent of a long-dead empire. Ordered built by the .. show full overview
8x23
Hardware Stores
Episode overview
Join us for a nuts-and-bolts look at the history and evolution of those places that hold our world together. From the local blacksmith to Home Depot, it's the story of nails, screws, mollybolts, duct tape, and superglue.
8x24
World Trade Center
Episode overview
For a time, its towers were the tallest buildings on Earth. The World Trade Center, an engineering marvel, came to symbolize American prosperity and strength. Recalling a more innocent .. show full overview
8x25
More Gadgets
Episode overview
A salute to the tools and toys that have stood the test of time--from the Zippo lighter to the Palm Pilot. As we focus on the technology behind familiar gadgets, we see the subtle ways they have changed our lives.
8x26
Cattle Ranches
Episode overview
We review the history of cattle ranching. We'll ride herd with modern cowboys as they twirl ropes and brand calves, and look to the cattle ranch of the future, where cloning will produce .. show full overview
8x27
Saloons
Episode overview
From a ladle and tin cup in an 1850s mining camp and Civil War tent saloons to Prohibition-era speakeasies, we investigate the history of the American saloon.
8x28
The Spitfire
Episode overview
The Supermarine Spitfire is a revolutionary fighter plane.
8x29
Construction Machines
Episode overview
Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment. Ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below sea level to view dredging .. show full overview
8x30
Cannons
Episode overview
Cannons have fired balls of iron and atomic bombs, changed the way wars are fought, and now come equipped with smart weapons.
8x31
Nuclear Subs
Episode overview
The most priceless jewels in the arsenals of a handful of countries, some nuclear submarines carry more firepower than all the bombs dropped in history. Engineering miracles, which roam .. show full overview
8x32
Air Shows
Episode overview
Ever since the first air show captivated onlookers in 1909, stunt pilots and famous flyers have entertained enthusiasts with aerial acrobatics. MODERN MARVELS: AIR SHOWS looks at the .. show full overview
8x33
West Point
Episode overview
For nearly 200 years, the U.S. Military Academy® at West Point, New York, has trained students in the art of war. From humble beginnings, the Academy® grew with the nation, as each war .. show full overview
8x34
Quarries
Episode overview
The history of how rocks are quarried for every day uses and the history of how Stone Age man began to quarry rocks to form civilization.
8x35
Diamond Mines
Episode overview
From the earliest mines of the 4th century BC to today's technological wonders in South Africa, we explore the history and technology of the diamond mine.
8x36
The Secret Life of the Crash Test Dummy
Episode overview
A history of the history of crash test dummies. Beginning at the use of crash test dummies in airplane crash simulations to the newest automobile crash test dummies.
8x37
The House Part 1
Episode overview
This episode has no summary.
8x38
The House Part 2
Episode overview
This episode has no summary.
8x39
Work Clothes
Episode overview
From the riveted blue jeans of the old ’49ers working the gold mines of California to the million-dollar suits astronauts wear in outer space, we see how “dressing for success” often .. show full overview
8x40
Bunkers
Episode overview
From the earliest bunkers of WWI through the ultra-futuristic ones of tomorrow's wars, we trace the story of defensive fortifications. In the constant struggle to hold off ever more potent forms of attack, bunkers function in a variety of forms.
8x41
Cemeteries
Episode overview
A look at dealing with the dead throughout the centuries, and at today's $20-billion funeral industry. Any way you look at it, it's a healthy business, with new generations of customers year after year.
8x42
Drive-Thru
Episode overview
Join us for a ride through the history of car-culture commerce. We chronicle the birth of the first drive-in restaurants that paved the way for a billion-dollar fast-food dynasty, and .. show full overview
8x43
Los Angeles
Episode overview
Los Angeles is explored. Marvels include the Metro Red Line subway system; the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum; Disneyland; the Getty Center; and the freeway system.
8x38
Times Square
Episode overview
It lies at the heart of one of the world’s greatest cities and ranks among the most popular tourist destinations on the planet. Modern Marvels takes you behind the scenes at Times .. show full overview
8x45
Glass
Episode overview
Glass may be our most versatile material. It sheathes skyscrapers, contains liquids, aids vision, allows communication at unimaginable speeds, and yet remains a medium for artistic .. show full overview
8x46
Firing Ranges
Episode overview
Discover how military and police personnel, as well as private citizens, hone their shooting skills with one of the oldest of training techniques when we review the history of firing ranges.
8x47
The St. Louis Arch
Episode overview
It is a majestic structure that rises boldly over the Mississippi River--40,000 tons of steel and concrete that create the biggest arch of its kind in the world. We'll see how its simple .. show full overview
8x35
War Games
Episode overview
Fast, furious, and deadly, modern warfare is the most intensely demanding activity ever undertaken by mankind. But to wage war, one must first practice it. To achieve this extremely high .. show full overview
8x46
James Bond Gadgets
Episode overview
This program examines the props that put the wow in James Bond films. They included the cars from Aston Martin, BMW, Lotus and Rolls Royce, the autogyro "Little Nellie", the Q boat and .. show full overview

Characters