Modern Marvels

Swamp Tech

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 64 - 10/24/11

It's a great American wilderness--millions of acres of wild, primeval land with its own people, its own technology...and its own rules. Survival there depends on smarts and science, guts and grueling work...and a unique approach to one of the world's most uncompromising environments--swamps. Watch an assembly of the distinctive airboat, then hop on board for a breathtaking journey and discover the surprising history behind this swamp staple of transportation. Take a wild ride on a big-tired swamp buggy, and taste test some local delicacies that bring new meaning to "acquired taste." Witness a massive engineering project to divert the mighty Mississippi River, and meet the machines that make that job possible. Plus come face to face, literally, with enormous pythons and menacing alligators.moreless

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Modern Marvels: Mega Food Countdown

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 61 - 8/27/12

"Modern Marvels is going big, and counting down. We take the "best of" Modern Marvels and give you the MEGA Top 10 countdown. On this edition, the top ten guilty pleasures you just can\'t resist... America\'s Favorite Foods.moreless

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Mega Weapon Countdown

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 60 - 7/30/12

Modern Marvels is going big, and counting down. We take the "best of" Modern Marvels and give you the MEGA Top 10 countdown. On this edition: Amazing Weapons. They're every arsenal's best asset and every enemy's worst nightmare and we're counting them down to the most amazing weapon of all.moreless

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Alaska

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 56 - 2/27/12

Tour of the nation's 49th state.

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Shoes

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 55 - 2/6/12

The history of shoes, including some of the best and worst.

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Under Pressure

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 54 - 1/30/12

A look at pressure and all things to do with it.

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Stink

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 53 - 1/23/12

The history of some of the worst smells.

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Tiny Weapons

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 52 - 1/16/12

A look at some useful, tiny weapons.

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Waterproof

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 51 - 1/10/12

A variety of waterproof items and their significance.

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Battle Ready

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 50 - 1/2/12

Equipment U.S. soldiers wear to protect themselves.

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Convenience Stores

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 49 - 12/26/11

The history of convenience stores.

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Weird Machines

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 46 - 11/28/11

Unusual and somewhat "weird" machines are taken a look at.

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Food Trucks

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 45 - 11/14/11

The history and variety of food trucks.

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Pocket Tools

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 44 - 11/8/11

The history and variety of tools that fit in your pocket.

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Inside Your Walls

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 41 - 10/3/11

Material inside your walls are examined.

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American Trucking

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 40 - 2/4/11

Truckers and the job of "trucking" throughout the United States.

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Ropes & Chains

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 32 - 1/28/11

Modern Marvel's Ropes & Chains takes viewers on a journey into a number of factories to watch different ropes and chains being made, as well as how different workers use them. Viewers see how dock workers, rock climbers, and bungee-jumpers depend on strong ropes every day for safety measures. They may be amazed as they see how steel chain links are made, and how they are used in combination with ropes to anchor boats and ships.moreless

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Grease

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 31 - 1/21/11

In our lifelong battle to fight friction, Grease--in all its forms--is the unsung hero. Journey deep into places few people ever get to see, to discover the "hidden" uses of one of our most slippery products inside giant machines. We'll also investigate how it's made in a factory in New York, as well as what new advances some are working towards for grease of the future. But in the meantime, we'll witness how it is currently used inside a US Navy aircraft carrier, San Francisco's famous cable cars, elevators and escalators, assembly lines, huge excavators, amusement park rides, and even the Panama Canal. From pig fat to nano-particles... amazing Grease keeps everything rolling along--smooth and fast.moreless

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Packaging

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 30 - 1/14/11

It's all around us, so much a part of our lives that we forget it's there, but try to survive a day without packaging. At a Michigan company that designs water bottles, see how engineers find inspiration from a bell pepper. In New Jersey, the makers of bubble wrap clue you in on their manufacturing secrets. In Texas, workers conquer the challenge of packaging the world's largest crane. And also see how America's military goods and supplies are packaged and shipped by the United States Transportation Command.moreless

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Driver's Seat

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 28 - 12/21/10

Get behind the wheel and take control of the some of the largest, fastest, most powerful machines on the planet. These aren't your average vehicles--and handling one of these rides is unlike anything else. But you need more than just a learner's permit to take control of these vehicles...you need training, experience, and above all, guts--if you plan to sit in the Driver's Seat.moreless

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Built to Last

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 26 - 12/3/10

Enter the amazing and ingenious ultra-sturdy shelters, machines, containers, materials and packaging designed to deny the ruination of society. The drive to create the indestructible has inspired some of the most prolific and awe inspiring results: The Cold War spawned personal bomb shelters in the 1950s. They weren't truly safe and secure, but today's 21st century version will last a millennium. And so will the special food you can get, along with all the comforts of home--like running water, plumbing and electricity. Caskets serve as our final resting place, but how long do they really last? Investigate how valuable data from a plane crash survives in a "black box" (that's not really black), to explain what might have caused the accident. And get an intimate look at the new "home" that protects and preserves one of the world's most valuable documents--the case that houses the original Declaration of Independence.moreless

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Dogs

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 24 - 11/26/10

Man's best friend--fearless, faithful, determined and swift. They're our sharpest eyes, noses and ears--and among the bravest hunters, soldiers, rescuers, and protectors. From natural instincts to complex training, see what makes dogs a perfectly engineered Modern Marvel.moreless

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Hulu

Free

Engineering Disasters 22

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 23 - 11/19/10

They are catastrophic failures with deadly consequences. Caused by a single spark or a massive collapse, these disasters reveal one thing--the danger inherent in our most common industries. From a massive oil spill to refinery blaze to a downed plane, find out what went wrong... and how to prevent the next engineering disaster.moreless

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Mega Stores

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 20 - 10/29/10

The colossal cornerstones of commerce. Oversized outfitters. Merchandise Moguls. Mega Stores are giant facilities engineered to keep up with America's supersized habits. They are the largest, busiest places in the country. Their greatest challenge: keeping up with demand on a massive scale, and to do it, they have everything from scuba divers to sandblasters. It's not what's on the shelves--it's what happens behind the scenes.moreless

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Top Ten

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 19 - 6/17/10

We can't live without them and yet they didn't even exist a couple of decades ago. We'll count down our list of the top ten technological innovations of the last generation. Have they made human existence exponentially better, or more fragmented and precarious? Tune in to find out what they are, and how they've impacted our lives.moreless

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Doors

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 17 - 6/6/10

Take a look at the tallest doors in the world at the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Visit a company that makes blast doors and bulletproof doors. Learn about the surprisingly complex process involved in making home doors, as well as what goes into those commercial entries and exits we use everyday--the revolving door and the turnstile. At the Southwestern Foundation for Biomedical Research, enter through an airlock into their level 4 biohazard lab. The Cleveland Federal Reserve doesn't even send people into their vaults; its robots go in and out. Try some aviation entries and exits--the jet way used to board a plane, the airplane emergency exit procedures we hope to never use, and ejection seats, the fastest exit anywhere. Then, an engineering firm that designs hidden doors will take viewers to see a few of their secret entries. Finally, take a quick look at doors that go nowhere, at the Winchester Mystery House.moreless

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Super Steam

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 16 - 5/27/10

It's full steam ahead when we drop in at Jay Leno's garage as Jay fires up two of his classic steam cars and takes viewers for a couple of rides. Jay also shows off his 11-ton steam engine built in 1860, back when pigs had to be slaughtered to keep it lubricated. In northern Nevada, fire up a coal burning boiler and get a 100-year-old steam locomotive chugging across the rugged landscape. In New Orleans, board an authentic paddlewheel steamboat. Trek to the Southern California desert where geothermal steam rushes up from the ground and drives electricity producing turbines, powering over 300,000 homes. In New York City, find out why manmade steam surges into some of the world's most famous skyscrapers. Steam clean some very dirty machines, and do a little laundry, too. And ride a steam-driven carousel and play with some strange, steam-powered robots that are part of a movement called--what else--"steampunk."moreless

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Keep Out

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 15 - 5/20/10

Either someone has something to protect, or it's dangerous in there. Challenge the world's best safecracker to defeat a bank vault, and see the methods a bank uses to protect its money and tellers. Travel to New Mexico to find out how the government plans to keep people away from a nuclear waste site for the next 10,000 years. Tour Master Lock to see how padlocks and combination locks are made, as well as how facial recognition, irises, and even vein structure can "unlock" biometric locks. With Customs and Border Protection, watch how officers stop illegals and contraband from entering the U.S. Tour a company that specializes in making products like steel nets to keep out people and vehicles. Visit a command center that monitors all airspace in and around the U.S. Finally, see how cages and other deterrents tell sharks to KEEP OUT!moreless

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Breaking Point

Full Episode

S 16 : Ep 14 - 5/13/10

Get ready to examine points of failure in ultra slow motion. Watch drivers crash cars and trucks at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to find their breaking points, and to find the breaking points of the crash dummies inside. At Underwriter's Laboratories, fire rounds at bullet proof glass until it breaks, and see how long it will take experts to breach a safe using more and more powerful tools. Watch as lithium-ion batteries catch fire and blow up at Sandia National Laboratories. At Arizona State University, find the breaking points of steel, concrete--even Kevlar jet engine containment systems. See how a bike helmet guards against the skull reaching its breaking point, then fire high-speed projectiles at Oakley's sport glasses and military grade goggles to see if they survive. And at Black Diamond, scale a rock face with a professional climber to find the breaking point of the carabineers and chalks upon which his very life depends.moreless

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