Watch Modern Marvels Season 10

Presidential Movers

Aired on Oct 20, 200445m

The vehicles that transport the United States President are no ordinary planes, trains, & automobiles--they're top secret. And for your Average Joe, there are only two ways to find out what they're like inside: get elected or watch this.

S10 E2

Nuclear Tech

Aired on Jul 08, 200444m

Nuclear research can range from bombs and reactors to little-known uses in food and medicine. In this explosive hour, explore how nuclear power generation is used in war and peace.

S10 E6

Oil Fire Fighting

Aired on Mar 03, 200444m

When a burning gusher shoots flames into the air, only a handful know how to snuff out the monster. In this scorching hour, fight fire with fire as we look at heat-resistant clothing, new technology, and regulations protecting oil firefighters.

S10 E7

Command Central

Aired on Mar 17, 200444m

Located in the heart of the Middle East, "Centcom" in Doha, Qatar represents everything a modern military command post can be with the most sophisticated information systems available—from video-conferencing to real-time frontline satellite communication.

S10 E11

Nature's Engineers

Aired on Mar 31, 200444m

Discover the amazing ingenuity of common animals uniquely equipped to remake their world by producing towering structures, intricate tunnels and mighty dams. This is construction, animal-style!

S10 E12

Bible Tech

Aired on Apr 07, 200444m

Arguably the most influential book ever written, the Bible provides a glimpse into the origins of ancient technology. What is the plausibility of the architectural and technological achievements described in the bible?

S10 E14

Bathroom Tech

Aired on Apr 21, 200443m

From the first home baths in ancient India to modern luxurious bathroom suites, we trace the history of bathing, showering, and oral hygiene—revealing the messy truth about what was used before toilet paper and why astronauts wear diapers.

S10 E20

Plane Crashes

Aired on May 26, 200444m

From the beginning of manned flight, plane crashes have terrorized the public. But the truth is, passengers have never been safer. Using famous crashes like TWA Flight 800, we examine aviation safety improvements and what still needs to be done.

S10 E22

Rubber

Aired on Jun 09, 200444m

The story of rubber is more than tires, toys, gloves and gum—it's embedded in all aspects of modern life. We trace rubber's history and future.

S10 E23

City Water

Aired on Jun 15, 200445m

U.S. public water-supply systems serve nearly 99% of the population, yet few users know how the process works. Learn the colorful history of the water systems in Chicago, New York City and Los Angeles when we scour the past and look to the future.

S10 E26

Apollo 11

Aired on Jul 21, 200444m

Experience the flight of Apollo 11 through the eyes of the astronauts, mission controllers, engineers and designers who made it happen.

S10 E28

World War I Tech

Aired on Jul 30, 200444m

See how technological achievements that streamlined 19th-century production, improved transportation, and expanded science were used to efficiently decimate a generation of soldiers in the early 20th century.

S10 E29

Distilleries

Aired on Aug 04, 200444m

Distilling alcoholic spirits is a big business and a near-sacred religion. Trace its history from the one-man/one-still tradition to the Voldstead Act of 1920 that devastated American distilleries to the mega-sales and high-volume distilleries of today.

S10 E30

Oil Tankers

Aired on Aug 11, 200444m

The biggest moving objects ever built, oil tankers dominate the world's waterways, both in size and numbers. We'll dig into the history of oil transport—from Civil War days to the critical WWII years and invention of the supertanker in the 1950s.

S10 E31

Athens' Subway

Aired on Aug 18, 200444m

Under Athens' bustling metropolis, a unique engineering project transformed the city while uncovering secrets of its past.

S10 E37

Police Pursuit

Aired on Sep 22, 200444m

Join us for a high-speed look at police pursuits in an adrenaline-filled hour focused on the history and evolution of the technologies that give law enforcement the upper hand.

S10 E41

Harvesting

Aired on Oct 06, 200444m

Whatever the crop, there's a machine to harvest it. From the debut of the sickle in Egypt to McCormick's famous Reaper to the field of ergonomics, we'll dig into the past and future of the harvest.

S10 E43

Building A Skyscraper: The Human Environment

Aired on Oct 10, 200445m

In hour three of a crash course on mega-skyscraper construction, take a closer look at the human element involved in the development of systems like air conditioning and pressurized elevators.

S10 E44

Building A Skyscraper: The Arteries

Aired on Oct 10, 200443m

For two years, we've followed the construction of the new California Department of Transportation headquarters in LA to learn the architectural, structural, and mechanical challenges of building mega-skyscrapers.

S10 E56

Engineering Disasters 13

Aired on Nov 16, 200443m

Death seeps out of the ground into a neighborhood sitting on a toxic waste dump; soldiers die due to software flaws during Desert Storm; the science of demolition is put to the test - and fails.

S10 E61

Snackfood Tech

Aired on Dec 16, 200443m

Watch these machines make delicious treats for your mouth! Visit Snyder's of Hanover (pretzels), Utz Quality Foods (chips), and Dreyer's Bakersfield (ice cream), as well as Masterfoods USA, which makes Milky Way, Snickers, Mars, and M&Ms.

S10 E62

Engineering Disasters 15

Aired on Dec 08, 200443m

A deadly accident traps hundreds in a smoke-filled Alpine tunnel; three boilers explode on a Mississippi riverboat; a cockpit warning system malfunctions, causing a crash before the jetliner ever takes off.

S10 E62

More Dangerous Cargo

Aired on Dec 21, 200444m

Dangerous cargo comes in all shapes and sizes--requiring meticulously planned procedures to ship potentially deadly loads. Special trucks and containers are as vital for the movement of dynamite as they are for storage of hazardous chemical materials.

S10 E65

Commercial Fishing

Aired on Dec 22, 200444m

Seafood is a popular dish, no matter how you serve it, and Americans consume more than 5-billion pounds yearly--an order that takes more than a fishing rod to fill and worries conservationists.

S10 E67

Pacific Coast Highway

Aired on Feb 04, 200441m

For 25 years, construction crews dug, blasted, tunneled, and bridged their way up America's West Coast along the California, Oregon, and Washington shoreline to build the magnificent Pacific Coast Highway. Explore its history and upkeep.

S10 E70

Doomsday Tech

Aired on Dec 28, 200444m

Explore the tech developed to create and respond to doomsday threats ranging from very real (nuclear arsenals) to controversial (global warming) to futuristic (nanotechnology, cyborgs, and robots).

S10 E71

More Doomsday Tech

Aired on Dec 28, 200443m

The second deadly hour examines more threats--both natural and manmade--that may endanger civilization. From the far reaches of space to tiny viruses, doomsday sources are many. But so are technologies used to keep doomsday at bay.