Ever wonder how today's technology works? Modern Marvels goes behind the world's most fascinating innovations to see how they came to be.
It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches and melts—and we eat about 7-billion tons of it yearly. We're talking about candy! In this sugary hour, we’ll digest the latest and greatest candy sensations.
From drilling for water in the New Mexico desert to searching for oil in the Gulf, this episode penetrates the world of drilling and explores its colorful history.
From Apple computers to the Sony Walkman, remember all the new and exciting gadgets of the 1980s? Join us as we investigate the transition from Industrial to Information Age—a digital decade.
Heavy metals including copper, uranium, lead, zinc and nickel are so essential to America's economic and military might that they are stored in the National Defense Stockpile. We plan a riveting visit.
Buckle up for a rip-roaring ride through the world of extreme horsepower. Experience the fastest cars on earth and meet the horsepower police who test today's most powerful engines.
An old-fashioned style of cooking, barbecue has evolved into a modern food craze and spawned a multi-billion dollar industry. We digest famous barbecue cook-offs and visit some famous BBQ restaurants.
Pirates have terrorized the high seas since before recorded history. Explore the many innovations pirates have brought to maritime technology. Includes a look at how many pirates modified their ships to make them faster and more powerful.
It's nature's elixir. The only substance on Earth that can exist in three separate forms at the same temperature. Explore water's multidimensional character--from the $10-billion bottled water industry to its critical role in a Canadian nuclear reactor.
Explore the history of America’s freight trains, and go inside what is considered the greatest freight transportation system in the world, the Union Pacific's Bailey Yard—a pit stop for much of the nation's freight on its journey across the continent.
To protect the Earth from global warming, see how we can harness renewable energy, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, and tidal power into clean, reliable sources of heat and electricity.
It's ink and it's everywhere. From squid to soybeans, from ancient text to awesome tattoos, join us as we dip into the well for the 3,000-year history of ink.
From the elite to the illegal, the banned, to the celebrated, the distillation of spirits is a 50 billion dollar a year business. We visit brandy, liqueur, moonshine and absinthe distilleries to see how this magic is done.
"Strength" is a powerful word, but how is it measured? Why are some things simply stronger than others? Find out what makes the strongest tractor, the strongest rope, the strongest natural mineral on earth.
Discovered around 18,000 years ago, tobacco was first cultivated in the Andes between 5000 and 3000 B.C. Includes interview with the Surgeon General as well as a look at smokeless methods of consumption and the use of nicotine replacement therapy.
Explore the psychology of the supermarket including store layout, lighting, music and aromas. And learn how technological advancements are making to the market as efficient as possible.
It slices and squeezes, sorts and sizes, mixes and cooks. Every morning we count on it to keep our orange juice fresh, our eggs whole, our cereals flaked and our McGriddle syrupy. We look at the technology behind breakfast food.
A defeated Napoleon drowned his sorrows in it; Thomas Jefferson became obsessed with it. Chart the history and explosive growth of wine as an integral part of our culture.
In America's orchards and fields, the constant struggle between hand labor and mechanization has produced dozens of efficient and sometimes bizarre harvesting methods. We'll learn the secrets of fruit pickers, cranberry marshes, mushroom farms and more.
Travel two miles into the sky, to the tops of mountains and to some of the finest ski resorts in the world to learn about the secrets of snow.
Nearly one-third of the world's population celebrates Christmas by decorating with trees, lights and ornaments. Visit some of the most famous Christmas displays in the world and learn about the technology powering them.
Explore the series of events that led to one of the worst industrial accidents in the United States, look at what went wrong with NASA's Skylab in 1974, and examine the fire that destroyed a gas company in 2005.
Tea has existed as a drink for 5000 years, and 6 billion pounds are harvested annually. Learn about tea’s global and political history. And visit plantations, factories, and a high-end boutique.
