Modern Marvels (1993)

Since ancient times, man has tried to control the "devil's bounty"–deadly substances found throughout nature. Paradoxically, some of these…

Engage the satellite navigation, fire-up the fuel cell, and activate the radar-guided cruise control! You’re in for the joyride of your lif…

Join us as we explore the vast and varied world of the arch, one of the strongest and most versatile structures made by man. Deceptively si…

Think man is unique within the animal kingdom? You might not after this hour that features an amazing collection of earth's non-human inhab…

Giant robots on the factory floor and in outer space. A floating fortress that's home to 6,000 military personnel, which is almost as long…

Designed in the late 1950s by aeronautical genius Kelly Johnson at the mysterious Skunkworks, the SR-71 Blackbird was the world’s first ste…

In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food chain, carving a carcass of unsavory flesh into mouthwatering cuts. We tr…

One of the 20th century’s greatest scientists, George Washington Carver’s influence is still felt. Rising from slavery to become one of the…

This episode of Modern Marvels examines the most extreme raging fires and the firefighters who tame them. The program features interviews w…

It’s hot, dry, deadly, and hard to ignore with close to 40% of Earth classified as desert. But in this scorching hour, the desert turns fro…

Come in from the cold while we explore some of Earth's most frigid places and examine how man copes with sub-zero climates. With the advanc…

The Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco boasts more superlatives than any bridge on earth. Bridge builders of the depression era defied log…

An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America’s first billionaire. A passionate aviator, Howard Hughes built and fle…

Examine the colorful history of the premier flight test center, and America’s most important aviation facility for more than 60 years, Edwa…

It began as a tool used by prehistoric man to attract animals to the hunt. Over time it became an invaluable study aid for the natural scie…

In this fiery hour, we profile five of man's deadliest weapons, focusing on the inventors, battles, and dark technology behind their lethal…

Developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and the threat of nuclear disaster, the mission of the Doomsday Clock ha…

Venture down that creaky staircase to explore the most misunderstood room in the house! From Pompeii to Pittsburgh, the dark, cool, and for…

From the Impressionist canvas to the Space Shuttle…from customized hotrods to the brilliant orange hue of the Golden Gate Bridge or tiny el…

The history of civilization has been built on the back of brick, and it’s been said that “architecture itself began when two bricks were pu…

It’s Super! It’s Krazy! And it can be found in everything from carpet to computers, books to boats, shoes to the Space Shuttle. It’s even u…

Built around “first look, first shot, first kill” design, the F/A-22 Raptor, the most advanced aircraft of its breed, is set to become the…

America protects its homeland with the most technologically advanced military force ever conceived. Although they fight 21st-century battle…

June 6, 1944–the greatest machine of World War Two springs into action. It is made up of thousands of ships and aircraft, tens of thousands…

A steel giant standing 1,107 feet high on broad shoulders, this vertical city houses 1,200 people. Join us as we explore how a young archit…

In a battle against the ferocious Atlantic or safe passage through waters where ships wrecked and lives were lost, it was an engineering fe…

In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a range of warplanes, culminating in the legendary Ki-43 Oscar and the A6M Zero. As the war turned…

A paper-thin, wall-sized holographic television…a car that runs on processed seawater…an army of robotic killing machines…outer-space luxur…

He was the father of the future…electric lights, power systems, motion pictures, recorded sound–even the tattoo pen. Life as we know it wou…

SECRETS OF SOVIET SPACE DISASTERS is one of our century’s most shocking hidden stories. Since the end of communism much has come to light a…

Join our journey along monumental feats of engineering that preserved America's natural wonders while paving the way towards her future. Tr…

Route 66, encompassing eight states from Illinois to California and 2,400 miles, represented an American myth–that something better lay ove…

Today’s cowboy plants one boot firmly in the traditions of the Old West and the other in the world of modern technology. Beginning in the 1…

A simple flush and it’s forgotten. But haven’t you secretly wondered where it all goes when we go? Join us as we explore this less-than-pol…

When this 60 tons of high-tech military hardware rumbles onto the battlefield at nearly 40 mph, there's nowhere for the enemy to hide. Behi…

An enormous hydraulic machine press that stamps out a pickup truck's doors in seconds... Rock crushers that pulverize 8000 tons of solid gr…

They dig, scoop, suck, and spew an ocean of silt and sediment. Dredgers are the mechanical beasts that fuel the world's economic engine by…

From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to the wheels on a Mars rover, machinery can’t function without lubricants…

German military aircraft designs were decades ahead of their Allied counterparts. To insure the Luftwaffe’s air superiority, Germany’s cutt…

Perhaps no field has experienced the revolution in velocity more acutely than transportation. We look at five blazingly fast technological…

In any battle, the key to victory is the ability to strike the enemy without them knowing what hit them. Within the US arsenal one such wea…

We begin with electrical linemen perched precariously out a helicopter door, repairing 345,000-volt high-tension power lines. They are part…

Since time immemorial, flashes of light have startled our senses and piqued our imagination. But it’s only in recent years that we’ve begun…

The HMS Victory would play a crucial role in the foremost naval engagement in 19th century maritime history, the battle of Trafalgar. This…

Traces the origins of this tasty drink from Ethiopia over 1,000 years ago to the espresso-fueled explosion of specialty coffee stores like…

The sugar industry came of age on the backs of slaves toiling in Caribbean fields, and British desire to control production of sugar and it…

Move over pancakes, step aside bacon! Cereal is arguably the true breakfast king, a $9-billion industry with an indisputable place in pop-c…

The project was surrounded by secrecy and dogged by controversy from the very beginning. Starting in the late '70s, engineers at Lockheed's…

Need a car part or an accessory to give it personality? Since 1903, when Sears dedicated a portion of its catalog, the automotive after-mar…

At WWII’s outset, US and UK military aircraft designs were woefully behind Germany’s and Japan’s technologically superior planes. But the g…

It’s another chapter of complex, deadly and controversial engineering failures, using 3-D animation, forensic engineering experts, and foot…

It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages–revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America's Founding Fathers. Today, brewing the…

At the center of the American Dream is the home–and at the center of its creation or renovation is the lumberyard. We'll explore the option…

Nearly 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci still intrigues us. Most people think of him as a great artist, but he was also a remar…

For most of us, cars are an ordinary fixture of daily life. But then there are custom cars–literal labors of love. Supercharged hot rods, s…

The hardware store is the epicenter of the construction world for both the weekend handyman and professional builder. Many of the items fou…

They crunch; they ooze; they crackle; they pop–mmmmm, yeah! Soft drinks, donuts, meat snacks, popcorn, and gum. What's your weakness? From…

Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disney World. Enter a make-believe world spanning some 27,000 ac…

They’re nature on a rampage. The size and intensity of hurricanes make them the most feared and destructive of all storms. Explore how hurr…

Priceless collections. Compilations devoted to with such passion, entire lives have been spent perfecting them. From rescued trash to treas…