Modern Marvels (1993)

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. In…

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 provi…

Commercial Jets traces the evolution of commercial aviation from the stumbling beginnings of the De Havilland Comet to the wide-body rocket…

The Apollo 13 mission was intended to be a “routine” trip to the moon. But when an oxygen tank exploded, the spacecraft was crippled and it…

In an historic survey of man’s adaptation to killer environmental conditions, we travel to the desert, the Arctic, the sea, jungle, and spa…

Named one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern age, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel connects Virginia proper with its easter…

The household garage serves as the at-home sanctuary for the modern American male. Most men consider themselves to be “handy around the hou…

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment–from the simple spade to today’s powerful s…

Leonard Nimoy hosts half hour documentaries which explore unusual natural and supernatural phenomena. In this episode, he takes a look at H…

Ride shotgun in our rollicking history of the Monster Truck, and meet the father of the mythic beast, Bob Chandler, whose EM Bigfoot /EM ga…

From the earliest known lighthouses, such as the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, to modern-day automat…

From colossal devices designed to save the world to mind-expanding, world-shrinking machines, we trace the evolution of mice and menus. Lea…

When design flaws fell projects, the cost is often exacted in lives as we see in this look at engineering disasters. Why did the Tower of P…

This episode of Modern Marvels examines the history and technology of chemical and biological warfare, which can be traced back at least fo…

In this history of international airports, we focus on several airports to illustrate the developments and technology of their construction…

Whenever a culture reaches a level of sophistication in literacy, science, and language, codes spring up spontaneously. As the social life…

The most powerful assault rifle ever used in combat, the M-16 became the symbol of our lost war–Vietnam–and can easily be called America’s…

Modern Marvels brings the heart of the Roman Empire back to life through the rich history of this famous amphitheater. Built in 70 AD, the…

An historical look at the technological engineering of the World Trade Center. The special was completed and the interviews took place befo…

Modern Marvels explores the evolution and future of the things that hold our world together. From the blacksmith to the Home Depot, it’s th…

From a computerized liquor-dispensing system in modern L.A., to a ladle and a tin cup in an 1850′s mining camp, MODERN MARVELS investigates…

A salute to the tools and toys that have stood the test of time–from the Zippo lighter to the Palm Pilot, the 21st century’s first great ga…

From the 19th century’s legendary cattle drives to the million-acre ranch kingdoms that sprang to life with the end of the Open Range to 21…

Cannons have fired balls of iron and atomic bombs, changed the way wars are fought, and now come equipped with smart weapons. Beginning wit…

The most priceless jewels in the arsenals of a handful of countries, some nuclear submarines carry more firepower than all the bombs droppe…

From barnstormers to Blue Angels, antique aircraft to supersonic jets, each year there are an astonishing 425 air shows in America alone, e…

For nearly 200 years, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, has trained students in the art of war. Located 50 miles north of…

Dynamite explodes hills to bits, drills divide sheer stone walls, 400,000-pound blocks are pulled from pits by giant cranes, and men work a…

Half a mile below the earth’s surface, men mine for rough diamonds–a pure carbon substance. Brilliant when cut and polished, they are marke…

If walls could speak…And in the next two hours they will, as we build a house literally from the ground up, step by step, room by room. We’…

From the riveted blue jeans of the old ’49ers, working the gold mines of California, to the million-dollar suits astronauts wear in outer s…

From the earliest bunkers of WWI through the ultra-futuristic ones of tomorrow's wars, we trace the story of defensive fortifications. In t…

More than 2-million people die in the U.S. each year. That works out to about 5,500 burials a day, with roughly 80 percent taking the long…

Modern Marvels looks at how army maneuvers have changed from simple “hide and seek” games to extremely complex and sophisticated operations…

Join us for a ride through the history of car-culture commerce from the first gas station to the drive-thru funeral parlors and wedding cha…

The Crossroads of the World, New York City’s Times Square is the screaming marketplace of our culture and time. It’s urban life pushed to t…

Unruly and eclectic, Los Angeles is home to an array of engineering and construction marvels that rivals any city in the world. No single w…

Glass may be our most versatile material. It sheathes skyscrapers, contains liquids, aids vision, allows communication at unimaginable spee…

Discover how military and police personnel, as well as private citizens, hone their shooting skills with one of the oldest of training tech…

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 i…