Episode guide
Modern Marvels: Season 5
19 episodes · premiered Aug 17, 1997
TMDB has no overview for this season.
- Episode 1: Polio Vaccine Aug 17, 1997 · 44m When “poliomyelitis” swept the nation, thousands died or were disabled before American ingenuity, trial and error, and blatant acts of desperation led to one of the greatest scientific…
- Episode 2: The Motion Picture Aug 24, 1997 · 44m The complete story of the feuds, the mistakes, ingenuity, and successes that made movies possible–and kept Edison at the front of the inventor pack. Includes rare early films from the…
- Episode 3: Satellites. Sep 1, 1997 · 44m Strong enough to survive their fiery launch into orbit, sophisticated enough to provide life-saving images or relay tens of thousands of phone calls at the same time. By monitoring weapons…
- Episode 4: Radio: Out Of Thin Air Sep 7, 1997 · 44m To some it was a miracle. Others call it the triumph of illiteracy. Somewhere between adoration and scorn. Somewhere between the carrier pigeon and television. There was and is radio. We…
- Episode 5: The Electric Light Sep 21, 1997 · 44m Probably Thomas Edison’s best-known invention is the electric light. But the familiar light bulb is only the most obvious element of Edison’s accomplishment. He also created from scratch a…
- Episode 6: The Phonograph Sep 22, 1997 · 44m Thomas Edison registered over 1,000 patents, but his favorite invention was one of his first. Rare photographs and early recordings show how the young inventor and his team outfoxed…
- Episode 7: Great Towers in the Sky Sep 28, 1997 · 44m Viewer discretion is advised for those with vertigo! Featuring rare construction footage and interviews with steely-nerved iron workers who risked death to build them, we climb to the top…
- Episode 8: Household Wonders. Oct 5, 1997 · 44m Reviews the revolution in home improvement and glimpses the kitchen of tomorrow. Included: the development of the stove, sewing machine, refrigerated air, washing machine, vacuum cleaner…
- Episode 9: Radar Oct 12, 1997 · 44m Examines the history of radar, focusing on its role in the Allies’ victory in WWII–from the Chain Home Network, rudimentary radar towers that ringed England’s eastern coast, to the role of…
- Episode 10: Forensic Science: The Crime Fighter's Weapon. Oct 19, 1997 · 44m From Sherlock Holmes' examination of the physical evidence at a crime scene to today's DNA technology, we review the history of crime detection through the use of forensic science.
- Episode 11: The Stock Exchange Oct 26, 1997 · 44m Welcome to the center of the American economy, where nearly $90-million changes hands each minute. Journey back to the wooden wall, built to hold back Indians, where early traders signed a…
- Episode 12: NORAD: The War Game Fortress Oct 27, 1997 · 44m Journey inside the top-secret headquarters of NORAD–the North American Aerospace Defense Command–a binational military command composed of the United States and Canada. Established in 1958…
- Episode 13: Earthmovers: The Power to Move Mountains Oct 28, 1997 · 44m Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating history of earthmoving equipment–from invention of the simple spade to today’s powerful steam shovels. Meet the legendary…
- Episode 14: International Airports Nov 3, 1997 · 44m Everyday 3-million passengers board the 10,000 aircraft flying at any given moment. Go behind the scenes at international airports to see the inner workings that make commercial air travel…
- Episode 15: Deep Sea Exploration: Challenging The Abyss Nov 4, 1997 · 44m From hollow-reed snorkels to mini-submarines equipped with video cameras, curiosity compelled inventors to conceive of innovative devices to dive ever deeper into earth’s last frontier…
- Episode 16: The Alaskan Oil Pipeline Jan 1, 1998 · 44m In 1973, a desperate America, starved by an OPEC embargo, began construction on an 800-mile lifeline for its insatiable oil hunger. We’ll examine this technological triumph, built over…
- Episode 17: American Steel: Built to Last. Jan 18, 1998 · 44m For over a century, the US steel industry was a powerful symbol of the nation's industrial might. Steel helped explode the stock market into an overnight powerhouse, and transformed a…
- Episode 18: Battlefield Engineering. Feb 8, 1998 · 44m Meet some of the most important, yet least-recognized, warriors–the battlefield engineers who lay the groundwork for oncoming conflicts. We'll cover combat engineering from ancient Rome to…
- Episode 19: Statue of Liberty. Feb 15, 1998 · 44m It started as an idea at a French dinner party and became the symbol of the free world. The story of France's gift to the US reveals a 20-year struggle to design and build the world's…