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Episode guide

Modern Marvels: Season 6

Poster for Modern Marvels Season 6

48 episodes · premiered Jul 27, 1998

TMDB has no overview for this season.

Modern Marvels: cast and where to watch

  1. Episode 1: Demolition Jul 27, 1998 · 44m While a civilization’s greatness is reflected in the achievements of architects and engineers, equally impressive are spectacular acts of destruction throughout history. The cycle of…
  2. Episode 2: The Atlantic Wall Aug 3, 1998 · 44m The Atlantic Wall explores the construction of the shore fortifications built by the Nazis during World War II. We highlight the logistics of construction, types of fortifications…
  3. Episode 3: History of Tall Buildings Aug 24, 1998 · 44m A look up at the symbol of the American Century–the skyscraper, the construction of which is a triumph of engineering and capitalism. Climb to the top of the Empire State Building…
  4. Episode 4: Aquariums Sep 28, 1998 · 44m Public aquariums have undergone dramatic changes since inception in mid-19th century. A series of technological innovations has transformed them into virtual oceans with spectacular…
  5. Episode 5: Las Vegas Hotels. Oct 6, 1998 · 44m Out of the bleakness of a vast desert arose a city built on wish fulfillment and indulgence. Unencumbered by tradition or notions of good taste, for 50 years Las Vegas has taken tourists…
  6. Episode 6: The Oakland Bay Bridge. Oct 12, 1998 · 44m San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge stands as an incredible feat of engineering against the nearly impossible. Once chosen as one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world, it…
  7. Episode 7: Monumental Statues Oct 28, 1998 · 44m What inspires societies to create sculptures on a superhuman scale? We’ll examine gigantic statues and the monumental commitment of time, money, and talent needed to complete them. We’ll…
  8. Episode 8: Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs Nov 3, 1998 · 44m In 1941, penicillin was first used to save human life. But now, bacteria has emerged resistant to every known antibiotic, and scientists have begun to fear that the era of the wonder drugs…
  9. Episode 9: The Police Car Nov 9, 1998 · 44m More than the gun, more than the billy club, it is the critical weapon in law enforcement’s arsenal. But for decades, police have struggled to stay ahead of well-equipped bad guys. Rare…
  10. Episode 10: Plastics Nov 23, 1998 · 44m Plastics are everywhere–the home, the workplace, the car, the human body, outer space, and most conspicuously, the garbage heap and landfill. Artificially created test-tube material…
  11. Episode 11: Medical Imaging Dec 7, 1998 · 44m The story of medical imaging, the technology that allows us to see inside the human body, is full of amazing stories. Learn how X-rays were discovered in 1895, completely by accident; how…
  12. Episode 12: Extreme Sports Gadgets Dec 16, 1998 · 44m To run faster, jump higher, and play longer–the ultimate goal of all athletes. But when training runs its course, science and technology jump in. Explore the history and technological…
  13. Episode 13: Bombs Dec 23, 1998 · 44m Bombs…the most feared and powerful weapon in any nation’s arsenal. What began as incendiary devices in the 7th century has evolved into weapons that can literally blow the human race off…
  14. Episode 14: Prosthetics Dec 28, 1998 · 44m From the earliest recorded account of an amputation and subsequent prosthesis in ancient Hindu writings, to a 16th-century fully articulated artificial hand controlled by an intricate…
  15. Episode 15: Weather Prediction Jan 1, 1999 · 44m A study of the discoveries, inventions, and technological advances that have helped us understand and predict weather accurately. From simple observations made by early humans, to early…
  16. Episode 16: Stereos Jan 25, 1999 · 44m The ability to transmit sound in stereo transformed the music of life into a rich symphony of sound. For over 100 years, enthusiasts and scientists have worked to create the ideal…
  17. Episode 17: Mail Delivery Feb 8, 1999 · 44m Through rain, snow, heat, or gloom of night, we expect postmen to deliver the mail. The U.S. Post Office handles over 603-million pieces of mail daily. Yet it represents only 43% of the…
  18. Episode 18: Clocks Feb 22, 1999 · 44m Does anybody really know what time it is? Set your clocks as we explore the relativity of time from antiquity–when man attempted to chart time with methods ranging from shadows, candles…
  19. Episode 19: Airships. Mar 9, 1999 · 44m First there were balloons and blimps. Then, visionaries enlarged, reinforced, and motorized them and the airship was born. The biggest aircraft ever flown, they remain one of the most…
  20. Episode 20: Physical Fitness Mar 15, 1999 · 44m Meet the Strong Men and Women who go beyond mere fitness to pursue major muscle mass–from ancient Greeks, to performers in the 1800s astounding audiences with feats of strength, to the…
  21. Episode 21: Engineering Disasters Mar 30, 1999 · 44m Throughout history, the builders and engineers who paved our way out of the caves and into the modern world have also caused some of our worst disasters. What happens when their…
  22. Episode 22: City Parks Apr 26, 1999 · 44m Even in ancient times, city dwellers needed a scenic break from the urban landscape. But parks play a more important role than mere relief from tension–they also keep temperatures down and…
  23. Episode 23: Spy Technology May 1, 1999 · 44m Espionage has been used for at least the last 4,000 years. And where there are spies, you find gadgets! We focus on the last 100 years of cloak and dagger technology–from early…
  24. Episode 24: Battlefield Medicine May 25, 1999 · 44m “He who would become a surgeon should join the army and follow it,” Hippocrates counseled nearly 2,500 years ago. In this history of medicine under fire, we see how a small army of medics…
  25. Episode 25: U.S. Mints: Money Machines Jun 21, 1999 · 44m Whether it jingles in our pockets or folds in our wallets, it flows by the billions from government factories that have mastered the art of making it.
  26. Episode 26: Rescue Equipment Jul 6, 1999 · 44m Avalanches, earthquakes, hurricanes, bombings–all mean human tragedy unless rescuers respond within a moment’s notice of disaster. Here are the latest advances in rescue technology…
  27. Episode 27: Scuba And Deep Sea Diving Jul 12, 1999 · 44m In antiquity, a hollow reed served as an underwater link to oxygen. As in days of old, humans still need self-contained breathing equipment for a variety of reasons–food-gathering…
  28. Episode 28: Offshore Oil Drilling Jul 19, 1999 · 44m Offshore drilling is one of the greaest technological dances mankind has ever attempted. From the very beginning of oil discovery, the oceans and their vast reserves became the ultimate…
  29. Episode 29: Dynamite. Jul 20, 1999 · 44m Join us for a highly charged hour as we see why Alfred Nobel's invention of dynamite took on earthshattering dimensions as his product blasted out the natural resources that built our…
  30. Episode 30: Hoover Dam. Aug 2, 1999 · 44m The task was monumental: Build the world's largest dam in the middle of the desert, and tame the river that carved the Grand Canyon–all in seven years! When the Hoover Dam was completed in…
  31. Episode 31: Baseball Parks Aug 9, 1999 · 44m Step up to the plate and play ball as we take you on a tour of those amazing edifices of the national pastime–baseball stadiums! From the sandlots and wooden ballparks of the 1800 and…
  32. Episode 32: New York Bridges Aug 23, 1999 · 44m Much of New York City’s history can be viewed via its bridges–all 18 that connect Manhattan Island to its neighbors. Join us for a look at these architectural masterpieces from the age of…
  33. Episode 33: Crash Testing Aug 31, 1999 · 44m Delves into the little-known, hugely important, multi-billion-dollar industry of product testing–where wrinkles get ironed out and goods are stripped of marketing and hype to see if they…
  34. Episode 34: Parachutes Sep 6, 1999 · 44m The idea of floating to earth from great heights dates back centuries, and from the beginning parachutes combined entertainment with life-saving utility. The parachute has also played a…
  35. Episode 35: Newspapers Sep 13, 1999 · 44m Tracks the technological innovations that made newspapers what they are today, while exploring the stories of the publishing tycoons who became some of the most powerful men of the 20th…
  36. Episode 36: Fireworks Sep 27, 1999 · 44m Since the invention of gunpowder, fireworks have thrilled audiences around the world. We’ll view highlights of fireworks exhibitions throughout history, and go behind the scenes to explore…
  37. Episode 37: Simulators Oct 11, 1999 · 44m Though “simulations” date back to cave paintings, devices for interacting with “synthetic realities” are a recent invention. See how simulators are used as training tools for nearly every…
  38. Episode 38: The Tool Bench: Power Tools Oct 12, 1999 · 44m The history of civilization could easily be measured in terms of our ability to make, use, and improve tools–an activity that is at least 4 million years old! At the tip of our toolmaking…
  39. Episode 39: The Tool Bench: Hand Tools Oct 13, 1999 · 44m Well over two million years before the evolution of modern man, his primitive ancestors were making tools. The use of tools is thought to be one of the keys to human evolution itself and…
  40. Episode 40: More Earthmovers. Oct 18, 1999 · 44m Join us for a second look at the big earth-moving machines used to tackle the most challenging jobs on, under, and off Earth! We'll ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below…
  41. Episode 41: Forts Oct 25, 1999 · 44m The art of fortification evolved along with man’s need to defend his territory from attack. There was no other reason. From hills surrounded by branches and crude fences to intricate…
  42. Episode 42: Emergency Room Nov 8, 1999 · 44m Emergency room medicine has only been a recognized specialty since 1989, and it took close to two millennia to get to this point. We’ll examine advances that led to the modern emergency…
  43. Episode 43: Motorcycles Nov 15, 1999 · 44m Set the sedan’s safety brake and hop on your “hog” for a 2-hour high-speed history of the motorcycle–from the 1868 “steam velocipede” to the early 20th century, when they were a low-cost…
  44. Episode 44: Security Systems Nov 16, 1999 · 44m Since civilization’s earliest days, man has sought protection from those who would rob him of riches, knowledge, and even life. This is the story of the evolving systems designed to…
  45. Episode 45: More Engineering Disasters. Nov 29, 1999 · 44m Throughout history the same builders and engineers that paved man's path out of the caves and into the modern world also caused some of mankind's worst disasters. Often a huge calamity is…
  46. Episode 46: Niagara Power Dec 8, 1999 · 44m An exploration of the rich history of one of the world’s greatest technological achievements–the harnessing of power from Niagara Falls. From the “War of the Currents”, a battle between…
  47. Episode 47: Casino Technology Dec 13, 1999 · 44m Place your bets and join us for an exciting spin through the history of the casino. We’ll go behind the neon lights, free drinks, and 24-hour gambling to see how the gaming industry has…
  48. Episode 48: Lost Marvels Dec 14, 1999 · 44m The very spirit that drives man to dream up ever more fantastic creations can also conceive changes that destroy old treasures. We look at great artistic and engineering feats that fell…