The world’s largest concrete dam–and the largest concrete structure in the world–lies on the Columbi...

The remarkable story of how the landmark New York City skyscraper was constructed during the depths...

Chronicles one of the most incredible engineering feats of all time: construction of the 51-mile can...

A large machine turned water city, cruise ships are exciting and new.

Looks at how one man’s vision and the cooperation between the U.S. and England resulted in an instan...

The incredible tale of how Gutzon Borglum created the world's largest sculpture by carving the faces...

Join us for a buoyant trip through the history of balloon flight and a tribute to the fearless pilot...

With California finally part of the United States, two rail companies raced to connect the monied Ea...

Rising from a stretch of desert with nothing but remoteness to recommend it, Las Vegas became a glit...

To the people of France, and to citizens of the world, Gustav Eiffel’s 320-meter Tower is more than...

The domed structure is one of the earliest forms of shelter–from African mud huts to frozen igloos t...

Built of stone and glass, persistence and prayer, gothic cathedrals are an epiphany of imagination a...

More than 50 years after its construction, the Golden Gate remains one of the world’s greatest engin...

With technological advances, our ancient struggle against the sea has turned into a luxurious holida...

Considered by many to be the most astounding machine ever built, this reusable spaceship is the apex...

It was an engineering feat of almost miraculous proportions and a design of spectacular elegance. Ra...

There is no more potent demonstration of man’s resolve than the design and construction of tunnels–a...

During the depths of the Great Depression, it was FDR’s greatest triumph: A massive public works pro...

From the first well in Pennsylvania to the gushing Spindletop and modern supertankers, the story of...

It was called the "mother lode", a deposit of silver so massive that it would produce $300-million i...

A trip through time on the New York Subway beginning at the beginning– October 1904. We look at New...

The year was 1869 and America had just completed the greatest building achievement in its history–th...

The story of the construction of our grand national highway system, from its beginnings in 1912 (it...

Being starved by an OPEC embargo, America is desperate for oil, and in 1973 construction begins on a...

In 1912, a headlight-maker and an auto magnate built the first cross-country road to spur the demand...

From Alexander Graham Bell’s crude creation, to today’s high-speed wireless networks, we’ll look int...

Many rivers quenched the thirst of millions in the American west and around the world. Without these...

An exploration of the world’s most popular entertainment, from the boy genius who invented it to the...

A look at the inventions that have revolutionized society as we know it. They began as behemoths whi...

A look at the history of photography beginning as early as the eleventh century. Includes the advanc...

A look at the F117 Stealth Fighter that led the pack for the Allies in Gulf Wars One and Two and vir...

Standing majestically for centuries, the world’s great pyramids have long inspired and mystified sch...

Since the turn of the 20th century, designers have competed to build them faster, taller, and steepe...

From Stonehenge to the Hubble Telescope, man has always been a species of stargazers. Unforgettable...

Winding 6,000 kilometers through undulating mountains, it is said to be visible with the naked eye f...

When “poliomyelitis” swept the nation, thousands died or were disabled before American ingenuity, tr...

The complete story of the feuds, the mistakes, ingenuity, and successes that made movies possible–an...

Strong enough to survive their fiery launch into orbit, sophisticated enough to provide life-saving...

To some it was a miracle. Others call it the triumph of illiteracy. Somewhere between adoration and...

Probably Thomas Edison’s best-known invention is the electric light. But the familiar light bulb is...

Thomas Edison registered over 1,000 patents, but his favorite invention was one of his first. Rare p...

Viewer discretion is advised for those with vertigo! Featuring rare construction footage and intervi...

Reviews the revolution in home improvement and glimpses the kitchen of tomorrow. Included: the devel...

Examines the history of radar, focusing on its role in the Allies’ victory in WWII–from the Chain Ho...

From Sherlock Holmes' examination of the physical evidence at a crime scene to today's DNA technolog...

Welcome to the center of the American economy, where nearly $90-million changes hands each minute. J...

Journey inside the top-secret headquarters of NORAD–the North American Aerospace Defense Command–a b...

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating history of earthmoving equipment–fr...

Everyday 3-million passengers board the 10,000 aircraft flying at any given moment. Go behind the sc...

From hollow-reed snorkels to mini-submarines equipped with video cameras, curiosity compelled invent...

In 1973, a desperate America, starved by an OPEC embargo, began construction on an 800-mile lifeline...

For over a century, the US steel industry was a powerful symbol of the nation's industrial might. St...

Meet some of the most important, yet least-recognized, warriors–the battlefield engineers who lay th...

It started as an idea at a French dinner party and became the symbol of the free world. The story of...

While a civilization’s greatness is reflected in the achievements of architects and engineers, equal...

The Atlantic Wall explores the construction of the shore fortifications built by the Nazis during Wo...

A look up at the symbol of the American Century–the skyscraper, the construction of which is a trium...

Public aquariums have undergone dramatic changes since inception in mid-19th century. A series of te...

Out of the bleakness of a vast desert arose a city built on wish fulfillment and indulgence. Unencum...

San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge stands as an incredible feat of engineering against the nearly im...

What inspires societies to create sculptures on a superhuman scale? We’ll examine gigantic statues a...

In 1941, penicillin was first used to save human life. But now, bacteria has emerged resistant to ev...

More than the gun, more than the billy club, it is the critical weapon in law enforcement’s arsenal....

Plastics are everywhere–the home, the workplace, the car, the human body, outer space, and most cons...

The story of medical imaging, the technology that allows us to see inside the human body, is full of...

To run faster, jump higher, and play longer–the ultimate goal of all athletes. But when training run...

Bombs…the most feared and powerful weapon in any nation’s arsenal. What began as incendiary devices...

From the earliest recorded account of an amputation and subsequent prosthesis in ancient Hindu writi...

A study of the discoveries, inventions, and technological advances that have helped us understand an...

The ability to transmit sound in stereo transformed the music of life into a rich symphony of sound....

Through rain, snow, heat, or gloom of night, we expect postmen to deliver the mail. The U.S. Post Of...

Does anybody really know what time it is? Set your clocks as we explore the relativity of time from...

First there were balloons and blimps. Then, visionaries enlarged, reinforced, and motorized them and...

Meet the Strong Men and Women who go beyond mere fitness to pursue major muscle mass–from ancient Gr...

Throughout history, the builders and engineers who paved our way out of the caves and into the moder...

Even in ancient times, city dwellers needed a scenic break from the urban landscape. But parks play...

Espionage has been used for at least the last 4,000 years. And where there are spies, you find gadge...

“He who would become a surgeon should join the army and follow it,” Hippocrates counseled nearly 2,5...

Whether it jingles in our pockets or folds in our wallets, it flows by the billions from government...

Avalanches, earthquakes, hurricanes, bombings–all mean human tragedy unless rescuers respond within...

In antiquity, a hollow reed served as an underwater link to oxygen. As in days of old, humans still...

Offshore drilling is one of the greaest technological dances mankind has ever attempted. From the ve...

Join us for a highly charged hour as we see why Alfred Nobel's invention of dynamite took on earthsh...

The task was monumental: Build the world's largest dam in the middle of the desert, and tame the riv...

Step up to the plate and play ball as we take you on a tour of those amazing edifices of the nationa...

Much of New York City’s history can be viewed via its bridges–all 18 that connect Manhattan Island t...

Delves into the little-known, hugely important, multi-billion-dollar industry of product testing–whe...

The idea of floating to earth from great heights dates back centuries, and from the beginning parach...

Tracks the technological innovations that made newspapers what they are today, while exploring the s...

Since the invention of gunpowder, fireworks have thrilled audiences around the world. We’ll view hig...

Though “simulations” date back to cave paintings, devices for interacting with “synthetic realities”...

The history of civilization could easily be measured in terms of our ability to make, use, and impro...

Well over two million years before the evolution of modern man, his primitive ancestors were making...

Join us for a second look at the big earth-moving machines used to tackle the most challenging jobs...

The art of fortification evolved along with man’s need to defend his territory from attack. There wa...

Emergency room medicine has only been a recognized specialty since 1989, and it took close to two mi...

Set the sedan’s safety brake and hop on your “hog” for a 2-hour high-speed history of the motorcycle...

Since civilization’s earliest days, man has sought protection from those who would rob him of riches...

Throughout history the same builders and engineers that paved man's path out of the caves and into t...

An exploration of the rich history of one of the world’s greatest technological achievements–the har...

Place your bets and join us for an exciting spin through the history of the casino. We’ll go behind...

The very spirit that drives man to dream up ever more fantastic creations can also conceive changes...

Beneath every modern city, hidden by manhole covers, drains, and ventilation grates – lies a labyrin...

Join us as we span the history of one of the world’s most famous bridges, London’s Tower Bridge. The...

The challenge of linking Britain and France with a tunnel under the English Channel was both monumen...

Join us on an out-of-this-world exploration of the history of long-duration life in space–from the f...

The pentagon…The name alone conjures up an imposing image of American power and prestige. As the lar...

From amazing ancient Roman aqueducts and arch bridges, romantic Renaissance spans, 19th-century rail...

“All hope abandon, ye who enter here!” This sentiment has permeated the masonry and clanging bars of...

Join us for a survey of the world’s greatest inventions in which we examine the wheel, steam engine,...

Don’t look now, but your office is a technological marvel. From the humble paper clip to the revolut...

When police forces were born in the 1800s, British “bobbies” made due with a billy club. Public wari...

An examination of the historical development of technological tools that help science mitigate natur...

Modern Marvels explores how the basic formula of cement, aggregate and water has changed the world....

As camping technology develops, it provides greater access to diverse outdoor environments. The earl...

The plane’s on the runway and revving up for our flight of power and whimsy. The panorama reveals so...

Today, race cars tear up the tracks at 300 m.p.h. Computers and space-age composite materials are as...

In less than a century, the world went from dirt tracks to highways, from propeller planes to space...

The most opulent are wheeled luxury liners with satellite TV and hot tubs–a far cry from the first b...

Around the world and across the eons, gold stands as a symbol of power, wealth, and love. The quest...

Backbones of worldwide economics, for centuries banks enabled the creation of wealth, and industry l...

The Erie Canal was America’s first superhighway. It was a narrow ribbon of water carved through shee...

Icons of the open road, trucks form the backbone of the construction and transportation industries....

In 1954, Gamal Abdel Nasser, the Arab Republic of Egypt’s first prime minister, had a plan to bring...

When completed, China’s Three Gorges Dam will tower 607 feet in the air and weigh 40 Great Pyramids....

The Maginot Line, a defensive string of large and small forts built during the years between World W...

A fun-filled glimpse into the not so distant history of video games. Since inception, the gaming ind...

Host Ron Hazelton and two mechanics dissect a 2000 Ford Taurus to trace the evolution of the automob...

No one wants a hand-made car or gun or an airplane. We want things made by machines. Machine tools a...

The US agricultural process, from seed to shelf, is so efficient that most people don’t think much a...

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, an assembly line is an “industrial arrangement of machines...

Since the ancient pharaohs’ time, the Isthmus of Suez has been the gateway to trade between East and...

Deep beneath London runs a complex network of many miles of tunnels; and, while traffic congests the...

Sign up at the ultimate survival school, where soldiers learn to kill or be killed, and learn how 21...

Remotely operated vehicles allow us to explore the mysteries of inner and outer space, provide first...

Since the creation of the first laws, societies have demanded the ultimate punishment for certain ca...

Mankind controls the environment in a variety of ways, whether by capturing the force of a river, ha...

Arising from the horrible carnage, deprivation, and suffering caused by war is a countless array of...

Join us as we take a peek at the plumbing hiding behind your walls and snaking under the floors of y...

Fortification evolved as man tried to defend his territory from attack. From fenced-in hills to wall...

From battle armor to bubble gum, you might be surprised by what soldiers have carried into battle–an...

Where can you fire a missile without scaring the neighbors? Or lift millions of pounds in pursuit of...

Commercial Jets traces the evolution of commercial aviation from the stumbling beginnings of the De...

The Apollo 13 mission was intended to be a “routine” trip to the moon. But when an oxygen tank explo...

In an historic survey of man’s adaptation to killer environmental conditions, we travel to the deser...

Named one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern age, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel c...

The household garage serves as the at-home sanctuary for the modern American male. Most men consider...

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment–from...

Leonard Nimoy hosts half hour documentaries which explore unusual natural and supernatural phenomena...

Ride shotgun in our rollicking history of the Monster Truck, and meet the father of the mythic beast...

From the earliest known lighthouses, such as the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of t...

From colossal devices designed to save the world to mind-expanding, world-shrinking machines, we tra...

When design flaws fell projects, the cost is often exacted in lives as we see in this look at engine...

This episode of Modern Marvels examines the history and technology of chemical and biological warfar...

In this history of international airports, we focus on several airports to illustrate the developmen...

Whenever a culture reaches a level of sophistication in literacy, science, and language, codes sprin...

The most powerful assault rifle ever used in combat, the M-16 became the symbol of our lost war–Viet...

Modern Marvels brings the heart of the Roman Empire back to life through the rich history of this fa...

An historical look at the technological engineering of the World Trade Center. The special was compl...

Modern Marvels explores the evolution and future of the things that hold our world together. From th...

From a computerized liquor-dispensing system in modern L.A., to a ladle and a tin cup in an 1850′s m...

A salute to the tools and toys that have stood the test of time–from the Zippo lighter to the Palm P...

From the 19th century’s legendary cattle drives to the million-acre ranch kingdoms that sprang to li...

Cannons have fired balls of iron and atomic bombs, changed the way wars are fought, and now come equ...

The most priceless jewels in the arsenals of a handful of countries, some nuclear submarines carry m...

From barnstormers to Blue Angels, antique aircraft to supersonic jets, each year there are an astoni...

For nearly 200 years, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, has trained students in the...

Dynamite explodes hills to bits, drills divide sheer stone walls, 400,000-pound blocks are pulled fr...

Half a mile below the earth’s surface, men mine for rough diamonds–a pure carbon substance. Brillian...

If walls could speak…And in the next two hours they will, as we build a house literally from the gro...

From the riveted blue jeans of the old ’49ers, working the gold mines of California, to the million-...

From the earliest bunkers of WWI through the ultra-futuristic ones of tomorrow's wars, we trace the...

More than 2-million people die in the U.S. each year. That works out to about 5,500 burials a day, w...

Modern Marvels looks at how army maneuvers have changed from simple “hide and seek” games to extreme...

Join us for a ride through the history of car-culture commerce from the first gas station to the dri...

The Crossroads of the World, New York City’s Times Square is the screaming marketplace of our cultur...

Unruly and eclectic, Los Angeles is home to an array of engineering and construction marvels that ri...

Glass may be our most versatile material. It sheathes skyscrapers, contains liquids, aids vision, al...

Discover how military and police personnel, as well as private citizens, hone their shooting skills...

It is a majestic structure that rises boldly over the Mississippi river–40,000 tons of steel and con...

From Pilgrim brew masters to early commercial ventures to today's monolithic corporations, we'll imb...

Flight was born in America at the turn of the 20th century. But WWII saw more planes built in a sing...

Winchester…the name still evokes images of the Wild West and the taming of the frontier–it was the f...

The rousing story of the tank, from its primitive appearance in WWI to the high-tech world of modern...

Here is the heroic story of a intrepid band of infantry soldiers, the "Tunnel Rats", charged with a...

From the early “egg beaters” of World War II to the “flying tanks” of Operation Desert Storm, we’ll...

From today’s ultra chic, state-of-the-art private jets to Lockheed’s 1957 Jetstar, this 2-hour speci...

His movies are legend, his women beautiful, and his toys the best in the world. Whether James Bond i...

Press a button and you can soar in the sky, command a virtual pet, adjust the thermostat in your hou...

For millennia, luxury toys have functioned as flashy instruments of affluence, authority, and identi...

As we power-up and unfurl the sails on a magical cruise through time, viewers meet the people who’ve...

How do you stop a speeding bullet? From body armor to armored cars and trucks, we review the history...

A look at siege machines that convert energy into mechanical force to go over, under, or through for...

It’s the place where one man’s trash is truly another man’s treasure. Enter the strange and mysterio...

October 7, 2001: Missiles from lethal U.S. jets rain down onto Afghanistan. One powerful and deadly...

Story of the development of engines and motors, with particular emphasis on the ones that have profo...

It’s known as the most powerful handgun in the world, made famous by Clint Eastwood in the Dirty Har...

Spinning your wheels isn’t just going around in circles. In fact, it’s revolutionary–literally. The...

Star City, the Gagarin Center for Training Cosmonauts, was established by the former Soviet Union in...

They are the toughest ships in the water, plowing headlong into one of nature’s hardest obstacles. M...

Who could imagine life without our "man-made weather"? On cold winter nights and hot summer days, we...

Pop open the hood, check out the carbs, and hear the engines roar as we journey back to a time when...

Blade implements have been a part of civilized man's arsenal since the Paleolithic Age, when sharp t...

Join us for a look at the biggest, heaviest, tallest, longest, meanest machines on the planet! We'll...

Legendary drivers lead us on a record-breaking race through a century-long search for sheer accelera...

At 5:30 a.m., July 16, 1945, scientists and dignitaries awaited the detonation of the first atomic b...

From ancient Egyptian fishing parties to today's high-tech bass tournaments, we untangle the fascina...

They are lethal tools that ensured our survival, altered our evolution, and maintained our dominion...

From ancient hunters’ camouflage to computer-generated digital pattern uniforms, we uncover the past...

Though they duplicate the real world for fun and fantasy, models are not always toys and they’re not...

Come in for a smooth landing as we explore the history of hangars–stark, massive structures that hou...

Slap on your sun block and head to the ocean for a sizzling hour that explores the beach in a whole...

The Massachusetts Central Artery/Tunnel Project, a.k.a. The Big Dig, is the most amazing municipal c...

They are the cutting edge in firearm technology. They fight simulated battles on computers, decades...

With the ironic motto "Peace is our Profession", the Strategic Air Command was in charge of US nucle...

Traces the history and evolution of the world’s most important fossil fuel. Without gasoline, modern...

Think you know towing? As simple as engaging a tow man when your car is stalled? From mighty tugboat...

This program will tell the story of jet propulsion, which has radically transformed our world since...

It was the world’s largest underground factory–seven miles of tunnels built to manufacture Hitler’s...

Examines how the great 19th-century peacetime invention developed into a powerful war machine, forev...

Between 1941 and 1945, U.S. shipyards built more shipping tonnage than had been previously produced...

We played with them as children, but the world of magnets isn’t kid’s stuff! The pervasive magnet se...

The 1,046-foot Chrysler Building in New York City, erected between 1928 and 1930, was the world's ta...

Imagine a superhighway designed for speed…thousands of miles of roadway unhindered by limits of any...

From the outhouse to the smart house, our lives have improved drastically in the last 150 years. Con...

One of the most useful machines ever created, the crane is a simple but important combination of the...

Over 200-million people around the world use the Internet–yet no one owns or controls it. Its phenom...

An exciting series that takes viewers into the heart of action as it focuses on a particular machine...

Throughout railroad history, disasters lay at the heart of progress since expansion and profit prove...

The crash test dummy, patron saint of vulnerable motorists, has become a modern icon and is a potent...

Join us for a walk on the wild side of the history of sexual enhancement and contraception–from Cleo...

Designed in 1935 by R.J. Mitchell, the Supermarine Spitfire was a revolutionary fighter plane, which...

Modern Marvels examines the ever-changing nature of trash, the history of our efforts to dispose of...

He’s everyone’s favorite spy, the man with a woman in every port and a gadget in every pocket! No vi...

Limousines have been stretched to greater and greater lengths–as has the notion of what can be done...

DVD, CD, PDA, HDTV, PVR–they are the ultimate in “gotta have it” gadgets and gizmos and “to die for”...

It’s the only rock we eat – a priceless commodity essential to our very survival. It has over 14,00...

They were pure fantasy on wheels, machines designed to make the heart race and the mind ask…what if?...

What do you think about when you gaze out the window as your plane takes off? Probably not about the...

Join us for a salute to the dreamers and schemers who brought the world an odd assortment of flawed...

It’s the longest, most expensive and complicated railroad ever built. Ordered by the Czar in an effo...

Some of the most imposing structures ever built, medieval castles withstood both bloody assaults and...

Based on the book Denison’s Ice Road by Edith Iglauer, the episode detailed the treacherous job of d...

Traces the story of the U.S. Army’s legendary 10th Mountain Division. They were formed after WWII be...

All it takes to set off a booby trap is an unsuspecting victim lifting, moving, or disturbing a harm...

Today, vacationers travel from British Columbia north through the Yukon Pass on their way to Fairban...

Rising almost 1,500 feet high, the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia were named the world’s tallest i...

Until recently, the Mackinac Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world. One of the top e...

Traveling between 135 and 190 miles per hour with an astonishingly high safety record, bullet trains...

They stun, debilitate, immobilize–providing police and peacekeepers with options other than shouting...

Made up of soldiers and civilians, scientists and specialists in an enormous variety of fields, the...

For over 20 years, the Black Hawk has been the U.S. Army’s front-line utility helicopter for air ass...

As Japan bombed its way into the Pacific during WWII, Imperial soldiers carried pride, a sense of in...

Welcome aboard the luxury liner Titanic, the world’s largest ship and pride of the White Star Line....

Coal–the fuel responsible for more than half the electricity used daily. We unearth the amazing tech...

With a thrilling combination of dramatic reconstructions and 3-D animation, we step back in time to...

In war, certain missions demand the most and constitute much of the legends of bravery. Journey back...

After World War I, Russia began building its most prolific aircraft, the MiG line. MiG pilots fought...

Born out of a desperate need to defend the Motherland, Stalin enlisted the ideas of an American engi...

During WWII, American tank crews duked it out with Nazi Panzers in a high-explosive duel to the deat...

From humble beginnings in the Davidson family garage to one of the world's most famous companies and...

For more than 3,000 years, emperors and generals, dictators and police, criminals, clerics, and even...

The story of Russia’s “Crown Jewels”, the finest rocket engines in the world, built under conditions...

In a raging war for control of Earth, occupying forces buzz and skitter, with some out to draw blood...

They are the treasures of a select few. Each holds a story of human triumph…epic pagentry or despera...

Look closely at those tall metal towers that span the country and you might see tiny specks climbing...

In this full immersion journey through the world of maximum off-roading, learn what it’s like to blo...

Toxic traffic is everywhere! An average of 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials hit our highways...

Engineering disasters can result in personal tragedy, national humiliation, and economic ruin. But b...

Among the most mysterious disasters, tsunamis–Japanese for “harbor waves”–claimed over 50,000 lives...

When Paul Bunyan cried "Timber!", he never foresaw today's cutting-edge, controversial industry that...

For decades, the sound barrier loomed as an impenetrable wall against manned flight that buffeted pl...

In the mid-1960s, the US lost an average of 55,000 people yearly to car crashes. Since then, the num...

Sandhogs work hundreds of feet down, where it is dark, damp, and dangerous, challenging nature’s awe...

Topless, unobstructed–the convertible completely transforms the driving experience and unlike any ot...

Each day ships, trains, trucks, and planes haul supplies that keep store shelves full and factories...

The chance of enemy confrontation by sea, tank, or air battle is small, but terrorist networks opera...

How does technology grasp nature’s most violent, chaotic storm? For half a century, U.S. meteorologi...

The challenge: Move millions of soldiers and tons of cargo halfway around the world and into the thi...

From "safe" bullets that stop hijackers but leave aircraft unscathed to bullets that chain-saw throu...

From the earliest experiments in WWI to the technological wonders that ruled the sea and sky of the...

It takes brave sailors to steer their gunboats into waters where larger ships cannot go. In this his...

They constitute the very essence of the modern world; the cadence of our progress sounds in the meas...

A major battlefield weapon since the American Civil War and the stuff of nightmares ever since, the...

Combination rocket, spacecraft, and airplane, the space shuttle is the most complex vehicle ever bui...

A spectacular roadway nearly 120 miles long, the Overseas Highway links mainland Florida with the Fl...

Witness the construction of a terrorist-proof safe room. Discover how your windows might someday act...

The engineering marvel Machu Picchu sits perched on a ridge in the Peruvian Andes. Originally built...

Pound for pound, the small wooden Patrol Torpedo Boats of WWII were among the most powerful warships...

General quarters! You’re going into battle aboard the century’s deadliest warships–the Dreadnought,...

The story of the birth and development of rapid fire weapons from the 14th century until the end of...

Precision-guided munitions, smart bombs were the media buzz of the first Gulf War and a major milita...

In the land of Mardi Gras, jambalaya, and zydeco, exists an engineering marvel called the Lake Pontc...

They make our lives more comfortable, more rewarding, and more secure. They are the magical machines...

What if the Nazis had held out and the war in Europe lasted until 1946? We’ll review the remarkable...

The story of a revolutionary breed of tank, a weapon whose speed and power would dominate European b...

They dominated the Atlantic Ocean from Europe to the eastern coast of the U.S. They struck against A...

The amazing machines of human invention most often do our bidding with uncomplaining proficiency. Bu...

To spearhead its fight against crime and terrorism in the 21st century, the FBI is relying on its $1...

No program better symbolizes human mastery of machines than does the space shuttle. But the breakups...

Based on the popular book, this episode explores historical building collapses–from ancient pyramids...

Shipyards are waterside construction sites where the extraordinary takes shape and where some of the...

Hop into the cockpit for a daring century-long ride through the history of aircraft weaponry–from th...

Hop into the cab for the ride of your life as we examine extreme trucks, including: a jet truck that...

In 2003, with Mars closer to Earth than it had been in 60,000 years, scientists launched three life-...

There is very little that collectors, historians and auctioneers agree about, but they do agree that...

Explore the technology and survival techniques used by the men of Lewis and Clark on their landmark...

For nearly half a century, one bomber has dominated the skies. With a maximum speed of 650 m.p.h., a...

The world’s most famous brand, Rolls Royce, is owned by the same company that makes Bentley, a luxur...

At stadiums nationwide, thousands of football fans come together to show team spirit, eat incredible...

Land Yachts, Portable Palaces, Corrugated Condos–whatever the name, travel trailers and RVs have bec...

Car aficionados rarely agree on what makes a true sports car, but they concede that in little over a...

Two brainy bicycle makers…a remote North Carolina moonscape…and an impossible dream. On December 17,...

Constructed as tombs for the ancient pharaohs, over 100 pyramids remain in Egypt. Built during a spa...

During the Cold War, the Berlin Wall stood as a forbidding barrier in an embattled world. Erected in...

All aboard the nostalgia express as we take a trip through the past to enjoy toys of our youth–the o...

Examines some of the most notorious engineering failures of recent years and asks what went wrong an...

Forged in Europe’s shadow, Russian small arms were once dismissed as crude copies. Often lacking the...

Built to put U.S. pilots back in charge of the skies, the F-15 Eagle proved its superiority in Deser...

For 25 years, construction crews dug, blasted, tunneled, and bridged their way up America's West Coa...

A look at the “science of safety” as applied to Indy or NASCAR racing. From tires to roll-cages to h...

When a burning gusher shoots flames into the air, only a handful of men know how to snuff out the mo...

“Centcom” in Doha, Qatar represents everything a modern military command post can be with the most s...

In March 2003, embedded civilian correspondents rolled along with the U.S. military convoy as it inv...

Towering skyscrapers buzzing with life, intricate tunnels connecting entire communities, mighty dams...

Arguably the most influential book ever written, the Bible provides a glimpse into the origins of an...

The largest manmade machine ever created, the electric power grid traverses the nation from Californ...

From tub to toilet to toothpaste, here's everything you ever wanted to know about the most used and...

An in-depth look at the modern era's most complex, deadly, and controversial engineering failures. W...

One aircraft in the U.S. arsenal best typifies the will to win. Using the latest and most sophistica...

The machines that helped build our world have been powered by hydraulics, a compact system of valves...

When the most sophisticated machines fail, they do so horrifically, plunging to earth with a terrify...

Modern Marvels shines the spotlight on the array of inventions that made the epic invasion possible,...

Nicknamed the 'Warthog', the A-10 Tankbuster is one of the U.S. military's most prolific air support...

The story of rubber is more than tires, toys, gloves, and gum–it’s imbedded in modern life, from the...

When you tap your faucet does clean, pure water flow? Can your city supply enough water for industry...

Cars that fly and drive themselves. Spiffy spy tools that see under doors and through walls. Water “...

Nuclear research ranges from well-known applications, such as bombs and reactors, to little-known us...

As mankind's greatest achievement of the 20th century, Apollo 11 stood as the apogee of science, exp...

The first bombing airplanes and widespread use of chemical weapons…earliest tanks…submarines. When I...

From water and grain…to mash…still…vat…barrel and bottle–the distilling of alcoholic spirits is a bi...

The biggest moving objects ever built by man, oil tankers dominate the world’s waterways, both in si...

Under Athens' bustling metropolis, an unique engineering project transformed the city, building a ne...

Join us for a supersonic look at some of the most cutting-edge aircraft ever developed–from the X-1...

Engineers and architects reveal what went wrong in five engineering disasters, including Baldwin Hil...

When opened on October 25, 1931, the George Washington Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in t...

What does it take to construct a building that will cover an entire city block? Try 13,000 tons of s...

For two years, we’ve followed construction of the new California Department of Transportation headqu...

In hour three of our crash course on mega-skyscraper construction, we learn about the human element...

For two years, we’ve followed the construction of the new California Department of Transportation he...

Some 23,000 people walk through the Sears Tower’s domed entrances daily. 104 elevators (some double-...

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a monumental stairway in water, lifting massive ships hundreds of feet ov...

Join us for a high-speed look at police pursuits in an adrenaline-filled hour focused on the history...

A look at the technology that changed the serious game of Search and Rescue forever. At the mouth of...

The ultimate celebration of outsized equipment returns for a second sweep through a world where size...

Meet crime fighters who take on fiery killers. In Houston, visit the site of a suspicious fire with...

One of the youngest and smallest nations, Israel has produced some of the world’s fiercest weapons....

Join us for a devastating but enlightening hour as we delve into complex and often-tragic engineerin...

Cutting, digging, picking, stripping, shaking, and raking–whatever the crop, there's a custom machin...

What happens when the calculations of builders and engineers prove wrong and their constructs come t...

Disasters investigated include: the 1984 Union Carbide debacle in Bhopal, India, where a toxic chemi...

The vehicles that transport the President of the United States aren’t your ordinary planes, trains,...

Gas–it makes a balloon go up, cooks our food, and fills our lungs. But this invisible state of matte...

Disasters profiled are a liquid natural gas explosion in Cleveland, the collapse of the Kansas City...

Bridges are the lifeline of Japan. Since the 1930s, the island nation has dreamt of linking its many...

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was a move of unprecedented aggression that shook the U.S. out o...

Join us as we penetrate the history of the world’s most sophisticated tank–the M1 Abrams Main Battle...

In Milwaukee, 104 died after drinking contaminated tap water. At Texas A&M;, a tradition turned trag...

In the world of surveillance, Big Brother is not only watching, he’s also listening, analyzing, reco...

In this hour, death seeps out of the ground into a neighborhood sitting on a toxic waste dump at Lov...

When the men and women aboard a modern submarine hear the command to dive, they can take a measure o...

In this hour, we examine a massive oil tanker explosion that killed nine; a subway tunnel cave-in th...

The US capital boasts many memorials, but none with a more bizarre history than the obelisk erected...

A series of construction errors causes a devastating flood that brings Chicago to a standstill. A de...

Extruders, molds, in-line conveyor belts. Are these machines manufacturing adhesives, plastics, or p...

It comes in many deadly shapes and sizes, and the transportation of dangerous cargo is one of the mo...

Battered and fried or simply raw–seafood is a popular dish, no matter how you serve it. Americans co...

Chaos in Guadalajara, Mexico, when the city streets explode; an airplane crash outside of Paris that...

Doomsday threats range from very real (nuclear arsenals) to controversial (global warming) to futuri...

The second deadly hour examines more threats–both natural and manmade–that may endanger civilization...

Since ancient times, man has tried to control the "devil's bounty"–deadly substances found throughou...

Engage the satellite navigation, fire-up the fuel cell, and activate the radar-guided cruise control...

Join us as we explore the vast and varied world of the arch, one of the strongest and most versatile...

Think man is unique within the animal kingdom? You might not after this hour that features an amazin...

Giant robots on the factory floor and in outer space. A floating fortress that's home to 6,000 milit...

Designed in the late 1950s by aeronautical genius Kelly Johnson at the mysterious Skunkworks, the SR...

In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food chain, carving a carcass of unsavo...

One of the 20th century’s greatest scientists, George Washington Carver’s influence is still felt. R...

This episode of Modern Marvels examines the most extreme raging fires and the firefighters who tame...

It’s hot, dry, deadly, and hard to ignore with close to 40% of Earth classified as desert. But in th...

Come in from the cold while we explore some of Earth's most frigid places and examine how man copes...

The Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco boasts more superlatives than any bridge on earth. Bridge b...

An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America’s first billionaire. A passiona...

Examine the colorful history of the premier flight test center, and America’s most important aviatio...

It began as a tool used by prehistoric man to attract animals to the hunt. Over time it became an in...

In this fiery hour, we profile five of man's deadliest weapons, focusing on the inventors, battles,...

Developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and the threat of nuclear disaste...

Venture down that creaky staircase to explore the most misunderstood room in the house! From Pompeii...

From the Impressionist canvas to the Space Shuttle…from customized hotrods to the brilliant orange h...

The history of civilization has been built on the back of brick, and it’s been said that “architectu...

It’s Super! It’s Krazy! And it can be found in everything from carpet to computers, books to boats,...

Built around “first look, first shot, first kill” design, the F/A-22 Raptor, the most advanced aircr...

America protects its homeland with the most technologically advanced military force ever conceived....

June 6, 1944–the greatest machine of World War Two springs into action. It is made up of thousands o...

A steel giant standing 1,107 feet high on broad shoulders, this vertical city houses 1,200 people. J...

In a battle against the ferocious Atlantic or safe passage through waters where ships wrecked and li...

In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a range of warplanes, culminating in the legendary Ki-43 Os...

A paper-thin, wall-sized holographic television…a car that runs on processed seawater…an army of rob...

He was the father of the future…electric lights, power systems, motion pictures, recorded sound–even...

SECRETS OF SOVIET SPACE DISASTERS is one of our century’s most shocking hidden stories. Since the en...

Join our journey along monumental feats of engineering that preserved America's natural wonders whil...

Route 66, encompassing eight states from Illinois to California and 2,400 miles, represented an Amer...

Today’s cowboy plants one boot firmly in the traditions of the Old West and the other in the world o...

A simple flush and it’s forgotten. But haven’t you secretly wondered where it all goes when we go? J...

When this 60 tons of high-tech military hardware rumbles onto the battlefield at nearly 40 mph, ther...

An enormous hydraulic machine press that stamps out a pickup truck's doors in seconds... Rock crushe...

They dig, scoop, suck, and spew an ocean of silt and sediment. Dredgers are the mechanical beasts th...

From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to the wheels on a Mars rover, mach...

German military aircraft designs were decades ahead of their Allied counterparts. To insure the Luft...

Perhaps no field has experienced the revolution in velocity more acutely than transportation. We loo...

In any battle, the key to victory is the ability to strike the enemy without them knowing what hit t...

We begin with electrical linemen perched precariously out a helicopter door, repairing 345,000-volt...

Since time immemorial, flashes of light have startled our senses and piqued our imagination. But it’...

The HMS Victory would play a crucial role in the foremost naval engagement in 19th century maritime...

Traces the origins of this tasty drink from Ethiopia over 1,000 years ago to the espresso-fueled exp...

The sugar industry came of age on the backs of slaves toiling in Caribbean fields, and British desir...

Move over pancakes, step aside bacon! Cereal is arguably the true breakfast king, a $9-billion indus...

The project was surrounded by secrecy and dogged by controversy from the very beginning. Starting in...

Need a car part or an accessory to give it personality? Since 1903, when Sears dedicated a portion o...

At WWII’s outset, US and UK military aircraft designs were woefully behind Germany’s and Japan’s tec...

It’s another chapter of complex, deadly and controversial engineering failures, using 3-D animation,...

It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages–revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America'...

At the center of the American Dream is the home–and at the center of its creation or renovation is t...

Nearly 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci still intrigues us. Most people think of him as...

For most of us, cars are an ordinary fixture of daily life. But then there are custom cars–literal l...

The hardware store is the epicenter of the construction world for both the weekend handyman and prof...

They crunch; they ooze; they crackle; they pop–mmmmm, yeah! Soft drinks, donuts, meat snacks, popcor...

Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disney World. Enter a mak...

They’re nature on a rampage. The size and intensity of hurricanes make them the most feared and dest...

Priceless collections. Compilations devoted to with such passion, entire lives have been spent perfe...

They hold just about everything we need, from condiments to cargo. Made of steel, aluminum, paper an...

Out of control it’s a monster with a voracious appetite. Properly harnessed it’s a force that has sh...

Tune in as Modern Marvels looks into the history of cotton, a product used in hundreds of different...

Modern Marvels shows more of the world's biggest engineering disasters. We look at faults in the U.S...

It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches, and melts! We eat about 7-billion tons of it yearly...

Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stages for use by the Ax...

Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stages for use by the Al...