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Episode guide

Modern Marvels: Season 8

Poster for Modern Marvels Season 8

40 episodes · first aired Jan 8, 2001

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  1. 1 Battle Gear. Jan 8, 2001 · 44m 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 this look at the development of weapons–from the…
  2. 2 Proving Grounds Jan 16, 2001 · 44m 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 proving ground, of course, where performance is the…
  3. 3 Commercial Jets Jan 22, 2001 · 44m Commercial Jets traces the evolution of commercial aviation from the stumbling beginnings of the De Havilland Comet to the wide-body rocket ships of today. This is the story of a high-tech…
  4. 4 Apollo 13 Jan 29, 2001 · 44m 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 its 3-man crew placed in mortal danger. The Lunar…
  5. 5 Survival Technology Feb 7, 2001 · 44m In an historic survey of man’s adaptation to killer environmental conditions, we travel to the desert, the Arctic, the sea, jungle, and space, charting the body’s physiological responses…
  6. 6 Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Feb 12, 2001 · 44m Named one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern age, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel connects Virginia proper with its easternmost landmass. Stretching 17 miles across the…
  7. 7 Garage Gadgets Feb 22, 2001 · 44m The household garage serves as the at-home sanctuary for the modern American male. Most men consider themselves to be “handy around the house”. Fathers and husbands see it as their role to…
  8. 8 Construction Machines Mar 1, 2001 · 44m Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment–from the simple spade to today’s powerful steam shovels. Meet legendary giants like John…
  9. 9 Hadrian's Wall Mar 12, 2001 · 44m Leonard Nimoy hosts half hour documentaries which explore unusual natural and supernatural phenomena. In this episode, he takes a look at Hadrian’s Wall.
  10. 10 Monster Trucks. Mar 19, 2001 · 44m Ride shotgun in our rollicking history of the Monster Truck, and meet the father of the mythic beast, Bob Chandler, whose EM Bigfoot /EM gave birth to the sport in a cornfield years ago!…
  11. 11 Lighthouses Apr 11, 2001 · 44m From the earliest known lighthouses, such as the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, to modern-day automated buoys and solar-powered lantern rooms, this…
  12. 12 Computers Apr 16, 2001 · 44m From colossal devices designed to save the world to mind-expanding, world-shrinking machines, we trace the evolution of mice and menus. Learn about the world’s most powerful computer…
  13. 13 Engineering Disasters 3. May 7, 2001 · 44m 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 Pisa begin to lean by as much as 17 feet; what…
  14. 14 Chemical And Biological Weapons May 14, 2001 · 44m This episode of Modern Marvels examines the history and technology of chemical and biological warfare, which can be traced back at least four-thousand years, to the wars of ancient India…
  15. 15 International Airports II May 21, 2001 · 44m In this history of international airports, we focus on several airports to illustrate the developments and technology of their construction and operation, beginning with Miami’s Dinner Key…
  16. 16 Codes. Jun 8, 2001 · 44m Whenever a culture reaches a level of sophistication in literacy, science, and language, codes spring up spontaneously. As the social life of a community increases in complexity, the…
  17. 17 The M-16 Jun 11, 2001 · 44m 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 most unloved gun. Yet, 30 years after its…
  18. 18 The Colosseum Jun 19, 2001 · 44m 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 Roman Colosseum seated 80,000 people, boasted a…
  19. 19 The World Trade Center Jun 25, 2001 · 44m An historical look at the technological engineering of the World Trade Center. The special was completed and the interviews took place before the tragic events of September 11, 2001…
  20. 20 Hardware Stores Jun 26, 2001 · 44m Modern Marvels explores the evolution and future of the things that hold our world together. From the blacksmith to the Home Depot, it’s the story of nails, screws, mollybolts, duct tape…
  21. 21 Saloons Jun 27, 2001 · 44m 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 the history and technology of the American saloon.
  22. 22 More Gadgets Jul 24, 2001 · 44m 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 gadget. As we focus on the technology behind…
  23. 23 Cattle Ranches Jul 25, 2001 · 44m 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 21st-century techniques that include artificial…
  24. 24 Cannons. Aug 21, 2001 · 44m Cannons have fired balls of iron and atomic bombs, changed the way wars are fought, and now come equipped with smart weapons. Beginning with 13th-century cannons that were designed to…
  25. 25 Nuclear Subs Aug 28, 2001 · 44m The most priceless jewels in the arsenals of a handful of countries, some nuclear submarines carry more firepower than all the bombs dropped in history. Since the 1950s, these lethal steel…
  26. 26 Air Shows Sep 4, 2001 · 44m From barnstormers to Blue Angels, antique aircraft to supersonic jets, each year there are an astonishing 425 air shows in America alone, entertaining over 18-million spectators. From…
  27. 27 West Point Sep 11, 2001 · 44m 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 New York City, its 25 buildings overlook the…
  28. 28 Quarries. Sep 18, 2001 · 44m Dynamite explodes hills to bits, drills divide sheer stone walls, 400,000-pound blocks are pulled from pits by giant cranes, and men work around the clock to wrest rock out of the earth…
  29. 29 Diamond Mines Sep 19, 2001 · 44m Half a mile below the earth’s surface, men mine for rough diamonds–a pure carbon substance. Brilliant when cut and polished, they are marketed as the most precious gem in the world. From…
  30. 30 The House Oct 15, 2001 · 44m 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’ll pour the foundation, frame the walls, wire the…
  31. 31 Work Clothes Oct 16, 2001 · 44m From the riveted blue jeans of the old ’49ers, working the gold mines of California, to the million-dollar suits astronauts wear in outer space, we see how “dressing for success” often…
  32. 32 Bunkers. Oct 17, 2001 · 44m From the earliest bunkers of WWI through the ultra-futuristic ones of tomorrow's wars, we trace the story of defensive fortifications. In the constant struggle to hold off ever more potent…
  33. 33 Cemeteries. Oct 23, 2001 · 44m 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 goodbye in a casket, and the remaining 20 percent…
  34. 34 War Games Oct 24, 2001 · 44m Modern Marvels looks at how army maneuvers have changed from simple “hide and seek” games to extremely complex and sophisticated operations that use computer simulations.
  35. 35 Drive-Thru Nov 13, 2001 · 44m 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 chapels of today. We chronicle the birth of the…
  36. 36 Times Square Nov 27, 2001 · 44m 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 the limit–the most electrified, visceral, crowded…
  37. 37 Los Angeles Nov 29, 2001 · 44m Unruly and eclectic, Los Angeles is home to an array of engineering and construction marvels that rivals any city in the world. No single word can sum up the L.A. experience, but the five…
  38. 38 Glass Nov 30, 2001 · 44m Glass may be our most versatile material. It sheathes skyscrapers, contains liquids, aids vision, allows communication at unimaginable speeds, and yet remains a medium for artistic…
  39. 39 Firing Ranges Dec 1, 2001 · 44m Discover how military and police personnel, as well as private citizens, hone their shooting skills with one of the oldest of training techniques when we review the history of firing…
  40. 40 The St. Louis Arch Dec 4, 2001 · 44m 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 its kind in the world. Nothing like it had ever…