Episode 1
Aired Sep 14, 1998
Helicopters
From the early "egg beaters" of World War II to the "flying tanks" of Operation Desert Storm, meet the first pilot to fly a combat rescue mission in WWII and a U.S.A.F. female aviator; and view classified footage of the Apache in Iraq.
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Episode 1
Aired Jul 27, 1998
Aquariums: Windows on a Watery World
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 multi-million gallon displays.
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Episode 2
Aired Aug 3, 1998
Las Vegas Hotels
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 to the height of their imaginations.
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Episode 3
Aired Aug 10, 1998
The Great Bridge: 8 Miles of Steel
San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge features a unique double suspension.
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Episode 3
Aired Aug 17, 1998
Trans-Atlantic Cable: 2,500 Miles of Copper
In 1866, the laying of a fragile copper wire across the Atlantic shrunk the 3,000-mile gap between two continents to just the tap of a telegrapher's finger.
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Episode 4
Aired Aug 24, 1998
Monumental Statues
What inspires societies to create sculptures on a superhuman scale?; an analysis of gigantic statues and the monumental commitment of time, money and talent needed to complete them; a study of the Sphinx, Statue of Liberty, among others.
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Episode 5
Aired Sep 2, 1998
Plumbing: The Arteries of Civilization
From ancient solutions to the development of modern water and sewer services, plumbing helped to make civilization possible.
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Episode 6
Aired Sep 10, 1998
U.S. Mints: Money Machines
A visit to the United States Mint and the Bureau of Printing and Engraving to see the secretive government facilities where the legal tender is generated; with a storied past as tantalizing as the wealth they create, these mints can spit fortunes.
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Episode 7
Aired Sep 24, 1998
World's Fairs: Visions of the Future
Come along to the greatest shows on earth as we travel to those time capsules into the past and visions of our future - world's fairs; we'll see how they serve as launching pads for new products and showcases for technological feats.
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Episode 8
Aired Sep 28, 1998
Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs
In 1941, penicillin was first used to save human life; now, bacteria has emerged resistant to every known antibiotic and scientists have begun to fear that the era of the wonder drugs is near to its end.
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Episode 9
Aired Oct 28, 1998
Medical Imaging: The Voyage Inward
The development of technology that allows doctors to see inside the living human body, from X-rays to the CAT scan.
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Episode 10
Aired Nov 3, 1998
Sports Technology: Equipment
To run faster, jump higher and play longer - the ultimate goal of all athletes; when training runs its course, science and technology jump in; explore the history and technological advances in everything from athletic shoes to football gear.
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Episode 11
Aired Nov 9, 1998
Bombs
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 the face of the earth.
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Episode 11
Aired Oct 6, 1998
The Police Car
Development of the police car; high-tech tools.
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Episode 12
Aired Nov 23, 1998
Prosthetics
From the earliest recorded account of an amputation and subsequent prosthesis in ancient Hindu writings, to today's use of plastics and space-age materials, we chronicle the long history of prosthetic devices.
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Episode 13
Aired Dec 7, 1998
Weather Predictions
A study of the discoveries, inventions and technological advances that have helped us understand and predict weather; from observations made by early humans, to Doppler radar and satellite imaging, we'll see how man has tried to harness weather.
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Episode 14
Aired Dec 14, 1998
Plastics
Plastics are everywhere: the home, the workplace, the car, the human body, outer space, and most conspicuously, the garbage heap and landfill; join us as we review this protean substance's past and future.
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Episode 15
Aired Nov 17, 1998
Firefighting!: The Arson Detectives
Using investigative techniques to determine the cause of suspicious blazes in Texas, California and the South.
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Episode 15
Aired Dec 16, 1998
Stereos
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 listening experience; we examine this multi-billion dollar business.
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Episode 16
Aired Dec 23, 1998
Mail Delivery: Erasing the Miles
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 world's total mail volume.
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Episode 17
Aired Dec 7, 1998
Firefighting! Containing the Demon
Technology of firefighting; Chicago Fire; Triangle Shirtwaist Factory; Coconut Grove.
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Episode 17
Aired Dec 28, 1998
Clocks
Set your clocks as we explore the relativity of time from antiquity when man attempted to chart time with methods ranging from shadows, candles, and water; to today's atomic clock system - accurate to within one second every two-million years.
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Episode 18
Aired Jan 18, 1999
Airships
Visionaries enlarge, reinforce and motorize balloons and blimps, giving birth to the airship; 161 rigid airships are built before spectacular crashes, including the Hindenburg disaster, put an end to the era.
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Episode 19
Aired Dec 8, 1998
Firefighting!: Extreme Conditions
Extreme firefighting techniques must be used to quell blazes from oil wells, war, forest fires and airplanes.
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Episode 19
Aired Jan 25, 1999
Quest for Fitness
Traces physical fitness' role in the health of the individual and society; from ancient Greek gymnasiums, to 19th-century Muscular Christians, who saw exercise as an obligation to God, meet fitness gurus and strong men and women.
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Episode 20
Aired Feb 8, 1999
History of Tall Buildings
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, Chrysler Building, Sears Tower, and World Trade Center.
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Episode 21
Aired Feb 22, 1999
Engineering Disasters
Examines what happens when engineers get their calculations wrong.
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Episode 24
Aired Jan 4, 1999
Air Force One: A History
The evolution of the presidential planes, from Roosevelt's custom-tailored prop plane to the current Air Force One.
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Episode 25
Aired Jan 6, 1999
The NYC Subway
New York subway system's riders, workers and street performers make it a microcosm of city life.
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