Episode 1
Aired Jan 5, 2005
Poison
Since ancient times, humans tried controlling deadly natural substances that paradoxically possess life-giving properties; explore how Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used poisons, Renaissance poison practices, WWI gas attacks, and modern healing.
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Episode 2
Aired Jan 12, 2005
The Arch
Explore the arch, one of humanity's strongest and most versatile structures; Romans perfected what Egyptians and Greeks experimented with, Arabs incorporated into mosques, Europeans into churches, and modern builders use in dams and future space.
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Episode 3
Aired Jan 22, 2004
The Submarines
Submarines revolutionize marine warfare.
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Episode 3
Aired Jan 18, 2005
Nature's Engineers 2
Earth's non-human inhabitants use tools, build structures, create traps, and farm; Egyptian vultures crack ostrich eggs with stones, chimpanzees extract termites with tool kits, prairie dogs dig subterranean homes, and ants raise aphid herds.
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Episode 4
Aired Jan 26, 2005
World's Biggest Machines 3
Giant robots work factory floors and outer space; floating fortresses house 6,000 military personnel with length matching Empire State Building's height; diesel engines produce 108,000 horsepower in audacious engineering feats worldwide.
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Episode 5
Aired Feb 3, 2005
Snipers: Stalk and Kill
U.S. snipers are ultimate hunters in a deadly game in which the quarry shoots back.
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Episode 5
Aired Feb 8, 2005
The Butcher
Trace the butchering trade's evolution from corner butchers to industrial disassembly lines; tour Chicago Stockyards remains where Sinclair, Birdseye, and refrigeration changed the industry, plus modern quality controls and rural custom butchers.
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Episode 6
Aired Feb 13, 2004
Ship of Gold
A steamship vanishes with 400 passengers and 21 tons of gold bullion.
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Episode 6
Aired Feb 15, 2005
George Washington Carver Tech
George Washington Carver rose from slavery to become one of the 20th century's greatest scientists; at Tuskegee Institute, he invented over 300 peanut uses, developed crop rotation, and changed rural economy through agricultural innovations.
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Episode 7
Aired Feb 23, 2005
Desert Tech
Close to 40% of Earth is classified as desert, but these environments offer hope through Middle East desalination, Las Vegas communities, Hoover Dam power, irrigation agriculture, solar energy, and technology enabling future Mars colonization.
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Episode 8
Aired Feb 23, 2005
Sub Zero
Explore Earth's frigid places and examine how humans cope with sub-zero climates from Poles to Moon and Mars; inspect US South Pole Station, latest Polartec fashions, snowmobiles, ice-breaking ships, and NASA's deep-space exploration plans.
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Episode 9
Aired Mar 9, 2005
Taxidermy
Taxidermy began as prehistoric hunting tool and evolved into natural science study aid and popular hobby; explore the craft of preserving animal skins, fiberglass reproductions, and plastination process for displaying human corpses worldwide.
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Episode 10
Aired Feb 28, 2005
Boys' Toys: Howard Hughes Tech
Billionaire Howard Hughes breaks speed records, develops war machines, spy aircraft and commercial airliners.
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Episode 10
Aired Mar 16, 2005
Deadliest Weapons
Profile five deadly weapons focusing on inventors, battles, and technology: Tsar Bomba 50-megaton nuclear bomb, WWI machine guns, WWII incendiary bombs, proximity fuses for artillery detonation, and VX nerve gas chemical agent.
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Episode 11
Aired Mar 9, 2005
SWAT
Mid-1960s criminal-sniping incidents engender SWAT teams.
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Episode 11
Aired Mar 18, 2005
Edwards Air Force Base
Examine Edwards Air Force Base's colorful history as America's premier flight test center for over 60 years; every Air Force aircraft was tested there, including current projects like the Airborne Laser designed to destroy ballistic missiles.
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Episode 12
Aired Apr 26, 2005
The Basement
Explore basements from Pompeii to Pittsburgh; ancient Hittites, Phrygians, and Persians carved subterranean rooms for storage and shelter, Greeks and Romans valued them, Renaissance architects hid kitchens there, and Colonial Americans expanded use.
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Episode 13
Aired Apr 27, 2005
Paint
Paint spans Impressionist canvases to Space Shuttles, customized hotrods to Golden Gate Bridge; this ubiquitous product protects ships from corrosion, Stealth Bombers from radar detection, and surfaces from wear while adding color to life.
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Episode 13
Aired Mar 11, 2005
Mosquito Attack!
Stories of those who believed in dreams and defied the commonplace with their extraordinary creations; covering some of the world's architectural and engineering structures, scientific inventions, and social wonders.
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Episode 14
Aired Jun 24, 2003
Nature Tech: Lightning
Lightning kills nearly 100 people yearly in the United States and injures hundreds of others; meetings with men and women who look for new ways of detection, prevention, and how to save lives when Mother Nature strikes.
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Episode 14
Aired May 11, 2005
Bricks
The history of brick, from ancient temples to modern buildings; covering key moments like the Great London Fire, brick's zenith in New York, and its role in infrastructure; construction techniques, trends, and the future of this building material.
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Episode 15
Aired May 18, 2005
Glue
Glue appears in everything from carpet to Space Shuttles and surgery; explore its trajectory from Neolithic cave dwellers using animal glue on ceremonial skulls to modern Elmer's, 3M tapes, and super glues that can lift 6,000-pound trucks.
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Episode 16
Aired Apr 30, 2004
F-18 Hornet
Using sophisticated computerized technology, the F-18 Hornet becomes one of the foremost fighters of the 21st century.
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Episode 16
Aired May 20, 2005
F/A-22 Raptor
The F/A-22 Raptor represents the most advanced aircraft designed around "first look, first shot, first kill" principles; this 5th generation stealth fighter combines super-cruise capability with deadly missiles and precision ground attack systems.
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Episode 16
Aired Mar 22, 2005
Private Jets
Buying a previously owned jet; Associated Air Center; kit jets; personal jets the size of commercial airliners.
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Episode 17
Aired May 25, 2005
Civil War Tech
America's technologically advanced military descends from Civil War innovations; the first modern war introduced machine guns, aerial reconnaissance, battlefield medicine, ironclad ships, and aircraft carriers that revolutionized warfare.
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Episode 18
Aired Apr 27, 2005
Mega Movers
Two structural-moving families struggle to relocate historic homes.
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Episode 18
Aired Jun 3, 2005
Machines of D-Day
June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord springs into action as the greatest WWII machine with thousands of ships, aircraft, thousands of men, and millions of tons of steel; interlocking precision overcomes Hitler's defenses in history's greatest assault.
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Episode 19
Aired Jun 8, 2005
The John Hancock Center
The John Hancock Center stands 1,107 feet high as a vertical city housing 1,200 people; this 100-story Chicago tower took four years, 50 million man-hours, $100 million, and 46,000 tons of steel when completed in 1970 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
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Episode 20
Aired Jun 15, 2005
The Cape Cod Canal
The Cape Cod Canal represents an engineering feat many believed impossible; begun in 1909 during the Great Depression, this major commerce and recreational Intracoastal Waterway route showcases determination, ingenuity, and American spirit.
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Episode 21
Aired Jun 22, 2005
Future Tech
Paper-thin holographic televisions, seawater-powered cars, robotic armies, space luxury resorts, and mind-controlled cleaning droids represent future technology; explore realistic predictions through 3D animation and working prototypes.
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Episode 21
Aired May 13, 2005
PT Boat
Stories of those who believed in dreams and defied the commonplace with their extraordinary creations; covering some of the world's architectural and engineering structures, scientific inventions, and social wonders.
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Episode 22
Aired Jun 28, 2005
Edison Tech
Thomas Alva Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, created electric lights, power systems, motion pictures, recorded sound, and tattoo pens; his innovations evolved into modern CDs, iPods, satellite radio, and technologies from Internet to outer space.
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Episode 23
Aired Jul 20, 2005
Cowboy Tech
Today's cowboys blend Old West traditions with modern technology; examine 19th-century cattle industry boom, Spanish-derived saddles and ropes, barbed wire revolution, and modern computer chips, DNA evidence, and artificial insemination techniques.
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Episode 24
Aired Jul 27, 2005
Sewers
Explore the network of underground pipes carrying human waste and storm water; from ancient Rome's pristine systems through medieval Europe's diseases to modern sanitation engineering, examining Paris, Boston, and Los Angeles sewer evolution.
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Episode 25
Aired Aug 2, 2005
World's Biggest Machines 4
From giant machine presses stamping car bodies to 125-ton chainsaws cutting hardest rock, huge telescopes glimpsing universe ends to world's largest rock crushers; explore massive machines including Keck Observatory atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
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Episode 26
Aired Aug 10, 2005
Lube Job
Lubricants span ancient Egyptian chariot wheels to Mars rover mechanisms; petroleum motor oils, synthetic space greases, and solid coatings prevent friction in countless applications keeping progress turning.
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Episode 27
Aired Aug 26, 2005
B-2 Bomber
The B-2 Stealth Bomber delivers 40,000 pounds of conventional or nuclear bombs undetected; with origins in 1930s German single-wing experiments, it flies over 6,000 miles without refueling using 130 onboard computers and radar-invisible technology.
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Episode 28
Aired Jun 16, 2005
Secret Japanese Aircraft of WWII
Japanese designers create a wide range of warplanes during World War II.
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Episode 28
Aired Aug 31, 2005
Wiring America
Electrical linemen repair 345,000-volt power lines from helicopters as part of America's nearly two-century hardwiring story; fiber optic cables transmitting light since the late 1970s remain vital infrastructure alongside wireless technology.
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Episode 29
Aired Jun 19, 2005
Private Collections
Collectors spend entire lives perfecting their compilations.
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Episode 29
Aired Sep 2, 2005
HMS Victory
HMS Victory played a crucial role in the Battle of Trafalgar, so decisive that no fleet challenged Britain's Royal Navy for over 100 years; built with enough wood to cover the Empire State Building 1.5 times, manned by 850 crew members.
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Episode 30
Aired Sep 14, 2005
Coffee
Coffee traces origins from Ethiopia over 1,000 years ago to today's Starbucks explosion; American giants Hills Brothers, Maxwell House, and Folgers process billions of beans while coffeehouses historically brewed political and artistic progress.
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Episode 31
Aired Sep 14, 2005
Sugar
The sugar industry developed through Caribbean slavery and British control desires; sugar played critical roles in American independence while modern Hawaiian plantations process cane stalks into raw sugar, corn syrup, and various sweetener forms.
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Episode 32
Aired Oct 5, 2005
The Auto Store
Since 1903, the automotive after-market grew from Sears catalog portions into a $100-billion juggernaut; entrepreneurs Manny, Moe, and Jack opened Pep Auto Supplies in 1921 Philadelphia, setting standards for today's 25,000-part stores.
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Episode 32
Aired Jul 1, 2005
Secrets of Soviet Space Disasters
The problems in the space program lead to more than 150 recorded deaths.
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Episode 33
Aired Nov 2, 2005
Engineering Disasters 17
Complex engineering failures include Sun Valley's 200-foot sinkhole, Laguna Beach landslide destroying 11 homes, Charles de Gaulle Terminal 2E roof collapse killing four, Fokker F-10 crash with Knute Rockne, and Marine Electric sinking disasters.
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Episode 34
Aired Nov 16, 2005
Brewing
Beer, one of the world's oldest beverages revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America's Founding Fathers, evolved from prehistoric times through ancient Sumeria, China, and Egypt to today's multi-billion-dollar global craft brewing industry.
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Episode 35
Aired Nov 30, 2005
The Lumberyard
Lumberyards provide natural and engineered woods for American Dream homes; explore plywood production, exotic jungle woods, recycled antique lumber, underwater Great Lakes logs, and 50,000-year-old Kauri wood from mansion to yacht construction.
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Episode 35
Aired Jul 29, 2005
Challenger Tank
The Challenger tank boats one of the world's most effective computerized weapons-systems.
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Episode 36
Aired Dec 4, 2005
Da Vinci Tech
Leonardo da Vinci remains intriguing 500 years after death; beyond great artist, he was remarkable scientist and inventor whose notebooks contained incredible machines from weapons to submarines, robots, and analogue computers with workable plans.
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Episode 37
Aired Aug 3, 2005
Dredging
Dredgers clear and deepen ports for vessels that carry megacontainers.
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Episode 37
Aired Dec 6, 2005
More Hardware
Hardware stores serve as construction world epicenters for weekend handymen and professional builders; common items like wrenches, measuring tools, rope, sandpaper, and locks represent technological breakthroughs that revolutionized industries.
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Episode 38
Aired Dec 20, 2005
More Snackfood Tech
Soft drinks, donuts, meat snacks, popcorn, and gum represent humanity's need to feed cravings; from handmade treats of earliest civilizations to hi-tech mass production, these snackfoods evolved through history into modern manufacturing.
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Episode 39
Aired Dec 25, 2005
Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World transforms Florida swampland into 27,000-acre technological marvel with four theme parks featuring space-age centrifuges, 3,000 PSI hydraulic vehicles, and hundreds of audio animatronics powered by pneumatics and electrical systems.
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Episode 39
Aired Aug 17, 2005
Secret Luftwaffe Aircraft of WWII
German military aircraft designs were decades ahead of their Allied counterparts during World War II.
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Episode 40
Aired Dec 29, 2005
Nature Tech: Hurricanes
Hurricanes represent nature's most destructive storms; explore their origins, tracking methods, and prevention through hurricane chaser planes flying into Hurricane Wilma's eye while examining radar, satellites, and wind-resistant buildings.
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Episode 40
Aired Aug 24, 2005
Route 66
Route 66 remains a destination for nostalgic travelers wishing to recapture a simpler, more adventurous era.
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Episode 43
Aired Aug 31, 2005
High Risk: Helicopter Linemen
Pilots and linemen maintain and repair live high-voltage power-lines.
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Episode 43
Aired Sep 17, 2004
Guns of WWII
Stories of those who believed in dreams and defied the commonplace with their extraordinary creations; covering some of the world's architectural and engineering structures, scientific inventions, and social wonders.
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Episode 44
Aired Sep 22, 2004
St. Lawrence Tech
Stories of those who believed in dreams and defied the commonplace with their extraordinary creations; covering some of the world's architectural and engineering structures, scientific inventions, and social wonders.
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Episode 47
Aired Oct 1, 2004
Guns of Israel
The Uzi; the Negev machine gun; the Galil assault rifle; the Tavor 21.
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Episode 48
Aired Sep 22, 2005
F-117: Nighthawk Stealth
Lockheed's covert development arm creates the F-117 Stealth aircraft in 1977.
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Episode 50
Aired Oct 14, 2005
Secret Allied Aircraft of WWII
U.S. and U.K. military aircraft.
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Episode 51
Aired Oct 28, 2005
Mountain Roads
Roads pass through mountain ranges.
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Episode 57
Aired Oct 28, 2004
Japanese Sub at Pearl Harbor
The Japanese midget sub that started World War II in the Pacific rests 1,200 feet under the waters outside Pearl Harbor.
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