The BEST episodes written by Robert E. Ziel
#1 - Trucks
Modern Marvels - Season 7 - Episode 23
They are the backbone of the transportation and construction industries. Versatile, vital and ubiquitous, trucks perform jobs from carting off mountains to keeping nations fed. TRUCKS drives through a century of history to deliver the goods on this all-important vehicle. Visit museums and collections where the very first trucks are on display--bizarre machines with steel, tireless wheels, open cabs and tillers! See how war and the changing face of industry spurred remarkable proliferation and technological advancement, leading to everything from 165-foot-long "Road Trains" in the Australian Outback to two-story high super trucks capable of carrying 320 tons of earth in a single load. Explore the role of legendary names like Mack, Kenworth and Peterbilt and see what may lie in store for the next generation of heavy haulers. MODERN MARVELS takes to the road for the ultimate examination of, arguably, the most important vehicles ever made.
#2 - Shipyards
Modern Marvels - Season 10 - Episode 69
Shipyards are waterside construction sites where some of the largest tools ever built help create the biggest machines on earth.
#3 - Loading Docks
Modern Marvels - Season 10 - Episode 41
Loading docks serve as the connecting point between products coming from the factory to reaching store shelves.
#4 - Ice Breakers
Modern Marvels - Season 9 - Episode 15
Icebreaker ships plow headlong into one of nature's most formidable barriers. Modern Marvels bundles up and goes for a sea tour aboard the toughest ships ever built, the massive icebreakers that can withstand hull pressures of 3,000 pounds per square inch. Experts like Gene Davis, the curator of the Coast Guard Museum NW, detail how these vessels have evolved from the age of sail, and how they have changed the way ships navigate in northern waters. Go on patrol with the USCG Cutter Mackinaw, one of the largest and oldest breakers working the vital North American fresh water shipping lanes, and then see the contrast as the USCG Healy, the newest Polar Class ice breaker in the American fleet, traverses the Northwest Passage on its maiden voyage. This is the story of the specialized ships that have turned the tables on one of the mariners' most ancient and implacable enemies.
#5 - Plane Crashes
Modern Marvels - Season 11 - Episode 19
When the most sophisticated machines fail, they do so horrifically, plunging to earth with a terrifying loss of life. From the beginning of manned flight, plane crashes have plagued the aviation industry and terrorized the public. But the truth is, passengers have never been safer because of the brightest minds, best technology, and billions of dollars focused on preventing air disasters. Using famous crashes like TWA Flight 800, we examine safety improvement and what still needs to be done.
#6 - Nature's Engineers
Modern Marvels - Season 11 - Episode 11
Towering skyscrapers buzzing with life, intricate tunnels connecting entire communities, mighty dams that tame the wildest rivers--this is construction animal style! Take a walk on the wild side as we investigate common creatures seemingly designed to alter their habitat and remake the world. Our ability to learn and capacity for abstract thought may separate us from beavers, honeybees, birds, termites, and spiders, but these engineers of nature remind us that we're merely the latest in a long line.