The BEST Episodes of How Do They Do It?
Every episode ever - ranked by fan votes!
Last Updated: Jul 17, 2021
Network: Discovery
How Do They Do It? Ever wondered how the stripes get into toothpaste or how contact lenses are made? How do goods get from one country to another and then into our supermarkets? What are car tires made from and exactly why are plasma TV screens flat? Eating, drinking, driving, flying. These all are activities that we carry out with barely a second thought. But have you ever wondered what exactly goes into your teabag and how it got there? How does an airport handle hundreds of thousands of items of luggage each day? And just how can a car’s airbag inflate so quickly? Every day – often without even realizing it – we come into contact with technology, be it in the bathroom, in the car or on the golf course. We take a look at how things work, and focus on some of the most amazing examples of everyday objects including the world’s fastest elevator and the most expensive chocolate money can buy.
#1 - Recycling; Plasma TV; Fireworks; Railroad Tracks; Ink
Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired May 6, 2006
This episode begins with explaining how recycling works using as an example airplanes. Then goes on to Plasma TV’s by explaining the theory and showing us the Hitachi factory. After that it’s the fireworks turn. From China to New York, from production to consumption you can see how they do it! Big hot and noisy, it is time to make railway tracks. Melt, shape, cool, check, you are done! Finally, microseconds, micrometers, welcome to the world of inkjet cartridges and its ink, by taking a tour in the Hewlett Packard cartridge factory.
8.64 
#2 - Arson Dogs; Oaked Wine; Chrome
Season 7 - Episode 16 - Aired Sep 10, 2010
Examining the training of arson investigation dogs and the making of oak barrels for French wine.
8.50 
#3 - Ice Rink; Car Plant
Season 8 - Episode 3 - Aired Jun 17, 2011
World's biggest ice hockey rink and car plant.
8.50 
#4 - Cameras; Big Airbags; Jelly Beans
Season 14 - Episode 4 - Aired Aug 29, 2016
How the world's sharpest photos are taken; what it takes to create an airbag that can catch a falling car; and how jelly beans are made.
8.43 
#5 - Screws; Marmalade; Printed Dresses
Season 13 - Episode 5 - Aired Jun 15, 2015
How screws help hold the world together. Also: marmalade's bitter roots; and fashionable clothing created with technology.
8.27 
#6 - Mining Trucks; IKEA; Air Traffic
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired Jul 8, 2006
8.20 
#7 - Mohair; Quadski; Harp
Season 13 - Episode 17 - Aired Sep 10, 2015
A mohair exchange in South Africa; the James Bond-inspired quad bike; and harps.
8.17 
#8 - Monorail; Royal Copenhagen Porcelain; New York Cupcakes
Season 13 - Episode 3 - Aired May 21, 2015
Mumbai's monorail; hand-painted porcelain statues in Denmark; and creative cupcake recipes.
8.15 
#9 - Coffee; Bricks; Lava Lamps; Diamonds
Season 14 - Episode 3 - Aired Aug 22, 2016
How coffee is roasted; how bricks are built; how lava lamps are made; and how diamonds are mined from an extinct volcano.
8.10 
#10 - Tires; Excavators; Newspapers; Ports; Contact Lenses
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired May 27, 2006
Tires, Excavators, Newspapers, Ports, Contact Lenses
8.00 
#11 - Glass; Golf Balls; Zippers; Coke Cans; Tire Changes
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired Jun 10, 2006
Glass, Golf Balls, Zippers, Coke Cans, Tire Changes
8.00 
#12 - Spacesuit; Diesel Engines; Neon Signs
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired Apr 11, 2007
How a spacesuit keeps an astronaut alive, the diesel engines that power the world's biggest ships, and the manufacturing processes behind the famous neon signs which cover Las Vegas
8.00 
#13 - Jet Engine; Weapons; Telescope
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired Apr 25, 2007
The design and manufacturing of large jet engines; non-lethal weapons that stun without killing; the world's largest telescope.
8.00 
#14 - Sponges; Cabbie Knowledge
Season 7 - Episode 6 - Aired Jul 2, 2010
Examining the technology used to dive for natural sponges, and how taxi drivers know their way to so many different destinations
8.00 
#15 - Money Movers; Game Fishing Rods; Bagpipes
Season 7 - Episode 7 - Aired Jul 9, 2010
How money is transferred in a safe and secure manner with behind-the-scenes banking technology, landing big game fish, bagpipes.
8.00 
#16 - Sugar; Fish Farming; Speed Suits
Season 7 - Episode 12 - Aired Aug 13, 2010
Explore how fish are farmed, raw cane is turned into sugar, and suits are tailored in just one day.
8.00 
#17 - Underground Mine; Shotguns
Season 7 - Episode 18 - Aired Sep 24, 2010
The working processes of America's largest mine, and how made-to-measure shotguns are manufactured.
8.00 
#18 - Submarine Rescue; Subaru
Season 8 - Episode 13 - Aired Oct 27, 2011
Rescuing the crew of a sunken submarine; a monster digger; a car that runs on beer.
8.00 
#19 - Mohair; Quadski; Harp
Season 12 - Episode 17 - Aired Sep 10, 2015
8.00 
#20 - Credit Cards; Tiffin; Boat Lift
Season 13 - Episode 19 - Aired Sep 24, 2015
How fraud-proof credit cards are made; how hot lunches are delivered to Mumbai workers; and how a thousand-ton ship is hoisted hundreds of feet into the air.
8.00 
#21 - Paper fans, Asphalt power, Tea, and Bassoons
Season 15 - Episode 10 - Aired Dec 9, 2017
8.00 
#22 - Boat Sails, Military Swords, Children Car Seats
Season 16 - Episode 12 - Aired Jul 18, 2019
8.00 
#23 - Hearing Aids, Elizabeth Line Trains, Shadow Puppets
Season 16 - Episode 19 - Aired Aug 15, 2019
8.00 
#24 - High Rise Window Cleaners, Jigsaw Puzzles, Field Hockey Sticks
Season 16 - Episode 14 - Aired Jul 25, 2019
8.00 
#25 - RV Motorhomes, Lollipops, Ballet Shoes
Season 16 - Episode 15 - Aired Aug 1, 2019
8.00