The BEST episodes of Modern Marvels season 11

#1 - Engineering Disasters 12

Season 11 - Episode 53 - Aired 11/9/2004

In Milwaukee, 104 died after drinking contaminated tap water. At Texas A&M, a tradition turned tragic when a pile of bonfire logs collapsed onto its builders. Thousands of US soldiers expired in known WWII deathtraps--Sherman Tanks. In 1973, 14 men working on a 26-story building died when supports were removed from wet concrete. And in 1993, Denver's "dream" airport became a nightmare when its baggage-handling system ran amok. Aided by computer graphics, catastrophe footage, and visits to the locations today, MIT scientists, Center for Disease Control experts, WWII vets, bonfire builders, and construction engineers explain these tragedies and measures taken to prevent them in future.

#2 - Extreme Aircraft

Season 11 - Episode 30 - Aired 8/25/2004

Join us for a supersonic look at some of the most cutting-edge aircraft ever developed--from the X-1 that first broke the sound barrier to the X-43 Scramjet that recently flew at Mach 7. These extreme aircraft have made their mark on aeronautical history, and sometimes on political history as well. The U-2 and SR-71 spy planes played a crucial role in the Cold War, and now Lockheed Martin's top-secret "Skunkworks" division is touting the new "air dominance" fighter plane-- the F/A-22 Raptor.

#3 - Gangster Guns

Season 11 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/12/2004

During the 1920s and '30s in big cities and small towns alike, they earned a fierce reputation in a blaze of bullets. They were the best friends of criminals such as John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Baby Face Nelson, Al Capone, and Bonnie and Clyde. Handle their Colt 45s and 38s, Tommy guns, Whippets, and Browning automatic rifles as we uncover the stories of gangster guns.

#4 - Building a Skyscraper: The Exterior

Season 11 - Episode 40 - Aired 10/9/2004

#5 - Engineering Disasters 15

Season 11 - Episode 61 - Aired 12/8/2004

A series of construction errors causes a devastating flood that brings Chicago to a standstill. A deadly accident traps hundreds in a smoke-filled Alpine tunnel, with no ventilation. Three boilers explode on a Mississippi riverboat resulting in thousands of deaths and earning the disaster the title of the worst in maritime history. Two buildings, halfway around the world from each other, collapse from the same type of shoddy construction methods--14 years apart. And a cockpit warning system malfunctions, causing a fiery, fatal crash before the jetliner ever takes off. We interview design and construction experts as we investigate what went wrong. And we talk with rescue personnel, eyewitnesses, and victims as we visit the tragedies' sites to see what improvements have been implemented to insure against these kinds of disasters.

#6 - The World's Longest Bridge

Season 11 - Episode 50 - Aired 10/27/2004

Modern Marvels takes a look at the incredible effort the Japanese made to build the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, currently the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world.

#7 - F-18 Hornet

Season 11 - Episode 14 - Aired 4/30/2004

One aircraft in the US arsenal best typifies the will to win. Using the latest and most sophisticated computerized technology, the F-18 Hornet is now one of the foremost fighters of the 21st Century. Once a plane that nobody wanted, today it's the principal Navy and Marine fighter-attacker--with a flick of a switch, it transforms from bomber to fighter. Interviews with pilots and crews, combined with archive film and color reenactments, take you inside the cockpit of this multi-role aircraft.

#8 - Plane Crashes

Season 11 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/26/2004

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.

#9 - Guns of Israel

Season 11 - Episode 36 - Aired 10/1/2004

The Uzi; the Negev machine gun; the Galil assault rifle; the Tavor 21.

#10 - Surveillance Tech

Season 11 - Episode 54 - Aired 11/10/2004

In the world of surveillance, Big Brother is not only watching, he's also listening, analyzing, recording, scanning, and tracking every aspect of our lives. And with advanced surveillance technology, there's virtually no place to hide. We'll examine some of the most important and potentially terrifying equipment the world has ever seen...or rather, not seen...in this thriving surveillance revolution. We check out parabolic microphones that pick up conversations a mile a way, cameras that learn what and who to photograph, RadarVision that "sees through walls", and Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). And we explore the mind-bending future of surveillance technology, while, of course, reviewing its surprising history.

#11 - Snack Food Tech

Season 11 - Episode 63 - Aired 12/16/2004

Extruders, molds, in-line conveyor belts. Are these machines manufacturing adhesives, plastics, or parts for your car? No, they're making treats for your mouth--and you will see them doing their seductively tasty work in this scrumptious episode.

#12 - Distilleries

Season 11 - Episode 24 - Aired 7/14/2004

From water and grain...to mash...still...vat...barrel and bottle--the distilling of alcoholic spirits is a big business and near-sacred religion. Its acolytes eye the color, swirl the glass, inhale the bouquet, sip, then ponder their ambrosia. What's your pleasure? Bourbon, Scotch, Rum, Gin, Vodka, or Tequila? We trace the history of distilling from the one-man/one-still tradition to the Voldstead Act of 1920 that devastated American distilleries to the mega-sales and high-volume distillery of today.

#13 - Howard Hughes Tech

Season 11 - Episode 62 - Aired 12/9/2004

An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America's first billionaire. A passionate aviator, Howard Hughes built and flew planes that broke speed records, and developed war machines, spy aircraft, and commercial airliners. Despite the impressive heights reached by his technological empire, his health and mental well-being were fragile. During his last years, he wasn't seen publicly or photographed, rarely left the hotel suites he occupied, and was terrified of germs. But when Hughes died in 1976, he left a huge legacy in aviation and technology. When we board an airliner, view TV via satellite, or marvel at America's military might, we might do well to remember the risk-taker who flew faster than his peers and was at heart an aviator obsessively dedicated to both the art and science of flight.

#14 - PT Boats

Season 11 - Episode 64 - Aired 12/17/2004

Small, wooden patrol-torpedo boats of World War II are fast, maneuverable and versatile.

#15 - Hydraulics

Season 11 - Episode 15 - Aired 5/12/2004

The machines that helped build our world have been powered by hydraulics, a compact system of valves, hoses, and pumps that transmits forces from point to point through fluid. This basic concept of powerful force transmission through fluid provides the drive for most machines today. From the ancient Roman mastery of the aqueduct to Universal Studios, a veritable hydraulic theme park, we see how hydraulics power industry, keep planes flying, and make that 3-point-turn a U-turn.

#16 - Police Pursuit

Season 11 - Episode 34 - Aired 9/22/2004

Join us for a high-speed look at police pursuits in an adrenaline-filled hour focused on the history and evolution of the technologies that give law enforcement the upper hand when pursuing bad guys. From the days of chasing moonshine runners in "hopped up" vehicles during Prohibition to the most recent 100-mph freeway chases, patrol cars have undergone many advances. We also examine how communications have improved, the use of airborne resources, and pursuit on the high seas.

#17 - Building a Skyscraper: The Arteries

Season 11 - Episode 41 - Aired 10/10/2004

Learn how development of electricity and indoor plumbing made skyscrapers possible as the veins and arteries of the California Department of Transportation headquarters in LA are installed.

#18 - St. Lawrence Tech

Season 11 - Episode 35 - Aired 9/22/2004

#19 - Rubber

Season 11 - Episode 19 - Aired 6/9/2004

The story of rubber is more than tires, toys, gloves, and gum--it's imbedded in modern life, from the controversial Challenger O-rings to seals on hydrogen fuel cells. A gigantic worldwide synthetic rubber industry creates exotic elastomers for high-tech applications, while China's rapid industrialization plays havoc with the world's natural rubber supply. From the ancient Olmecs of Yucatán, who knew the secret of vulcanization, to modern processing plants, we trace rubber's history and future.

#20 - City Water

Season 11 - Episode 20 - Aired 6/15/2004

When you tap your faucet does clean, pure water flow? Can your city supply enough water for industry, firefighting, and street cleaning? U.S. public water-supply systems serve nearly 99 percent of the population, yet few users know how the system of aqueducts, pipes, and pumps work. Learn the colorful history of the water systems in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles when we scour the past and look to the future, including desalination plants that turn seawater into drinking water.

#21 - Building a Skyscraper: The Human Environment

Season 11 - Episode 42 - Aired 10/10/2004

Take a closer look at the human element involved in the development of systems like air conditioning and pressurized elevators.

#22 - Harvesting

Season 11 - Episode 38 - Aired 10/6/2004

Cutting, digging, picking, stripping, shaking, and raking--whatever the crop, there's a custom machine to harvest it. From the debut of the sickle in ancient Egypt to McCormick's famous Reaper to the field of ergonomics that assists human harvesters, we'll dig into the past and future of the harvest.

#23 - Engineering Disasters 14

Season 11 - Episode 58 - Aired 11/23/2004

In this hour, we examine a massive oil tanker explosion that killed nine; a subway tunnel cave-in that swallowed part of Hollywood Boulevard; a freighter plane crash that destroyed an 11-story apartment building; an historic molasses flash flood; and a freeway ramp collapse that buried construction workers in rubble and concrete. Investigators from NTSB, Cal/OSHA, and Boeing, structural and geo-technical engineers, and historians explain how so much could have gone wrong, costing so many lives. And aided by computer graphics, footage and photos of the disasters, and visits to the locations today, we show viewers what caused these catastrophes and what design experts have done to make sure they never happen again.

#24 - Washington Monument

Season 11 - Episode 59 - Aired 12/1/2004

The U.S. capital boasts many memorials, but none with a more bizarre history than the obelisk erected to America's first president. Over 55 stories high and weighing over 90,000 tons, the Washington Monument stands stalwart in the city's center. From concept to completion, it took 100 years--years filled with mystery, ceremony, conflict, government action, and inaction. Proposed in the late 1700s by a group of prominent citizens and finished in the late 1800s by the Army Corps of Engineers, the exterior is mainly Maryland white marble, while the interior is made of granite, iron...and a few surprises. How did it come together and why did it take so long? Historians tell stories of stalling bureaucracy, secret societies, and triumphant engineering. Stark and daunting on the outside, we let viewers know what's inside.

#25 - Engineering Disasters 16

Season 11 - Episode 67 - Aired 12/23/2004