The BEST episodes of Modern Marvels season 18

Every episode of Modern Marvels season 18, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Modern Marvels season 18!

Celebrating ingenuity, invention and imagination brought to life on a grand scale, MODERN MARVELS tells the fascinating stories of the doers, dreamers and sometime-schemers who created everyday items, technological breakthroughs and man-made wonders.

Last Updated: 3/22/2024Network: HistoryStatus: Continuing
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Weird Machines
star
8.00
6 votes

#1 - Weird Machines

Season 18 - Episode 6 - Aired 11/28/2011

It has been said that necessity is the mother of all invention--but that is not always the case. Some strange machines are built for sheer spectacle, some a glimpse into the future or even the past, while others are just plain...Weird.

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Food Trucks
star
7.50
2 votes

#2 - Food Trucks

Season 18 - Episode 5 - Aired 11/14/2011

Mobile eateries with surprising innovations.

Convenience Stores
star
7.50
2 votes

#3 - Convenience Stores

Season 18 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/26/2011

160 million Americans visit a convenience store every day. Why? Because it's fast. But what you probably didn't know is how every detail of its design has been engineered to work that way. Step inside one of the busiest 7-11's in America and find out what makes it tick. And go behind the scenes to see how favorite innovations--like slurpees, turbo ovens, and beef jerky--are made. The science of convenience will amaze you!

Shoes
star
7.50
2 votes

#4 - Shoes

Season 18 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/6/2012

Shoes have come a long way from their humble beginnings as simple leather moccasins. Today footwear is built to withstand any extreme environment where a foot can tread — from the heart of a burning building to the track of an Olympic stadium. From high-tech soles to shoelaces, cowboy boots to sneaker design — step behind the scenes with the products that keep your feet covered.

Built by Hand
star
7.33
18 votes

#5 - Built by Hand

Season 18 - Episode 2 - Aired 10/10/2011

We live in a highly mechanized world in which billions of products are made by machines--but there are some things that can be built only by using an even more sophisticated tool--the human hand. In New Mexico, a pilot who builds his own jet-powered glider takes to the skies--his very life depending on his handiwork. Canoe makers in Montana, and a knife maker in Washington, handcraft items so unique that customers are willing to pay significantly higher prices than if they were machine made. In the farmlands of Central California, craftsmen keep alive the ancient art of weapon making--see their gleaming suits of armor in action, as weekend warriors do battle. Ever wonder how those impressive animal skeletons in museums are constructed? The artists of Skulls International in Oklahoma City share their secrets. And in Hollywood, the Chiodo brothers reveal how handmade special effects have a charm and character that today's computer animators can't duplicate.

Inside Your Walls
star
7.08
12 votes

#6 - Inside Your Walls

Season 18 - Episode 1 - Aired 10/3/2011

Don't look now--but there's a lot more to your walls than you'd ever imagine. Take a penetrating look inside something we consider utterly mundane, and uncover a surprising and sometimes shocking world. A computer-managed home in Colorado showcases the high tech gadgetry destined to inhabit every wall in the future. At the headquarters of Orkin in Atlanta, a network of walls with cutouts and Plexiglas windows reveal how pests and creepy crawlies of all kinds can congregate in huge numbers inside our homes. In Washington, scientists at Underwriters Labs play with fire in the name of research, investigating how our walls can keep us safe--or expose us to a fiery death. And in Los Angeles, a security company demonstrates innovative new technology that can "see" through walls--detecting motion, heat, breathing, even heartbeats.

More Candy
star
7.00
3 votes

#7 - More Candy

Season 18 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/5/2011

Candy is America's sweetest guilty pleasure--so appealing that we spend $25 billion annually to experience it. Our cameras venture from Chicago to Santa Cruz, California to show you that behind every delicious bite is a fascinating story of imagination and innovation. Fourth-generation candy makers Nick and Gino Marini reveal how they're redefining the limits of confectioneering with their latest sensation...chocolate-covered bacon. The crew that makes the iconic red and white Starlight Mints demonstrates how they give each piece its trademark color pattern. As your mouth waters throughout the hour, you'll also discover they key ingredient that gives Lemonheads their sour punch...and the surprising substance that puts the polish on Mike and Ikes. And you'll be shocked to learn how little sugar is in cotton candy.

Battle Ready
star
7.00
5 votes

#8 - Battle Ready

Season 18 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/2/2012

U.S. soldiers today face enormous challenges, often stationed in desolate locations behind enemy lines. Keeping them protected is priority number one--and the military is making enormous leaps in devising a wide array of high-tech equipment to protect today's soldier. From elaborate elite training facilities, to GPS-guided air drops, to revolutionary high-tech tents and fire-retardant uniforms, we explore the science and technology of building, operating and protecting a base in a warzone.

Waterproof
star
6.98
61 votes

#9 - Waterproof

Season 18 - Episode 11 - Aired 1/9/2012

From the beginning of time we've worked to protect ourselves against the very element that keeps us alive...Water. We love it and hate it. With water covering 75% of the Earth's surface, it's no wonder we struggle to stay safe and dry. We fight against ferocious weather and floods with state-of-the-art roofing, wraps, tarps, tunnels, clothing, boats, and much more... devising extreme tests to probe the limits of our modern waterproof technology.

Is That a... in Your Pocket?
star
6.85
33 votes

#10 - Is That a... in Your Pocket?

Season 18 - Episode 4 - Aired 11/7/2011

People's pocket contents are examined to see what they carry and why.

Swamp Tech
star
6.80
10 votes

#11 - Swamp Tech

Season 18 - Episode 3 - Aired 10/24/2011

It's a great American wilderness--millions of acres of wild, primeval land with its own people, its own technology...and its own rules. Survival there depends on smarts and science, guts and grueling work...and a unique approach to one of the world's most uncompromising environments--swamps. Watch an assembly of the distinctive airboat, then hop on board for a breathtaking journey and discover the surprising history behind this swamp staple of transportation. Take a wild ride on a big-tired swamp buggy, and taste test some local delicacies that bring new meaning to "acquired taste." Witness a massive engineering project to divert the mighty Mississippi River, and meet the machines that make that job possible. Plus come face to face, literally, with enormous pythons and menacing alligators.

Wood
star
6.50
2 votes

#12 - Wood

Season 18 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/19/2011

Hundreds of years before steel and plastic, wood was the building block of America. But even today, it touches every aspect of our lives. It's underneath our feet and flying through the sky, propping up skyscrapers and making burgers fry -- from the historical, to the modern, to the timeless, we explore the surprising ways we cannot live without WOOD.

Alaska Tech
star
6.33
6 votes

#13 - Alaska Tech

Season 18 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/27/2012

Our 49th state is one tough terrain. In the air, on the ground–and deep beneath it–survival here requires an amazing array of technological innovations. From buildings to highways, brutal winters to bug-infested summers, this unforgiving landscape demands creative work-arounds. And then there's the constant threat of natural disasters…tsunami, anyone?

Stink
star
6.00
1 votes

#14 - Stink

Season 18 - Episode 13 - Aired 12/8/2011

Just the whiff of a foul odor can make your head spin, your eyes water, your stomach turn--it can even send you hurling. From cesspools, military stink bombs, and rancid rotting meat... to cow farms and landfills... to bad breath, B.O and beyond, the world is full of stink--and we've spent centuries battling the funk. So how do we deal with these horrific odors? Hold your breath `cause these sensational stories are gonna STINK!

Tiny Weapons
star
6.00
1 votes

#15 - Tiny Weapons

Season 18 - Episode 12 - Aired 1/16/2012

"Tiny" weapons may not sound impressive…but small can kill, and it can also be easily concealed. From a pocket pistol used by the police…to a submachine gun wielded by a bodyguard…to a carbine in the hands of an Army Ranger, many of today's most effective weapons are smaller than ever. They can fit in your pocket, fly through the air, even break through walls–tiny weapons are an essential part of battle, self-defense, and spreading terror.

Under Pressure
star
6.00
1 votes

#16 - Under Pressure

Season 18 - Episode 14 - Aired 1/30/2012

Every aspect of our lives involves pressure. It's what puts the bubbles in soft drinks, propels shaving cream from its can, cools the contents of your refrigerator, and causes volcanoes to erupt. But when pressure suddenly changes, you better look out! Rapid pressure changes can be as violent as explosions. And variable atmospheric pressure? We call that the weather.

Going Medieval
star
6.00
1 votes

#17 - Going Medieval

Season 18 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/20/2012