The BEST episodes of Modern Marvels season 4

#1 - U.S. Mints: Money Machines

Season 4 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/10/1998

A rare behind the scenes look at how the U.S. Mint manufactures coins and medals for the U.S. Government.

#2 - Antibiotics

Season 4 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/28/1998

The history of bacteria, germ theory, and early medical treatments that gave way to revolutionary antibiotics starting with Fleming's penicillin.

#3 - Oakland Bay Bridge

Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/10/1998

The great bridge of San Francisco, not the Golden Gate, this one: The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. Over 500 feet above the water, more than 8 miles long. One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the modern world.

#4 - Transatlantic Cable

Season 4 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/17/1998

An examination of how one man's vision and the cooperation between the US and England resulted in an instant, reliable transcontinental mode of communication in the mid-1800s.

#5 - Plumbing: The Arteries of Civilization

Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/2/1998

Each day, billions of gallons of water flow through cities into homes and back out again in a confusing mess of pipes, pumps, and fixtures. The history of plumbing is a tale crucial to our survival--supplying ourselves with fresh water and disposing of human waste. From ancient solutions to the future, we'll plumb plumbing's depths.

#6 - Extreme Sports Gadgets

Season 4 - Episode 13 - Aired 10/4/1998

An exploration of the technological innovations that have made extreme sports a reality.

#7 - Sports Technology: Equipment

Season 4 - Episode 14 - Aired 11/14/1998

The high tech equipment used to increase human performance including radar baseballs, lightweight bicycles, and inline skates. Also featured are in depth looks at the evolution of skiing, different sporting shoes, and football helmets.

#8 - Firefighting: The Arson Detectives

Season 4 - Episode 15 - Aired 11/17/1998

Topic: detecting arson. Included: finding clues in ashes; explaining motives behind church fires; psychological profiles of offenders.

#9 - Prosthetics

Season 4 - Episode 16 - Aired 11/23/1998

From the earliest recorded account of an amputation and subsequent prosthesis in ancient Hindu writings, to a 16th-century fully articulated artificial hand controlled by an intricate geared mechanism, to today's use of plastics and space-age materials, we chronicle the long history of prosthetic devices.

#10 - Firefighting! Containing the Demon

Season 4 - Episode 17 - Aired 12/7/1998

Any fire raging out of control is a hazard, but when compounded with obstacles of extreme conditions, such as an oil-well blowout or acres of forest ablaze, firefighters face new elements of danger. Meet a WWII London firefighter, "Hell Fighters" who squelch oil-well infernos, and smokejumpers who parachute into forest fires. with special guest John Travolta

#11 - Las Vegas Hotels

Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/3/1998

Eleven of the world's largest hotels are in Las Vegas. The story of Las Vegas' emergence from the desert and transformation into one of the world's most storied destinations..

#12 - World's Fair: Visions of the Future

Season 4 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/24/1998

A look at the expositions known as "World's Fairs," which have served as showcases for entertainment, cultural events and new technology.

#13 - The Police Car

Season 4 - Episode 11 - Aired 10/6/1998

#14 - Medical Imaging: The Voyage Inward

Season 4 - Episode 12 - Aired 10/28/1998

Medical imaging, the technology that allows us to see inside the human body, is full of amazing stories. Learn how X-rays were discovered in 1895, completely by accident; how ultrasound was developed to locate enemy submarines; and how the CAT Scan might never have been built if it weren't for The Beatles!

#15 - Clocks

Season 4 - Episode 23 - Aired 12/28/1998

“Clocks” examines mankind's predilection for telling time, from the ancient uses of shadows and hourglasses to the digital age. Also: a super-accurate atomic timepiece; water clocks.

#16 - Mail Delivery: Erasing the Miles

Season 4 - Episode 22 - Aired 12/23/1998

Behind the scenes of the world's largest communication agency to show how the mail gets through. Learn how the Post Office has changed through the years and get an up-close look at the technology on which the modern Post Office relies.

#17 - Weather Prediction

Season 4 - Episode 18 - Aired 12/7/1998

A study of the discoveries, inventions, and technological advances that have helped us understand and predict weather accurately. From simple observations made by primitive humans, to early instruments such as thermometers and barometers, to Doppler radar and satellite imaging, we'll see how man has tried to harness weather.

#18 - Plastics

Season 4 - Episode 20 - Aired 12/14/1998

Plastics, the omnipresent material that has revolutionized homes, workplaces, cars and commerce. Also examined: its uses in medicine and protective gear; and the recycling industry.

#19 - Stereos

Season 4 - Episode 21 - Aired 12/16/1998

It has become a new dimension in entertainment. It pulls us into the center of the action with explosive sounds and computer controlled audio design. From it’s humble beginnings in the basements of amateurs, stereo has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry.

#20 - Firefighting! Extreme Conditions

Season 4 - Episode 19 - Aired 12/8/1998

The most extreme raging fires and the firefighters who tame them. Meet “Hell Fighters” who fight raging oil well fires and “smoke jumpers” who parachute into forest fires. Also, see how NASA guards against the very real risk of a fire aboard a space vessel.

#21 - Air Force One: A History

Season 4 - Episode 24 - Aired 1/1/1997

Until the airplane soared on the scene, the President was mostly Washington-bound; then, in 1910, Teddy Roosevelt took to the sky! From FDR's custom-tailored prop plane to today's technological wonder, the program examines the evolution of the Oval Office in the Sky.

#22 - Airships

Season 4 - Episode 26 - Aired 1/18/1999

They are among the most romantic machines ever built, enormous craft held aloft by lighter-than-air gas trapped beneath their vast skins. In the 20th century, they have played a vital role in war, transportation and commerce and been involved in one of the most famous tragedies of all time.

#23 - The NYC Subway

Season 4 - Episode 25 - Aired 1/6/1999

New York subway system's riders, workers and street performers make it a microcosm of city life.

#24 - Engineering Disasters

Season 4 - Episode 29 - Aired 2/22/1999

Throughout history, the builders and engineers who paved our way out of the caves and into the modern world have also caused some of our worst disasters. What happens when their calculations prove wrong and it all comes tumbling down?

#25 - History of Tall Buildings

Season 4 - Episode 28 - Aired 2/8/1999

The construction of skyscrapers is a triumph of engineering and capitalism. Climb to the top of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Sears Tower, and World Trade Center to see how ego, money, and technology joined to build the tallest of man-made structures.