The BEST episodes of Modern Marvels season 6

#1 - Hoover Dam

Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 7/12/1999

Venture into the Southwestern Desert for the complete story of one of the seven engineering wonders of the world -- Hoover Dam. From the blueprints to reality, this is the story of the ingenuity and manpower that literally moved a river and sculpted a mountain of concrete.

#2 - Emergency Room

Season 6 - Episode 29 - Aired 10/25/1999

Emergency room medicine has only been a recognized specialty since 1989, and it took close to two millennia to get to this point. Advancements that led to the modern emergency rooms are highlighted as well as emergency/trauma medicine.

#3 - Demolition

Season 6 - Episode 30 - Aired 11/8/1999

While a civilization's greatness is reflected in the achievements of architects and engineers, equally impressive are spectacular acts of destruction throughout history. The cycle of construction and destruction reflects the shifting values of any given era. We'll trace the evolution of planned destruction from ancient to modern-day.

#4 - Security Systems

Season 6 - Episode 32 - Aired 11/16/1999

Since civilization's earliest days, man has sought protection from those who would rob him of riches, knowledge, and even life. This is the story of the evolving systems designed to safeguard our most precious possessions, and of the enduring psychological war between protectors and thieves, each intent on outfoxing the other.

#5 - Earth Movers 2

Season 6 - Episode 27 - Aired 10/13/1999

#6 - Niagara Power

Season 6 - Episode 35 - Aired 12/8/1999

An exploration of the rich history of one of the world's greatest technological achievements--the harnessing of power from Niagara Falls. From the "War of the Currents", a battle between geniuses Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla, to the Robert Moses Plant, primed to take the powerhouse into the 21st century, we highlight its story.

#7 - Casino Tech

Season 6 - Episode 36 - Aired 12/13/1999

Place your bets and join us for an exciting spin through the history of the casino. We'll go behind the neon lights, free drinks, and 24-hour gambling to see how the gaming industry has evolved from a simple house of cards to a high-tech multi-billion dollar industry.

#8 - Jet Engines

Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 5/3/1999

Strap on a parachute and soar through the saga of jet propulsion, which radically transformed our world since inception in WWII.

#9 - More Engineering Disasters

Season 6 - Episode 34 - Aired 11/29/1999

Throughout history the same builders and engineers that paved man's path out of the caves and into the modern world also caused some of mankind's worst disasters. Often a huge calamity is traced back to a tiny cause, insignificant in itself, but triggering a domino effect. We'll revisit notable disasters and search for probable causes.

#10 - Lost Marvels

Season 6 - Episode 37 - Aired 12/14/1999

Some of the great artistic and engineering feats that failed due to nature, the wastes of war and indifference.

#11 - Balloons

Season 6 - Episode 38 - Aired 12/16/1999

Examine the many uses balloons have been put to over the years and hear from the designers and "pilots" who have dedicated their lives to riding the winds.

#12 - Shotguns

Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/23/1999

The first specialized gun, the British upper-class used it to shoot birds and small game for sport. The shotgun took on a variety of roles, used by hunter and warrior alike.

#13 - The Big Dig

Season 6 - Episode 25 - Aired 10/4/1999

An on-site report on the Massachusetts Central Artery-Third Harbor Tunnel project, an $11.6-billion undertaking to replace Boston's highways with roadways that run underground and beneath the waterways. The hour includes a look at funding controversies and new construction technologies utilized.

#14 - History of Tall Buildings

Season 6 - Episode 3 - 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.

#15 - City Parks

Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 3/3/1999

Parks play an even more important role than simply offering city dwellers a scenic break from the urban landscape. They provide important ecological and health benefits that help cities like New York and Los Angeles thrive.

#16 - Crash Testing

Season 6 - Episode 20 - Aired 8/9/1999

Delve into the secretive, but hugely important, multi-billion-dollar industry of product testing where wrinkles get ironed out and goods are stripped of the marketing and hype to see if they actually work.

#17 - Map Making

Season 6 - Episode 8 - Aired 4/8/1999

Charting the history of cartography--from ancient Marshall Islands' stick maps to the New York City Police Department's computerized super-map. Some are works of art, others vital tools for law enforcement, space exploration, and agriculture.

#18 - Salt Mines

Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 5/19/1999

Discover more about this priceless commodity essential to our very survival. It has over 14,000 uses from de-icing our roads to softening our water.

#19 - Dynamite

Season 6 - Episode 15 - Aired 6/21/1999

Dynamite blasts out the natural resources that have built our modern world.

#20 - Offshore Oil Drilling

Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 7/6/1999

Drilling offshore is to drilling onshore what Ginger Rodgers was to Fred Astaire, she did everything he did except she did it backwards and in high heels. Offshore drilling is one of the greaest technological dances mankind has ever attempted

#21 - Baseball Parks

Season 6 - Episode 18 - Aired 7/19/1999

Tracing the development of the ballpark. Visit some of baseball's greatest shrines, including Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium and Camden Yards, and see how the years have changed the way they were conceived and built.

#22 - Airships

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

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 6 - Episode 2 - 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 6 - Episode 4 - 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 - Spy Technology

Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 3/15/1999

Tracing the evolution of the tools of espionage over the past century, from drop boxes and rudimentary codes to the tiny, high-tech devices that are already far more prevalent than most people imagine.