The BEST episodes of Modern Marvels season 6

Every episode of Modern Marvels season 6, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Modern Marvels season 6!

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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Hoover Dam
star
9.73
33 votes

#1 - Hoover Dam

Season 6 - Episode 25 - Aired 7/12/1999

By any measure, it was a daunting task to tame the Colorado River, the waterway that had carved out the Grand Canyon. To make things worse, the site chosen was in the middle of the desert, far removed from any towns or infrastructure. This episode ventures into the Southwestern Desert to tell the complete story of one of the seven engineering wonders of the world -- Hoover Dam. See incredible footage that documents every step of the monumental work of taming the Colorado to provide water and power to California, Nevada and Arizona. 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. That it was completed in only seven years is all the more remarkable.

Watch Now:Amazon
Oakland Bay Bridge
star
8.80
5 votes

#2 - Oakland Bay Bridge

Season 6 - Episode 27 - Aired 7/20/1999

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.

Watch Now:Amazon
U.S. Mints: Money Machines
star
8.33
3 votes

#3 - U.S. Mints: Money Machines

Season 6 - Episode 21 - Aired 4/26/1999

They are the physical engines of America's money machine, secretive agencies that design and manufacture the greenbacks that keep the nation's and the world's economy moving. This episode ventures inside these vital fortresses for a privileged glimpse of the work of making money. From engraving to circulation, watch as fortunes are created in instants, and see how new bills are put into circulation. Hear from Philip N. Diehl, Director of the United States Mint, and Robert Chandler, a historian for Wells Fargo, as they trace the fascinating history of the government's money business. And discover what the future may hold for American currency.

Writer: Tom Jennings
Watch Now:Amazon
Battlefield Medicine
star
8.33
3 votes

#4 - Battlefield Medicine

Season 6 - Episode 20 - Aired 3/30/1999

"He who would become a surgeon should join the army and follow it," Hippocrates counseled nearly 2,500 years ago. In this history of medicine under fire, we see how a small army of medics, nurses, surgeons, stretcher-bearers, and ambulance drivers, races to keep pace with the deadly advances of war.

Watch Now:Amazon
Mail Delivery: Erasing the Miles
star
8.20
5 votes

#5 - Mail Delivery: Erasing the Miles

Season 6 - Episode 13 - Aired 1/1/1999

This episode goes behind the scenes of the world's largest communication agency to show how the mail gets through. Follow a typical letter on a remarkable journey where human hands may only touch it twice. Learn how the Post Office has changed through the years and get an up-close look at the technology the modern Post Office relies on. Historians probe the long past of the agency and reveal its gaffes and triumphs, while archival footage recalls the glory days of twice-daily delivery. And Postmaster General Marvin Runyon offers a privileged view of today's Post Office and the problems it faces as it prepares for a new millennium.

Watch Now:Amazon
Airships
star
8.17
6 votes

#6 - Airships

Season 6 - Episode 15 - 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. This episode tells the story of the inventors and innovations behind these fascinating flyers. Discover what distinguishes a blimp from a balloon from a zeppelin, and watch the footage of the Hindenburg's fiery destruction in New Jersey. Find out how the lessons learned during the heyday of lighter-than-air travel are sewing the seeds for a renaissance today and go aboard the new breed of Zeppelin that is once again taking to the skies over Europe.

Writer: Mary Wallace
Watch Now:Amazon
Weather Predictions
star
8.00
2 votes

#7 - Weather Predictions

Season 6 - Episode 11 - 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.

Watch Now:Amazon
Physical Fitness: The Quest for Muscle
star
8.00
2 votes

#8 - Physical Fitness: The Quest for Muscle

Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 1/25/1999

Explores the desire, the drive, and the methods which people have used throughout the centuries to develop strength for athletic bodies.

Watch Now:Amazon
Stereo and the Sound Revolution
star
8.00
2 votes

#9 - Stereo and the Sound Revolution

Season 6 - Episode 12 - 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.

Watch Now:Amazon
Physical Fitness: The Quest for Health
star
8.00
4 votes

#10 - Physical Fitness: The Quest for Health

Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 1/25/1999

From Ancient Greek gymnasiums where pupils pumped up their bodies as well as their minds, to today’s high-tech facilities and science-based fitness regimens, find out how people have stayed in shape throughout history

Watch Now:Amazon
Forts
star
8.00
4 votes

#11 - Forts

Season 6 - Episode 34 - Aired 10/18/1999

Fortification evolved along with man's need to defend his territory from attack. From hills surrounded by fences to walled cities to impenetrable castles, these strongholds of the past echo the history of battles for territorial control. Join us as we learn how, as weaponry grew in sophistication, those walls came tumbling down.

Writer: Joanne Fish
Watch Now:Amazon
The Tool Bench: Hand Tools
star
8.00
4 votes

#12 - The Tool Bench: Hand Tools

Season 6 - Episode 32 - Aired 10/12/1999

Well over 2-million years before modern man evolved, his primitive ancestors were making tools. The ability to extend the hand and strengthen the arm is considered one of the keys to human evolution. Join us as we nail down the history of hand tools, and look at a new generation of computer-designed, high-tech hand tools.

Watch Now:Amazon
Newspapers
star
8.00
4 votes

#13 - Newspapers

Season 6 - Episode 28 - Aired 8/31/1999

Since the 15th century, man has sated his hunger for information with newspapers. Their form has varied over the centuries, and their content adjusted to the changing desires of their readers (or publishers? whims), but until very recently, they seemed likely to be a vital part of human society forever. But as this episode shows, that future may be in doubt. The growing influence of the computer age and the widespread availability of instant information may eventually render the newspaper obsolete. Of course, we?re a long way from that day, and as this video proves, the daily news has survived much in the past.

Watch Now:Amazon
Dynamite
star
8.00
5 votes

#14 - Dynamite

Season 6 - Episode 24 - Aired 6/21/1999

Join us for a highly charged hour as we see why Alfred Nobel's invention of dynamite took on earthshattering dimensions as his product blasted out the natural resources that built our modern world. We also examine its impact on construction of the roads, tunnels, and dams that provide us with energy and transportation

Watch Now:Amazon
Fireworks
star
7.92
36 votes

#15 - Fireworks

Season 6 - Episode 29 - Aired 9/6/1999

Since the invention of gunpowder, fireworks have thrilled audiences around the world. We'll review highlights of fireworks exhibitions throughout history, and go behind the scenes to explore how science and art mingle in this unique, ancient craft. The world's preeminent fireworks families explain how they create their spectacles.

Watch Now:Amazon
Rescue Technology
star
7.86
7 votes

#16 - Rescue Technology

Season 6 - Episode 23 - Aired 5/1/1999

Check out the latest advances in rescue technology, including a Searchcam system that locates buried victims, and the Jaws of Life that can extricate a person from a crushed car in seconds.

Watch Now:Amazon
Baseball Parks
star
7.80
5 votes

#17 - Baseball Parks

Season 6 - Episode 26 - Aired 7/19/1999

Take me out to the ballpark. The crack of the bat. The cries of the peanut vendor. The incredible engineering? To those who consider baseball a religion, the stadium is the temple at which they worship. But the modern park is also a marvel of design and construction. This episode traces the development of the old ballpark from the days of sandlots and bleachers to the retro stadiums with up-to-the-minute features that are bringing fans back to the game. 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. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how they work and tour areas off-limits to the public. Hear from the men who built them and play in them, and get an early glimpse of what the 21st stadium may look like.

Aquariums
star
7.75
4 votes

#18 - Aquariums

Season 6 - Episode 1 - Aired 7/27/1998

“Aquariums” looks at the popular tourist attractions and their inhabitants, and considers the morality of keeping animals in captivity. Also: innovations in tank technology; and the history of aquariums.

Map Making
star
7.71
7 votes

#19 - Map Making

Season 6 - Episode 22 - Aired 4/4/1999

Join us as we chart 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. Now satellites and the global positioning system have sparked a revolution

Prosthetics
star
7.67
3 votes

#20 - Prosthetics

Season 6 - Episode 10 - 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.

Las Vegas Hotels
star
7.67
3 votes

#21 - Las Vegas Hotels

Season 6 - 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 stories destinations has been told many times, but this fascinating program zeroes in on the heart of the Mecca for tourism in Nevada the grand hotels that are some of the most sophisticated buildings ever constructed.

History of Tall Buildings
star
7.33
3 votes

#22 - History of Tall Buildings

Season 6 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/8/1999

A look up at the symbol of the American Century–the skyscraper, the construction of which 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.

Medical Imaging: The Voyage Inward
star
7.25
4 votes

#23 - Medical Imaging: The Voyage Inward

Season 6 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/28/1998

The story of 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!

Security Systems
star
7.25
4 votes

#24 - Security Systems

Season 6 - Episode 38 - 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.

Bombs
star
7.20
5 votes

#25 - Bombs

Season 6 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/13/1999

Bombs...the most feared and powerful weapon in any nation's arsenal. What began as incendiary devices in the 7th century has evolved into weapons that can literally blow the human race off the face of the earth! From the use of diseased carcasses flung over castle walls to Greek Fire to today's smart bombs, we review the evolution of bombs.

Writer: Yann Debonne