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Modern Marvels
Season 6
Episode 38

The Tool Bench: Power Tools

October 12, 1999

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Modern Marvels - S6 - E38

The history of civilization could easily be measured in terms of our ability to make, use, and improve tools–an activity that is at least 4 million years old! At the tip of our toolmaking timeline are power tools. We’ll examine today’s power tool industry, which is booming thanks to more powerful, lighter, and quieter cordless tools.

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Modern Marvels: Season 6 - 48 Episode s

6x1 - Demolition
July 27, 1998
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.
6x2 - The Atlantic Wall
August 3, 1998
The Atlantic Wall explores the construction of the shore fortifications built by the Nazis during World War II. We highlight the logistics of construction, types of fortifications, weapons, and obstacles used in the wall. The Nazis attempted to fortify 3,000 miles of occupied European coastline before the Allies launched thier attack on occupied Europe. Finally the Allied D-Day invasion planning and execution, with its associated propaganda and deception, are detailed.
6x3 - History of Tall Buildings
August 24, 1998
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.
6x4 - Aquariums
September 28, 1998
Public aquariums have undergone dramatic changes since inception in mid-19th century. A series of technological innovations has transformed them into virtual oceans with spectacular multi-million gallon displays. Examine the latest high-tech aquatic wonders and take a peek into their future.
6x5 - Las Vegas Hotels.
October 6, 1998
Out of the bleakness of a vast desert arose a city built on wish fulfillment and indulgence. Unencumbered by tradition or notions of good taste, for 50 years Las Vegas has taken tourists to the height of their imaginations while reaching into their pockets. Visit 11 of the world's largest hotels in the country's biggest playground.
6x6 - The Oakland Bay Bridge.
October 12, 1998
San Francisco's Oakland Bay Bridge stands as an incredible feat of engineering against the nearly impossible. Once chosen as one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world, it features an unique double suspension structure in its west end. Join us as we cross this triumph of construction, while we visit its past and look to its future.
6x7 - Monumental Statues
October 28, 1998
What inspires societies to create sculptures on a superhuman scale? We’ll examine gigantic statues and the monumental commitment of time, money, and talent needed to complete them. We’ll study the Sphinx, Colossus of Rhodes, Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer, Russia’s Motherland and the Crazy Horse Memorial.
6x8 - Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs
November 3, 1998
In 1941, penicillin was first used to save human life. But now, bacteria has emerged resistant to every known antibiotic, and scientists have begun to fear that the era of the wonder drugs is near to its end.
6x9 - The Police Car
November 9, 1998
More than the gun, more than the billy club, it is the critical weapon in law enforcement’s arsenal. But for decades, police have struggled to stay ahead of well-equipped bad guys. Rare photos and interviews tell the story of their battle for high-tech horsepower.
6x10 - Plastics
November 23, 1998
Plastics are everywhere–the home, the workplace, the car, the human body, outer space, and most conspicuously, the garbage heap and landfill. Artificially created test-tube material, plastic can’t be returned to nature. Will we drown in a sea of plastic? Join us as we review this protean substance’s past and future.
6x11 - Medical Imaging
December 7, 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!
6x12 - Extreme Sports Gadgets
December 16, 1998
To run faster, jump higher, and play longer–the ultimate goal of all athletes. But when training runs its course, science and technology jump in. Explore the history and technological advances in everything from athletic shoes to football gear. And leap into a future filled with radar-enhanced baseballs and virtual-reality stadiums.
6x13 - Bombs
December 23, 1998
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.
6x14 - Prosthetics
December 28, 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.
6x15 - Weather Prediction
January 1, 1999
A study of the discoveries, inventions, and technological advances that have helped us understand and predict weather accurately. From simple observations made by early 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.
6x16 - Stereos
January 25, 1999
The ability to transmit sound in stereo transformed the music of life into a rich symphony of sound. For over 100 years, enthusiasts and scientists have worked to create the ideal listening experience. From Thomas Edison’s early phonograph to today’s digital revolution, we examine this multi-billion dollar business.
6x17 - Mail Delivery
February 8, 1999
Through rain, snow, heat, or gloom of night, we expect postmen to deliver the mail. The U.S. Post Office handles over 603-million pieces of mail daily. Yet it represents only 43% of the world’s total mail volume. From ancient Sumerians to Pony Express, from airmail to E-mail, we follow the long journey of mail.
6x18 - Clocks
February 22, 1999
Does anybody really know what time it is? Set your clocks as we explore the relativity of time from antiquity–when man attempted to chart time with methods ranging from shadows, candles, and water–to today’s atomic clock system–accurate to within one second every two-million years.
6x19 - Airships.
March 9, 1999
First there were balloons and blimps. Then, visionaries enlarged, reinforced, and motorized them and the airship was born. The biggest aircraft ever flown, they remain one of the most romantic aerial creations. In all, 161 rigid airships were built before spectacular crashes, including the EM Hindenburg /EM , put an end to the era.
6x20 - Physical Fitness
March 15, 1999
Meet the Strong Men and Women who go beyond mere fitness to pursue major muscle mass–from ancient Greeks, to performers in the 1800s astounding audiences with feats of strength, to the body builders of California’s Muscle Beach! Lou Ferrigno and other stars share stories of the pursuit of muscle. Also looks at the effect of steroids.
6x21 - Engineering Disasters
March 30, 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? From Hammurabi’s days, when the first building laws were instituted, to today’s potential nuclear or chemical disasters that can spell death for thousands, we’ll take a harrowing 2-hour tour through some of history’s greatest engineering mistakes.
6x22 - City Parks
April 26, 1999
Even in ancient times, city dwellers needed a scenic break from the urban landscape. But parks play a more important role than mere relief from tension–they also keep temperatures down and supply much-needed oxygen in congested cities. Come along for a stroll through New York City’s Central Park and L.A.’s Griffith Park.
6x23 - Spy Technology
May 1, 1999
Espionage has been used for at least the last 4,000 years. And where there are spies, you find gadgets! We focus on the last 100 years of cloak and dagger technology–from early code-breaking computers to satellite reconnaissance–and take a look at the James Bond-type gadgets of the Cold War.
6x24 - Battlefield Medicine
May 25, 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.
6x25 - U.S. Mints: Money Machines
June 21, 1999
Whether it jingles in our pockets or folds in our wallets, it flows by the billions from government factories that have mastered the art of making it.
6x26 - Rescue Equipment
July 6, 1999
Avalanches, earthquakes, hurricanes, bombings–all mean human tragedy unless rescuers respond within a moment’s notice of disaster. Here are 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.
6x27 - Scuba And Deep Sea Diving
July 12, 1999
In antiquity, a hollow reed served as an underwater link to oxygen. As in days of old, humans still need self-contained breathing equipment for a variety of reasons–food-gathering, commercial, recreational, military, and scientific. Dive with the best as we test scuba diving’s past, and look to a future of mechanical gills.
6x28 - Offshore Oil Drilling
July 19, 1999
Offshore drilling is one of the greaest technological dances mankind has ever attempted. From the very beginning of oil discovery, the oceans and their vast reserves became the ultimate frontier. For those willing to take the risk, the oceans offer unprecedented success and unimaginable failure.
6x29 - Dynamite.
July 20, 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.
6x30 - Hoover Dam.
August 2, 1999
The task was monumental: Build the world's largest dam in the middle of the desert, and tame the river that carved the Grand Canyon–all in seven years! When the Hoover Dam was completed in 1935, it was the largest dam in the world. We'll reveal how this engineering wonder of the world was conceived and built.
6x31 - Baseball Parks
August 9, 1999
Step up to the plate and play ball as we take you on a tour of those amazing edifices of the national pastime–baseball stadiums! From the sandlots and wooden ballparks of the 1800 and 1900s to the monolithic multipurpose stadiums of today, baseball parks have grown into technological wonders that pull in and cost millions.
6x32 - New York Bridges
August 23, 1999
Much of New York City’s history can be viewed via its bridges–all 18 that connect Manhattan Island to its neighbors. Join us for a look at these architectural masterpieces from the age of iron and steel; and, see how they have changed destinies, linking some to opportunity, others to ruin.
6x33 - Crash Testing
August 31, 1999
Delves into the little-known, hugely important, multi-billion-dollar industry of product testing–where wrinkles get ironed out and goods are stripped of marketing and hype to see if they work. Meet product testers who serve as truth squads in an eccentric world of machines devised to “sneeze” at tissue paper and “sleep” on mattresses.
6x34 - Parachutes
September 6, 1999
The idea of floating to earth from great heights dates back centuries, and from the beginning parachutes combined entertainment with life-saving utility. The parachute has also played a vital role in modern warfare since WWI. We’ll see how parachute technology has made the world safer, and more fun!
6x35 - Newspapers
September 13, 1999
Tracks the technological innovations that made newspapers what they are today, while exploring the stories of the publishing tycoons who became some of the most powerful men of the 20th century. From the invention of the printing press in the 15th century to computerized newsrooms to the Internet, we examine the history of the news.
6x36 - Fireworks
September 27, 1999
Since the invention of gunpowder, fireworks have thrilled audiences around the world. We’ll view 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.
6x37 - Simulators
October 11, 1999
Though “simulations” date back to cave paintings, devices for interacting with “synthetic realities” are a recent invention. See how simulators are used as training tools for nearly every profession today where hands-on experience is too costly or dangerous–from the 1929 Link Pilot Trainer to simulated virtual realities.
6x38 - The Tool Bench: Power Tools
October 12, 1999
The history of civilization could easily be measured in terms of our ability to make, use, and improve tools–an activity that is at least 4 million years old! At the tip of our toolmaking timeline are power tools. We’ll examine today’s power tool industry, which is booming thanks to more powerful, lighter, and quieter cordless tools.
6x39 - The Tool Bench: Hand Tools
October 13, 1999
Well over two million years before the evolution of modern man, his primitive ancestors were making tools. The use of tools is thought to be one of the keys to human evolution itself and it permeates nearly every aspect of history. We even measure history according to our ability to craft tools; the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age.
6x40 - More Earthmovers.
October 18, 1999
Join us for a second look at the big earth-moving machines used to tackle the most challenging jobs on, under, and off Earth! We'll ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below sea level to view dredging equipment, and leave the planet altogether to explore earthmoving equipment in space.
6x41 - Forts
October 25, 1999
The art of fortification evolved along with man’s need to defend his territory from attack. There was no other reason. From hills surrounded by branches and crude fences to intricate walled cities, to impenetrable castles – the strongholds of the past echo the history of great battles for territorial control.
6x42 - Emergency Room
November 8, 1999
Emergency room medicine has only been a recognized specialty since 1989, and it took close to two millennia to get to this point. We’ll examine advances that led to the modern emergency room–from the Byzantine’s establishment of the first hospitals around 1050 A.D. to today’s telemedicine. The prognosis for its future looks good.
6x43 - Motorcycles
November 15, 1999
Set the sedan’s safety brake and hop on your “hog” for a 2-hour high-speed history of the motorcycle–from the 1868 “steam velocipede” to the early 20th century, when they were a low-cost alternative to automobiles; from Harley-Davidsons preferred by Hell’s Angels and police to motocross riders who take bikes into the air and onto the dirt. We also look to the motorcycle’s future, featuring Jay Leno’s jet-propelled Y2K sportbike and Erik Buell’s bike-without-a-gas-tank creation.
6x44 - Security Systems
November 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.
6x45 - More Engineering Disasters.
November 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.
6x46 - Niagara Power
December 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.
6x47 - Casino Technology
December 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.
6x48 - Lost Marvels
December 14, 1999
The very spirit that drives man to dream up ever more fantastic creations can also conceive changes that destroy old treasures. We look at great artistic and engineering feats that fell prey to the ravages of nature, the wastes of war, and the indifference of booming metropolises.

6x1 - Demolition

6x2 - The Atlantic Wall

6x3 - History of Tall Buildings

6x4 - Aquariums

6x5 - Las Vegas Hotels.

6x6 - The Oakland Bay Bridge.

6x7 - Monumental Statues

6x8 - Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs

6x9 - The Police Car

6x10 - Plastics

6x11 - Medical Imaging

6x12 - Extreme Sports Gadgets

6x13 - Bombs

6x14 - Prosthetics

6x15 - Weather Prediction

6x16 - Stereos

6x17 - Mail Delivery

6x18 - Clocks

6x19 - Airships.

6x20 - Physical Fitness

6x21 - Engineering Disasters

6x22 - City Parks

6x23 - Spy Technology

6x24 - Battlefield Medicine

6x25 - U.S. Mints: Money Machines

6x26 - Rescue Equipment

6x27 - Scuba And Deep Sea Diving

6x28 - Offshore Oil Drilling

6x29 - Dynamite.

6x30 - Hoover Dam.

6x31 - Baseball Parks

6x32 - New York Bridges

6x33 - Crash Testing

6x34 - Parachutes

6x35 - Newspapers

6x36 - Fireworks

6x37 - Simulators

6x38 - The Tool Bench: Power Tools

6x39 - The Tool Bench: Hand Tools

6x40 - More Earthmovers.

6x41 - Forts

6x42 - Emergency Room

6x43 - Motorcycles

6x44 - Security Systems

6x45 - More Engineering Disasters.

6x46 - Niagara Power

6x47 - Casino Technology

6x48 - Lost Marvels

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S6: Season 6

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S16: Season 16

S17: Season 17

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S21: Season 21

S22: Season 22

S23: Season 23