Modern Marvels: Season 12
Season 12 Lore Primer
Key plot threads, lore context, and character stakes you need to remember before diving into this season.
- Directly follows the overarching narrative developments of Modern Marvels Season 11.
- Faction dynamics and core character alliances shift under escalating external stakes.
- Crucial mysteries introduced previously reach key turning points and narrative reckonings.
- Sets up serialized story arcs that build directly toward the climactic season finale.
Episode Guide
Season 12 Progress Shield
Poison
Jan 5, 2005 · 44 min
Since ancient times, man has tried to control the "devil's bounty"–deadly substances found throughout nature. Paradoxically, some of these lethal compounds are now found to possess
Car Tech of the Future
Jan 6, 2005 · 44 min
Engage the satellite navigation, fire-up the fuel cell, and activate the radar-guided cruise control! You’re in for the joyride of your life as we investigate what drives and will
The Arch
Jan 12, 2005 · 44 min
Join us as we explore the vast and varied world of the arch, one of the strongest and most versatile structures made by man. Deceptively simple, an arch can support tremendous weig
More Nature's Engineers
Jan 18, 2005 · 44 min
Think man is unique within the animal kingdom? You might not after this hour that features an amazing collection of earth's non-human inhabitants that use tools, build intricate st
World's Biggest Machines 3
Jan 26, 2005 · 44 min
Giant robots on the factory floor and in outer space. A floating fortress that's home to 6,000 military personnel, which is almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall. And
Blackbird Stealth
Feb 4, 2005 · 44 min
Designed in the late 1950s by aeronautical genius Kelly Johnson at the mysterious Skunkworks, the SR-71 Blackbird was the world’s first stealthy aircraft, designed to over-fly enem
The Butcher
Feb 8, 2005 · 44 min
In a carnivorous world, a butcher is a necessary link in the food chain, carving a carcass of unsavory flesh into mouthwatering cuts. We trace the grisly trade's evolution–from yes
George Washington Carver Tech
Feb 15, 2005 · 44 min
One of the 20th century’s greatest scientists, George Washington Carver’s influence is still felt. Rising from slavery to become one of the world’s most respected and honored men,
Firefighting!: Extreme Conditions
Feb 15, 2005 · 44 min
This episode of Modern Marvels examines the most extreme raging fires and the firefighters who tame them. The program features interviews with a World War II firefighter who helped
Desert Tech
Feb 23, 2005 · 44 min
It’s hot, dry, deadly, and hard to ignore with close to 40% of Earth classified as desert. But in this scorching hour, the desert turns from barren wasteland into an environment ri
Sub Zero
Feb 23, 2005 · 44 min
Come in from the cold while we explore some of Earth's most frigid places and examine how man copes with sub-zero climates. With the advance of technology, our boundaries have expa
The Great Bridge: 8 Miles of Steel
Feb 23, 2005 · 44 min
The Oakland Bay Bridge in San Francisco boasts more superlatives than any bridge on earth. Bridge builders of the depression era defied logic and economics and succeeded in buildi
Howard Hughes Tech
Feb 28, 2005 · 44 min
An in-depth look at the technology conceived or developed by America’s first billionaire. A passionate aviator, Howard Hughes built and flew planes that broke speed records, and de
Edwards Air Force Base
Mar 2, 2005 · 44 min
Examine the colorful history of the premier flight test center, and America’s most important aviation facility for more than 60 years, Edwards Air Force Base in California. Every s
Taxidermy
Mar 9, 2005 · 44 min
It began as a tool used by prehistoric man to attract animals to the hunt. Over time it became an invaluable study aid for the natural scientist and a popular hobby for hunters and
Deadliest Weapons
Mar 16, 2005 · 44 min
In this fiery hour, we profile five of man's deadliest weapons, focusing on the inventors, battles, and dark technology behind their lethality. We begin with the deadliest bomb eve
The Doomsday Clock
Apr 7, 2005 · 44 min
Developed in 1947 as an image to symbolize urgency in the Cold War and the threat of nuclear disaster, the mission of the Doomsday Clock has expanded to include non-nuclear global
The Basement
Apr 26, 2005 · 44 min
Venture down that creaky staircase to explore the most misunderstood room in the house! From Pompeii to Pittsburgh, the dark, cool, and forlorn spaces beneath our living quarters h
Paint
Apr 27, 2005 · 44 min
From the Impressionist canvas to the Space Shuttle…from customized hotrods to the brilliant orange hue of the Golden Gate Bridge or tiny electronic devices–paint is one of our most
Bricks
May 11, 2005 · 44 min
The history of civilization has been built on the back of brick, and it’s been said that “architecture itself began when two bricks were put together well.” From great Egyptian tem
Glue
May 18, 2005 · 44 min
It’s Super! It’s Krazy! And it can be found in everything from carpet to computers, books to boats, shoes to the Space Shuttle. It’s even used in surgery! Without it, our material
F/A-22 Raptor
May 20, 2005 · 44 min
Built around “first look, first shot, first kill” design, the F/A-22 Raptor, the most advanced aircraft of its breed, is set to become the Air Dominance Fighter of the 21st century
Civil War Tech
May 25, 2005 · 44 min
America protects its homeland with the most technologically advanced military force ever conceived. Although they fight 21st-century battles worldwide, the technology unleashed is
Machines of D-Day
Jun 3, 2005 · 44 min
June 6, 1944–the greatest machine of World War Two springs into action. It is made up of thousands of ships and aircraft, tens of thousands of men and millions of tons of steel and
John Hancock Center
Jun 8, 2005 · 44 min
A steel giant standing 1,107 feet high on broad shoulders, this vertical city houses 1,200 people. Join us as we explore how a young architectural team from Skidmore, Owings & Merr
The Cape Cod Canal
Jun 15, 2005 · 44 min
In a battle against the ferocious Atlantic or safe passage through waters where ships wrecked and lives were lost, it was an engineering feat that many believed impossible. This is
Secret Japanese Aircraft of World War II
Jun 16, 2005 · 44 min
In the 1930s, Japanese designers created a range of warplanes, culminating in the legendary Ki-43 Oscar and the A6M Zero. As the war turned against Japan, designers created the roc
Future Tech
Jun 22, 2005 · 44 min
A paper-thin, wall-sized holographic television…a car that runs on processed seawater…an army of robotic killing machines…outer-space luxury resorts and a cleaning droid controlled
Edison Tech
Jun 28, 2005 · 44 min
He was the father of the future…electric lights, power systems, motion pictures, recorded sound–even the tattoo pen. Life as we know it would be inconceivable without the prodigiou
Secrets of Soviet Space Disasters
Jul 1, 2005 · 44 min
SECRETS OF SOVIET SPACE DISASTERS is one of our century’s most shocking hidden stories. Since the end of communism much has come to light about the failures of the Soviet’s systems
Mountain Roads
Jul 5, 2005 · 44 min
Join our journey along monumental feats of engineering that preserved America's natural wonders while paving the way towards her future. Travel the Donner Pass in the Sierra Nevada
Route 66
Jul 6, 2005 · 44 min
Route 66, encompassing eight states from Illinois to California and 2,400 miles, represented an American myth–that something better lay over the rainbow. Route 66 began in the earl
Cowboy Tech
Jul 20, 2005 · 44 min
Today’s cowboy plants one boot firmly in the traditions of the Old West and the other in the world of modern technology. Beginning in the 19th century, the era in which the America
Sewers
Jul 27, 2005 · 44 min
A simple flush and it’s forgotten. But haven’t you secretly wondered where it all goes when we go? Join us as we explore this less-than-polite topic, and examine the network of und
Challenger Tank
Jul 29, 2005 · 44 min
When this 60 tons of high-tech military hardware rumbles onto the battlefield at nearly 40 mph, there's nowhere for the enemy to hide. Behind its impenetrable armor lies one of the
World's Biggest Machines 4
Aug 2, 2005 · 44 min
An enormous hydraulic machine press that stamps out a pickup truck's doors in seconds... Rock crushers that pulverize 8000 tons of solid granite per hour... Giant "chain trenchers"
Dredging
Aug 3, 2005 · 44 min
They dig, scoop, suck, and spew an ocean of silt and sediment. Dredgers are the mechanical beasts that fuel the world's economic engine by clearing and deepening ports for mega-con
Lube Job
Aug 10, 2005 · 44 min
From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to the wheels on a Mars rover, machinery can’t function without lubricants. And in today’s technology, there are a
Secret Luftwaffe Aircraft of World War II
Aug 17, 2005 · 44 min
German military aircraft designs were decades ahead of their Allied counterparts. To insure the Luftwaffe’s air superiority, Germany’s cutting edge designers conceived and tested h
The World's Fastest
Aug 24, 2005 · 44 min
Perhaps no field has experienced the revolution in velocity more acutely than transportation. We look at five blazingly fast technological marvels that have pushed the speed limits
The B-2 Stealth Bomber
Aug 26, 2005 · 44 min
In any battle, the key to victory is the ability to strike the enemy without them knowing what hit them. Within the US arsenal one such weapon can go into harm’s way, deliver 40,00
Wiring America
Aug 31, 2005 · 44 min
We begin with electrical linemen perched precariously out a helicopter door, repairing 345,000-volt high-tension power lines. They are part of an army of technicians and scientists
Nature Tech: Lightning
Aug 31, 2005 · 44 min
Since time immemorial, flashes of light have startled our senses and piqued our imagination. But it’s only in recent years that we’ve begun to unlock the secrets behind this terrif
HMS Victory
Sep 2, 2005 · 44 min
The HMS Victory would play a crucial role in the foremost naval engagement in 19th century maritime history, the battle of Trafalgar. This victory was so decisive that no fleet cha
Coffee
Sep 14, 2005 · 44 min
Traces the origins of this tasty drink from Ethiopia over 1,000 years ago to the espresso-fueled explosion of specialty coffee stores like Starbucks today. Along the way, we’ll see
Sugar
Sep 14, 2005 · 44 min
The sugar industry came of age on the backs of slaves toiling in Caribbean fields, and British desire to control production of sugar and its byproduct, rum. Sugar also played a sur
Cereal: History in a Bowl
Sep 14, 2005 · 44 min
Move over pancakes, step aside bacon! Cereal is arguably the true breakfast king, a $9-billion industry with an indisputable place in pop-culture history. Full of surprise, nostalg
F-117 Nighthawk Stealth
Sep 22, 2005 · 44 min
The project was surrounded by secrecy and dogged by controversy from the very beginning. Starting in the late '70s, engineers at Lockheed's legendary "Skunkworks" developed a revol
The Auto Store
Oct 5, 2005 · 44 min
Need a car part or an accessory to give it personality? Since 1903, when Sears dedicated a portion of its catalog, the automotive after-market grew into a billion-dollar juggernaut
Secret Allied Aircraft of World War II
Oct 14, 2005 · 44 min
At WWII’s outset, US and UK military aircraft designs were woefully behind Germany’s and Japan’s technologically superior planes. But the genius and ingenuity of innovators on both
Engineering Disasters 17
Nov 2, 2005 · 44 min
It’s another chapter of complex, deadly and controversial engineering failures, using 3-D animation, forensic engineering experts, and footage of the actual disasters to understand
Brewing
Nov 16, 2005 · 44 min
It's one of the world's oldest and most beloved beverages–revered by Pharaohs and brewed by America's Founding Fathers. Today, brewing the bitter elixir is a multi-billion-dollar g
The Lumberyard
Nov 30, 2005 · 44 min
At the center of the American Dream is the home–and at the center of its creation or renovation is the lumberyard. We'll explore the options lumberyards provide for builders and re
Da Vinci Tech
Dec 4, 2005 · 44 min
Nearly 500 years after his death, Leonardo da Vinci still intrigues us. Most people think of him as a great artist, but he was also a remarkable scientist and inventor. His love of
Custom Cars
Dec 5, 2005 · 44 min
For most of us, cars are an ordinary fixture of daily life. But then there are custom cars–literal labors of love. Supercharged hot rods, sublimely sculpted classics, flashy tricke
More Hardware
Dec 6, 2005 · 44 min
The hardware store is the epicenter of the construction world for both the weekend handyman and professional builder. Many of the items found in hardware stores are so common that
More Snack Food Tech
Dec 20, 2005 · 44 min
They crunch; they ooze; they crackle; they pop–mmmmm, yeah! Soft drinks, donuts, meat snacks, popcorn, and gum. What's your weakness? From the handmade treats of the earliest civil
Walt Disney World
Dec 25, 2005 · 44 min
Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disney World. Enter a make-believe world spanning some 27,000 acres, brought to life by cutting-edge tech
Nature Tech: Hurricanes
Dec 29, 2005 · 44 min
They’re nature on a rampage. The size and intensity of hurricanes make them the most feared and destructive of all storms. Explore how hurricanes start, how scientists track them,
Private Collections
Dec 6, 2004 · 44 min
Priceless collections. Compilations devoted to with such passion, entire lives have been spent perfecting them. From rescued trash to treasure troves with values known to only the