Modern Marvels: Season 6
Season 6 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 5.
- 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 6 Progress Shield
Demolition
Jul 27, 1998 · 44 min
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
The Atlantic Wall
Aug 3, 1998 · 44 min
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,
History of Tall Buildings
Aug 24, 1998 · 44 min
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,
Aquariums
Sep 28, 1998 · 44 min
Public aquariums have undergone dramatic changes since inception in mid-19th century. A series of technological innovations has transformed them into virtual oceans with spectacula
Las Vegas Hotels.
Oct 6, 1998 · 44 min
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 to
The Oakland Bay Bridge.
Oct 12, 1998 · 44 min
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 worl
Monumental Statues
Oct 28, 1998 · 44 min
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.
Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs
Nov 3, 1998 · 44 min
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 wond
The Police Car
Nov 9, 1998 · 44 min
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.
Plastics
Nov 23, 1998 · 44 min
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 materia
Medical Imaging
Dec 7, 1998 · 44 min
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 accide
Extreme Sports Gadgets
Dec 16, 1998 · 44 min
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 technologi
Bombs
Dec 23, 1998 · 44 min
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 ra
Prosthetics
Dec 28, 1998 · 44 min
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 intric
Weather Prediction
Jan 1, 1999 · 44 min
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
Stereos
Jan 25, 1999 · 44 min
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
Mail Delivery
Feb 8, 1999 · 44 min
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% o
Clocks
Feb 22, 1999 · 44 min
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, ca
Airships.
Mar 9, 1999 · 44 min
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 m
Physical Fitness
Mar 15, 1999 · 44 min
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
Engineering Disasters
Mar 30, 1999 · 44 min
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 ca
City Parks
Apr 26, 1999 · 44 min
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
Spy Technology
May 1, 1999 · 44 min
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 cod
Battlefield Medicine
May 25, 1999 · 44 min
“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
U.S. Mints: Money Machines
Jun 21, 1999 · 44 min
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.
Rescue Equipment
Jul 6, 1999 · 44 min
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
Scuba And Deep Sea Diving
Jul 12, 1999 · 44 min
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,
Offshore Oil Drilling
Jul 19, 1999 · 44 min
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 ult
Dynamite.
Jul 20, 1999 · 44 min
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
Hoover Dam.
Aug 2, 1999 · 44 min
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 comp
Baseball Parks
Aug 9, 1999 · 44 min
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
New York Bridges
Aug 23, 1999 · 44 min
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
Crash Testing
Aug 31, 1999 · 44 min
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 i
Parachutes
Sep 6, 1999 · 44 min
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 pla
Newspapers
Sep 13, 1999 · 44 min
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
Fireworks
Sep 27, 1999 · 44 min
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
Simulators
Oct 11, 1999 · 44 min
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 nearl
The Tool Bench: Power Tools
Oct 12, 1999 · 44 min
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 too
The Tool Bench: Hand Tools
Oct 13, 1999 · 44 min
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 itse
More Earthmovers.
Oct 18, 1999 · 44 min
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
Forts
Oct 25, 1999 · 44 min
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 intrica
Emergency Room
Nov 8, 1999 · 44 min
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 emer
Motorcycles
Nov 15, 1999 · 44 min
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 lo
Security Systems
Nov 16, 1999 · 44 min
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 t
More Engineering Disasters.
Nov 29, 1999 · 44 min
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 cala
Niagara Power
Dec 8, 1999 · 44 min
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 be
Casino Technology
Dec 13, 1999 · 44 min
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 industr
Lost Marvels
Dec 14, 1999 · 44 min
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