The Best Episodes of Modern Marvels Season 13

#1 Fan Favorite
8.6/10(12 votes)
#1 - Rube Goldberg
S13:E318/3/2006
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8.5/10(12 votes)
#2 - Copper
S13:E379/13/2006
It transports electricity, water, and heat. It brings music to our ears and beauty to our eyes. Copper--its impressive traits, long history, and how it's mined. This versatile metal’s most famous attribute is its ability to conduct electricity.
Director:Unknown
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8.4/10(23 votes)
#3 - The AK-47
S13:E277/28/2006
The development of the deadly Avtomat Kalashnikova, 1947, known as the AK-47, is discussed by its inventor, Mikhail Kalashnikov, who talks about working within the secretive world of the Soviet military at the height of the Cold War.
Director:Unknown
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8.3/10(24 votes)
#4 - Insulation
S13:E114/26/2006
Although quite simple in nature, insulation is a very important component in keeping our homes a comfortable temperature. In this episode, we'll find out the history of insulation and then visit manufacturing plants to find out how insulation is being made today.
Director:Unknown
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8.3/10(24 votes)
#5 - Making Medieval Armor
S13:E308/3/2006
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8.3/10(20 votes)
#6 - Stealth & Beyond: Air Stealth
S13:E459/27/2006
They are the swarthy eagles of the sky: Past, present, and future advances in stealth military aircraft.
Director:Unknown
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The 20 BEST Episodes of Modern Marvels

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8.2/10(20 votes)
#7 - Heavy Metals
S13:E186/14/2006
They are elements that occupy a select portion of the periodic table and are so essential to America's economic and military might that they are stored in the National Defense Stockpile in case of all-out war. We plan a riveting visit. Some of the vital heavy metals that we survey include copper, uranium, lead, zinc, and nickel. We also take a look at superalloys--consisting of steel combined with chromium, cobalt, and dozens of other heavy metals--that resist corrosion and perform increasingly elaborate functions. From Earth to space, from cosmetics to vitamins, in a million different ways, heavy metals are here to stay!
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8.2/10(20 votes)
#8 - Nuts
S13:E288/2/2006
Pintsized as a pea or big as a bowling ball, nutritional, durable, and versatile, nuts have been a staple of the human diet since time began, and archaeological evidence places them among our earliest foods. Nuts sustained the imperial armies of Rome and China, the royal navies of England and Spain, and the native tribes that roamed the American wilderness.
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8.1/10(16 votes)
#9 - Engineering Disasters 18
S13:E42/8/2006
Modern Marvels shows more of the world's biggest engineering disasters. We look at faults in the U.S. Army's Stryker Light Armored Vehicle, the Sunjiawan coal-mine explosion in China in 2005, the death of three iron workers at Milwaukee's Miller Park in 1999, and much more.
Director:Unknown
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8.1/10(16 votes)
#10 - Leather
S13:E93/8/2006
Made by the tanning of animal hides, leather has proven to be a versatile and important material. Without it, the Pilgrims may not have survived the winters in Plymouth, and the Romans may not have been able to march to the Tigris.
Director:Unknown
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8.1/10(26 votes)
#11 - Cities of the Underworld
S13:E439/21/2006
Teamed with leading archeologists and experts, peel back the layers of the past--to reveal a hidden history that hasn't seen the light of day for ages.
Director:Unknown
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8.0/10(34 votes)
#12 - Ben Franklin Tech
S13:E165/25/2006
One of the most prodigious American inventors, Ben Franklin is credited for creating things like the lightning rod, the armonica, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses, and the flexible urinary catheter. In this episode of Modern Marvels, we examine how Dr. Franklin's inventive genius extended to things like Daylight Savings Time and the voluntary fire department.
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8.0/10(12 votes)
#13 - Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
S13:E449/26/2006
The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway is comprised of a system of canals, land cuts, and a series of natural and artificial barrier islands, which provide a protected passage for low-draft vessels wishing to avoid the tumultuous currents of the Atlantic Ocean.
Director:Unknown
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7.9/10(20 votes)
#14 - Nature Tech: Avalanches
S13:E72/24/2006
Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stages for use by the Allies. Included: floating tanks; pigeon-guided missiles.
Director:Unknown
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7.9/10(23 votes)
#15 - Engineering Disasters: New Orleans
S13:E82/28/2006
Modern Marvels examines the destruction Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans.
Director:Unknown
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7.8/10(16 votes)
#16 - Weird Weapons: The Axis
S13:E62/21/2006
Examining unusual World War II weapons that were in the planning or testing stages for use by the Axis powers. Included: an assault rifle that could shoot around corners; a death ray capable of boiling people; and an army in space.
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7.7/10(18 votes)
#17 - BBQ Tech
S13:E206/28/2006
An old-fashioned style of cooking, barbecue has evolved into a modern food craze and spawned a multi-billion dollar industry. We digest famous barbecue cook-offs and visit long-established barbecue restaurants like Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City, where the huge grills and taste thrills of true barbecue are more popular than ever. At home, three out of four US households own a grill. After WWII's end, the phenomenon of backyard barbecuing swept the nation, thanks to inexpensive and mass-produced grills, including the kettle-shaped Weber. Our tour of Weber's modern factories shows how they keep pace with demand by manufacturing more choices than ever, including portable mini-grills. We also examine the variety of fuels available for the savory selection of spicy sauces and rubs. Join us as we devour the mouthwatering flavors of BBQ in this episode.
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7.7/10(13 votes)
#18 - Levees
S13:E348/30/2006
From collapsing floodwalls in New Orleans to high-tech mechanical storm surge barriers in Europe, we'll explore the 2,500-year history of keeping rivers and tides at bay by erecting levees.
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7.7/10(26 votes)
#19 - Building In The Name Of God
S13:E399/18/2006
The greatest religious structures are marvels of engineering, technology, and invention, representing not only the glory of God, but also the ingenuity of man.
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7.7/10(21 votes)
#20 - Renewable Energy
S13:E419/20/2006
Take an in-depth look at the most proven and reliable sources: solar, wind, geothermal, biofuels, and tidal power. From the experimental to the tried-and-true, renewable energy sources are overflowing with potential... just waiting to be exploited on a massive scale.
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7.6/10(12 votes)
#21 - Candy
S13:E52/14/2006
It pulls, stretches, bubbles, hardens, crunches, and melts! We eat about 7-billion tons of it yearly. We’re talking about Candy–loved by kids and savored by adults. Candy-making evolved from a handmade operation to high-tech mass production. Nowhere is that more apparent than at Hershey’s. On a tour of their newest production facility, we learn how they process the cocoa bean. At See’s Candy, we see how they make their famous boxed chocolates–on a slightly smaller scale than Hershey’s. We get a sweet history lesson at Schimpff’s Confectionery, where they still use small kettles, natural flavors, and hand-operated equipment. Then, we visit Jelly Belly, purveyors of the original gourmet jellybean. Saltwater-taffy pullers hypnotize us on our sweet-tooth tour; we gaze at extruders making miles of licorice rope; and watch as nostalgia candy bars Abba-Zaba and Big Hunk get packaged. And in this sugary hour, we digest the latest sensations–gourmet chocolates and scorpion on a stick!
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7.6/10(15 votes)
#22 - 80s Tech
S13:E155/24/2006
Remember “brick” cell phones, Pac-Man, Rubik’s Cube, Sony Walkman, and the first music CDs? Remember all the new and exciting gadgets of the 1980s? Join us as we investigate the transition from Industrial to Information Age–a digital decade dedicated to ergonomics and entertainment. The microchip ushered in an era that revolutionized the way we work, play, and communicate. And we tour Silicon Valley–birthplace of some of the greatest inventions from an amazing time of change, including the modern personal computer. Steve “Woz” Wozniak tells us about the evolution of Apple computers, and we talk to Sony–makers of the Walkman, Betamax, and the first CD players. A visit to the Computer History Museum shows fun technological “artifacts”, primitive by today’s standards. At Intel, makers of the first microchips, we learn why technology moves at such a fast pace. We also take a ride in a DeLorean DMC-12 sports car–few things moved faster.
Director:Unknown
Writer:Beata Ziel
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Writer:Beata Ziel
7.6/10(15 votes)
#23 - Boneyard: Where Machines End Their Lives
S13:E247/26/2006
Where do machines go when they die? From B-52 Bombers to massive aircraft carriers, from passenger cars to Cold War cruise missiles and remnants of the Twin Towers, all that we manufacture has a lifespan. But reaching the end of their original purposes can be just the beginning.
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7.6/10(20 votes)
#24 - Water
S13:E359/6/2006
Water, the most needed substance for life, so powerful it can carve our landscape, yet so nurturing it can spawn life and support its intricate matrix.
Director:Unknown
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7.5/10(16 votes)
#25 - Money
S13:E196/19/2006
Visit the United States Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing for an inside look into the government facilities where U.S. legal tender is generated. Learn the history behind these two institutions and the process of making currency, including how the complex security features on bank notes are created and how the government agencies monitor and intercept counterfeit bills.
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