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The Worst Episodes of Modern Marvels

Every episode of Modern Marvels ranked from worst to best. Explore the Worst Episodes of Modern Marvels!

The Worst Episodes of Modern Marvels

HISTORY’s longest-running series moves to H2. Modern Marvels celebrates the ingenuity, invention and imagination found in the world around us. From commonplace items like ink...
  1. Background image for Cruise Ships
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    #1 - Cruise Ships

    S1:E4

    A large machine turned water city, cruise ships are exciting and new.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  2. Background image for Las Vegas
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    #2 - Las Vegas

    S2:E3

    Rising from a stretch of desert with nothing but remoteness to recommend it, Las Vegas became a glittering wonderland for dreamers. We’ll take a look at the forces that made Las Vegas a place unlike any on earth.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for Ocean Liners
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    #3 - Ocean Liners

    S2:E8

    With technological advances, our ancient struggle against the sea has turned into a luxurious holiday. Come aboard for a peek at the elegant life on these floating resorts.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for Battlefield Engineering.
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    #4 - Battlefield Engineering.

    S5:E18

    Meet some of the most important, yet least-recognized, warriors–the battlefield engineers who lay the groundwork for oncoming conflicts. We'll cover combat engineering from ancient Rome to modern-day Iraq, and take a look at the "Next Big Thing".

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for Demolition
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    #5 - Demolition

    S6:E1

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for The Atlantic Wall
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    #6 - The Atlantic Wall

    S6:E2

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  8. Background image for History of Tall Buildings
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    #7 - History of Tall Buildings

    S6:E3

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for Aquariums
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    #8 - Aquariums

    S6:E4

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for Las Vegas Hotels.
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    #9 - Las Vegas Hotels.

    S6:E5

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for The Oakland Bay Bridge.
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    #10 - The Oakland Bay Bridge.

    S6:E6

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Monumental Statues
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    #11 - Monumental Statues

    S6:E7

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs
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    #12 - Antibiotics: The Wonder Drugs

    S6:E8

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for The Police Car
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    #13 - The Police Car

    S6:E9

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for Plastics
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    #14 - Plastics

    S6:E10

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Medical Imaging
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    #15 - Medical Imaging

    S6:E11

    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!

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for Extreme Sports Gadgets
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    #16 - Extreme Sports Gadgets

    S6:E12

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Bombs
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    #17 - Bombs

    S6:E13

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for Prosthetics
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    #18 - Prosthetics

    S6:E14

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for Weather Prediction
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    #19 - Weather Prediction

    S6:E15

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Stereos
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    #20 - Stereos

    S6:E16

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for Mail Delivery
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    #21 - Mail Delivery

    S6:E17

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for Clocks
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    #22 - Clocks

    S6:E18

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for Airships.
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    #23 - Airships.

    S6:E19

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Physical Fitness
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    #24 - Physical Fitness

    S6:E20

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  26. Background image for Engineering Disasters
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    #25 - Engineering Disasters

    S6:E21

    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.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Worst Episodes Summary

"Cruise Ships" is the worst rated episode of "Modern Marvels". It scored /10 based on 0 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 3/20/1994. This episode scored 0.0 points lower than the second lowest rated, "Las Vegas".