About this season
An insider's look at the engineering and scientific miracles behind the things that form the modern world.
Episodes (20)
1. Chewing Gum, Fish Hooks, Legoland
Aired 17 May 2012 • 22 min
How do they transform rubber into chewing gum; how do they make fish hooks strong enough to catch a shark; and how are the models built at the world's largest...
2. Leatherman, Formula 1, Glassware
Aired 12 July 2012 • 22 min
How do they build Formula 1 racing cars; how do they make the Leatherman, America's best-selling multi-tool; and how do they create classic Finnish Aalto glassware?
3. Hats, Longest Road Tunnel, Snake Catcher
Aired 19 July 2012 • 22 min
Panama hats; rounding up Florida's escaped pythons; keeping drivers safe in the world's longest tunnel.
4. World In Miniature, Rhubarb
Aired 26 July 2012 • 22 min
How do they build working miniature airports? How do they design houses to survive hurricanes? How is rhubarb cultivated in the dark?
5. Almonds, Snowblower
Aired 2 August 2012 • 22 min
How do billions of bees produce tonnes of California almonds? How do they clear the snow to keep Norway's planes in action? How are tricky stains removed?
6. Fighter Plane, Trappist Beers, SUV
Aired 26 July 2012 • 22 min
How is a modern fighter jet built? How do Belgium's Trappist monks make the world's finest beers? How do they build America's best performing SUV?
7. Guacamole, Swamp Buggy
Aired 9 August 2012 • 22 min
How do volcanoes help produce the world's best guacamole? How do they build trucks that can cross swamps? How do they make the world-famous Fiskars scissors?
8. Suspension Bridge, Crossbows
Aired 23 August 2012 • 22 min
How do they make steel cables strong enough to hold up a 50,000 tonne bridge; why do modern hunters use medieval weapons; and how do shops know which clothes sizes...
9. Tennessee Whiskey, Nightvision
Aired 30 August 2012 • 22 min
How do they make Tennessee whiskey the traditional Lincoln County way? How do night goggles work? How do the Finnish relax in 160-degree saunas?
10. Vanilla, Anchors
Aired 6 September 2012 • 22 min
How do they grow enough vanilla to make the world's favourite ice cream flavour? How are anchors for huge ships built? How are 12 million lighters made every year?
11. Leather Footballs, Mussels
Aired 13 September 2012 • 22 min
How do they craft footballs for the National Football League? How do they farm mussels? How do they design the ultimate fighter pilot's helmet?
12. Scania Trucks, Miracle Forensics
Aired 20 September 2012 • 22 min
How are powerful Scania trucks built? How do they use the world's biggest DNA database to solve crime? How is paraffin used to make Gouda cheese?
13. Guitars, Rope Access
Aired 27 September 2012 • 22 min
How do they make the finest classical guitars? How do they keep the blades turning on a wind turbine? How do they produce America's ultimate mowing machines?
14. Liferafts, Mind Control
Aired 4 October 2012 • 22 min
How can lifeboats hold up to 150 people? How can mind control techniques help golfers improve their shots? How do they make millions of celebratory stamps?
15. Tequila, Steam-Powered Megacity
Aired 11 October 2012 • 22 min
How do they produce tequila from cactus plants in Mexico? How does New York City run on steam? How do they produce soft ice cream?
16. Stuntmen, Seabreacher, Amber
Aired 25 October 2012 • 22 min
How stuntmen survive a day of being knocked down and beaten up; how they make a watercraft that can swim like a dolphin; how they mine precious amber.
17. Tennis Balls, Surround Sound
Aired 25 October 2012 • 22 min
How is NYC supplied with the finest steaks? How do they produce the ultimate surround sound home cinema systems?
18. Rayon, Snuff, Cola
Aired 29 November 2012 • 22 min
How is viscose transformed into clothing and cloth? How do they produce the world's favourite fizzy drinks? How do they make traditional English snuff?
19. Zubrowka, Aerial Cable Car
Aired 6 December 2012 • 22 min
How do they build the world's most expensive cable cars? How is vodka produced from grass? How do social networks connect people around the world?
20. Skydiving Suits, Surströmming
Aired 13 December 2012 • 22 min
How do skydiving suits work? How do they produce Surströmming, one of the world's smelliest foods? How do they transform weeds into walls?