Machine tools, power-driven machines of all shapes and sizes, are used to make metal parts and have built our modern world. Life today would not be possible without them. Beginning with the story of the steam engine and traveling forward to modern-day "machining centers" that are used to make incredibly complex space shuttle parts, we'll examine the basic types of machine tools and their development. We'll also look at machine tools of the future that will change the way products are made.

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment--from the simple spade to today's powerful steam shovels. Meet legendary giants like John Deere, Jerome Case, and the founders of Caterpillar, who helped forge America's monolithic construction industry. Ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below sea level to view dredging equipment, and leave the planet altogether to explore earthmoving space equipment in this 2-hour special presentation.

From the beginning of time we've worked to protect ourselves against the very element that keeps us alive--water. We love it and hate it. With water covering 75% of the Earth's surface, it's no wonder we struggle to stay safe and dry. We fight against ferocious weather and floods with state-of-the-art roofing, wraps, tarps, tunnels, clothing, boats, and much more--devising extreme tests to probe the limits of our modern waterproof technology.

Enter the amazing and ingenious ultra-sturdy shelters, machines, containers, materials, and packaging designed to deny the ruination of society. The drive to create the indestructible has inspired some of the most prolific and awe inspiring results: The Cold War spawned personal bomb shelters in the 1950s. They weren't truly safe and secure, but today's 21st century version will last a millennium. And so will the special food you can get, along with all the comforts of home--like running water, plumbing, and electricity. Caskets serve as our final resting place, but how long do they really last? Investigate how valuable data from a plane crash survives in a "black box" (that's not really black), to explain what might have caused the accident. And get an intimate look at the new "home" that protects and preserves one of the world's most valuable documents--the case that houses the original Declaration of Independence.

It keeps us warm. It keeps us cool. It protects us and makes our world more comfortable. As simple as a pane of glass, or as complex as the fuselage of a space station, it's all around us, but is almost always out of sight. We explore where insulation technology has been, where it is today, and where it's going. We'll visit the manufacturing facilities of two of the most recognizable insulating materials: fiberglass and foam; and explore how insulation has evolved. Historical highlights include how the ancient Romans and Greeks insulated their homes, as well as the natives of tropical and arctic climates. New technologies covered include insulated concrete forms and gas-filled panels. Whether at home or in the office, on a space station, or beneath the sea, insulation is essential for making our world habitable. We'll show that how we use insulation, and how we develop it, will be a major factor in how we conserve our supply of energy in the coming years.

Don't look now--but there's a lot more to your walls than you'd ever imagine. Take a penetrating look inside something we consider utterly mundane, and uncover a surprising and sometimes shocking world. A computer-managed home in Colorado showcases the high tech gadgetry destined to inhabit every wall in the future. At the headquarters of Orkin in Atlanta, a network of walls with cutouts and Plexiglas windows reveal how pests and creepy crawlies of all kinds can congregate in huge numbers inside our homes. In Washington, scientists at Underwriters Labs play with fire in the name of research, investigating how our walls can keep us safe--or expose us to a fiery death. And in Los Angeles, a security company demonstrates innovative new technology that can "see" through walls--detecting motion, heat, breathing, and even heartbeats.

Each day ships, trains, trucks, and planes haul supplies that keep store shelves full and factories moving. At every stop there's a loading dock--an interface where shipping and storage hook up. You may not think much about a loading dock, but to the transportation industry, it's the very heart of their business. From ancient times to tomorrow's lights-out facility, where computers and machines will store, sort, retrieve, and load stock without human interaction, we deliver the goods on loading docks.

Machine tools, power-driven machines of all shapes and sizes, are used to make metal parts and have built our modern world. Life today would not be possible without them. Beginning with the story of the steam engine and traveling forward to modern-day "machining centers" that are used to make incredibly complex space shuttle parts, we'll examine the basic types of machine tools and their development. We'll also look at machine tools of the future that will change the way products are made.

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment--from the simple spade to today's powerful steam shovels. Meet legendary giants like John Deere, Jerome Case, and the founders of Caterpillar, who helped forge America's monolithic construction industry. Ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below sea level to view dredging equipment, and leave the planet altogether to explore earthmoving space equipment in this 2-hour special presentation.

From the beginning of time we've worked to protect ourselves against the very element that keeps us alive--water. We love it and hate it. With water covering 75% of the Earth's surface, it's no wonder we struggle to stay safe and dry. We fight against ferocious weather and floods with state-of-the-art roofing, wraps, tarps, tunnels, clothing, boats, and much more--devising extreme tests to probe the limits of our modern waterproof technology.

Enter the amazing and ingenious ultra-sturdy shelters, machines, containers, materials, and packaging designed to deny the ruination of society. The drive to create the indestructible has inspired some of the most prolific and awe inspiring results: The Cold War spawned personal bomb shelters in the 1950s. They weren't truly safe and secure, but today's 21st century version will last a millennium. And so will the special food you can get, along with all the comforts of home--like running water, plumbing, and electricity. Caskets serve as our final resting place, but how long do they really last? Investigate how valuable data from a plane crash survives in a "black box" (that's not really black), to explain what might have caused the accident. And get an intimate look at the new "home" that protects and preserves one of the world's most valuable documents--the case that houses the original Declaration of Independence.

It keeps us warm. It keeps us cool. It protects us and makes our world more comfortable. As simple as a pane of glass, or as complex as the fuselage of a space station, it's all around us, but is almost always out of sight. We explore where insulation technology has been, where it is today, and where it's going. We'll visit the manufacturing facilities of two of the most recognizable insulating materials: fiberglass and foam; and explore how insulation has evolved. Historical highlights include how the ancient Romans and Greeks insulated their homes, as well as the natives of tropical and arctic climates. New technologies covered include insulated concrete forms and gas-filled panels. Whether at home or in the office, on a space station, or beneath the sea, insulation is essential for making our world habitable. We'll show that how we use insulation, and how we develop it, will be a major factor in how we conserve our supply of energy in the coming years.

Don't look now--but there's a lot more to your walls than you'd ever imagine. Take a penetrating look inside something we consider utterly mundane, and uncover a surprising and sometimes shocking world. A computer-managed home in Colorado showcases the high tech gadgetry destined to inhabit every wall in the future. At the headquarters of Orkin in Atlanta, a network of walls with cutouts and Plexiglas windows reveal how pests and creepy crawlies of all kinds can congregate in huge numbers inside our homes. In Washington, scientists at Underwriters Labs play with fire in the name of research, investigating how our walls can keep us safe--or expose us to a fiery death. And in Los Angeles, a security company demonstrates innovative new technology that can "see" through walls--detecting motion, heat, breathing, and even heartbeats.

Each day ships, trains, trucks, and planes haul supplies that keep store shelves full and factories moving. At every stop there's a loading dock--an interface where shipping and storage hook up. You may not think much about a loading dock, but to the transportation industry, it's the very heart of their business. From ancient times to tomorrow's lights-out facility, where computers and machines will store, sort, retrieve, and load stock without human interaction, we deliver the goods on loading docks.

Machine tools, power-driven machines of all shapes and sizes, are used to make metal parts and have built our modern world. Life today would not be possible without them. Beginning with the story of the steam engine and traveling forward to modern-day "machining centers" that are used to make incredibly complex space shuttle parts, we'll examine the basic types of machine tools and their development. We'll also look at machine tools of the future that will change the way products are made.

Feel the earth move under your feet and dig into the fascinating story of earthmoving equipment--from the simple spade to today's powerful steam shovels. Meet legendary giants like John Deere, Jerome Case, and the founders of Caterpillar, who helped forge America's monolithic construction industry. Ride on specialized behemoth dump trucks, delve below sea level to view dredging equipment, and leave the planet altogether to explore earthmoving space equipment in this 2-hour special presentation.

From the beginning of time we've worked to protect ourselves against the very element that keeps us alive--water. We love it and hate it. With water covering 75% of the Earth's surface, it's no wonder we struggle to stay safe and dry. We fight against ferocious weather and floods with state-of-the-art roofing, wraps, tarps, tunnels, clothing, boats, and much more--devising extreme tests to probe the limits of our modern waterproof technology.

Enter the amazing and ingenious ultra-sturdy shelters, machines, containers, materials, and packaging designed to deny the ruination of society. The drive to create the indestructible has inspired some of the most prolific and awe inspiring results: The Cold War spawned personal bomb shelters in the 1950s. They weren't truly safe and secure, but today's 21st century version will last a millennium. And so will the special food you can get, along with all the comforts of home--like running water, plumbing, and electricity. Caskets serve as our final resting place, but how long do they really last? Investigate how valuable data from a plane crash survives in a "black box" (that's not really black), to explain what might have caused the accident. And get an intimate look at the new "home" that protects and preserves one of the world's most valuable documents--the case that houses the original Declaration of Independence.

It keeps us warm. It keeps us cool. It protects us and makes our world more comfortable. As simple as a pane of glass, or as complex as the fuselage of a space station, it's all around us, but is almost always out of sight. We explore where insulation technology has been, where it is today, and where it's going. We'll visit the manufacturing facilities of two of the most recognizable insulating materials: fiberglass and foam; and explore how insulation has evolved. Historical highlights include how the ancient Romans and Greeks insulated their homes, as well as the natives of tropical and arctic climates. New technologies covered include insulated concrete forms and gas-filled panels. Whether at home or in the office, on a space station, or beneath the sea, insulation is essential for making our world habitable. We'll show that how we use insulation, and how we develop it, will be a major factor in how we conserve our supply of energy in the coming years.

Don't look now--but there's a lot more to your walls than you'd ever imagine. Take a penetrating look inside something we consider utterly mundane, and uncover a surprising and sometimes shocking world. A computer-managed home in Colorado showcases the high tech gadgetry destined to inhabit every wall in the future. At the headquarters of Orkin in Atlanta, a network of walls with cutouts and Plexiglas windows reveal how pests and creepy crawlies of all kinds can congregate in huge numbers inside our homes. In Washington, scientists at Underwriters Labs play with fire in the name of research, investigating how our walls can keep us safe--or expose us to a fiery death. And in Los Angeles, a security company demonstrates innovative new technology that can "see" through walls--detecting motion, heat, breathing, and even heartbeats.

Each day ships, trains, trucks, and planes haul supplies that keep store shelves full and factories moving. At every stop there's a loading dock--an interface where shipping and storage hook up. You may not think much about a loading dock, but to the transportation industry, it's the very heart of their business. From ancient times to tomorrow's lights-out facility, where computers and machines will store, sort, retrieve, and load stock without human interaction, we deliver the goods on loading docks.