Budiey
HISTORY HD – Astro channel 575
Modern Marvels on HD
Premieres every Friday @ 8pm, 3 September 2010
Synopsis:
The longest running series on the history of technology, Modern Marvels covers some of the world s most amazing architectural and engineering structures, scientific discoveries and social wonders. These are the stories of the visionaries who believed in their dreams and defied the commonplace with their extraordinary creations.
Sticky Stuff, 3 Sept
Bees do it. Chemists do it. Even Photocopiers do it. And if it’s not done enough, the world will become unglued…literally. To make things that stick is no easy task as we’ll reveal in MODERN MARVELS: STICKY STUFF.
Come revel in the oozing, seeping mystery of a sticky rubber – 25 years in the works – that lets an athlete climb a 200 ft stone wall; or a roll of tape so strong it sticks together skyscrapers, even in winds of 240 MPH. Electrostatics makes cling wrap cling. Bee glue stuck ancient mummies together. The tar that trapped Woolly Mammoths now seals our roofs. From Velcro hooks to Gecko feet, stick around for Sticky Stuff.
Acid, 10 Sept
It feeds on metal, dissolves skin and bone, and packs a punch in nearly every military explosive. It’s perhaps the most dangerous substance known to man. Yet it’s the most widely produced chemical in the world. Modern Marvels: Acid gets a rare peak at how the military harnesses acid to make the explosive `Comp B-4′.
We’ll turn up the heat at a sulfuric acid plant, and see how acid can take the stain out of stainless steel. We’ll learn why acid is an expert etcher, and how it can be mixed to dissolve precious metal. We’ll see how acid helps put the gel in gelatin, and why acid’s sour taste is sweet at the Heinz vinegar plant. Then, it’s time to go extreme as we learn how an acid loving bacteria may hold the key to a biological industrial revolution. All this and a mad scientist who will demonstrate how acid can hollow out a penny and turn a hot dog to sludge.
Copper, 17 Sept
It transports electricity, water, and heat. Our bodies can’t survive without it, yet it can kill microbes in minutes. It brings music to our ears and beauty to our eyes. We’ll delve into all of copper’s impressive traits, history, and how it’s mined. This versatile red metal’s most famous attribute is its ability to conduct electricity–copper wires connect and energize the world. And it’s revolutionizing the electronics industry by enabling ever-shrinking computer chips. It’s also formed into plumbing pipes to convey water and is the metal of choice for beautiful roofs and sculptures. It doesn’t only look good–it sounds great too.
A visit to a bell foundry reveals why bronze, a copper alloy, has been used to make music for hundreds of years. In myriad shapes and for innumerable uses, copper figures prominently in our world.
Aluminium, 24 Sept
At one time, it was more valuable than gold, but now it helps define modern life. In Modern Marvels: Aluminium we’ll stretch it, pound it, melt it, and even make a foam from it. We’ll see how aluminium is made from a powder and molted into massive 30,000 pounds ingots. We’ll visit the widest rolling mill in the world where skins for the largest jumbo jets are made.
Everybody’s kitchen has aluminium foil. How does a metal get so thin and why is it shiny on one side and dull on the other? We’ll find out. We’ll watch how NASA uses aluminium to make shiny reflective mirrors for its telescopes. We’ll also learn how to make an aluminium baseball bat and why it’s better than wood.
This program is available in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin subtitles.
