Technology and innovations
Machines, materials and methods that changed how the world works
The dam builders
The politics, power and engineering behind monumental dams
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Radio waves and plants: The life of JC Bose
How physics and biology entwined in JC Bose's search for the unity of all life on Earth
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Mirror Mirror on the wall: The history of the looking glass
The magical role of the mirror that's revealing ground-breaking secrets of the universe
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Money: From coin to cryptocurrency
The origins of coins, paper money, shares and other financial instruments
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Copper: From mining to microprocessors
The shiny red metal our lives depend on that has powered human development
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The Panama Canal: The real story behind the engineering triumph
The Canal that joined up the Atlantic and Pacific oceans but how did it impact Panama?
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Emile Berliner, inventor of the gramophone
How mass-produced audio discs transformed our sound world
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The birth of the modern car
Design milestones in the early history of motor vehicles
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Unlocking the mysteries of cuneiform tablets
We explore the system of writing that developed 5,000 years ago in Ancient Mesopotamia
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Gerard Mercator: The man who revolutionised mapmaking
The mapmaker who defined the modern world
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The magic of bronze
The stories behind some of the world's greatest masterpieces in bronze
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Electric telegraph: the first worldwide web
The Morse code messaging network that changed the world forever
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The submarine: Stealth machine
Exploring the silent and secretive world of underwater vessels
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James Watt: The power of steam
How the Scottish engineer's ingenuity transformed industry
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Calouste Gulbenkian: The architect of Middle East oil
The secretive Armenian financier who shaped petroleum production for decades
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Fermentation: Ancient Food Alchemy
What's your brew? Friendly microbes making our fare tastier
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Coal: a Burning Legacy
How coal created empires and wealth but also caused misery and unprecedented pollution
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The Jet Engine
The trailblazing technology which made the air age soar
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Material World: Making the Modern Factory
The global factory story
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Plastic: How it Changed the World
Experts from the world of science discuss the story of plastic with presenter Rajan Datar
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Cotton: a Yarn with a Twist
The chequered history of the original global fabric
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The First Skyscrapers
How America reached for the skies
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First Impressions: The Printing Press
How a fifteenth century innovation changed our printed world
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The Silicon Chip: A Tech Revolution
The story of the development of the silicon chip
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