The 1889 World’s Fair in Paris dazzles attendees with the Eiffel Tower. So, when plans begin for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, the mandate is clear: beat the Tower.
America’s architects and engineers compete to win the job – but every proposal they submit is more outlandish and dangerous than the last. And the most dangerous of all? Well, that might be ... Show More
Jul 2020
Radar | Welcome to Tuxedo Park | S33-E1
<p>What technology won WWII? Most people would say the atomic bomb, but the real answer is radar.</p><p>As a small island country, vulnerable to aerial attacks, England took the lead in developing radar in the 1930s. But the early radar systems were too massive to fit into planes ... Show More
34m 5s
Jul 2020
Video Games | Electric Dreams | S34-E1
<p>Call of Duty, Fortnite, Animal Crossing.... The video game industry generates billions of dollars each year. But not so long ago, video games were mostly played by the programmers who made them. On our new season, we’re telling the story of how video games broke out of univers ... Show More
38m 56s
Aug 2020
Keeping Cool | A Chilly Reception | S35-E1
<p>Muggy. Sticky. Miserable. </p><p>For eons, that’s just what summer was. In fact, when air conditioning first became available, few people took advantage of it. Wasn’t summer <em>supposed</em> to be uncomfortable? </p><p>This is the story of how people finally warmed ... Show More
38m 53s
Jul 2023
The Disappearance of General Magic | The Pocket Crystal | 1
<p>Almost two decades before the launch of the iPhone, Apple Executive Marc Porat launches a project to develop the world’s first smartphone. But to fulfill his ambitions, he will have to launch his own company: General Magic. There, he will assemble a team of brilliant engineers ... Show More
34m 33s
Dec 2023
The Man Who Sold The Eiffel Tower
On this day we recall the Police operation to ensnare prolific conman Victor Lustig.
The ‘Catch Me If You Can’-style manhunt intensified on 11th December, 1928, when Lustig made the mistake of robbing $16,000 from Massachusetts businessman Thomas Kearns, thereby triggering a cha ... Show More
11m 48s
Oct 2021
Plane Crash in the Andes | The Climb | 4
<p>In a final attempt to escape the Andes, Nando and Roberto have headed east to pursue safety. The men face a difficult journey as the weather takes a turn for the worst, and their food supply dwindles. Back at the fuselage, their teammates wait for rescuers to arrive. The remai ... Show More
46m 5s
Jan 2024
Google Glass Half Empty with Leah Rudick and Rod Thill | 18
<p>Back in 2013, Google’s top secret lab, Google X attempted to change the world with a computer you could wear on your face. The strange looking spectacles, Google Glass, promised a seamless way to experience the real and digital world in harmony. The product generated substanti ... Show More
34m 6s