Actuality Productions
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2010.
Language
English
Description
Where in Washington DC is the nation's most incredible treasure chest? It's a library unlike any other in the world, the U.S. Library of Congress in Washington D.C. Modern Marvels explodes the myth that this 200 year old institution is simply "where members of Congress borrow books". Viewers are taken beyond the magnificent Jefferson Building Great Hall into the secret vaults where more than 600 miles of shelves hold 130 million items, many of them...
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2008.
Language
English
Description
Explore the wondrous energy cells that power the world including the battery-powered car capable of going over 300 miles per hour. Batteries have been developed that are as thin as paper and completely biodegradable. Magnets serve as the underpinning for much of modern technology. From everyday products to cutting-edge laboratories, see how magnetic attraction shapes the world.
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2008.
Language
English
Description
While corn has fed the masses from ancient times to this day, its unique properties make it ideal for a number of applications. From packing material to plasticizers to fuel, corn is not only a vegetable and cereal grain, it is a vital comodity. Visit Lakeside Foods in Reedsburg, Wisconsin and see how tons of corn are harvested and canned within hours. Then to VeraSun Energy in Charles City, Iowa, to discover how corn is converted into fuel. Rats...
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2007.
Language
English
Description
"Egyptian Pyramids: Constructed as tombs for the ancient pharaohs, over 100 pyramids remain in Egypt today, standing as cultural and engineering marvels of staggering proportions. But many facts about these monuments, including the exact methods used to construct them, remain tantalizingly obscure. Modern Marvels travels back in time to investigate their evolution, from the first primitive, flat-roofed tombs called "mastaba" to such magnificent works...
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2007.
Language
English
Description
Mount Rushmore: Follows the quest of the sculptor Gutzon Borglum to create Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota Mount Rushmore. Describes how Borglum whipped American patriotism into a frenzy to elicit public support and secure financing for his dream. Shows how, over the course of fifteen years, 350 men poured their sweat into Borglum's vision using drills and explosives to chisel the stone faces of the American presidents Washington,...
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2007.
Language
English
Description
Empire State Bulding: Discusses the engineering challenges of the design and construction of the Empire State Building, also know as the "Cathedral of Dreams, " during the 1930s.
Eifel Tower: Discusses the engineering challenges of the design and construction of the Eifel Tower in Paris in the late 19th century and its history as a symbol of France, as a radio tower, and as a tourist attraction.
Publisher
A & E Television Networks
Pub. Date
2007.
Language
English
Description
Golden Gate Bridge: Discusses the engineering challenges of the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, now a popular tourist attraction as well as an important traffic artery for the San Francisco area. Discusses how the suspension bridge overcame the problems of the wide span of the bay, the unstable shore, the turbulent tides, and the need for high clearance for ships.
St. Louis Arch: Discusses the engineering challenges of the design and construction...
