Machines That Built the World - Season 1
Season 1
Episodes
Tracker Revolution
This episode reveals the part the tractor played in helping farmers to harvest crops and get food on American tables.
Plane Pioneers
This episode looks at aeroplane pioneers. Before planes were even a possibility, a rivalry brewed as two young dreamers envisioned a future where millions of passengers could be carried overseas.
Titans of Television
How the television industry began with a bitter battle, detailing how one-time farm-boy Philo T Farnsworth invented the device in the 1930s - and how industrial titan RCA, in essence, ruined his life with its tactics.
Motorcycle Kings
William Harley and Arthur Davidson's launch of motorcycles, a revolutionary invention that changed the transportation industry for ever. By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world
Telephone Wars
How, when communication giant Western Union offered a colossal cash prize to anyone who can improve its telephone network, two daring inventors went head-to-head in a fight that would forever change the way humans connected
Power Tool Showdown
How, with a growing need for speed and efficiency, a few visionary companies, such as Black and Decker, Milwaukee and DeWalt, created the power tools that revolutionised how America was built
Tesla vs Marconi
In 1893, sending information across America was a time-consuming process, prompting two rival inventors to try to improve things by introducing wireless communication. Nikola Tesla was one of the most famous and successful thinkers of his day, single-handedly changing the way electricity was supplied and generated. Guglielmo Marconi was a young, uneducated Italian inventor who ignored scientific consensus and went with his gut. Both wanted to rid the world of wires and send messages through the air. With millions of dollars on the line, the two men battled to dominate the new market and bring radio to the masses.
Home Tech Revolution
How, with America plugging in to electric power, a flood of industry-changing innovation revolutionised the home by introducing products - such as fridges, dishwashers and washing machines - making housework easier
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