Smoke & Steel: Secrets of the Modern World
Program Details
The epic projects that laid the cornerstones of our modern world.
Ushering in the age of mass production, the Industrial Revolution began 250 years ago when history’s great engineers pioneered solutions that would forever change the way we live, think, and build.
Crisscrossing the globe to reveal their boldest achievements, Smoke & Steel: Secrets of the Modern World revisits magnificent bridges, tunnels, mines, and more to link past, present, and future.
Using CGI and spectacular drone footage, the series showcases our extraordinary industrial heritage and reveals how these centuries-old inventions and techniques are building the world of today.
Featured Stories:
- Mount Washington Cog Railway: A man’s near-death experience opens up one of America's most awe-inspiring vistas to the public and inspired others to new heights.
- Jacquard loom and Colossus: An invention that underpins our digital world today, this old idea pioneered in the French textile industry helped the Allies in the Second World War.
- Wire Rope: A 19th century German mining device that continues to play a major role in the world of architecture, transport, and skiing.
